05/27/2026
Country music in the 1980s was an unwieldy beast. Busloads of new fans were captivated as acts both new and old became “show biz.” From the Hollywood success of Urban Cowboy, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Honeysuckle Rose, and others, glitz and glamour had officially entered the genre. Even Dolly Parton scored a hit film and a No. 1 single with “9 to 5” at the dawn of the decade. This ain’t no Hank Williams song indeed!
Into this terrain wandered a lost soul — a modern troubadour named Steve Earle. MCA Records released his debut album, Guitar Town, in early 1986. It was embraced by the country contingent, and its modern production made it a perfect fit for the era (it topped the country charts), but the songs were what truly set both the LP and the artist apart from the pack.
Earle may have been playing the big-league game, but his heart and soul lived on the scruffy side of town, alongside acts like Rank & File, the Long Ryders, the Knitters, and even John Mellencamp. It was a style that would eventually become known as “Americana” — music just as aware of folk, pop, and underground rock ’n’ roll as it was of Merle Haggard and George Jones.
Guitar Town was a strong starting point for an artist who would go on to create a run of classics that, more or less, defy categorization. Everyone has to start somewhere, and this was Earle’s first step into a career that remains vital to this day.
Check out the early sounds of a legend as we feature Guitar Town throughout the day on Thursday, May 28. And don’t miss Steve Earle live tomorrow night, May 28, at the Goodyear Theater in downtown Akron.
— Dave Swanson
