Oh, to be able to make the same case for the Female Vocalist race. Let’s take a look at last year’s nominees:

2009

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

For the first time in this category’s history, I believe voters are facing a dilemma that plagued the Vocal Duo category for most of the nineties: there just aren’t enough worthy nominees to finish out the category.

Even earlier in this decade, when radio was barely playing any women at all, there were women like Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, and Patty Loveless who earned nominations for their critically acclaimed roots records.  Krauss was even a regular in this category for a good chunk of the decade, and despite being largely absent from radio, she sold more records than some of her fellow nominees.

This year, there isn’t even a woman who could step forward and claim that mantle.  So my picks don’t bring anything new to the table. Maybe some of you can make the case that I’m unable to, and suggest new blood in the comments.

Picks for Female Vocalist

Miranda Lambert

She deserves her fourth consecutive nomination, and on the strength of Revolution and its hit single “The House That Built Me”, I think that she deserves the win this year.

Martina McBride

In any other year, this would be the slot that should be up for grabs. McBride didn’t release a new album, and while she had some success at radio with “Wrong Baby Wrong”, it didn’t crack the top ten or reignite album sales. Still, who is standing in her way? Kellie Pickler? Gretchen Wilson? Laura Bell Bundy?   I fully expect her to earn her thirteenth consecutive nomination, matching Reba McEntire’s record run from 1983-1995.

Reba McEntire

Speaking of McEntire, she’s been popping up in this category again in recent years.  After those thirteen consecutive nominations ended in 1995, the race was far too competitive for a good while.  She’s earned three nominations since then, in 2004, 2006, and 2009.  Her massive hit “Consider Me Gone” and surprisingly strong record sales mean that this won’t be a filler nomination. She’s earned it.

Taylor Swift

Yes, I know the idea of her winning vocalist awards makes many wince, but c’mon now. There’s no denying she’s one of the top female artists today. Until Eminem’s recent comeback, she was the biggest star in all of music, period.  And she’s got a shot at reclaiming that title with her third album, if initial reaction to “Mine” is any indication.

Carrie Underwood

The three-time winner is radio’s favorite artist and her album sales have remained strong. If Lambert hadn’t surged with “The House That Built Me”, I think that Underwood would be ahead in the race this year.  If she makes the final ballot for Entertainer, I suspect that voters will reward her in that category and give Female Vocalist to Lambert.  There’s good precedent for this, as Dolly Parton (1978), Barbara Mandrell (1980), and Shania Twain (1999) won Entertainer without winning Female Vocalist that night.  It’s happened even more in the Entertainer/Male races, given that the big prize has gone to men far more frequently.

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #175-#151

#175
I Wish I Could Have Been There
John Anderson
1994 | Peak: #4

Listen

This is the country equivalent to “Cats in the Cradle”, but more tender and less selfish. – Leeann Ward

#174
Sometimes She Forgets
Travis Tritt
1995 | Peak: #7

Listen

Tritt gives a surprisingly but fittingly subdued performance on this cover of a Steve Earle song, telling the story of a woman who sometimes forgets that she’s sworn off men. I can never get enough of the incredibly cool arrangement. – Tara Seetharam

#173
Forget About It
Alison Krauss
1999 | Peak: #67

Listen

A realistic, messy goodbye, as Krauss’ words tell her old flame to just “forget about it” while her pained whisper mourns that the situation has come to such a point. She’s waking coolly out the door now, but knows it won’t be long before the recent past becomes memories that haunt the both of them. – Dan Milliken

#172
Believe Me Baby (I Lied)
Trisha Yearwood
1996 | Peak: #1

Listen

Kim Richey co-wrote this bright pop-country hit that recalls the very best of sixties pop. Check out how Yearwood lets the chorus revel in Wall of Sound goodness while she saves her trademark wail for the verses. Any man who could turn her down after that “If there’s any way…” is stronger than most. – KC

#171
Love Can Build a Bridge
The Judds
1990 | Peak: #5

Listen

“Love Can Build a Bridge” may be a record that’s historically and musically stamped by its artists, but the lyrics are potent enough to stand on their own, built on a beautifully-written fundamental truth: “I would whisper love so loudly, every heart could understand/That love and only love can join the tribes of man.” – TS

#170
Dance With the One That Brought You
Shania Twain
1993 | Peak: #55

Listen

A wise piece of motherly advice set to a dazzling waltz. Very few contemporary country artists can sound as earnest singing timeless gems like this one as they do on wall-shaking pop-country hits. – TS

