The ACM Awards has traditionally been overshadowed by the CMA Awards, despite its longer existence. This is for several reasons. First, the ACM originally existed to emphasize the West Coast country music scene, whereas the CMA Awards represented Nashville from the start. The ACM has also been more commercially-oriented from the beginning, as the history of this category proves. Eighteen of the last twenty winners in this ACM category are multi-platinum sellers, and the organization allowed greatest hits albums to compete for more than a decade.
Still, the ACM category has bragging rights of its own. Critically-acclaimed albums like Storms of Life, Trio, Killin’ Time and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend won at the ACMs but were overlooked by the CMAs. Additionally, women have also been far more successful at this ceremony. Only five women have ever won the CMA Album trophy, and one of them was Sissy Spacek! At the ACMs, women have dominated the category for the past three years, and the category has honored everyone from Loretta Lynn and Donna Fargo to K.T. Oslin and Shania Twain.
A special note about ACM flashbacks. Like the Grammys, the ACMs issue their award for a given year the following year, so the awards for 2009, for example, are given out in 2010. For the purposes of the flashbacks, Country Universe notes the year the award is presented. While the ACM first presented awards in 1966, the Album category wasn’t introduced until 1968.
As with other flashbacks, we begin with a look at this year’s nominees:
2010
- Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum
- Miranda Lambert, Revolution
- Brad Paisley, American Saturday Night
- Carrie Underwood, Play On
- Zac Brown Band, The Foundation
Three previous winners – Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, and Carrie Underwood – compete against the debut albums of two hot bands. Lady Antebellum and Zac Brown Band each picked up a Grammy this year and are well represented on the rest of the ACM ballot. This is a very competitive race. Even the sales-friendly nature of the ACMs doesn’t help much here, as four of these albums are platinum and Lambert’s just went gold.
2009
- Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song
- Montgomery Gentry, Back When I Knew It All
- George Strait, Troubadour
- Taylor Swift, Fearless
- Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride
Taylor Swift became the third consecutive female artist to win in this category, a feat that would’ve seemed unthinkable earlier in the middle part of the decade, when country radio all but exiled women from radio.
2008
- Rodney Atkins, If You’re Going Through Hell
- Kenny Chesney, Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates
- Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
- Brad Paisley, 5th Gear
- Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift
A visibly shocked Lambert accepted the trophy for her critically acclaimed sophomore set. While it did go gold, it remains an anomaly among ACM album winners. You have to go all the way back to 1979 (Oak Ridge Boys) to find another ACM album winner that didn’t sell platinum or higher.
2007
- Brooks & Dunn, Hillbilly Deluxe
- Vince Gill, These Days
- Rascal Flatts, Me and My Gang
- George Strait, It Just Comes Natural
- Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts
Carrie Underwood became the first solo female artist to win this award in eleven years with her 7 million-selling Some Hearts.
2006
- Gary Allan, Tough All Over
- Brad Paisley, Time Well Wasted
- Rascal Flatts, Feels Like Today
- Sugarland, Twice the Speed of Life
- Lee Ann Womack, There’s More Where That Came From
A strikingly strong lineup, with the victory going to Brad Paisley. Due to differences in eligibility between the two shows, there are two CMA winners in this category. Not only did Paisley repeat his victory the following fall, Womack won the CMA the previous year.
2005
- Kenny Chesney, When the Sun Goes Down
- Sara Evans, Restless
- Tim McGraw, Live Like You Were Dying
- Keith Urban, Be Here
- Gretchen Wilson, Here for the Party
Though he’s always been popular with the CMA and Grammy voters, Urban’s only Album award to date came courtesy of the ACMs. Oddly enough, they haven’t nominated him since.
2004
- Brooks & Dunn, Red Dirt Road
- Toby Keith, Shock’n Y’All
- Martina McBride, Martina
- Brad Paisley, Mud on the Tires
- George Strait, Honkytonkville
On an evening where he won several major awards, Keith picked up his second Album of the Year trophy from the ACMs for an album that included the #1 hits “American Soldier”, “Whiskey Girl”, and “I Love This Bar.”
