Comments on: The 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Conclusion: #10-#1

By: Travis McClain

Travis McClain — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:06:17 +0000

As lists g0, this was a pretty thoughtful one; every comment made sense for each album’s inclusion. That said, I naturally have a few quibbles.

Firstly, “American IV: The Man Comes Around” should have placed higher. What that album did for him commercially–to say nothing of its artistic merits–was pretty significant. In fact, one could argue it was that album, led by “Hurt,” that was responsible for most of the world even caring when The Man in Black left us.

Two ’01 mainstream releases I was surprised to see absent: Brooks & Dunn’s “Steers & Stripes” and Tim McGraw’s “Set This Circus Down.” “Steers” was easily B&D’s strongest outing, in terms of album sales, radio play and earning accolades–USA Today even remarked at the time that Kix Brooks had “learned to sing.”

McGraw’s “Circus” may not have performed as strongly as some of his earlier albums commercially, but it clearly marked an artistic evolution for him. The jingoistic filler songs that pervade on previous releases are replaced here by thoughtful songs that explore more mature material. (Plus, I’ve always loved the painting used for the album art.)

Finally, it seems almost impossible to believe a list of 100 albums in this decade could not include a single release by George Strait. It’s easy to take him for granted; it seems every year, he releases another album just like the last, but “It Just Comes Natural” should have made the list if for nothing else than including “Why Can’t I Leave Her Alone” in which he confesses, “I show up at her mama’s, stoned out of my mind.” Other songs show some willingness on Strait’s part to cut songs without any obvious regard to eventual radio play.

Finally, Dwight Yoakam’s “Dwight Sings Buck” should have found its way onto the list. He took 15 songs of his friend and mentor, and managed to do something very unique with them: he paid tribute while somehow making every cut his own. We should all be so lucky that when we go, someone cares enough to pay this kind of tribute to us.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:59:15 +0000

Is there any way to see how the staff members themselves voted?

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:31:44 +0000

Home is the album that got me into country :D Great #1 choice!

By: Bill B

Bill B — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:32:49 +0000

Impressive list. Glad to see high praise for Dwight Yoakam’s Blame The Vain. Also, anything Keith Urban. By the way, let’s hope we haven’t heard the last of the Dixie Chicks!!

By: Corey

Corey — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:29:37 +0000

Refreshing list. Thank you. I loved the multiple Dwight Yoakam inclusions and dug seeing artists like Reckless Kelly, Ryan Adams, Justin Townes Earle and Bruce Robison receive some recognition. However, I was shocked by the notable absence of the King of Country Music, to which I can only assume was due to a personal bias. Any of Troubadour, Honkytonkville, Somewhere Down In Texas or It Just Comes Natural could wipe the floor with at least 70 of the other albums on the list (not saying they weren’t worthy of being on the list, just significantly inferior to these obvious George Strait selections). Moving past that, there were a number of other amazing country albums released this decade that also need some recognition. So here are my favourite 12 country albums (in order no less) released in the last ten years that weren’t on your list and weren’t released by George Strait:
1. Hank Williams III – Straight To Hell (all of his albums could have made my list)
2. Junior Brown – Down Home Chrome (easily the most under-rated country artist of all-time)
3. Supersuckers – Must’ve Been High (a very impressive effort from the Greatest Rock’n’Roll Band In The World!)
4. Lucas Hudgins – The World Left Is Mine (Three Chairs just might be the best country song released in the last ten years)
5. Railbenders – Segundo (in an alt-universe somewhere, these guys are the biggest band on the planet!)
6. James Hand – The Truth Will Set You Free (flawless album from an under-appreciated talent)
7. Shooter Jennings – Put The O Back In Country (Waylon would be proud!)
8. Dale Watson – The Little Darlin’ Sessions (a Merle Haggard scholar)
9. Dallas Wayne – Here I Am In Dallas (I’d love to see this guy live in a small honky tonk in Texas!)
10. Wayne Hancock – Viper Of Melody (Moving On No. 3 was my fave song of 2009)
11. Marti Brom – Sings Heartache Numbers (her rendition of Apartment No. 9 gives me chills every time I hear it)
12. Derailers – Here Comes The Derailers (Buck musta loved these guys!)
Anyway, thanks again for putting together a list that wasn’t dominated by the likes of Taylor Swift or Tim McGraw or Kenny Chesney. Real country music still exists…

By: rodney

rodney — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:17:09 +0000

where the heck is a george strait album he makes the best music period end of story every album he makes lol

By: Cory DeStein

Cory DeStein — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:54:48 +0000

Completly agree with the #1 album. I would have put Lynn a little higher, and would have placed Lambert in the comft 75-50 category….Im the small percentage that dosent see what on the earth the big deal is with that girl.All in all the best way to describe the list is suprising, and interesting. Not quite my taste at all, but still interesting.

By: Razor X

Razor X — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:00:11 +0000

Kelly Willis – Easy (I actually prefer what I deserve and almost listed it but realized it was released in 1999) When I was putting together my choices for our Best of the Decade list, there were quite a few albums that I wanted to use and then realized that they came out in 1999. Albums like Dolly's The Grass Is Blue , Gary Allan's Smoke Rings In The Dark , and George Jones' Cold Hard Truth are a few examples.

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:53:55 +0000

Here are some that I would have added:

AKUS – New Favorite

Kelly Willis – Easy (I actually prefer what I deserve and almost listed it but realized it was released in 1999)

Kasey Chambers – Barricades and Brickwalls

Leslie Satcher – Love Letters (her writing IMO is way better then her voice)

Mindy Smith – One moment more

I guess I only like female singer/songwriters =)

By: Erik North

Erik North — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:58:47 +0000

I’m not too terribly surprised about HOME being the #1 album of the decade here. It helped to prove that the Chicks were not your standard-issue cute cowgirls from west Texas, but three extremely talented and cagey women who attempted to shatter at least some of the stereotypes people had about country music (most which got reinforced after March 9, 2003, of course). Regardless of what the Nashville “establishment” thought about the album, or the gals that made it, HOME was a very impressive piece.

In terms of other albums of this kind that I liked that were not on here, I think all three of Tift Merritt’s studio albums (BRAMBLE ROSE; TAMBOURINE; ANOTHER COUNTRY) were very worthy–so much so that, in my opinion, she is the Female Artist of the Decade. And I would also cite the ultra-traditional 2006 Linda Ronstadt/Ann Savoy collaboration ADIEU FALSE HEART, even if it’s a borderline kind of an album (and which, though I hope I’m wrong about it, may be Linda’s swan song as a recording artist).