#169
I Got it Honest
Aaron Tippin
1994 | Peak: #15

Listen

As Tippin fiercely growls his principled convictions, it sounds like the final gasp of country music’s long-standing solidarity with the working class.  Thanks to Tippin, it went down fighting. – KC

#168
I’d Love You All Over Again
Alan Jackson
1991 | Peak: #1

Listen

No grandiose professions here – just an unaffected, intimate affirmation of love. I can’t get over how nakedly sincere country music sounded in the nineties. – TS

#167
Let Me Let Go
Faith Hill
1998 | Peak: #1

Listen

It’s been over for some time, and he seems to have moved on. But she’s trapped, always thinking of him, still seeing little glimmers of hope that maybe they’re supposed to be together after all (“If this is for the best / Why are you still in my heart?”). All she wants now is a way out. – DM

#166
New Way Home
K.T. Oslin
1993 | Peak: #64

Listen

It was always a great song, but the synthesizer-drenched, slow-paced arrangement on Love in a Small Town masqueraded its strengths. When Oslin recorded it again for inclusion in her greatest hits collection, it was finally fully realized. The premise is simple: she’s finally moving on from a heartbreak, but she’s changing the way she drives home so she doesn’t accidentally see how he’s moving on as well. – KC

#165
Nothin’ But the Wheel
Patty Loveless
1993 | Peak: #20

Listen

There’s not a nineties artist who could emote mournfulness more convincingly than Patty Loveless. Throughout the song, we naturally think that she’s leaving in the lonely cover of darkness in order to escape a relationship that she doesn’t want anymore, but we soon discover that it’s even sadder as it’s revealed: “The only thing I know for sure is that you don’t want me anymore.” – LW

#164
She Is His Only Need
Wynonna
1992 | Peak: #1

Listen

A man’s work ethic traced back to pleasing the woman he loves. It’s clear that she’d be just as happy if he didn’t keep buying her things that she wanted, but he’s only happy if he keeps doing so. – KC

#163
Foolish Pride
Travis Tritt
1994 | Peak: #1

Listen

Tritt offers a straightforward primer on how not to let a marital spat spiral out of control. It all starts with checking pride at the door. – LW

#162
My Baby Loves Me
Martina McBride
1993 | Peak: #2

Listen

A bold anthem for women whose men have accepted them for who they are, flaws and all. This is anything but a love song; rather, it’s a fierce declaration to the world. – TS

#161
What’s It To You
Clay Walker
1993 | Peak: #1

Listen

This clearly isn’t country music’s finest poetic moment, and I’ll admit I don’t really know what love is to Walker –something along the lines of two hearts beating as one? But here’s the deal: he sure knows. He infuses his performance with such raw, electric energy that the song becomes an invigorating anthem for those who couldn’t be more convinced of their love for someone. And that final clap-along chorus? Pure joy. – TS

#160
Three Chords and the Truth
Sara Evans
1997 | Peak: #44

Listen

Many country songs pay tribute to music’s sublime ability to evoke buried memories and emotions. Evans takes it a step further, suggesting that a song, even one heard for the first time, can invoke action; in her case, it pushes her to reconcile with her loved one. How appropriate that this record is firmly focused on the music, with its bare-bones arrangement and pure, straightforward vocals. – TS

#159
We Tell Ourselves
Clint Black
1992 | Peak: #2

Listen

After a brief hiatus, Black returned with the lead single from his third album, The Hard Way. For the first time, he truly let his rock roots show. It’s a growling performance of a lyric that warrants it. – KC

#158
Eagle When She Flies
Dolly Parton
1991 | Peak: #33

Listen

As sensitive and fitting a description of womankind as I’ve ever heard. There’s not a voice in this world that can match this song’s message the way that Parton’s does. – TS

#157
Walk On
Reba McEntire
1990 | Peak: #2

Listen

Here’s an inspirational song that’s just so full of life and energy that it somehow rises above the cringe/cheese factor. – LW

#156
Brotherly Love
Keith Whitley & Earl Thomas Conley
1991 | Peak: #2

Listen

The love that is sung about  in “Brotherly Love” is something that I see between my own brothers. It’s quiet, but fierce, just like the emotion of this song, which became ever more poignant after its posthumous release. – LW