2003
- Kenny Chesney, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
- Dixie Chicks, Home
- Alan Jackson, Drive
- Toby Keith, Unleashed
- Trick Pony, On a Mission
If you think all of those 2009 nominations for Heidi Newfield were surprising, check out Trick Pony’s presence in this category among four albums that sold more than 4 million copies each. Alan Jackson picked up his third trophy in this category for the album that included “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” and “Drive (For Daddy Gene)”.
2002
- Brooks & Dunn, Steers & Stripes
- Toby Keith, Pull My Chain
- Tim McGraw, Set This Circus Down
- Soundtrack, O Brother, Where Art Thou?
- Travis Tritt, Down the Road I Go
Big comeback albums for Brooks & Dunn and Travis Tritt were nominated, but it was no surprise to see the victory go to the landmark soundtrack that sold more than eight million copies in the end.
2001
- Johnny Cash, American III: Solitary Man
- Billy Gilman, One Voice
- Toby Keith, How Do You Like Me Now?!
- Brad Paisley, Who Needs Pictures
- Lee Ann Womack, I Hope You Dance
Even Keith was a veteran in comparison to Gilman and Paisley, who were nominated with their debut albums, but the biggest surprise was the nomination of Cash for his third project with Rick Rubin. Even the CMA didn’t recognize those collaborations until the fourth volume and “Hurt.”
2000
- Asleep at the Wheel, Ride With Bob
- Dixie Chicks, Fly
- Faith Hill, Breathe
- George Jones, Cold Hard Truth
- Tim McGraw, A Place in the Sun
An impressively eclectic lineup is unsurprisingly represented by the consensus choice Dixie Chicks, the one act that everybody used to agree on.
1999
- Garth Brooks, Double Live
- Dixie Chicks, Wide Open Spaces
- Faith Hill, Faith
- Jo Dee Messina, I’m Alright
- George Strait, One Step at a Time
For the fourth time in the nineties, the trophy went to an artist’s breakthrough album. After their shocking win at the Grammys a few weeks earlier, this Dixie Chicks victory wasn’t quite as surprising.
1998
- Garth Brooks, Sevens
- Patty Loveless, Long Stretch of Lonesome
- Tim McGraw, Everywhere
- George Strait, Carrying Your Love With Me
- Shania Twain, Come On Over
Strait’s third victory in this category tied him with Alabama for most wins. It was also his first album to top the overall Billboard 200, a feat he’s repeated with three additional albums.
1997
- Brooks & Dunn, Borderline
- Tracy Lawrence, Time Marches On
- Patty Loveless, The Trouble With the Truth
- LeAnn Rimes, Blue
- George Strait, Blue Clear Sky
Strait’s victory came with an album that featured the #1 hits “Blue Clear Sky” and “Carried Away”, along with the rodeo-themed “I Can Still Make Cheyenne.”
1996
- Brooks & Dunn, Waitin’ On Sundown
- Patty Loveless, When Fallen Angels Fly
- Tim McGraw, All I Want
- George Strait, Lead On
- Shania Twain, The Woman in Me
Although Loveless won the CMA award the previous fall, the ACM sided with the Grammy winner for Best Country Album, Shania Twain’s landmark set, The Woman in Me.
1995
- Garth Brooks, In Pieces
- Mary Chapin Carpenter, Stones in the Road
- Vince Gill, When Love Finds You
- Alan Jackson, Who I Am
- Tim McGraw, Not a Moment Too Soon
McGraw’s only victory in this category came with his first nomination. This set remains his top-selling to date, thanks to the presence of the massive hits “Don’t Take the Girl”, “Indian Outlaw”, “Down on the Farm”, and the title track.
1994
- Brooks & Dunn, Hard Workin’ Man
- Billy Ray Cyrus, It Won’t Be the Last
- Vince Gill, I Still Believe In You
- Alan Jackson, A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ‘Bout Love)
- Various Artists, Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles
- Dwight Yoakam, This Time
Alan Jackson picked up his second victory in this category with an album that included “Chattahoochee”, which would remain his biggest hit for nearly a decade.
