1996 Merle Haggard – 1996

1996 is the forty-ninth studio album by American country singer Merle Haggard, released in 1996. It was his last studio album on the Curb Records label, and was considered something of a return to form for Haggard despite poor sales.

Despite good reviews, 1996 was the first studio album in Haggard’s career not to chart. Curb’s indifference to the release is commonly cited as a major factor in the LP’s commercial failure, with country music critic, journalist and historian Michael McCall summarizing the situation in his AllMusic review of the album: “His record company didn’t send promotional copies to reviewers until the album had been out for nearly a month, and no advertising or promotion has been devoted to the music. The album artwork and cover reflect this lack of care: the title, 1996, is boxed on the cover like a tomb, exactly like Hag’s last set, 1994.” In his 2013 Haggard biography The Running Kind David Cantwell adds, “To be a singer and a writer with next to zero chance of being heard was maddening enough. That 1996 boasted several strong new originals only compounded the frustration.” On “Beer Can Hill,” a song that celebrates his Bakersfield roots, Haggard is joined by Dwight Yoakam and fellow country legend Buck Owens. 1996 also features contributions from John Anderson, Iris Dement, and Johnny Paycheck.