#155
Cry On the Shoulder of the Road
Martina McBride
1997 | Peak: #26

Listen

Once upon a time, Martina McBride sang songs with emotions that ranged beyond peppy, motivational clichés. From her strongest album to date, “Cry on the Shoulder of the Road” is among the finest and quietest exhibits of such a time. – LW

#154
You Were Mine
Dixie Chicks
1998 | Peak: #1

Listen

Maines sings the fire out of this song about a broken marriage, but the show-stealer is the crushing bridge, in which she wonders how she’ll tell her two-year-old and four-year-old that their father changed his mind. – TS

#153
Let Go of the Stone
John Anderson
1992 | Peak: #7

Listen

Backed by a beautifully sympathetic  piano-driven production, Anderson delivers a heartfelt plea to a friend, or potential lover, to let go of the emotional baggage (the stone) that is holding her down. He counsels, “If I’m ever gonna save you, let go of the stone.” – LW

#152
When You Leave That Way You Can Never Go Back
Confederate Railroad
1993 | Peak: #14

Listen

This is a dramatic example of being one’s worst enemy. He starts by being a rebellious/troubled young man who unceremoniously leaves home, then becomes a deadbeat father who leaves his soon-to-be bride at the alter, and  finally ends up killing a man and going to jail. Only in a country song! – LW

#151
Midnight in Montgomery
Alan Jackson
1992 | Peak: #3

Listen

One of the spookiest songs of the nineties, Jackson sings of seeing Hank Williams’ ghost at his grave site. The thrilling whine of the steel guitar only intensifies the already vivid imagery in the song. – LW

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #200-#176

#200
Carrying Your Love With Me
George Strait
1997 | Peak: #1

Listen

A traveler gets through his lonely nights on the sheer strength of love. It’s perhaps a little too saccharine for some, but the sweet melody and Strait’s understated vocals make the record work. – Tara Seetharam

#199
Nothing’s News
Clint Black
1990 | Peak: #3

Listen

A man sits around in a bar “talking ’bout the good old times, bragging on how it used to be.” Standard premise, but Black’s melancholy performance lifts the record to Haggardly heights. – Dan Milliken

#198
Rockin’ Years
Dolly Parton with Ricky Van Shelton
1991 | Peak: #1

Listen

The lyric is unabashedly cutesy, but Dolly’s and Ricky’s way of leaning into the song with no shame makes it all okay and even endearing. – Leeann Ward

#197
We Can’t Love Like This Anymore
Alabama
1994 | Peak: #6

Listen

A beautiful requiem for a dying love. The man just needs to know it’s over for sure so he can begin to make peace with it coming to an end. – Kevin Coyne

#196
Daddy Won’t Sell the Farm
Montgomery Gentry
1999 | Peak: #17

Listen

The emotional and family roots are planted so deep that there’s no way that the family farm will be sold if father and son have anything to say about it. We’ve heard the sentiment before, but Montgomery Gentry’s take on the theme is a worthy addition. – LW

#195
Trouble is a Woman
Julie Reeves
1999 | Peak: #39

Listen

A firecracker of a song that pays tribute to the tenacity and steadfast determination of a woman who’s been done wrong. Reeves’ performance is as blazing as the woman she’s singing about. – TS

#194
What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am
Lee Roy Parnell
1992 | Peak: #2

Listen

What’s that saying again?: “Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me.” It seems that Parnell understands that concept rather well, as he plainly says, “You hurt me one time, I finally learned.” – LW

#193
Too Cold at Home
Mark Chesnutt
1990 | Peak: #3

Listen

A melancholy record about a man who finds himself stuck at a bar because it’s too hot outside and too cold at home. Sounding both dejected and wistful, Chesnutt does a superb job conveying his pain, and his vocal emphasis on “cold” is just gorgeous. – TS

#192
I’m On Your Side
Kathy Mattea
1997 | Peak: Did Not Chart

Listen

Jim Lauderdale sure knows how to write some catchy melodies and Kathy Mattea knows how to bring them to life. What’s more, this is actually a heartwarming, albeit fun, pledge of fierce loyalty. – LW

#191
Let Go
Brother Phelps
1993 | Peak: #6

Listen

Finally breaking free from anything that’s held you back is liberating, but comes with the bittersweet realization that you were free to go all along. – KC

