Guitar World Staff Picks: Damian Fanelli's Top 15 Albums of 2014

If you ask some people in these parts, 2014 wasn't a great year for music.

I disagree. I think it kicked 2013's ass.

Mind you, my tastes have veered way over toward the rootsy-rock, rockabilly, non-horrible-retro-leaning-country zone. Luckily, Marty Stuart, Whitey Morgan and The 78's, Sturgill Simpson and Reverend Horton Heat provided me with plenty to listen to. Cracker (yes, Cracker) also came along with a late-year stunner, and let's not forget those most-messed-up Old 97's.

While I'm on the topic, I predict I'll be writing much more about Laur Joamets, Sturgill Simpson's Estonian guitarist, in 2015. Keep an eye out for this guy.

On that note, here are my top 15 albums of 2014. See you next year! (And yes, this started out as a top 10, then went to 12, then to 13. I'm stopping at 15, I promise!)

Note that these albums are in no particular order. I repeat, these albums are in no particular order. Remember you can click on the photos to take a closer look. Enjoy!

Damian Fanelli is the online managing editor at Guitar World. Follow him on Twitter. What have you got to lose?

Check out the rest of Guitar World's 2014 year-end content (More is coming soon!) right here. And be sure to take Guitar World's 2014 year-end readers poll to vote on the best album, best GW cover, best shredder, best blues guitarist, Guitar World MVP and much more!

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