Joe Don recently shared with MusicRadar.com his top 10 (OK, he technically goes to 11) essential guitar albums.

“Rock was what I loved,” Rooney says. “Rock and metal, and hey, even hair metal – those bands had some great players. My dad would tell me, ‘You won’t make any money playin’ that stuff. You’ll be living on the street.’ He wanted me to get more country. It took me some time, but I did get there, although I always kept the rock side. To me, there’s no good reason why they can’t get along together.”

Rooney’s guitar style is a true hybrid, one that incorporates rock, pop, metal, blues and even some jazz. “Too many guitarists get stuck in one box, and they don’t want to want to check out anything new or different,” he explains. “I’ve always tried to be a well-rounded player, and the idea that you can’t jump from one side of the fence to the other never appealed to me. “In any genre, there’s great music being made. And if you can take a little rock and put it in country, or vice versa, you might wind up with something cool. That’s what I try to do, and it’s what Rascal Flatts does, too.”

Read the full piece including Joe Don’s picks here.