Unchained  by Johnny Cash

Two years after Johnny Cash's first collaboration with Rick Rubin, Cash releases his second album titled Unchained. In contrast to the sparse sound of American Recordings, here Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers accompany the artist in the recordings. The album was released in November 1996.

In this album, Johnny Cash also performs many songs of other singers, giving them a country rock identity. The standout single was Rusty Cage, a song by Soundgarden. The album's title comes from the song Unchained by Jude Johnstone. The studio also saw Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers with his bass, Marty Stuart with his guitar, and even Mick Fleetwood. The production was by Rick Rubin.

Unchained won the Grammy award the following year for Best Country Album of the year. However, its sales in the U.S. only brought it to No. 170 on the Billboard.