1993
- Garth Brooks, The Chase
- Brooks & Dunn, Brand New Man
- Mary Chapin Carpenter, Come On Come On
- Billy Ray Cyrus, Some Gave All
- Wynonna, Wynonna
These are some big selling albums. Wynonna and Mary Chapin Carpenter both sold five million and they are tied for last place among the nominees. It’s easy to forget how fresh the Brooks & Dunn sound was when it first arrived on the scene. Five hits, including the classic title track, “Neon Moon”, and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie”, helped power them to a win.
1992
- Garth Brooks, No Fences
- Garth Brooks, Ropin’ the Wind
- Alan Jackson, Don’t Rock the Jukebox
- Ricky Van Shelton, Backroads
- Travis Tritt, It’s All About to Change
In perhaps the most bizarre moment in this category’s history, Garth Brooks competed again with No Fences, which won the same award last year. Alan Jackson emerged victorious with his sophomore set.
1991
- Alabama, Pass it On Down
- Garth Brooks, No Fences
- Vince Gill, When I Call Your Name
- Alan Jackson, Here in the Real World
- Ricky Van Shelton, RVS III
No Fences includes the Garth Brooks classics “Friends in Low Places”, “Unanswered Prayers”, and “The Thunder Rolls”. It remains his highest-selling album to date, and second only to Shania Twain’s Come On Over among all single-disc country albums in history.
1990
- Clint Black, Killin’ Time
- Rodney Crowell, Diamonds and Dirt
- Kathy Mattea, Willow in the Wind
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Vol. II
- Randy Travis, Old 8×10
The winning album demonstrates why Clint Black was the head of the Class of ’89, even though he’d soon be overshadowed by fellow newbie Garth Brooks.
1989
- Vern Gosdin, Chiseled in Stone
- K.T. Oslin, This Woman
- Ricky Van Shelton, Loving Proof
- George Strait, If You Ain’t Lovin’ You Ain’t Livin’
- Dwight Yoakam, Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room
K.T. Oslin dominated the awards circuit in 1988 and 1989, with her final victories coming at the ACM Awards. Her Album of the Year winner included the #1 hit “Hold Me”, along with the top five hits “Hey Bobby” and the title track.
1988
- The Judds, Heart Land
- Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, Trio
- George Strait, Ocean Front Property
- Randy Travis, Always and Forever
- Hank Williams Jr., Born to Boogie
The classic project by legends Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris also won a CMA for Vocal Event and a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
1987
- The Judds, Rockin’ With the Rhythm
- Ricky Skaggs, Live in London
- George Strait, 7
- Randy Travis, Storms of Life
- Dwight Yoakam, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
The neo-traditionalist movement at its peak, with a win by its standard-bearing artist with his standard-bearing debut album.
1986
- Alabama, 40 Hour Week
- Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, Highwayman
- The Judds, Why Not Me
- George Strait, Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
- Hank Williams Jr., Five-O
The only #1 hit from this album was the title track, but “The Fireman” and “The Cowboy Rides Away” have since become signature songs for the legendary artist.
1985
- Alabama, Roll On
- Earl Thomas Conley, Don’t Make it Easy On Me
- Ricky Skaggs, Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown
- George Strait, Right or Wrong
- Hank Williams Jr., Man of Steel
Their third victory in four years came on the strength of the hits “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)”, “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)”, “(There’s a) Fire in the Night”, and “When We Make Love.”
1984
- Alabama, The Closer You Get…
- John Anderson, Wild & Blue
- Merle Haggard, Going Where the Lonely Go
- Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson, Pancho & Lefty
- Ricky Skaggs, Highways & Heartaches
Over a field of traditionalists old and new, the pop-country supergroup Alabama won their second Album award. In addition to the hit title track, The Closer You Get… included the hits “Lady Down on Love” and “Dixieland Delight.”
1983
- Alabama, Mountain Music
- Willie Nelson, Always On My Mind
- Kenny Rogers, Love Will Turn You Around
- Ricky Skaggs, Waitin’ For the Sun to Shine
- Don Williams, Listen to the Radio
Nelson’s biggest single powered the album of the same name to victory. It also included a pair of #2 hits: “Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning” and “Let it Be Me.”
