#10
Play On
Carrie Underwood

World: meet Underwood. She’s fiercely compassionate and endearingly idealistic (the riveting “Change”). She holds her beliefs with a firm but quiet conviction (“Temporary Home”). She’s as comfortable and convincing at tearing down a wrong-doer (the Dixie Chicks-esque “Songs Like This”) as she is nursing an irreparable heartache, whether it’s in the form of a haunting country standard (“Someday When I Stop Loving You”) or a rich pop ballad (“What Can I Say?”). And she’s one of the most gifted vocalists of this generation, possessing an instrument that, when colored and layered with emotion as she’s aptly learned to do on Play On, can have bone-chilling effects.

Like it or leave it, Play On is the most authentic encapsulation of Underwood’s artistry and persona to date, and serves as an exciting glimpse at how far a little growth can carry her. The best is yet to come, but in the meantime, the “good” is pretty damn good. – Tara Seetharam

#9
Sara Watkins
Sara Watkins

As most people know by now, Sara Watkins is the female member of the now-disbanded (hopefully temporarily) New Grass trio, Nickel Creek. While Nickel Creek was difficult to classify in a certain genre (not bluegrass, not country), they were embraced by bluegrass and country music fans alike. Each member of the popular trio has released intriguing projects outside of Nickel Creek, but Watkins’ album  has assumed the most decidedly country direction of them all. As a result, we are treated to a sublime album thanks to Watkins’ sweet voice and a set of impressively solid songs. – Leeann Ward

#8
Live at Eddie’s Attic
The Civil Wars

When Alabama singer/songwriter John Paul White and eleven-time Dove Award nominee Joy Williams formed the Civil Wars, their first release Live at Eddie’s Attic (available for free download) appeared to be purely publicity, not something one expects to be spectacular. Yet, Live at Eddie’s Attic is exactly that, excelling in the emerging acoustic movement that floats along the outskirts of country much like the most pop-oriented country radio fare, albeit in its own direction. – William Ward

#7
Live on the Inside
Sugarland

I’ve never heard a live album that has so made me long to see an act in concert. Sure, the live versions of the hits are solid, especially the marriage of “Joey” with Nightswimming,”  But it’s the broad selection of interesting covers that make this essential listening. Where else can you hear Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon songs alongside songs by The B-52′s and Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians? – Okay, fine. Satellite radio. But you won’t hear Nettle’s irreplaceable drawl wrapped around them anywhere else. – Kevin Coyne

#6
Revolution
Miranda Lambert

If Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was the album that commanded us to sit up and take notice of Lambert, Revolution is the album that lures us in, one intriguing, introspective song at a time. By shedding the authentic but limiting aggression-heavy skin of her previous album, Lambert is free to explore the complex of emotions behind her fierce persona, in songs that range from poking tongue-in-cheek fun (“Only Prettier”) to honestly and accessibly conveying love (“Love Song”). And it should be noted that, while Lambert has honed her songwriting skills to a tee on Revolution, her largely underrated vocal skills are perhaps equally superb on this album; this is no more apparent than on the touching, beautifully restrained “The House that Built Me.” – TS

#5
Written in Chalk
Buddy & Julie Miller

A textbook Americana album – textbook in the sense that it truly does blend a wide range of roots sounds, and in the sense that it’s really freaking good. What you get here is part warm country (“Ellis County”), part dirty rock ‘n’ roll (“Gasoline and Matches”), part quiet folk (“Chalk”), and even part slow-burning jazz (“Long Time”). The common thread is immaculately crafted melodies and productions which nail the essence of each song’s emotional point.
- Dan Milliken

#4
Willie and the Wheel
Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel

Three decades in the making, Willie & The Wheel came to us in a swingin’ flurry at the beginning of 2009, setting the bar so high for future albums that very few were able to outshine it. It’s one of those rare albums that sounds inspired from start to finish, as though not one single note of the wildly energetic, masterfully performed disc was taken for granted by its creators. Given the current musical landscape, Willie & The Wheel may feel like a tribute to Western Swing, but make no mistake: distinct and compelling, this is an album that embodies and, in many ways, enhances Western Swing – a classic on its own merits. – TS

#3
The Excitement Plan
Todd Snider

The Excitement Plan is more acoustic than some of Snider’s previous work (thanks to producer Don Was), but the clever turn of ideas and his trademark relaxed delivery is ever-present. As always, Snider gently pokes a stick at the world, along with himself, as he views life’s situations through his typically goofy, but insightful, lens. Album highlights include the retro-sounding “Don’t Tempt Me” (with Loretta Lynn), the self-aware/self-deprecating “Money, Compliments, Publicity (Song Number Ten)” and the simple “Corpus Christi Bay.” With a string of quality and engaging albums under his belt, it’s heartening that The Excitement Plan manages to be one of Snider’s most solid   projects so far. – LW

#2
Midnight at the Movies
Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle’s largest claim to fame is still a matter of his family tree, despite musical differences that, in many ways, make comparisons with his acclaimed singer/songwriter father quite challenging. Midnight at the Movies continues Justin’s argument for fame under his own merits, highlighting his less political and more personal writing with a warm voice much less worn than his father’s. It also provides one of the strongest songs of the decade, “Mama’s Eyes,” an epic wrapped up in a package so tiny it leaves you wondering how it was done. – WW

#1
Satisfied
Ashley Monroe

Satisfied was supposed to be released in 2006, but since the album did not produce any top 20 singles, Columbia Nashville held the album instead of officially releasing it. It did momentarily find its way onto digital retail outlets for a month, just long enough to gain hype by ardent supporters who recognized that Satisfied was a real gem that deserved to be officially released to the public. Fortunately, the powers that be at Columbia (though Monroe and the record label had long since parted ways) finally decided to re-release the digital version of the album in May 2009, this time for good.

While Monroe was merely nineteen years old when she recorded this album, she neither caters to the teen crowd nor overreaches to prove her maturity. Instead, her warm, clear crackling voice simply sings of what she knows. From her playful duet with Dwight Yoakam (“That’s Why We Call Each Other Baby”) to introspective compositions such as “Hank’s Cadillac” and the album’s title track, Satisfied is smart without being pretentious, contemporary without being bubblegum and traditional without being stale. – LW

#80
“When Somebody Loves You”
Alan Jackson
2001
Peak: #5

A treasure of a love song. Contrasted stunningly with modest accompaniment and vocals, the song’s message is that of love’s sublime ability to transform one’s life and bring light to dark. – Tara Seetharam

#79
“Separate Ways”
Rick Trevino
2007
Peak: #59

“Separate Ways” is an instructive narrative of a couple who did everything together, but “the last thing they did together was go their separate ways.” Fortunately, the song’s narrator learns from his parents’ divorce and wisely applies its valuable lesson to his own relationship. – Leeann Ward

