Don Henley – Country Universe

A Trisha Yearwood Retrospective, Part One: 1991-1992

August 16, 2019 Jonathan Keefe 4

As she prepares the release of her first country album in twelve years, Country Universe looks back on the distinguished career of Trisha Yearwood.

100 Greatest Women, #8: Trisha Yearwood

September 24, 2018 Kevin John Coyne 15

Trisha Yearwood was the genre’s most consistently excellent recording artist during the boom years of the nineties and the decade that followed.

If We Ran The CMA Awards…

August 28, 2016 Jonathan Keefe 27

It’s like fantasy football, but for country music bloggers.

2016 Grammy Awards: Staff Picks & Predictions

February 14, 2016 Kevin John Coyne 19

The good folks at NARAS know how to keep things interesting, producing yet another diverse crop of nominees in the general, country, and country-adjacent fields.

Here are the personal picks from some of our contributing staff, along with who we predict will take home the gold tomorrow.

Sunday Selections: January 24, 2016

January 24, 2016 Jonathan Keefe 10

The biggest story of the past week is the death of Glenn Frey, whose work with the Eagles has, for better or worse, influenced multiple generations of country artists.

Sunday Selections: January 17, 2016

January 17, 2016 Jonathan Keefe 6

It’s a super-sized Sunday Selections for this week!

The Best Albums of 2015, Part One: #20-#11

December 27, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 4

The lower half of our Best Albums of 2015 list includes the welcome return of an eighties lady, a return to country from a legendary Eagle, and no less than five Country Music Hall of Famers.

Country music is well represented in the major categories – numerically, at least – and the overall nominee list proves once again that NARAS voters have the widest, most diverse, and yes, best taste of all industry award voters.

Here are this year’s nominees in the big four and all country and country-related categories. It’s worth noting that because Miranda Lambert won Best Country Album last year for Platinum, nothing from that set was eligible in any of the Country categories.

100 Greatest Men: #81. Eagles

October 2, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 9

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

You can count their country hits on one hand, and still have fingers to spare. But the Eagles did more to shape the sound of country music than any rock band before or since.

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #350-326

July 11, 2010 Kevin John Coyne 24

A few should’ve been hits are mixed in with genuine smashes as the countdown continues.

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #350-#326

#350
How Do I Live
Trisha Yearwood
1997 | Peak: #2

When Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes released dueling versions of this song in 1997, it was apparently a wake up call to country listeners: “Hey, wait a minute. Trisha Yearwood is an amazing singer!” She elevates “How Do I Live” beyond its movie theme nature by adding layers of subtlety and nuance to the typical Diane Warren template. – Kevin Coyne

#349
Boot Scootin’ Boogie
Brooks & Dunn
1992 | Peak: #1

I don’t claim to have any real knowledge of what it’s like to spend a night at the liveliest of honky-tonks, but I’ll be darned if this song doesn’t make me feel like I do. Because “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” isn’t really about a specific place where people go, and it isn’t even about the boogie itself; it’s about the universal thrill of busting out of the work week, kicking back and dancing your troubles away. From start to finish, Brooks & Dunn’s performance is a twangy blast of exhilaration, and that’s a feeling we can all relate to – outlaws, in-laws, crooks and straights alike. – Tara Seetharam