1982
- Alabama, Feels So Right
- Rosanne Cash, Seven Year Ache
- George Jones, Still the Same Ole Me
- Oak Ridge Boys, Fancy Free
- Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs
With the exception of George Jones, all the nominees here enjoyed significant pop success with these projects. Alabama won their first trophy in this category with Feels So Right, which included the hit title track, “Old Flame”, and their biggest crossover hit, “Love in the First Degree.”
1981
- Charley Pride, There’s a Little Bit of Hank in Me
- Kenny Rogers, Greatest Hits
- Soundtrack, Coal Miner’s Daughter
- Soundtrack, Urban Cowboy
- Don Williams, I Believe in You
For all that it’s been maligned, the Urban Cowboy soundtrack does have a lot of classic hits on it. Some of them were recycled, like “Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “Lyin’ Eyes”, but some were introduced on the soundtrack, most notably Anne Murray’s “Could I Have This Dance” and Johnny Lee’s “Lookin’ For Love.”
1980
- Larry Gatlin, Straight Ahead
- Emmylou Harris, Blue Kentucky Girl
- Waylon Jennings, Greatest Hits
- Willie Nelson, Willie Sings Kristofferson
- Kenny Rogers, Kenny
Those of you wondering how on earth Larry Gatlin was the winner in this field should know that this was actually a platinum-selling album. Perhaps its big hit, “All the Gold in California”, endeared the project to west coast voters.
1979
- Ronnie Milsap, It Was Almost Like a Song
- Anne Murray, Let’s Keep it That Way
- Willie Nelson, Stardust
- Oak Ridge Boys, Y’All Come Back Saloon
- Kenny Rogers & Dottie West, Every Time Two Fools Collide
They had made several albums as gospel stars, but it was their first big country hit that fueled this win for Album of the Year.
1978
- Waylon Jennings, Ol’ Waylon
- Dolly Parton, Here You Come Again
- Elvis Presley, Moody Blue
- Kenny Rogers, Kenny Rogers
- Conway Twitty, Greatest Hits Vol. II
This self-titled album was renamed “Lucille” in later pressings to capitalize on its biggest hit.
1977
- Mickey Gilley, Gilley’s Smokin’
- Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, Wanted! The Outlaws
- Loretta Lynn, Somebody Somewhere
- Marty Robbins, El Paso City
- Conway Twitty, Now and Then
Gilley’s winning album features his most well known hit, “Don’t the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time.” It’s the most recent album in the category’s history that hasn’t reached at least gold status.
1976
- Glen Campbell, Rhinestone Cowboy
- Freddie Fender, Before the Next Teardrop Falls
- Merle Haggard, Keep Movin’ On
- Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty, Feelins’
- Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger
This shared award is the only Album trophy that either Lynn or Twitty won from the ACM or CMA, though Lynn did go on to win Best Country Album three decades later at the Grammys.
1975
- John Denver, Back Home Again
- Merle Haggard, Merle Haggard Presents His 30th Album
- Loretta Lynn, They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy
- Cal Smith, Country Bumpkin
- Bob Wills, For the Last Time
Denver’s biggest country album, it spent thirteen weeks atop the country album chart. The title track topped the chart, and “Annie’s Song” became a wedding standard.
1974
- Merle Haggard, I Love Dixie Blues…so I Recorded “Live” in New Orleans
- Loretta Lynn, Love is the Foundation
- Charlie Rich, Behind Closed Doors
- Johnny Rodriguez, Introducing Johnny Rodriguez
- Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn, Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man
Rich’s classic set has sold four million copies, an unheard of tally for a country album from this time period. It didn’t hurt that the title track and “The Most Beautiful Girl” were crossover hits, with the latter actually topping the pop singles chart.
1973
- Mac Davis, Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me
- Donna Fargo, The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.
- Merle Haggard, The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard
- Merle Haggard, It’s Not Love (But It’s Not Bad)
- Merle Haggard, Let Me Tell You About a Song
- Freddie Hart, Bless Your Heart
Donna Fargo triumphed in a field of six albums, half of which were recorded by Merle Haggard! The Fargo set produced two million-selling singles – the title track and “Funny Face”.
