Regarded by many critics as Ray Charles' best studio albums, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volumes 1 & 2 have been considered by several music writers to be landmark albums in American music. The album's integration of soul and country music bent racial barriers in popular music, amid the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In the process of recording the album, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to exercise complete artistic control over his own recording career. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music has been listed among the greatest albums of all time by numerous publications including Blender, Rolling Stone and Time.
