This week, Dave Stroud revisits the seminal release of 1972 that brought together multiple generations of musicians, introducing a new generation of listeners to their music and, in some cases, to each other. Will The Circle Be Unbroken was a concept made real by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, then a “bunch of long-haired West Coast boys” (as Roy Acuff would describe them) and the talent that they were able to muster would influence country, bluegrass, and rock for decades to come. In addition to the big names of decades before them like Roy Acuff, Maybelle Carter, and Jimmy Martin, the Dirt Band would bring together lesser known names like Vassar Clements, Norman Blake, and Oswald Kirby to make an album that is as fresh and listenable today as it was then. We’ll feature tracks from the album alongside some of the original performances by these legendary masters.

No.	Artist	Title	Album	Buy
1	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Will the Circle Be Unbroken	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2
2	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2
3	Carter Sisters/Mother Maybelle Carter	Fair and Tender Ladies	Keep on the Sunny Side: Her Life in Music Disc 1
4	Maybelle Carter	The Storms are on the Ocean	Friends Of Old Time Music [Disc 1]
5	Mother Maybelle & The Carter Sisters	WIldwood Flower	The Winding StreamThe Carters, The Cashes And The Course Of Country Music
6	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Wreck on the Highway	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 1
7	Roy Acuff & His Smoky Mountain Boys	Wreck On The Highway	The Essential Roy Acuff
8	Roy Acuff	Pins & Needles (In My Heart)	King of Country Music [Disc 3] : Fireball Mail
9	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Pins and Needles (In My Heart)	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2
10	Jimmy Martin	Sunny Side Of The Mountain	Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys 1954-1974 [Disc 3]
11	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Sunny Side of the Mountain	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 1
12	Jimmy Martin	You Don't Know My Mind	Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys 1954-1974 [Disc 2]
13	Jimmy Martin	Ocean Of Diamonds	Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys 1954-1974 [Disc 1]
14	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Nine Pound Hammer	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 1
15	Merle Travis	Nine Pound Hammer	American Roots- A History Of American Folk Music [Disc 3]
16	Merle Travis	Dark As a Dungeon	Bob Dylan Presents: Cover to Cover – The Originals
17	Merle Travis	I Am A Pilgrim	The Best of Merle Travis
18	Doc Watson/Merle Watson	Black Mountain Rag	Black Mountain Rag
19	Doc Watson/Merle Watson	Down Yonder	Black Mountain Rag
20	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Down Yonder	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2
21	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Lonesome Fiddle Blues	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2
22	Earl Scruggs/Foggy Mountain Boys/Lester Flatt	Nashville Skyline Rag	The Essential Earl Scruggs (2 of 2)
23	Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys	Earl's Breakdown [78rpm Version]	16 Biggest Hits
24	Hank Williams	Wait For The Light To Shine	Lost Highway December 1948 – March 1949
25	Leon Payne	Lost Highway	Country & Western Hit Parade 1948
26	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Lost Highway	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2
27	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	I Saw the Light	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 1
28	Hank Williams	I Saw The Light	Hank Williams – A Country Legend (3)
29	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Honky Tonk Blues	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2
30	The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	Orange Blossom Special	Will the Circle Be Unbroken [Bonus Tracks] Disc 2