“Rich Men North of Richmond” singer Oliver Anthony announced his debut album on Friday (March 29).
The details of Hymnal of a Troubled Man’s Mind may surprise fans expecting a standard new music release.
Related: Why Radio Wouldn’t Play Oliver Anthony, “Rich Men North of Richmond”
- Anthony’s “Rich Men …” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 last year, making him the first artist to debut at the top of that chart.
- Last month, he began a world tour that will keep him on the road through September.
- Chris Stapleton producer Dave Cobb produced Anthony’s new album.
Hymnal of a Troubled Man’s Mind is coming with little warning. The 10-song collection will drop on Easter Sunday (March 31).
It is — in some ways — a greatest hits album. Find the full tracklist and more analysis of the release below.
attachment-Hymnal of a Oliver Anthony Album
Oliver Anthony, Hymnal of a Troubled Mind Tracklist:
There are two surprising takeaways from Anthony’s tracklist: The first is that “Rich Men North of Richmond” isn’t a part of his debut album. In some ways this makes sense, as it’s been streamed half a billion times already.
The available recording of that song is raw, however, and few would have objected if he chose to take another try at it with Cobb at the helm.
The second surprise is that nine of the 10 songs were written and recorded prior to “Rich Men …” going viral. The only new song is “Momma’s Been Hurting,” which he’s been performing live in 2024.
Related: 16 Oliver Anthony Songs That Prove “Rich Men …” Is No Fluke
In a press release, Anthony explains this by saying he felt it his responsibility to give these songs the completion they deserve. Expect more new music shortly after this album is released.
The full tracklist for Hymnal of a Troubled Mind tells Anthony’s life story from 2013 to 2023.
1. “Rich Man’s Gold”
2. “Doggonit”
3. “I’ve Got to Get Sober”
4. “Cobwebs and Cocaine”
5. “Hell on Earth”
6. “I Want to Go Home”
7. “Feeling Purdy Good”
8. “Always Love You Like a Good Old Dog”
9. “VCR Kid”
10. “Momma’s Been Hurting”
Cobb’s participation on the album is surprising, if only because it wasn’t clear who (if anyone) from Nashville would join him. Plenty of artists, record labels and songwriters have reached out to Anthony to offer advice or ideas, but he’s rebuffed the commercial country music machine.
Fans love his DIY attitude — in fact, his counterculture approach to the music business is part of his identity. Still, dropping an album on Easter Sunday is bold, if only because that’s not typically a big secular music consumption day.
From a chart standpoint, it also gives him two fewer days to create a streaming/sales tally that will compete with Beyonce‘s Cowboy Carter for No. 1 on the Hot Country Album chart.
Anthony — a man who reads scripture during his concerts — likely doesn’t care about the latter. That’s also part of his brand.
The Best Oliver Anthony Songs — His Entire Catalog, Ranked
Taste of Country ranked all 16 songs Anthony has released so far. Most are cell phone recordings, but we didn’t hold a lack of production quality against him. Instead, each song is rated based on strength of message, originality and overall appeal. “Rich Men …” ranks third, which is not a criticism of his debut hit as much as it is praise of two other mostly unheard-of songs.