Willie Nelson, the star who wasn't supposed to be

Stardust.

"Red Headed Stranger" To me, not only his best, but one of my favorite albums.
"Stardust" is my second favorite. Agree with the OP about people getting envolved with the Willie albums when I put them on.

Sorry to veer off, but Jackie King a guitarist who plays with weed smokin' Willie quite a bit is superb. The playing on his Moon Magic disc is pretty interesting and sounds great... any Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass or Tal Farlow fans will dig it. Sure hope he makes more records.

Hey everyone, listen up when Duanegoosen makes a music selection suggestion. This guy knows his music!

Oh man, I could go on and on. I am a huge Willie fan, and have quite a good chunk of his albums.

Two great early albums:

Phases and Stages; Shotgun Willie

These albums have many of his classics on them, along with many great songs many have never heard.

Stardust: This may have to be his “prettiest” album. The perfect album to turn the lights off too and sip your adult beverage of choice.

Willie and Family Live: This is probably the best “party” album from Willie. Many of the songs are done a little faster than the studio versions. It also gives you a peak of how great his live shows are.

Two recent albums: Songbird; It Always Will Be

I really enjoy both of these albums. Both are fairly “raw” with many tracks that have a nice “bluesy” feel.

Again, I love just about all of his work, but these albums will give a great look into what Willie has to offer.