Showcase (1961)

Patsy Cline possessed one of the truly magnificent instruments in twentieth-century music: a rich, resonant contralto capable of astonishing dynamic range, silky lower register warmth and thrilling upper-register cries. Recorded with producer Owen Bradley and the Jordanaires shortly after Cline survived a catastrophic car accident, this album set the standard for the Nashville Sound. On classics like Crazy and I Fall to Pieces, Cline approaches Willie Nelson and Hank Cochran's ballads with torch-song sophistication, using deliberate vocal catches to convey profound heartbreak without ever sounding melodramatic.