#78
“Satisfied”
Ashley Monroe
2006
Peak: #43

Unable to keep her love interest interested, Monroe looks out at the world around her and wonders why nobody seems to just appreciate what they have instead of coveting what they can’t. Her ethereal performance is even better than the classic question she poses: “Does it have to be wrong to make it feel right?” – Dan Milliken

#77
“Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love”
Trisha Yearwood
2007
Peak: #19

A bluesy, sizzling, revitalizing powerhouse of a song that, upon its release, aptly slapped us in the face with a reminder that Yearwood is one of the best female vocalists in the genre. – TS

#76
“The Man Comes Around”
Johnny Cash
2002
Peak: Did not chart

It has often been said that when we hear God’s voice, it will sound like Johnny Cash’s voice. While the deep timbre of Cash’s voice is absent from this single, the resonance is still there. As a result, “The Man Comes Around” is charismatically fiery in all the right ways. – LW

#75
“More Like Her”
Miranda Lambert
2008
Peak: #17

Radio has rarely heard such a tangible, heartbreaking breadth of emotions in one song – regret, stubbornness, resignation, inadequacy. Lambert sells every note of it, with a beautiful, largely under-appreciated vocal performance. She may be known for being a hell of a fireball, but this song packs more of a punch than many of her raucous numbers. – TS

#74
“Dig Two Graves”
Randy Travis
2008
Peak: Did not chart

As time passes, our superficial bonds tend to fall away while our meaningful ones become ever more deeply woven into our lives. In “Dig Two Graves”, Travis’ connection with his wife has become his life blood, a love so central to his existence that he’s sure he won’t live very long once its source is gone – and what’s more, he doesn’t want to. – DM

#73
“Welcome Home”
Dolly Parton
2004
Peak: Did not chart

A piece of songwriting that can stand toe to toe with “Down From Dover”, “Coat of Many Colors”, and “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”, and not look any paler in comparison. – Kevin Coyne

#72
“The Reason Why”
Vince Gill with Alison Krauss
2006
Peak: #28

The truly memorable songs in Gill’s catalog are the ones that take his angelic voice and wrap it around all the twists and turns of a throbbing sentiment. “The Reason Why” finds Gill desperately, longingly and self-deprecatingly looking for answers that he may never find, and it’s made all the more effective by his smoothly intense delivery. – TS

#71
“Where Are You Now”
Trisha Yearwood
2000
Peak: #45

Yearwood at her raw and throaty best, elevating an already stellar Mary Chapin Carpenter and Kim Richey song with her powerful vocal in a way that neither songwriter ever could. – KC

#70
“If I Didn’t Know Any Better”
Alison Krauss & Union Station
2006
Peak: Did not chart

With killer dobro and Krauss’ sweet voice, this song is a heavenly sonic experience. – LW

#69
“A Hard Secret to Keep”
Mark Chesnutt
2005
Peak: #59

This is, hands down, the best straight-up country cheating song of the decade, which awesomely explores a “cheater’s paranoia.” – LW

#68
“Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)”
Big & Rich
2004
Peak: #11

One of the biggest explosions of personality Nashville has ever seen. It’s country, rock and hip-hop all smushed together with a glorious goofball glaze, one of those rare novelty singles that has overcome its novelty status and simply become a classic. That it smashed down the door for “She’s Country” and “That Thang” to creep in is something for which you’re just going to have to forgive it. – DM

#67
“Little Sparrow”
Dolly Parton
2001
Peak: Did not chart

Parton’s performance is deceptively gentle, but the lyrics are blunt and harsh: “All ye maidens hede my warning/Never trust the hearts of men/They will crush you like a sparrow/Leaving you to never mend.” – LW

#66
“Dixie Lullaby”
Pat Green
2007
Peak: #24

There are no grand proclamations made by Green in this tribute to a late father – just simple, touching descriptions of a “mountain of a man” who worked hard and loved his family. Country music is flooded with stories of the small-town southern man, but few have been delivered with as much rough personal conviction as this one. – TS

#65
“Somebody’s Hero”
Jamie O’Neal
2005
Peak: #5

If God allows enough time to go by, the parent becomes the child. This is a beautiful celebration of reciprocity for a job well done. – KC

#64
“Sin Wagon”
Dixie Chicks
2004
Peak: #52

A rebel cry so spirited, fun and unapologetic that it’s bound to make any good Christian feel a little uneasy just for enjoying it. – DM

#63
“Sissy’s Song”
Alan Jackson
2009
Peak: #9

Alan Jackson has cornered the market for simple, yet meaningful songs. “Sissy’s Song” is a simple ode to a lost friend that could sound pedestrian from a less capable artist, but  works as an appropriately reverent piece of beauty in Jackson’s naturally sincere hands. – LW

#62
“Kerosene”
Miranda Lambert
2005
Peak: #15

After two forgettable lead singles, Lambert shot out from the pack with this murderous, arsonist rewrite of Steve Earle’s “I Feel Alright” that featured her little-bitty girl voice snarling, “I’m givin’ up on love, ’cause love’s given up on me.” She has modeled her subsequent career after the imagination and intelligence displayed in this song, and country music today is better for it. – DM

#61
“I Need You”
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
2007
Peak: #8

A burning collaboration whose heavy declarations might be tacky (“I need you like a needle needs a vein”) if they weren’t sung by two lovers whose chemistry is absolutely, unequivocally convincing. – TS

- – -

• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 1: #201-#181
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 2: #180-#161
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 3: #160-#141
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 4: #140-#121
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 5: #121-#101
  
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 6: #100-#81
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 7: #80-#61
  
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 8: #60-#41
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 9: #40-#21
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Conclusion: #20-#1

#40
Tim McGraw, Live Like You Were Dying

The title track looks forward, pondering what to do with the scarcity of time left, but the best of the rest of these tracks look backward, sometimes with sadness (“My Old Friend”), sometimes with humor (“Back When”), and often with both (“Open Season on My Heart”, “Can’t Tell Me Nothin’.”) – Kevin Coyne

Recommended Tracks: “My Old Friend”, “Old Town New”, “Open Season On My Heart”

#39
Ashley Monroe,  Satisfied

At just nineteen years old, Ashley Monroe has made an album with content comparatively mature, both in lyrics and production, to most other albums on this list. With a voice naturally tinged with both twang and sophistication, Monroe sings of loss, relational strife and even regret and sorrow with acute adeptness. While many of the compositions are sonically and topically subdued, she is not incapable of letting loose on certain numbers such as Kasey Chambers’ “Pony”, which includes a mean yodel, and a delightful duet with Dwight Yoakam, “That’s Why We Call Each Other Baby.” – Leeann Ward

Recommended Tracks: “Pony”, “Satisfied”, “Hank’s Cadillac”

