Other A-list groups may aspire to the MOR sounds of Air Supply and REO Speedwagon, but Eli Young Band’s “Even if It Breaks Your Heart” tips its hand to the Replacements and Paul Westerberg.

Which is to say that at least they’re trying to sound like a very good band instead of an awful one, so they’ve handily cleared a bar that their peers have set just a few scant inches off the ground.

As a cover of singer-songwriter Will Hoge’s single from a couple of years back, “Even if It Breaks Your Heart” is to-the-note faithful to the original arrangement and to its homage to all of the things the Replacements did well: The electric guitar power-chords are heavy and carry just a hint of distortion, giving the track a sturdy rock wash that can’t entirely mask how much the melody and construction owe to classic pop conventions.

What that has to do with classic country conventions is another matter entirely, but, considering how few singles on country radio at the moment have a memorable melody or show any real regard for how to structure a hook, “Even if It Breaks Your Heart” does get a few important things right.

Lead singer Mike Eli, for his part, sings the song with as much conviction as he can muster. The natural rasp in Hoge’s voice brought a greater sense of gravity to his performance than Eli can pull off, but he makes a game effort to sell the song’s familiar narrative. As yet another testament to dues-paying and big dreams, “Even if It Breaks Your Heart” is fine enough, but “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” it ain’t.

So it’s a matter of good but not great song, given a credible performance by a competent band with the wherewithal not to want to sound like Journey. While that, regrettably enough, might actually make for one of the year’s standout country singles, “Even if It Breaks Your Heart” is undermined by its frankly terrible engineering.

Eli Young Band were on the losing side of the Loudness War in the recording of their track: Precious few guitar chords in the full duration of the performance actually ring to the full breadth of their tone, giving the single a clipped, tinny sound. Just as there’s no excusing the poor taste of so many of today’s country artists, there’s no excuse, given the available technology, for a single to sound as bad as this.

Written by Will Hoge and Eric Paslay.

Grade: Solid B for the song and performance, but a D for the recording…

Listen: Even if It Breaks Your Heart

You know the drill. For each of the categories, we’ll look at who’s broken in since last year, who’s been excused, and then make a totally judgy statement about what it all means.

Entertainer of the Year

• Kenny Chesney
• Toby Keith
• Brad Paisley
• George Strait
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood
• Keith Urban
• Zac Brown Band

Who’s In: Who isn’t?

Who’s Out: No one.

Snap Judgment: My best guess about the surprise expansion of this category is that ACM thinks the Oscars are onto something. They’re not. But while the Oscars risk having a Best Picture nomination lose some of its prestige, I don’t think the same quite holds true for ACM Entertainer, since an artist can already be nominated multiple times throughout a career anyway (and most are). So this could actually work, I guess. If nothing else, it’ll be interesting.

Top Male Vocalist of the Year

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

Who’s In: Darius Rucker

Who’s Out: Toby Keith

Snap Judgment: No surprises here; it’s the same pool the CMA picked this past fall.

Top Female Vocalist of the Year

• Miranda Lambert
• Reba McEntire
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood
• Lee Ann Womack

Who’s In: Reba McEntire

Who’s Out: Martina McBride

Snap Judgment: Martina shaft! Drama drama!

Top Vocal Group of the Year

• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Randy Rogers Band
• Rascal Flatts
• Zac Brown Band

Who’s In: Zac Brown Band

Who’s Out: The Lost Trailers

Snap Judgment: I imagine Love And Theft’s and Gloriana’s managers will be spending the morning trying to figure out who the hell Randy Rogers Band is. Seriously, I don’t know how RRB keeps squeezing into this race. Not complaining, though!

Top Vocal Duo of the Year

• Brooks & Dunn
• Joey + Rory
• Montgomery Gentry
• Steel Magnolia
• Sugarland

Who’s In: Steel Magnolia

Who’s Out: Big & Rich

Snap Judgment: What’s this? Five duos who actually did something in the last year? Get outta here.

Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year

• Luke Bryan
• Jamey Johnson
• Chris Young

Who’s In: Chris Young, Luke Bryan (both re-entries from previous years)

Who’s Out: Jake Owen (won last year), James Otto

Snap Judgment: I’m just pretending this is the Top New Male category, since ACM’s annual changing around of award names and criteria can be kind of silly. This is going to be an interesting race to watch, especially since all three of these guys are nominated their second time here. It’s the last chance any of them will have to win it.