#190
Livin’ On Love
Alan Jackson
1994 | Peak: #1

Listen

Jackson gave us so many strong neotrad ditties in the nineties that they can tend to run together and feel same-y, even when any one of them could have been a career highlight for a lesser artist. Like “Little Bitty” or “Gone Country” or “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” “Livin’ On Love” more or less tells you in the title what you’re getting, and also like those songs, it delivers with charm and catchy hooks to spare. – DM

#189
When You Walk in the Room
Pam Tillis
1994 | Peak: #2

Listen

It was a quintessential crush song for the Searchers in the mid-sixties. Tillis adds a steel guitar to the classic guitar hook, but what sends the song to the stratosphere is her vocal. While the original had the lead singer matching the quiet tension of the backing music, Tillis lets loose toward the end, giving the song an added punch worthy of its lyric of unrequited love. – KC

#188
Tonight the Heartache’s On Me
Dixie Chicks
1999 | Peak: #6

Listen

The first of four Chicks singles that made our countdown, this one isn’t quite as lightweight as it appears on the surface. It’s satisfyingly self-pitying, but it’s also astute – from the clever spin on words in the hook, to the apt bite in Natalie Maine’s performance, to the sly line in the second verse: “I wonder if he told her she’s the best he’s ever known/The way he told me every night when we were all alone.” – TS

#187
We Shall Be Free
Garth Brooks
1992 | Peak: #12

Listen

Garth Brooks lost some airplay with this gospel-tinged piece of social commentary that was inspired by the Rodney King beating and the riots that followed. It, however, remains one of his most overtly substantive songs. – LW

#186
Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House
Garth Brooks
1991 | Peak: #1

Listen

How many clichéd metaphors can you fit in one song? I counted over ten, and Brooks makes every one of them work in this raucous, hilarious tribute to his better half. – TS

#185
Time Marches On
Tracy Lawrence
1996 | Peak: #1

Listen

The passage of time seems like a broad, simple theme, but as the series of family vignettes in this song show, its impacts are specific and complicated. In an instance of brilliant songcraft, “Time Marches On” maintains a totally detached, matter-of-fact voice in touching on its characters’ developments, underscoring the point that time doesn’t make judgments or linger on particular moments the way we’re used to doing; it just keeps moving along, changing us without pause or permission. – DM

#184
I’m Over You
Keith Whitley
1990 | Peak: #3

Listen

There’s nothing like righteous indignation (Why they makin’ those stories up”?) fueled by denial (“I’m over you”). Whitley naturally emotes these common, conflicting responses with his signature tear-stained voice, which makes for an irresistible slice of hard core country music. – LW

#183
Every Light in the House
Trace Adkins
1996 | Peak: #3

Listen

Staunch conviction meets tender grief. Only Adkins could have made this as powerful a record as it is. – TS

#182
You’re Still the One
Shania Twain
1998 | Peak: #1

Listen

It’s hard to believe that the woman who filled a million wedding hall dance floors never had a true ballad hit until this instant standard was released. Finally, an anniversary song for those who didn’t have the support of their family and friends when they got married! – KC

#181
Lipstick Promises
George Ducas
1994 | Peak: #9

Listen

The Roy Orbison single you didn’t even know you were missing. Ducas won’t be falling for you and your deceitful cosmetics anymore, treacherous woman. – DM

#180
A Broken Wing
Martina McBride
1997 | Peak: #1

Listen

A rousing story of a woman who rose above the physical and emotional constraints of her spirit-crushing husband. Like the best inspirational hits in McBride’s catalogue, “A Broken Wing” also doubles as a powerful tribute to women everywhere who’ve been told that “only angels know how to fly.” – TS

#179
Walking Away a Winner
Kathy Mattea
1994 | Peak: #3

Listen

In 1994, Kathy Mattea made a calculated attempt at an explicitly commercial country record. It worked, thanks in large part to the album’s powerful title track. With surprisingly aggressive production behind her, she gives a performance that’s empowering to listen to even when you aren’t walking away from a bad situation. – KC

#178
I Fell in Love
Carlene Carter
1990 | Peak: #3

Listen

Carter falls in love and throws a freaking musical party for herself. The song begs to be hula hooped or limboed to. – DM

#177
Girls With Guitars
Wynonna
1994 | Peak: #10

Listen

Mary Chapin Carpenter might have written it, but it might as well be autobiography with the fiery authenticity that Wynonna rips into it. Bonus points for Lyle Lovett, who gives distinctive background vocals that nearly drown out fellow backup singer Naomi Judd. – KC