#38
Dolly Parton, Little Sparrow

She got her groove back with The Grass Is Blue, but Parton’s career revival truly peaked when she revisited her mountain roots on this classic album. She won a Grammy for her treatment of the Collective Soul hit “Shine”, and she wrote new songs like the title track, which ranks among her best work. She even revisited her finest pre-”Coat of Many Colors” composition, “Down From Dover”, restoring the verse that Porter Wagoner had forced her to edit out for the sake of brevity. – KC

Recommended Tracks: “Little Sparrow”, “Shine”, “Down From Dover”

#37
Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts

Six months after taking the American Idol crown, Underwood unapologetically introduced herself as a polished country-pop artist via Some Hearts. With explosive hits like “Before He Cheats” at the helm, the album became the best-selling debut by a solo female country artist, making it easy to overlook that it is as genuine as it is commercially viable. It’s an album that fits Underwood like a glove, bottling a unique combination of naivety and perceptiveness, sass and charm, bombast and reservation – the kinds of paradoxes that have come to define her as an artist and as a person. And while the material is standard country-pop, to be sure, we’re reminded by Underwood’s compelling, crystalline performances that standard material can be made to be just as memorable as anything else. – Tara Seetharam

Recommended Tracks: “Wasted”, “Jesus, Take The Wheel”, “The Night Before (Life Goes On)”

#36
Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott, Real Time

In which two modern virtuosos sit in a living room and pluck out an acoustic album to match any before or since. The playing is exemplary, the songwriting deeply inspired, and the country-folk-bluegrass sound ageless. – Dan Milliken

Recommended Tracks: “Walk Beside Me”, “There Ain’t No Easy Way”, “Long Time Gone”

#35
Soundtrack, O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Sometimes an album’s perceived quality becomes inextricable from its legend. Such is the case with the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers’ modern-day Odyssey, one of the bestselling country sets of the decade and a landmark in the genre’s history for its regeneration of mainstream interest in roots music. In essence, it’s really just a bunch of old-time covers done in exceptionally convincing old-time form. Whether that’s enough to put it among the decade’s finest country albums is up for debate – but there’s no denying it’s among the most essential. – DM

Recommended Tracks: “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”, “Didn’t Leave Nobody But the Baby”, “O Death”

#34
Buddy and Julie Miller, Written in Chalk

Americana’s favorite couple outdo themselves on one of this year’s most revelatory albums, a tour de force of down-home soul and raw depth. The Millers excel at finding just the right sound to express the sentiments of their material, scoring randy lovemakin’ (“Gasoline And Matches”) and quiet grief (“Don’t Say Goodbye”) with equal aplomb. – DM

Recommended Tracks: “One Part, Two Part”, “Chalk”, “Everytime We Say Goodbye”

#33
Patty Loveless, Sleepless Nights

The last decade has seen numerous well executed traditional covers albums, but none of higher quality than Patty Loveless’ tribute to tradition, Sleepless Nights. Loveless culls songs from various places, including compositions mostly previously attributed to male singers, to create an album that solidly stands as a cohesive unit. Due to Loveless’ naturally distinctive twang and her producer husband’s (Emory Gordy, Jr.) tasteful arrangements (prominent bass, light percussion and steel guitar), Sleepless Nights does well at staying authentic while still sounding progressive enough to warrant yet another covers project. – LW

Recommended Tracks: “Pain of Loving You”, “Sleepless Nights”, “Cold Cold Heart”

#32
Justin Townes Earle, Midnight at the Movies

While The Good Life gained considerably more attention among traditional country audiences than Midnight at the Movies, with Justin Townes Earle’s follow-up, we are presented with his first fully mature album. Nominated for an Americana Music Award for Album of the Year, Midnight at the Movies delivers a voice fallen far from the rough gravel of Earle’s father, Steve Earle, but with gleaming jewels of writing equal to some of his father’s best work. – William Ward

Recommended Tracks: “They Killed John Henry”, “Mama’s Eyes”, “Black Eyed Suzy”

#31
Keith Urban, Golden Road

Urban’s second solo album is an exuberant, original piece of work that solidified his place as one of the genre’s most gifted and charismatic male artists. The album showcases both his fine musicianship and intuitive sense of balance, as the material embraces exhilaration without feeling frivolous, and sentimentality without feeling melodramatic. Much like his other albums, it’s hard to classify Urban’s style on Golden Road, with its intermixed elements of rock, pop and traditional country – but who the heck cares when it’s this good? – TS

Recommended Tracks: “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me”, “You’ll Think Of Me”, “Raining On Sunday”

- – -

• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 1: #100-#91
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 2: #90-#81
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 3: #80-#71
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 4: #70-#61
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 5: #60-51
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 6: #50-#41
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 7: #40-#31
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 8: #30-#21
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 9: #20-#11
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Conclusion: #10-#1

Entertainer of the Year

Should Win:

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley – Leeann, Tara
• George Strait
• Taylor Swift – Kevin, Dan
• Keith Urban

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley – Kevin, Leeann, Tara
• George Strait
• Taylor Swift – Dan
• Keith Urban

Kevin: Much like the field finally cleared for him in the Male Vocalist race two years ago, I expect that this is Paisley’s year to win with his sixth nomination. I think Taylor Swift deserves to win, though. There’s no getting around the fact that she’s the biggest thing out there right now.

Leeann: I won’t be shocked (or really even disappointed) if Taylor Swift picks it up, but I really feel it’s finally Brad’s year.

Dan: Swift is the face of the genre right now, and she’s putting out better-written material than many of the veterans in this category. It looks like a race between her and Paisley, and I think she may actually get it.

Tara: It wouldn’t be inappropriate for Swift to take this award, and I would much (understatement) prefer her to win this over the vocalist award. But to me, Paisley is the all-around entertainer, and I think it’s his year to be recognized.

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley – Leeann, Tara
• Darius Rucker
• George Strait – Dan
• Keith Urban – Kevin

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley – Kevin, Leeann, Dan, Tara
• Darius Rucker
• George Strait
• Keith Urban

Leeann: I have no doubt that Paisley will win again, as he  has had a strong year and the CMAs tend to prefer him for this award.  While I think Urban is technically a very worthy opponent, the combination of Paisley’s warm voice and stronger album makes me continue to root for him.  I’d also be just as happy if Strait won, however, and feel that his and Paisley’s albums were the strongest of the year.

Dan: Looks like an easy Paisley win, but I’ll give Strait the nod for all-around strength this past year.

Tara: I don’t anticipate that Paisley’s winning streak will be broken. I’m pulling for him on the strength of his material, but wouldn’t mind one bit if Urban took the award. Just please, CMAs, don’t give it to Rucker!

Kevin: Paisley’s poised to pick up his third trophy, with his only real competition being five-time winner George Strait. I’d give a fourth trophy to previous winner Keith Urban over the rest of the field. He really sang rings around the rest of ‘em when comparing their latest albums.

