Hardy: His ‘Mount Rushmore’ Of Country And Rock Music

Hardy has become one of the biggest names in country music and he also has a lot of rock fans as well. But every great artist has role models they look up to. Backstage Country put the country rocker in the hot seat to see who he would select as his lineup for Mount Rushmore (the country music edition) and some of his answers were surprising. 

While hosting Backstage Country this week, the singer-songwriter also opened up about personally creating music for an array of genres saying, "I enjoy having a chip on my shoulder. It inspires me to make more [different] music. That’s such a paradox because I feel like a lot of times, the more I push boundaries, the more like pats on the back you get."

You may wonder, how it's possible to only pick four for each. Well, Hardy knew within seconds who he'd want on his country music Mount Rushmore. Plus, he also gave us a separate list for the rock and roll and metalheads out there.

From Queen Dolly Parton to the leading member of Metallica, James Hetfield, there's something for everyone to be a fan of on Hardy's Mount Rushmore(s). His list is legendary and you can hear him speak on it in the video below.

The singer-songwriter recently released his new single, “ROCKSTAR,” which he says is his “REDNECKER for rock n roll” and is the first song that he’s released to date that “doesn’t take itself seriously.” The song follows Hardy's 2023 album The Mockingbird & The Crow, which contains a mix of country and rock music.

Among the "Nashville's Metal King's" accolades are five ACM Awards, two CMA Awards, and BMI's 2022 Country Songwriter of the Year. Hardy has released an astounding 14 No. 1 singles to date including his first-ever Rock radio single, "Jack," and his first-ever No. 1 at Country radio, "One Beer."

Hardy will hit the road in May for his headlining Quit!!! Tour with special guests Kip Moore, Travis Denning, Ella Langley, and Stephen Wilson Jr. He will perform at select festivals this summer including Watershed, Faster Horses, Country Thunder, and more.

Country Music 
1. Dolly Parton
2. Johnny Cash
3. Waylon Jennings
4. Jimmie Rodgers

Metal / Rock Music 
1. James Hetfield of Metallica
2. Dimebag Darrell of Pantera
3. Mitch Lucker of Suicide Silence
4. Ozzy Osbourne

It's hard to believe these 15 country albums are turning 10 in 2024 but here we are. In my opinion, we were gifted with an amazing list of releases that year.

While researching the albums listed below, it brought me back through a whirlwind of emotions. Throughout 2014, we had new albums from Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Lady A, Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, and more.

For several of the names on this list, the music released captured career-defining moments, while others achieved No. 1 hits, among other accolades. Country music was the gift that kept on giving in 2014 with the numerous fan-favorite tracks featured on these albums.

On November 5, 2014, Lambert's fifth studio album, Platinum, garnered her the CMA Award for Best Country Album. Her fellow nominees in the category included Bentley's Riser, Church's The Outsiders, Luke Bryan's Crash My Party (2013), and Keith Urban's Fuse (2013) album.

Lambert's Platinum album featured her lead single "Automatic," followed by "Something Bad" featuring Carrie Underwood, "Little Red Wagon," and "Smokin' And Drinkin'." The country superstar wrote or co-wrote eight of the sixteen tracks on her album, which is now certified Platinum by the RIAA. and landed her the Grammy win in 2015 for Best Country Album.

Fast forward to February 25, 2014, Bentley releases his seventh studio album, Riser. It includes "Bourbon In Kentucky," the certified platinum hit, "I Hold On," the fan favorite and anthemic "Drunk On A Plane," "Say You Do," and the title track, "Riser."

“There’s a lot of really intense material on this record, but there’s also a lighter side that is equally important in telling the story of the last two years of my life.  When I first started writing for this album, I was in a place of grief over the loss of my dad, but over the course of the next 18 months, my wife and I had our son Knox, and I ended in a place of real joy and gratefulness," Bentley said of his 2014 album in a press statement.

Take a scroll below to reminisce on the 15 albums that are turning the big 10 in 2024. Plus, let us know which album or song from these country albums was your favorite back in the day.

As I mentioned above, Miranda Lambert's Platinum album garnered her the CMA Award for Best Country Album in 2014. It was also my pick that year, and while listening to every track (on repeat) for months, it had me feeling just about every emotion in the book.

I remember clear as day hearing people listening to this song by Dierks Bentley through their headphones while boarding a flight back in 2014. Bentley's "Drunk On A Plane" was perhaps my favorite song on the 12-track collection. Rise was a personal album for Bentley, however, it also gave fans the country music they needed.

Eric Church's fourth studio album, The Outsiders, is still to this day one of my favorite country albums ever released. Church, one of the biggest stars in the genre delivered a 12-track collection that became the best-selling country album in 2014.

Hey, "Bartender!" Admit it, we all had this song stuck in our heads back in 2014 at some point. Lady A's sixth studio album, 747, was filled with infectious country hits including my personal favorite, "Long Stretch of Love."

Tim McGraw's thirteenth studio album, Sundown Heaven Town, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart in 2014. As someone who attended his album release party in New York City that year, I can honestly say hearing the tracks featured on this album performed live made it even more special.

Brad Paisley's 2014 release of Moonshine In The Trunk was his eighth album to hit No.1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. The country star's eleventh studio album delivered hit after hit, including "River Bank," "Crushin' It," and "Country Nation."

Kenny Chesney's album, The Big Revival, will forever have an impact on my other list (the best concerts I've ever attended). The country star brought his sixteenth studio album out on the road the following summer which is now certified platinum. Chesney delivered 11 tracks with this collection, including the lead single, "American Kids."

Blake Shelton's ninth studio album brought him back to a traditional country feel while still keeping things fun just like the star himself. Shelton's Bringing Back The Sunshine debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's all-genre top 200 in 2014 and features the lead single "Neon Light" as well as the fan-favorite "Sangria."

Jason Aldean referred to this collection of work as the "same old me" but he also took some time to explore new styles which is why he named his sixth album, Old Boots, New Dirt. The country superstar debuted at No. 1 with this release in 2014 and delivered four singles to the Aldean Army including "Burnin' It Down," "Just Gettin' Started," "Tonight Looks Good On You," and "Gonna Know We Were Here."

Garth Brooks first introduced his ninth studio album, Man Against Machine, in 2014 with the powerful single, "People Loving People." While announcing the collection, the living country legend also announced his comeback world tour.

While I don't think anything can quite compare to Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" era, I do have to say their sophomore album, Anything Goes, was a game-changer for the country duo. Florida Georgia Line was unstoppable during this time bringing us a new sound with tracks "Dirt," "Sun Daze," and "Sippin' On Fire."

I might be biased because Lee Brice has been and will always be one of my favorite country artists (I adored this album). Although the title track and lead single, "I Don't Dance," did become a No. 1 hit, the album overall did not get the praise it deserved in 2014. Brice's third album, I Don't Dance, delivered what Brice does best, solid country music.

Well, what can I say aside from 2014 was the year of Dan + Shay. The country duo released their debut album, Where It All Began, and never looked back. The 12-track collection includes singles "19 You + Me," "Show You Off," and "Nothin' Like You."

David Nail's I'm A Fire album was a good one. I remember seeing him live that year in New York City and it sounded even better live and in person. To this day, Nail's lead single on the album, "Whatever She's Got," continues to be one of my favorite country songs out there.

The Eli Young Band released their fourth studio album, 10,000 Towns, in March of 2014. I love going back and listening to this album. The group delivers a sound to the genre like no other with their tracks "Drunk Last Night," "Dust," and more.