#176
On the Road
Lee Roy Parnell
1993 | Peak: #6

Listen

Sometimes you hit the road knowing that there’s probably nothing better on the other end of it. But getting gone is still better than sticking around where you’re no longer valued, as Parnell demonstrates through the desperation of a lonely housewife, a teenage kid dodging college, and an unhappily retired couple. – KC

Once again.  I’ve selected the five artists that I believe are most deserving of an Entertainer of the Year nomination.  But first, let’s take a look at last year’s race:

Entertainer of the Year (2009)

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

Swift was victorious in her first nomination in this category.  She competed against three previous winners:  Kenny Chesney, who has gone 4 for 8 in this category;  Keith Urban, who is 1 for 5; and the incomparable George Strait, who is 2 for 17.  Brad Paisley lost for the fifth year, tying Kenny Rogers for the most nominations without a win.

As the numbers above show, this has been a largely static category for the past ten years.  Only thirteen artists earned nominations from 2000-2009. The CMA noms can be very predictable.

But looking at radio and retail these days, there’s been a big changing of the guard.  I think that this category more than any other should reflect that.  I’m putting my personal tastes aside here, as there are only two artists I list that I actually listen to regularly.

Entertainer of the Year (2010)

The nominees should be:

Lady Antebellum

Their second album has already spent 25 weeks at #1, and “Need You Now” was such a big hit that it’s led to pop airplay for “I Run to You”, the award-winning hit from their debut album.  It would be an early nomination in terms of their career, but Alabama and Dixie Chicks were elevated to this category even faster, so there’s precedent for vocal groups.

Miranda Lambert

She’s always had the critical success, and she’s always sold records.  But she’s selling them a heck of a lot faster these days and radio is suddenly, shockingly, spectacularly on board.  It’s time for the CMA to catch up with the ACM, who have been away ahead in acknowledging this artist.

Taylor Swift

Being nominated the year after winning is not a given, but it’s the norm.  While it was common in the seventies, it’s been very rare in recent years.  Shania Twain (1999) was the last winner to not receive another nomination the following year, with the others being:  Dolly Parton (1978), Mel Tillis (1976), John Denver (1975), and Charlie Rich (1974).

So she’s probably a lock for a nomination, and she deserves one. Though things have been quiet on the Swift front for the past couple of months, she had a massive tour and sold a ton of records during the eligibility period.

Carrie Underwood

She really should be enjoying her third nomination this year, but a (flimsy) case could be made for her not making the ballot in 2008 and 2009. But no nomination this year would be inexcusable. She had a very successful tour, continued to dominate radio, and her third album is quickly approaching double platinum.  At this point, she shouldn’t just get a nomination. She should win.

Zac Brown Band

Their live performances are well-regarded, radio is fully on board, and their first major label album is double platinum.  A case could be made for Brad Paisley getting this spot, but sales of his new album have fallen quite a bit short of previous efforts.  The same goes for other perennial nominees Keith Urban, George Strait, and Kenny Chesney.

So those are my five choices. What are yours?

But I never expected the trend to continue, with three more #1 hits from the new album. The source of that belief was the history of women on country radio, especially in the twenty most recent years that were based on actual monitored airplay instead of radio playlists. Since that change, far less records have gone #1 or #2.

When “Undo It” reached #2 last week, Underwood became the only female artist in country music history to have eleven consecutive top two singles. Until then, she was tied with Tammy Wynette, who scored ten consecutive top two singles from 1967-1970. All but one of Wynette’s singles were #1 hits, with the only #2 being “I’ll See Him Through.” With “Undo It” moving to #1 this week, Underwood has only two singles in her streak that didn’t top the charts: “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” and “I Told You So.”

“Undo It” is Underwood’s tenth #1 single. How rare is it for a female to reach that milestone? The last woman to reach it was Rosanne Cash, her tenth #1 being “Runaway Train” in the fall of 1988. Earlier that same year, Reba McEntire scored her tenth #1 with “Love Will Find Its Way To You.”