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Miranda Lambert - Leeann
• Martina McBride
• Reba McEntire
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood – Kevin, Dan, Tara

• Miranda Lambert
• Martina McBride
• Reba McEntire
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood – Kevin, Leeann, Dan, Tara

Dan: I tend to find Underwood boring, but I do think she released some of her better singles this past year. Swift just isn’t a strong enough vocalist to merit this prize, and I’d rather see Lambert win in a year where she has more momentum going, which could well be next year.

Tara: It will no doubt spark controversy when Underwood takes her fourth trophy and joins the ranks of Reba McEntire and Martina McBride, and that’s another discussion all together – but looking at the nominees for this year, it’s clear she deserves to win. In terms of sheer vocal talent, few artists in the genre come close to her. I’d love to see Lambert take this award (and Underwood would too!), but like Dan, I don’t think it’s her time just yet.

Kevin: I won’t believe a different winner in this race until I see it. I was underwhelmed by the latest albums from Lambert, McBride, McEntire, and Swift, and quite frankly, Underwood is the only lady of the five to put out more than one single this year that I actually really liked (“Just a Dream”, “I Told You So.”) I remain in her corner.

Leeann: Carrie will deserve to win this award when she wins it this year.  I, however, still prefer Lambert’s voice and feel that her output (album) is the most interesting of the nominees.

Vocal Duo of the Year

Should Win:

• Big & Rich
• Brooks & Dunn
• Joey + Rory
• Montgomery Gentry
• Sugarland – Kevin, Leeann, Dan, Tara

• Big & Rich
• Brooks & Dunn
• Joey + Rory
• Montgomery Gentry
• Sugarland – Kevin, Leeann, Dan, Tara

Tara: Sugarland continues to excite me, and I think they deserve this award again.

Kevin: I love Joey + Rory, but Sugarland have really been blowing me away lately.  I’d pick them for Entertainer if they’d been nominated.

Leeann: I’d technically love for Joey + Rory to win, but I know full well that Sugarland is the duo that truly deserves to win based upon their impact this year.

Dan: Sugarland. But I want to talk to whoever is picking their singles.

Vocal Group of the Year

Should Win:

• Eagles
• Lady Antebellum – Tara
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts
• Zac Brown Band – Kevin, Leeann, Dan

Will Win:

• Eagles
• Lady Antebellum – Kevin, Leeann, Dan, Tara
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts
• Zac Brown Band

Kevin: I find Zac Brown Band more interesting, and I think they have a real shot at winning this. I suspect Lady Antebellum has a bit more industry support, though, so I’ll give them the edge.

Leeann: Lady A will win because they’ve got more industry support and popularity with radio, but the Zac Brown Band has certainly put out more interesting music and have a refreshingly unique sound that deserves to be rewarded.

Dan: Pretty much what Kevin and Leeann said. “Chicken Fried” notwithstanding.

Tara: It’s definitely a race between Zac Brown Band and Lady Antebellum, and I can understand why my co-bloggers are rooting for the former. But even if Lady Antebellum’s talent needs a little cultivating, their music strikes a very personal chord with me, and I’ll be thrilled when they take this award. Can you believe Rascal Flatts might actually walk away from an awards show empty-handed?

New Artist of the Year

Will Win:

• Randy Houser
• Jamey Johnson – Kevin
• Jake Owen
• Darius Rucker – Dan, Leeann, Tara
• Zac Brown Band

Kevin: A weak lineup that speaks volumes about why country music is where it is today. I think Zac Brown Band should win. They’ve really been the real breakthrough act of the five. But I suspect in this battle of “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” co-writers, Jamey Johnson will emerge victorious.

Leeann: While I’m tempted to root for Jamey Johnson, I think Zac Brown Band has a chance of keeping me intrigued over the next few years (even if they fall out of the mainstream), though I don’t think they’ve reached their potential  just yet.  I predict that Darius Rucker will actually win, however, as he’s been the most successful in the last year.

Dan: Time will tell whether Johnson is able to remain a strong artistic force, but I’d say he has as good a chance as any of these five if he can keep from getting self-important. Rucker is the biggest star on the ballot, though, and I suspect he’ll squeak the win over Johnson and Zac Brown Band.

Tara: Johnson and Zac Brown Band are both deserving recipients of this award, but I personally prefer the band’s music. With the commercial success Rucker’s seen in the past year, though, I think it’s his award to lose. Not too sure how I feel about that.  

Album of the Year

Should Win:

• Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song – Leeann, Dan
• Brad Paisley, American Saturday Night – Tara
• Sugarland, Love on the Inside – Kevin
• Taylor Swift, Fearless
• Keith Urban, Defying Gravity

• Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song – Kevin, Dan, Tara
• Brad Paisley, American Saturday Night
• Sugarland, Love on the Inside
• Taylor Swift, Fearless – Leeann
• Keith Urban, Defying Gravity

Leeann: While Johnson’s album hasn’t really stuck with me over the past year or so, I still think it’s the best album out of the bunch.  I think Swift will win, however, due to the volume of sales and hit singles.

Dan: All of these albums have strengths, but That Lonesome Song is the only one that makes me optimistic about country music’s future. I expect it to triumph, though Swift’s has a great shot, too.

Tara: Paisley’s album, to me, strikes that sweet balance of traditional and contemporary. I think it’s a strong, interesting and relevant album that epitomizes why Paisley is so deservingly successful. But Johnson will deserve this award when he takes it, and I recognize and appreciate his positive influence on mainstream country music.

Kevin: I expected more nods overall for Jamey Johnson. I think that the eligibility period hurt him, with the project less fresh in voters’ minds. But the CMA values traditional country more than any other awards organization, so I expect him to win this. I enjoy the Sugarland album far more than any of the other four, so I’m rooting for that one.

Single of the Year

Should Win:

• “Chicken Fried” – Zac Brown Band
• “I Run to You” – Lady Antebellum
• “In Color” – Jamey Johnson – Kevin, Leeann, Dan, Tara
• “People Are Crazy” – Billy Currington
• “Then” – Brad Paisley

• “Chicken Fried” – Zac Brown Band
• “I Run to You” – Lady Antebellum
• “In Color” – Jamey Johnson – Kevin, Leeann, Tara
• “People Are Crazy” – Billy Currington – Dan
• “Then” – Brad Paisley

Dan: I’ve just got a bad feeling about that Currington single. “I Run To You” does have some smokin’ production, but “In Color” is the only one of the five I can still stand.

Tara: Ouch. I’m pleased that “I Run to You” is nominated as it’s a personal favorite, but I don’t think any song other than “In Color” is deserving of this award. Again…ouch.

Kevin: This is the weakest lineup in the history of this category.

Leeann: Johnson’s song feels old to me now, but it’s the best song in this underwhelming category, though I’m sure David Letterman disagrees.  While I like the production on “People Are Crazy” the best in this line-up, the hook (not to mention the frustratingly weak story development) is just lame.

