Stand by Your Man (1968)

No country singer conveyed romantic sacrifice with Tammy Wynette's heartbreaking urgency. Her voice has a distinctive catch, a break that sounds on the verge of splintering under strain, and on this 1969 album she rides Billy Sherrill's big orchestral arrangements and key changes with remarkable poise. The title track shows how vulnerability backed by real breath control can turn domestic turmoil into epic drama, whatever you make of its message.