Underwood’s support at radio is unprecedented for a female artist in the modern chart era. In less than five years, she’s already tied for the most #1′s since 1990, and she’s moving quickly up the all-time list as well:

Most #1 Hits by a Female Artist – Monitored Era (1990-present):

1. Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood – 10
2. Faith Hill – 9
3. Shania Twain – 7
4. Jo Dee Messina – 6
5. Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood – 5
6. Sara Evans, Patty Loveless, Taylor Swift, Wynonna – 4

Most #1 Hits by a Female Artist – All-Time:

1. Dolly Parton – 25
2. Reba McEntire – 23
3. Tammy Wynette – 20
4. Crystal Gayle – 18
5. Loretta Lynn – 16
6. Rosanne Cash – 11
7. Anne Murray, Tanya Tucker, Carrie Underwood – 10

Why do you think that Underwood has been the one to push up against country radio’s glass ceiling so much? Can she keep this up?  Will she eventually get to the top of each list, or is there somebody below her that might jump ahead?

It’s been known to travel under many names: “Ooo, Turn It Up!”; “I’m Getting Kind Of Sick Of This Song”; “Damn It, AGAIN?”. All worthy monikers, to be sure. But for the purposes of this review, we’ll keep things straightforward and call it the “Shameless Pop Ditty.”

Now, wait one second there. We mustn’t confuse this special specimen with your standard country-pop numbers – those songs which, while heavily poppy in sound, still try to convey some kind of actual point. The Shameless Pop Ditty doesn’t care about points, you see. It cares only about making you sing.

“Sunflower”. “Islands in the Stream”. “I’m Gonna Getcha Good!”. What the hell do they mean? We can never offer fuller explanations than the song titles themselves, for each Shameless Pop Ditty comes embedded with a special charm that renders its message inarticulable. You can try to eek out, “it’s about Shania pursuing this guy she -,” but you won’t be able to finish. The explanation will sound too dumb, too redundant. You’ll feel silly for even trying, and will simply slip back into singing along.

Of course, now and then the Shameless Pop Ditty goes through a self-conscious phase, flirts with substance a bit. A few times it’s almost succeeded in making itself kind of mean something, with “I Love a Rainy Night” and “This Kiss” being two of the most famous results.

But in its heart of hearts, the Shameless Pop Ditty is content to be what it’s always been: totally infectious nonsense. And that’s why we love it. (Then hate it. Then maybe go back to loving it years later when we’ve had some much-needed time away from it.)

And with this country music mythology lesson under our belts, we can at last shift our sights to the present day, where we easily identify that Jerrod Niemann’s “Lover, Lover” is, in fact, a Shameless Pop Ditty of the purest pedigree.

Not so sure? Consider its bona fides. It was written and previously released as a (slightly superior) pop single by Sonia Dada, never even intended for country audiences. Its chorus features a mere nine unique words, rendered in chant-a-long style with thick, stacked harmonies. It has basically one verse which it just repeats twice to bide time between those chanted choruses. It features hand claps and a constantly-repeated acoustic guitar hook.

Story? Clever lines? Not here, friend. “Lover, Lover” is a sugar song pixie, delivered from the clouds to bring nonsensical joy to all unafraid to sing in their cars. And it has positioned itself as one of the key country singles of Summer 2010.

These are the facts. You can love it or hate it (or maybe love it and then hate it and then love it again like we discussed), but you can’t rewrite destiny. The Shameless Pop Ditty will triumph again. You will know all twenty or so words to “Lover, Lover” before August is out. James Otto will sit around kicking himself for recording a song generically titled “Groovy Little Summer Song” when he could have recorded this, the Grooviest Little Summer Song in years. Aphrodite/Angel April-Jean hath written it in the stars; your best chance of surviving is to give in, mortal, and sing along.

Written by Dan Pritzker

Grade: A-

Listen: Lover, Lover

Buy:

There were some variants of this approach.  A popular one found a veteran star teaming up with one or more of the boom artists to increase their chances of radio airplay.  George Jones was big on this approach, with the most high profile attempt being “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair.”   Seventeen years later, it’s amazing to see how young everyone looks -- even Jones himself!

Jones shared the CMA Vocal Event of the Year trophy for that collaboration with Clint Black, Garth Brooks, T. Graham Brown, Mark Chesnutt, Joe Diffie, Vince Gill,  Alan Jackson, Patty Loveless, Pam Tillis, and Travis Tritt.   He’d continue with this approach by teaming up with his vocal chameleon Sammy Kershaw on “Never Bit a Bullet Like This”, and he recorded an entire album of his own songs as duets with mostly younger stars. The Bradley Barn Sessions was represented at radio with “A Good Year For the Roses”, which found him singing one of his best hits with Alan Jackson:

Among the legends, the only other one to be successful with this approach was Dolly Parton, who used collaborations with young stars to score consecutive platinum albums for the first and only time in her career.  Her 1991 set Eagle When She Flies was powered by the #1 single “Rockin’ Years”, co-written by her brother and sung with Ricky Van Shelton:

That album also included a duet with Lorrie Morgan on “Best Woman Wins.”  She upped the bandwagon ante on Slow Dancing With the Moon, bringing a whole caravan of young stars on board with her line dance cash-in “Romeo.”