Song of the Year

Should Win:

• “Chicken Fried” – Zac Brown & Wyatt Durette
• “I Told You So” – Randy Travis – Kevin, Leeann, Tara
• “In Color” – Jamey Johnson – Dan
• “People Are Crazy” – Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones
• “Then” – Chris Dubois, Ashley Gorley & Brad Paisley

• “Chicken Fried” – Zac Brown & Wyatt Durette
• “I Told You So” – Randy Travis – Leeann
• “In Color” – Jamey Johnson – Kevin, Dan, Tara
• “People Are Crazy” – Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones
• “Then” – Chris Dubois, Ashley Gorley & Brad Paisley

Tara: I would absolutely love to see Travis take this award; Underwood’s success with the song proves that the best-written country songs are timeless. I think “In Color” has more pull, though.

Kevin: I think Johnson will win, but kudos to Carrie Underwood for recognizing the value of the Randy Travis-penned gem and making it a hit all over again.

Leeann: This is not one of my favorite Randy Travis songs, but for nostalgia’s sake, I’m rooting for him to win this one. I even think it has a chance of winning, since it was a hit song for one of today’s country music’s most popular artists. I think the Paisley composition is, by far, the weakest though.

Dan: I like probable-winner “In Color” marginally more than “I Told You So.” Any of the other three winning would hurt me way down deep.

Musical Event of the Year

Should Win:

• “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” – Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire
• “Down the Road” – Kenny Chesney with Mac McAnally
• “Everything But Quits” – Lee Ann Womack with George Strait
• “I Told You So” – Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis – Kevin, Tara
• “Old Enough” – The Raconteurs with Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe – Leeann, Dan
• “Start a Band” – Brad Paisley and Keith Urban

• “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” – Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire
• “Down the Road” – Kenny Chesney with Mac McAnally
• “Everything But Quits” – Lee Ann Womack with George Strait
• “I Told You So” – Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis – Kevin, Dan, Tara
• “Old Enough” – The Raconteurs with Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
• “Start a Band” – Brad Paisley and Keith Urban – Leeann

Kevin: Will the CMA really pass up the chance to give a trophy to Randy Travis for the first time in 21 years? I hope not.

Leeann: Paisley’s and Urban’s collaboration was originally accidentally left off the ballot, but the superstar pairing is the most likely to win.  Conversely, I suspect that the inclusion of the collaboration with Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe was likely an accident, but I’d still love to see this dark horse nomination win. It’s certainly the most interesting song of the category.  I might have gone for the Underwood/Travis pairing if Travis’ inclusion didn’t seem so random.  I liked Underwood’s original version better, as Vince Gill’s harmony seemed more natural.

Dan: It’s totally between “I Told You So” and “Start A Band”, but I’m pulling for the underdog Raconteurs record, too. I like my collaborations a little spontaneous like that, and it’s always great to see outsiders included in the CMA fold.

Tara: While I have a particular soft spot for “Down the Road,” which I thought was one of the best singles of 2008, it should come as no surprise that I’m pulling for the beautiful, rough-and-pure “I Told You So.” I think it will easily win.

Music Video of the Year

• “Boots On” – Randy Houser
• “Love Story” – Taylor Swift
• “People Are Crazy” – Billy Currington
• “Start a Band” – Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
• “Troubadour” – George Strait – Kevin, Dan, Tara

• “Boots On” – Randy Houser
• “Love Story” – Taylor Swift – Kevin, Dan, Tara
• “People Are Crazy” – Billy Currington
• “Start a Band” – Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
• “Troubadour” – George Strait

Dan: I enjoy the Strait video most, but Swift’s is the flashiest, and that tends to win out.

Tara: Strait’s video is poignant and tastefully done. I never understood the appeal of Swift’s Shakespearean video, but apparently a whole generation of country music fans does. My money’s on Swift.

Kevin: I think the Swift fairytale will get the most votes, but the Strait clip hypnotizes me every time it’s on. Who knew a simple slide show could be so powerful and such a perfect fit for a song?

Musician of the Year

• Eddie Bayers (drums)
• Paul Franklin (steel guitar)
• Dan Huff (guitar)
• Brent Mason (guitar)
• Mac McAnally (guitar) – Kevin, Leeann, Dan, Tara

Dan: I should really start paying more attention to this kind of thing. But I know Paul Franklin’s been doing steel for everyone from Lyle Lovett to Rascal Flatts in the past year. Respek!

Tara: Franklin’s the one I’m most familiar with, and I agree with Kevin and Dan that he deserves it. I’ll admit I’m not entirely sure how to gauge who’ll win this year, but I suppose I’d go with McAnally again.

Kevin: I guess that McAnally will repeat his victory from last year. The other previous winners won quite a bit of time ago – Dann Huff in 2001 and 2004, Brent Mason in 1997 and 1998.  My sympathy goes to Eddie Bayers, who is nominated for the tenth time and has yet to win. I have no choice but to pull for Paul Frankin, though, who has lost this award sixteen times.  Here’s hoping that seventeen’s a charm!

Leeann: Please don’t let it be Dann Huff! That’s all I ask.  Of course, I’m partial to the steel guitar, not to mention that it’s a shame that a steel guitar player has to work so hard to win a country music award.

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert is a rare and fascinating case study of an artist who is able to push a significant number of records out the door, but is hard-pressed to receive equally significant radio airplay in return. While her first album, Kerosene, was certified Platinum and the follow up project, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, fared similarly well with Gold certification, she has only managed to squeak into radio’s top ten once with “Gunpowder And Lead.” On her third album, Revolution, it is entirely possible that Lambert has finally found a way to strike the tenuous balance of pleasing both critics and the general country music listening public with her album consisting of everything from sensitive ballads to rocked up, punk-flavored songs and a lot in between.

Not only does her impressive range of versatility sonically manifest itself, her depth of influences also appears by way of song contributions by people who aren’t just the usual suspects, but also dips into the pens of some highly esteemed Americana artists who aren’t typically covered by mainstream artists, as she did with songs from Gillian Welch and Patty Griffin on Crazy Ex Girlfriend. While there is a song that is co-written with the male members of Lady Antebellum and three co-writes with Blake Shelton, more interesting contributions are Fred Eaglesmith’s “Time to Get A Gun”, which is actually more relaxed than Eaglesmith’s manic rendering, Julie Miller’s “Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go” that was rearranged with a punk vibe, and a lyrically watered down (with confusing changes) but sonically amped up version of John Prine’s “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round”. Additionally, she includes three songs written with Ashley Monroe, including the catchy “Me and Your Cigarrettes” (also written with Shelton), which Monroe sings on as well.

As was ever present in her previous albums, Lambert maintains a certain edge for which she is best known both in sound and lyrics. Songs like “Maintain the Pain” (with a guest appearance from Blake Shelton), “Time to Get A Gun”, “Sin for A Sin”, “White Liar” and “Only Prettier” display Lambert’s trademark tendency toward the attitudinal. While all these songs are noteworthy for various reasons, “Only Prettier” specifically taps into Lambert’s sardonic capabilities, which results in the most amusing song of the album. Using political jargon, she suggests that the high society crowd can get along with the less refined folks but ends up antagonistically concluding with the barb, “We’re just like you, only prettier.”