1972
- Merle Haggard, Hag
- Merle Haggard, Someday We’ll Look Back
- Freddie Hart, Easy Loving
- Ray Price, I Won’t Mention it Again
- Charley Pride, Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs
The title track was a massive hit, helping Hart’s Easy Loving reach gold status and spend nine weeks atop the country albums chart.
1971
- Glen Campbell, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album
- Merle Haggard, The Fightin’ Side of Me
- Merle Haggard, A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills)
- Ray Price, For the Good Times
- Charley Pride, Charley Pride’s 10th Album
Who knows how many times Haggard could’ve won this award if he wasn’t nominated against himself? This year, Ray Price’s For the Good Times was the victor, thanks to the Kristofferson-penned title track.
1970
- Glen Campbell, Live
- Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison
- Merle Haggard, Okie From Muskogee
- Charley Pride, Best of Charley Pride
- Tammy Wynette, Greatest Hits
Haggard’s only victory in this category was for a live album. Incidentally, he won over two other live albums and a pair of greatest hits sets.
1969
- Glen Campbell, Wichita Lineman
- Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell, Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell
- Merle Haggard, The Best of Merle Haggard
- Merle Haggard, Mama Tried
- Buck Owens, Best of Buck Owens
Campbell won for the second year in a row, this time sharing the victory with Bobbie Gentry of “Ode to Billie Joe” fame.
1968
- Glen Campbell, Burning Bridges
- Glen Campbell, Gentle on My Mind
- Merle Haggard, Branded Man
- Merle Haggard, I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
- Wynn Stewart, It’s Such a Pretty World Today
California favorite Glen Campbell won the first ACM trophy in this category, and he’d remain a favorite of the Academy over the next decade.
Facts & Feats
Multiple Wins:
- (3) – Alabama, Alan Jackson, George Strait
- (2) – Glen Campbell, Dixie Chicks, Toby Keith
Most Nominations:
- (17) – Merle Haggard
- (12) – George Strait
- (7) – Garth Brooks, Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson
- (6) – Alabama, Tim McGraw
- (5) – Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers
Most Nominations Without a Win:
- (4) – Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride, Ricky Skaggs
- (3) – Johnny Cash, Kenny Chesney, The Judds, Patty Loveless, Ricky Van Shelton, Hank Williams Jr., Dwight Yoakam
Albums that won the ACM Award and the CMA Award:
- Merle Haggard, Okie From Muskogee
- Charlie Rich, Behind Closed Doors
- Willie Nelson, Always on My Mind
- Alabama, The Closer You Get
- George Strait, Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
- Garth Brooks, No Fences
- George Strait, Blue Clear Sky
- George Strait, Carrying Your Love With Me
- Dixie Chicks, Fly
- Soundtrack, O Brother Where Art Thou?
- Alan Jackson, Drive
- Brad Paisley, Time Well Wasted
- George Strait, It Just Comes Natural
- Taylor Swift, Fearless
Albums that Won the ACM award and the Grammy for Album of the Year:
- Soundtrack, O Brother Where Art Thou?
- Taylor Swift, Fearless
Albums that Won the ACM award and the Grammy for Best Country Album (only presented in 1965-1966 and 1995-present):
- Shania Twain, The Woman in Me
- Dixie Chicks, Wide Open Spaces
- Dixie Chicks, Fly
- George Strait, Troubadour
- Taylor Swift, Fearless
Good news for three legends of the genre, one of whom we lost to cancer only four years ago:
Time’s running short. If your personal least favorite wasn’t in 
I’ve just gotta ask: Is this the worst year ever for country music?
It’s easy to lose sight of Billy Ray Cyrus the “artist” when 90% of his exposure of late has been alongside pop star Miley Cyrus – whose artistic credibility actually, surprisingly, sometimes surpasses his own. But when Cyrus taps into his core, with songs like “A Good Day,” he reminds us that he’s got a substantial amount of talent, particularly a strong, decent voice.