That’s Mary Chapin Carpenter, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kathy Mattea, and Tanya Tucker in the video. Pam Tillis isn’t in the clip, but she sings on the record with them.  Parton also duets with Billy Dean on that album on “(You Got Me Over a) Heartache Tonight.”

Her next collaboration was with fellow legends Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, but they couldn’t resist the temptation to squeeze in several younger stars in the video for “Silver Threads and Golden Needles.”  Alongside veterans like Chet Atkins,  Bill Anderson, and Little Jimmy Dickens, you’ll catch cameos from Mark Collie, Confederate Railroad, Rodney Crowell, Diamond Rio, Sammy Kershaw, Doug Stone, and Marty Stuart.

Parton scored a CMA award when she resurrected “I Will Always Love You” as a duet with Vince Gill:

And while it didn’t burn up the charts, her version of “Just When I Needed You Most” with Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski:

Tammy Wynette made an attempt to connect with the new country audience with her own album of duets, Without Walls.  Her pairing with Wynonna on “Girl Thang” earned some unsolicited airplay:

Perhaps the most endearing project in this vein came from Roy Rogers.  How cool is it to hear him singing with Clint Black?

The new stars liked pairing up with each other, too.  A popular trend was to have other stars pop up in music videos.  There’s the classic “Women of Country” version of “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her”, for starters. Mary Chapin Carpenter sounds pretty darn good with Suzy Bogguss, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea, Pam Tillis, and Trisha Yearwood on backup:

That’s a live collaboration, so at least you hear the voices of the other stars. But Vince Gill put together an all-star band for his “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away” video without getting them to actually play.  That’s Little Jimmy Dickens, Kentucky Headhunters, Patty Loveless, Lee Roy Parnell, Carl Perkins, Pam Tillis, and Kelly Willis behind him, with Reba McEntire reprising her waitress role from her own “Is There Life Out There” clip.

My personal favorite was Tracy Lawrence’s slightly less A-list spin on the above, with “My Second Home” featuring the future superstars Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, and Shania Twain, along with John Anderson, Holly Dunn, Hank Flamingo, Johnny Rodriguez, Tanya Tucker, Clay Walker, and a few people that I just can’t identify.

Tracy Lawrence -- My Second Home

For pure star wattage, it took the bright lights of Hollywood to get a truly amazing group together. The Maverick Choir assembled to cover “Amazing Grace”, and it doesn’t get much better than country gospel delivered in a barn by John Anderson, Clint Black, Suzy Bogguss, Billy Dean, Radney Foster, Amy Grant, Faith Hill, Waylon Jennings, Tracy Lawrence, Kathy Mattea, Reba McEntire, John Michael Montgomery, Restless Heart, Ricky Van Shelton, Joy Lynn White, and Tammy Wynette.

What’s your favorite of the bunch? Any good ones I missed?

When moving late last year, I switched cable companies. Initially, I thought the best country-related channel I’d gotten in the switch was CMT Pure, which plays only music. Unfortunately, older videos are limited to a 1/2 hour of programming called “Pure Vintage”, a pale comparison to the three-hour early morning extravaganza “CMT Classic” that once ran on CMT proper in the wee hours of the weekend.

By a fluke, I discovered RFD-TV, which bills itself as “Rural America’s Most Important Network.” I could care less about the horse and agriculture shows, but with country music, this channel has hit the jackpot.

Currently airing regularly: vintage episodes of The Porter Wagoner Show, Pop Goes the Country, and Crook & Chase. It’s like going back into the seventies and eighties with the benefit of DVR! To see Don Williams appear as a young artist just getting his start, all skin and bones and sideburns. To see Dolly Parton at the peak of her songwriting talent, expressing it through the confines of the “girl singer” slot on Wagoner’s classic show, outshining everything else by such a wide margin it’s a wonder they didn’t turn the whole show over to her. Or even just to see the legendarily slow-talking Ralph Emery interviewing stars in his youth, and learning that his slow pace wasn’t a product of aging -- he’s always talked that way.