However, as is also often overlooked with Lambert’s music, there is certainly a more sensitive and introspective side that is actually more prevalent on Revolution than on her prior albums. In fact, “Makin’ Plans”, “The House That Built Me”, “Airstream Song” (her answer to Merle Haggard’s “The Way I Am”), and “Virginia Bluebell” can all be described as gorgeous. Incidentally, they are also the quieter tracks. Of these songs, the most thematically compelling is “The House that Built Me”, which is an unshakably touching tribute to the contribution of the childhood home and its accompanying memories. “If I could just come in, I swear I’ll leave/Won’t take nothin’ but a memory from the house that built me”, she promises the house’s current owner.

In this fifteen song set, Lambert does not merely rest on the comfort ability of her past album’s themes and productions. Instead, she reaches for growth and diversity. While she is not completely successful (mostly thanks to some heavy production choices), her attempts to stretch herself are largely positive and indicative of an artist who is mainstream but not afraid to stay true to her tasteful and eclectic roots. Moreover, Lambert continues and even improves upon her natural inclination toward quality songs, stellar vocals and intriguing productions. Hopefully, she will someday be truly rewarded for her artistic integrity by receiving airplay to match her sales.

I’ll play along too, but I’ll spare you the Christmas songs that will inevitably come up in my shuffle, which I’d heartily recommend if I wasn’t keenly aware that it’s still only September.

John Anderson, “I’d Love You Again”

Nice, sweet song from the rough voice guy who’s still able to sing a tender song with the best of them.

Todd Snider, “Alright Guy”

I love how Snider really seems to be pondering this question: “I’m an alright guy? Right? Right?”

Ashley Monroe, “Can’t Let Go”

Peppy…reminds me of a Garth Brooks type song.

Patty Loveless, “What’s A Broken Heart”

Melancholy…something Patty Loveless does the best.

Rodney Crowell, “Earthbound”

A celebration of life that doesn’t happen to be sappy.

Kathy Mattea, “Junkyard”

I can relate to this song. My motto has always been “Life’s depressing enough. Why would I want to watch things that would only contribute to the darkness?” That’s why I don’t watch dark films, though it so happens that I don’t have the same philosophy about music.

The Judds, “Flies on the Butter (You Can’t Go Home Again)”

There’s just something wistful about this song. Obviously, the theme, but also how it’s performed. Perhaps I’m just imagining it, because I’m wistfully wishing there was a duo on radio like The Judds today…probably why I love Joey + Rory

Trent Summar and the New Row Mob, “Louisville Nashville Line”

It’s just imperative to turn Trent Summar and the New Row Mob up when they come up on the iPod.

Vince Gill, “Don’t Pretend with Me”

I really like the guitar on this song. It’s cool. In reality, this whole box set is awesome.

Keith Anderson, “Pickin’ Wild Flowers”

Guilty pleasure.

Entertainer

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• George Strait
• Taylor Swift
• Keith Urban

Who’s In: Taylor Swift

Who’s Out: Sugarland

Snap Judgment: With Carrie Underwood and Sugarland a little out of the spotlight recently, it’s no shock to see the regular foursome of Chesney, Paisley, Strait and Urban prevail. Swift was a logical inclusion given her across-the-board dominance, but I gotta say that I’m surprised to see her acknowledged for it by the historically traditional-leaning CMA.

Male Vocalist

• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Darius Rucker
• George Strait
• Keith Urban

Who’s In: Darius Rucker

Who’s Out: Alan Jackson

Snap Judgment: Pretty predicable. Rucker has shown he can get serious spins at radio, which is probably what won him this slot over Jamey Johnson.

Female Vocalist

• Miranda Lambert
• Martina McBride
• Reba McEntire
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood

Who’s In: Reba McEntire

Who’s Out: Alison Krauss

Snap Judgment: Again, no big surprises. Martina always hangs in there somehow, doesn’t she?

Vocal Duo

• Big & Rich
• Brooks & Dunn
• Joey + Rory
• Montgomery Gentry
• Sugarland

Who’s In: Joey + Rory

Who’s Out: The Wreckers (finally!), oddly not Big & Rich

Snap Judgment: I guess there has to be at least one defunct act in this category every year, huh?

Vocal Group

• Eagles
• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts
• Zac Brown Band

Who’s In: Zac Brown Band

Who’s Out: Emerson Drive

Snap Judgment: I’m baffled to see the Eagles still here. I expect there will be a lot more shake-up in this category next year, with Love and Theft, Eli Young Band and The Lost Trailers all experiencing a rise in profile recently.

New Artist

• Randy Houser
• Jamey Johnson
• Jake Owen
• Darius Rucker
• Zac Brown Band

Who’s In: Completely new line-up!

Snap Judgment: A strong group. Johnson, Rucker and Zac Brown Band are selling better than many of the veteran acts, so they’re the serious contenders this year, but all five nominees show great artistic potential.

Album

• Brad Paisley, American Saturday Night
  
• Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song
  
• Sugarland, Love On The Inside
  
• Taylor Swift, Fearless
• Keith Urban, Defying Gravity
  

Snap Judgment: Probably as good a line-up as you could’ve hoped for. Never thought I’d live to see a CMA category where I thought Keith Urban had the weakest offering!

Single

• “Chicken Fried” – Zac Brown Band
• “I Run To You” – Lady Antebellum
• “In Color” – Jamey Johnson
• “People Are Crazy” – Billy Currington
• “Then” – Brad Paisley

Snap Judgment: Sigh.

Song

• “Chicken Fried” – Zac Brown & Wyatt Durette
• “I Told You So” – Randy Travis
• “In Color” – Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller & James Otto
• “People Are Crazy” – Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones
• “Then” – Brad Paisley, Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley

Snap Judgment: I mean, it’s not like Randy Travis ever had his own hit with “I Told You So” or anything.

Musical Event

• “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” – Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire
• “Down The Road” – Kenny Chesney with Mac McAnally
• “Everything But Quits” – Lee Ann Womack with George Strait
• “I Told You So” – Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis
• “Old Enough” – The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
• “Start A Band” – Brad Paisley with Keith Urban

Snap Judgment: How in the world did that Raconteurs record sneak in there? Props, CMA!

Music Video

• “Boots On” – Randy Houser
• “Love Story” – Taylor Swift
• “People Are Crazy” – Billy Currington
• “Start A Band” – Brad Paisley with Keith Urban
• “Troubadour” – George Strait

Snap Judgment: Not bad. Houser’s doesn’t have much, but the only one I outright dislike is Currington’s. It’s just another excuse for him to sit around looking scruffy on a beach.

