Whether you despise them or have life-sized cutouts of the duo on your wall, there’s no denying that Florida Georgia Line is one of the most influential acts in country music this millennium. After bursting onto the scene in 2012 with the 14x platinum single “Cruise,” the duo went on to garner billions of streams, sell out arenas across the country, and redefine what modern country music sounds like.
The duo, consisting of Georgia-native Tyler Hubbard and Florida-born Brian Kelley, had one of the most successful careers of any country act in modern history. After FGL’s run was put on pause in 2021, both members decided to pursue musical careers of their own, which they continue to build today.
While the bro-country, Nashville-friendly, pop-rock sounds of Florida Georgia Line aren’t for everyone, the duo’s discography is filled with hits that continue racking up streams and airplay, and are crowd favorites at Hubbard and Kelley’s solo shows.
Throughout the band’s five-album history, FGL stuck to its work-hard, play-hard attitude with rocking instrumentals and a fearless attitude when it came to bending genre norms. Of course, some of their work was better and more well-rounded than the rest, which begs the question: which album is the best?
5. Life Rolls On
With the same level of love and attention as two divorced parents reluctantly trying to celebrate Christmas with their only child, Life Rolls On is what you’d assume a break-up record from Florida Georgia Line would sound like. Some of the worst writing of the duo’s career lives on this album, with a tracklist full of duds and unmemorable slop about driving trucks, falling in love, and every other cliche the band covered nine years prior. Contractual obligations or not, Life Rolls On is the lame B-side of the duo’s entire career. It’s a mediocre bow on a nine-year run that feels unorganized at best, emphasized by the absurdity of tracks like “New Truck” and “Beer:30”.
4. Anything Goes
2014 saw Florida Georgia Line try to reignite the same flame that began dying after the release of the band’s deluxe debut album, Here’s to the Good Times… This is How We Roll. Doubling down on the sound that made them famous, Anything Goes is a bona fide sequel to their debut project, with a stronger focus on high-energy tracks that only get disrupted by the 2x platinum single, “Dirt.” This is the FGL album you play to kickstart any party, with tracks like “Sun Daze” and “Smile” setting an ideal tone for the background noise you need for a great time. But that’s as far as this album will carry you; while enjoyable to some extent, FGL didn’t show any signs of growth or willingness to experiment. Instead, more hip-hop and pop elements were laced throughout the album, diluting any country character the duo had even further. While this translated to hits at country radio and continued the momentum of Hubbard and Kelley’s careers, Anything Goes left a lot of opportunity on the table for a sophomore album.
3. Can’t Say I Ain’t Country
Amidst the new wave of neo-traditionalism and country rockstars that swept the genre in 2019 and subsequent years, FGL’s fourth studio album Can’t Say I Ain’t Country was an attempted response to anyone claiming the duo went too far in the pop direction and lost touch with their roots. In reality? It’s an FGL album, but with less Nickelback-infused production. With earthier tones and twangy hooks throughout, it certainly bucked the trend of the duo being seen as not country enough, which helps songs like “Colorado” and “Simple” stand out as some of the band’s most enjoyable singles. But peel back a layer or two, and you’ll find the egregious slop that began rounding out the FGL brand leading up to their break-up just two years later. With a lot of songs about love, some about backroad Friday nights, some that are straight-up corny, and a weird handful of skits that are both unnecessary and hard to listen to, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country marks a strange time for the band as it tried to keep up with new trends in the country genre while staying somewhat true to their 2012 selves. It’s bro-country for those who don’t want hip-hop drum patterns or harsh electric guitar riffs, and while it didn’t prove Florida Georgia Line was dag-gone country, it made a somewhat solid attempt to.
2. Dig Your Roots
On the band’s third album, Dig Your Roots, Florida Georgia Line showed glimpses of a different side to their personalities. Showcasing renewed creativity with less emphasis on backroad parties, the album offered a more balanced mix of bangers and mature, introspective tracks. Between collaborations with Backstreet Boys and Tim McGraw, more lead vocals from Brian Kelley than any other FGL album, and a soundscape that packs in more charm and charisma than their previous two projects, Dig Your Roots was a sign that the duo was willing to try new things and keep their catalog interesting. It managed to add depth and maturity to their discography while remaining true to themselves and their party-country flair. Coupled with solid singles like “H.O.L.Y.” and “Smooth,” this album was the visceral shake-up you couldn’t see coming, but didn’t mind when it arrived.
1. Here’s to the Good Times
The holy grail of Florida Georgia Line albums, Here’s to the Good Times, kicked off one of the most polarizing eras in country music history. Introducing bro-country as a sub-genre that took over the industry for years to come, the album laced party-anthem soundtracks with a rock-leaning, hip-hop-infused smorgasbord of instrumentals and vocal flows that gave FGL its signature sound. Led by the 14x platinum hit “Cruise,” it set the band in the direction of world domination. It defined what FGL was capable of: taking over pop radio with the most country-forward sound that stations had been exposed to in years, coupled with a redefinition of what it meant to make country music that resonated with an evolving audience. The result? A new wave of country artists is emerging, unafraid to experiment with heavier pop and hip-hop influences. New trends in how artists approach mainstream country music are emerging, with a stronger focus on the country genre across the entire industry. There’s nothing traditionally country about this album, yet nothing you can point to that says otherwise. It covers all the same themes and subject matter, but in a way that divided country purists and fans alike. It transformed many people from lifelong country music haters to having it blasting from their car stereos. It’s an album of hits in the making; there is no depth, no overtly mature themes, nothing to think about. It strictly speaks to the intrusive internal thought many of us have: work sucks, let’s party. Enjoy the summer heat, roll down your windows, and drink a cold beer on a Friday night. It’s the “Cruise” album, after all. Turn it up.