I’ve even seen a female artist I didn’t recognize. That’s right, the guy who wrote this didn’t know who this woman was:

That’s Susan Raye, by the way, doing her best to sing a song of seduction while buttoned up from neck to toe. I’d read about her, but there’s no way I would’ve heard this #53 hit “Saturday Night to Sunday Quiet” if not for RFD-TV.  Much like I never would’ve asked for the Emmylou Harris box set for Christmas if I hadn’t seen the “High-Powered Love” video on CMT, a song that made it to #63 at radio.

Where does this leave Crystal Gayle, younger sister of Loretta Lynn and owner of 32 top ten hits, 18 of which went #1? As the first female country artist to sell platinum, her impact was quite big back in the day. But aside from her signature classic “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”, her music has been largely forgotten.  Perhaps this is because she peaked during an era that is often looked down upon as too crossover for its own good. Unlike Parton and Cline, there is virtually nothing for traditionalists to celebrate within Gayle’s catalog of hits. But much like Hill and Newton-John, the woman recorded some wonderful songs that deserve rediscovery.  Here are a dozen of the best.

“I’ll Do It All Over Again” from the 1976 album Crystal

Gayle typically avoided purely victim stances in her lyrics. Here, she’s been left but is aware that her heart will mend and that she’ll love again.

“Ready For the Times to Get Better” from the 1976 album Crystal

Country singles recorded in a minor key are quite the rarity, but the arrangement undercuts the misery of the lyric, even as she’s clearly ready to move on to happier times. This just might be her finest moment.

“Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” from the 1977 album We Must Believe in Magic

This classic won her a Grammy and the first of two CMA Female Vocalist trophies. If the piano sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the same player that powered Charlie Rich’s “Behind Closed Doors” to similar success on both the country and pop charts.

“Talking In Your Sleep” from the 1978 album When I Dream

Proving that her appeal wasn’t limited to one big hit, this hit launched what would become Gayle’s second consecutive platinum album.

“Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For” from the 1978 album When I Dream

Her first really big uptempo hit defied expectations and broke her out of the ballad mold.  It didn’t hurt that it was ridiculously catchy.

“Half the Way” from the 1979 album Miss the Mississippi

Another hook-laden hit, powered by an infectious string section and quite a bit more wailing than she’s usually known for.

“Too Many Lovers” from the 1980 album These Days

What sounds like a quiet bar ballad in the first few seconds soon turns into an uptempo message of caution to women looking for love in all the wrong places.

“You Never Gave Up On Me” from the 1981 album Hollywood, Tennessee

There aren’t too many anniversary songs that essentially say, “Thanks for loving me even when I didn’t love you.”  Romantic songs like to pretend that both partners are equally kind and loving, when that isn’t always the case. I like ones like this more.

“‘Til I Gain Control Again” from the 1982 album True Love

Crystal Gayle was hardly the predictable vehicle for this intricate Rodney Crowell composition that had been previously cut by Emmylou Harris.  Even she didn’t think she could pull it off. Thankfully, producer Jimmy Bowen coaxed her into it, and the result was a #1 hit that was also among her most sophisticated performances.

“Baby, What About You” from the 1982 album True Love

Not much more to say about this one than it’s a slice of pop-country perfection.

“The Sound of Goodbye” from the 1983 album Cage the Songbird

One of Hugh Prestwood’s first great moments as a writer was this hit. Much like his material later pushed Randy Travis into a more ambitious production approach (“Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart”), the sonic landscape of this #1 hit pushed Gayle and country radio into far more interesting territory.

“Cry” from the 1986 album Straight to the Heart

Given that she’s in the grand tradition of those Nashville Sound ladies, it’s no surprise that Gayle not only covered Lynn Anderson’s #3 hit effectively, she even took it two slots higher up the chart.

Is it Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton’s “I Get Lonesome By Myself”, with a plot line that should lead to child endangerment charges by the first verse?

How about the horrific cautionary tale “Drunken Driver” by Ferlin Husky?

Or, if you’ll just hand me my crayons, I’ll write down the reasons why the mental home classic “I Don’t Remember Loving You” is John Conlee at his best:

What are your favorite over-the-top country classics? Share in the comments. Remember, if you want to embed a video from YouTube, you need only add a “v” after the http at the beginning of the url. (i.e., httpv://www.youtube.com…)