Musician

• Eddie Bayers
• Paul Franklin
• Dann Huff
• Brent Mason
• Mac McAnally

Ashley Monroe’s “Canary,” which can be unearthed on This is My America Volume 2, is the kind of hidden gem that often can be missed even by those paying close attention to the movements of country music. Similar in tone to classic coal mining songs but delivered with modern sensibilities “Canary” most closely resembles what I wish “radio friendly” country sounded like—it isn’t traditional but it feels like country music. Plus, it fits well between my more traditional favorites, providing some variety for myself and perhaps a surprise to anyone listening along.

Recommendation: Ashley Monroe’s “Canary,” from This is My America Volume 2.

What hidden gems covering traditional country music subject matter (murder, drinking, ect.) would you recommend? Alternatively, what coal mining songs would you recommend?

In any case, here are my favorite 20 things designated as country music singles in 2008 (that I picked up on, anyhoo):

#20

Elizabeth Cook, “Sunday Morning”

Cook mines an abstract Velvet Underground song and halfway convinces you it was always meant to be a quiet country reflection. The production and vocal are a bit too buoyant to fully convey the song’s weariness, but they do flesh out its gentle message of hope, and that’s not too bad, either.

#19

Hank Williams III, “Six Pack of Beer”

Silly and shallow it may be, but III’s turbo-campy lament of hard times + booze was also this year’s sweetest piece of hillbilly ear candy. I think it sounds like the fastest, most frivolous thing Johnny Cash never recorded, but maybe that’s just me.

#18

James Otto, “Just Got Started Lovin’ You”

What’s this? A contemporary country single with a traditional structure that skips on big choruses? A distinctive voice at the helm? Oh? It was the most played song of the year? Huh. So country music fans want to hear unique-sounding singers singing some semblance of actual country music on the radio? How perplexing.

In all seriousness, this smash really is a fine example of feel-good radio fluff that still manages to sound human. It’s impossible to evaluate honestly without the requisite (and very valid) comparison to Josh Turner’s “Your Man,” but honestly, I think Otto out-sexed his predecessor by a good margin. Turner gave a fine performance with his standard sweetness, but Otto opted for randy, slightly jagged cooing that ultimately sounds much more convincing coming from a man in this particular situation.

#17

Joey + Rory, “Cheater, Cheater”

My soft spot for frivolity shows itself again. This tell-off ditty has a cute bite, and its malicious irrationality is delivered with a knowing wink that has been regrettably absent in many recent, like-minded harangues (cough cough, “Picture to Burn”). Still, it’s the frenetic bluegrass production and the couple’s palpable chemistry that ultimately sell the thing.

#16

Josh Turner featuring Trisha Yearwood, “Another Try”

I’m always game for more regret on country radio, particularly when you’ve got two of the best singers in the biz on the job. The only thing holding it back for me is the melody, which is a bit too “Peabo Bryson goes country” for my taste.

#15

Sugarland, Little Big Town & Jake Owen, “Life in a Northern Town”

There is a certain kind of song whose impact simply defies logical explanation, which seems to tap something so primal in the human spirit that you don’t even want to try explaining it for fear you might belittle it somehow. You couldn’t ask for a better example of that phenomenon than this cover of Dream Academy’s surreal ode to singer-songwriter Nick Drake, which resolves into a chorus of tribal “hey ma ma ma ma”s that somehow manage to say more (to me) than most actual words ever do.

It’s much more “Lion King soundtrack” than “country,” of course, but the union of all of these unique individual voices evokes the sort of grand communal warmth that you can normally only find in church or around a campfire. Personal favorite moment: Jake Owen’s solo, which he sings with such silky ease that it makes you pissed he hasn’t found better material for himself yet.

#14

Reckless Kelly, “Ragged is the Road”

A classic Texas road anthem. The theme of finding personal enlightenment through the consideration of a historical setting is hardly new – especially when that setting is the open road – but these guys manage to rejuvenate it with broadly poetic lyrics and a galloping chorus that sounds damn good coming out of your car speakers.  Crank it.

#13

Del McCoury Band, “Moneyland”

American greed and corruption get roundly served. Hard, fast, and so ruthlessly convicted that you’d have to be a statue or a total bluegrass hater to not be a bit shaken by it.

#12

Emily West, “Rocks in Your Shoes”

A burst of country-poptimism that manages to sound both sunny and smart. Eat your heart out, “Red Umbrella.”

#11

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Please Read the Letter”

What I imagine you’d get if traditional country/folk story songs and Beatlesy acoustic theatrics met somewhere in outer space. I’ve yet to hear another record that so effectively captures that weird, dreamlike anxiety that comes with waiting for something painful to finally end.

#10

Gary Allan, “Learning How to Bend”

I’d probably hate it if anyone else sang it. At least as music goes, very few men could pull off lines like, “I’m still learning how to trust / It’s so hard to open up” without sounding like total wusses, mostly because most men couldn’t sell that kind of couples-counseling line with any psychological conviction.

Allan, of course, is not most men. He understands the need to play against the vulnerability of the song in order to convey his character’s ingrained pride, and his vocal burns with the memory of unspoken hurt even as he pledges to embrace emotional and spiritual surrender. Much has been said of the technical impressiveness of his falsettos in the chorus, but listen to the way his full voice pops out ungracefully as he rebounds from them, like he’s scared to death of exposing such a vulnerable part of himself for too long. That’s not just impressive; that’s artful.

#9

The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs & Ashley Monroe, “Old Enough”

A thrilling, organic collaboration that sounds cooler and more convincing with each listen. It probably hasn’t gotten enough exposure to be remembered several years down the line, but it’s one of 2008’s most compelling arguments for the uncanning of country music.

#8

Reba McEntire & Kenny Chesney, “Every Other Weekend”

Two divorced parents contemplate the unfulfilling aftermath of their split and the lingering feelings they have for one another in intimate detail (”First thing in the morning / I turn the T.V. on to make the quiet go away”). Neither Chesney nor co-writer Skip Ewing was able to match McEntire’s combination of technical and interpretive skill, but you don’t get this kind of song everyday.

#7

Randy Travis, “Dig Two Graves”

I can’t imagine ever feeling this attached to another person – at least, not for a very long while from now, after I’ve undergone the sort of emotional growth that would essentially render me a completely different person – but I think the extremity of Travis’ declaration is the crux of its charm. Kevin summed up the beauty of the theme wonderfully in his write-up of the single, and I would just add to that that the single succeeds in large part because its subdued composition and execution complement the song’s quiet sincerity so well – and honestly, how many other recordings from 2008 could you really call “subdued”?

#6

Lee Ann Womack, “Last Call”

Journalists like to pigeonhole Womack as a neotraditionalist amid a sea of pop-rock posers, but the truth of the matter is that she’s just an unusually smart artist, the kind who understands country music well enough to know how far she can push it musically while still retaining its essential nature. Compositionally speaking, “Last Call” ain’t your granddaddy’s country, but it comes across like latter-day-Tammy because of a beautifully drawn story and one of Womack’s richest, most nuanced performances to date. As she imagines the scenario driving her former lover’s call and takes stock of its implications for her, her interpretation betrays a conflict of emotions that is all too loyal to the way situations like these usually play on the real-life human heart.

#5

LeAnn Rimes, “What I Cannot Change”

I tend to be wary of songs that pull their central ideas from well-known prayers; too often, it seems like a way to score easy lyrical points without really trying. But Rimes’ spin on the Serenity Prayer does it the right way: by finding and expressing the specific personal relevance of the established idea. Not every line is a knock-out for me, but the kind of frank insight you see in observations like, “I don’t know my father or my mother well enough / It seems like every time we talk we can’t get past the little stuff” is a rare thing indeed. I just want to know what in the world is up with the dance remixes of this song. I beg your pardon, Curb?

#4

Hayes Carll, “She Left Me For Jesus”

It’s about as far away thematically as you can get from “What I Cannot Change,” but we’d be remiss to ignore the significant part that well-done funny songs have played in country music’s legacy, and that’s just what Carll has given us here. His story of an impossibly clueless man who mistakes his girlfriend’s conversion for a secular love affair is not just an outrageous hoot; it’s also one of the most meticulously constructed releases of the year, with nary a wasted line and a whiny delivery that sounds perfectly matched to thoughtful conjectures like, “They must think that I’m stupid!”. Five years from now, you’ll likely have forgotten about 3/4 of the gooey ballads and feel-good nothings littering this week’s Top 20, but you’ll still remember Carll’s ludicrous threat to pick a fight with his gal’s “other man.”

#3

Jamey Johnson, “In Color”

Contemporary country is long on nostalgia, but short on the kind that actually lingers on after the song is over. Johnson & Co. had a tall order to fill in writing a song about something as typical as looking back through old photographs, but they reset the standard with this one, which recounts key moments in a grandfather’s life with such vivid detail that it’s easy to get lulled into thinking you’re looking at the pictures yourself.

The appeal doesn’t stop there, though; the common description of the man and his various companions as “a couple of kids just trying to save each other” is a pretty striking assessment of the human experience, while the key punch, “you should’ve seen it in color,” acknowledges the natural division between us as individuals, unable to ever fully grasp the depth of any other person’s experience, even those we may love and try very hard to understand. Talk about your bold themes.

#2

Ashton Shepherd, “Takin’ Off This Pain”

In my opinion, this single paints the best kind of picture of everything contemporary country in the 2000’s can be. It’s not pure traditionalism, as some have suggested – there’s a lot more modern drive than old-school shuffle at work here – but few major-label artists this decade have updated the spirit of classic country more loyally or convincingly than Shepherd has with this debut. Even if you take away the whopping voice, you’ve got clear, focused storytelling with palpable personality and an unusually clever hook. Loretta Lynn is smiling to herself somewhere.

#1

Trisha Yearwood, “This Is Me You’re Talking To”

Life is never quite as linear as we like to think it is. Sometimes, halfway through your future, you get summoned back a few chapters and find yourself reliving what feel like ancient sensations all over again. Those old feelings – the ones that really mattered, but somehow went south – creep back up, perhaps couched in the possibility that things could turn out better this time. Part of you hates yourself for even considering that possibility, while part of you would give anything to feel that neglected gash finally heal. But what should happen if you find out that the other person has already moved on, that you’ve gotten your hopes up just to have them dashed again?

Once upon a time, recounts of situations like these comprised the very best that country music had to offer, giving quiet validation to the sort of emotional suffering that’s too nuanced to be fully appreciated or understood amid the bottom-line bustle of everyday life. It’s the rare songwriter(s) who can capture the raw nature of such a situation, and the even rarer singer who can interpret it effectively through manipulation or his or her instrument. “This Is Me You’re Talking To” represents the brilliant junction of both. Radio hit or not, this single does what all country music aspires to do: tell the truth, and tell it well. There can be no higher praise from me.

#30

Little Big Town, “Fine Line”

There’s a fine line between imitation and tribute, and Little Big Town lands on the proper side of the balance.  Karen Fairchild steps forward on this flashback to ’70s SoCal country-rock, and her biting, expressive performance matches perfectly with an admonishment of a distant lover. Very fine, indeed.  – BB

#29

Willie Nelson, “You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore”

This ridiculous but fun single just sounds like a Willie Nelson song. While it’s a 2008 single, it sounds as though it could have been recorded at the height of Nelson’s career. Moreover, Willie’s voice sounds as strong as ever here.  – LW

#28

The Raconteurs with Ricky Skaggs & Ashley Monroe, “Old Enough”

A thrilling, organic collaboration that sounds cooler and more convincing with each listen. It probably hasn’t gotten enough exposure to be remembered several years down the line, but it’s one of 2008′s most compelling arguments for the uncanning of country music.  – DM

#27

Eddy Arnold, “To Life”

A glorious swan song from an incomparable talent.    When it charted shortly after his death, Arnold became the only artist in history to hit the country singles chart in seven different decades. – KJC

#26

Joey + Rory, “Cheater Cheater”

This tell-off ditty has a cute bite, and its malicious irrationality is delivered with a knowing wink that has been regrettably absent in many recent, like-minded harangues (cough cough, “Picture to Burn”). Still, it’s the frenetic bluegrass production and the couple’s palpable chemistry that ultimately sell the thing.  – DM

#25

Crystal Shawanda, “You Can Let Go”

The prevalence of three-act story songs makes the plot line here predictable, but newcomer Shawanda’s tender, understated vocal performance is anything but ordinary.    The results are fully genuine and sincere. – KJC

#24

Dierks Bentley, “Trying to Stop Your Leaving”

Dierks Bentley has one of the most interesting voices in country music right now. His ragged voice wraps around this melodically interesting song in a way that magnetically draws its listener in. – LW

#23

Gary Allan, “Learning How to Bend”

As music goes, very few men could pull off lines like, “I’m still learning how to trust / It’s so hard to open up” without sounding like total wusses, mostly because most men couldn’t sell that kind of couples-counseling line with any psychological conviction. Allan, of course, is not most men. He understands the need to play against the vulnerability of the song in order to convey his character’s established pride, and his vocal burns with the memory of unspoken hurt even as he pledges emotional and spiritual surrender.  – DM

#22

Ashton Shepherd, “Sounds So Good”

Ashton Shepherd is one of the most notable newcomers of 2008. Her definitive country voice sings this unshakably catchy song with a freshness that should have been embraced by country radio. – LW

#21

Marcel, “I Love This Song”

Marcel is one of those quirky singers who knows how to write and sing some wonderfully mindless songs. This one is no exception. He “loves this song” and there’s no doubt about it! – LW