Top New Vocal Duo of the Year

• Bomshel
• Joey + Rory
• Steel Magnolia

Who’s In: This category was merged with New Vocal Group last year, so none of these duos (being duos) were there.

Snap Judgment: Seriously, doesn’t this whole “actually having semi-active vocal duos” thing kind of weird you out at this point? (P.S. Vote for Joey + Rory!)

Top New Vocal Group of the Year

• Eli Young Band
• Gloriana
• The Lost Trailers

Who’s In: Gloriana

Who’s Out: Zac Brown Band (won last year)

Snap Judgment: Love And Theft HQ must be a grim, grim place today.

Album of the Year

• Brad Paisley, American Saturday Night
• Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum
• Miranda Lambert, Revolution
• Carrie Underwood, Play On
• Zac Brown Band, The Foundation

Snap Judgment: Not a bad lineup, but the ACM’s lenience in the Album category never ceases to amaze. Lady Antebellum came out two full years ago.

Single Record of the Year

• Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
• Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy”
• David Nail, “Red Light”
• Zac Brown Band, “Toes”
• Miranda Lambert, “White Liar”

Snap Judgment: I’m used to scratching my head in this category. Whatever.

Song of the Year

• “Cowboy Casanova” – Mike Elizondo, Brett James & Carrie Underwood
• “Need You Now” – Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott
• “People Are Crazy” – Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones
• “White Liar” – Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert
• “You Belong With Me” – Liz Rose & Taylor Swift

Snap Judgment: …It’s like, do people even pay attention to lyrics anymore?

Video of the Year

• Randy Houser, “Boots On”
• Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
• Brad Paisley, “Welcome to the Future”
• Miranda Lambert, “White Liar”
• Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”

Snap Judgment: Actually not a bad pool. The Lady A video is pretty boring, though.

Vocal Event of the Year

• Blake Shelton feat. Trace Adkins, “Hillbilly Bone”
• Brooks & Dunn feat. Billy Gibbons, “Honky Tonk Stomp”
• Carrie Underwood feat. Randy Travis, “I Told You So”
• Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews, “I’m Alive”
• Jack Ingram with Patty Griffin, “Seeing Stars”

Snap Judgment: Eh.

- – -

What are y’all’s thoughts?

#60
“Long Trip Alone”
Dierks Bentley
2006
Peak: #10

In a perfect world, this would be this decade’s wedding standard. – Kevin Coyne

#59
“Your Man”
Josh Turner
2005
Peak: #1

Lush baritone against an effortlessly charismatic, enticing invitation to let Turner be “your man.” How can you resist? – Tara Seetharam

#58
“The Lucky One”
Alison Krauss & Union Station
2001
Peak: #46

I feel a real kinship toward the man being sung about in this song, which suggests that happiness is choosing to embrace what is there today instead of mourning what’s been left behind or bathing in regret over what never was or what may never be. Perhaps the narrator’s sadness isn’t because she can’t be with “The Lucky One,” but rather can’t be like him. – KC

#57
“Nothin’ Better to Do”
LeAnn Rimes
2007
Peak: #14

The little girl who made her name imitating Patsy Cline and chirping Dianne Warren tunes grew up to write and release this muddy, soulful tale of mischief and theft, the most all-around badass thing Bobbie Gentry or Miranda Lambert never thought up. – DM

#56
“Like Red on a Rose”
Alan Jackson
2006
Peak: #15

With producer Alison Krauss at the helm, Jackson unexpectedly croons his way through this slow-churning love song that, for all its rich professions of love, manages to retain his signature earnest simplicity. – TS

#55
“Redneck Woman”
Gretchen Wilson
2004
Peak: #1

More than just a single, Gretchen Wilson’s debut was a watershed in modern country music, an unexpected smash whose rowdy declaration of self-acceptance ushered in a movement of redneck pride amid the genre’s writers and artists, the output of which has been mostly quite crude. Of course, that movement resulted from a shallow reading of what made “Redneck Woman” appealing. At its heart, the song isn’t about a particular lifestyle being better or worse than any other one; it’s just about being able to love yourself, Walmart lingerie and all. – DM

#54
“When It Rains”
Eli Young Band
2007
Peak: #34

“When It Rains” is fun, unshakably catchy ear candy. The narrator prefers when it rains, because it guarantees that he’s not the only one who’s unhappy. How clever (and dark) is that? – LW

#53
“Bring on the Rain”
Jo Dee Messina with Tim McGraw
2001
Peak: #1

Usually we don’t appreciate our times of struggle until we look back on them and give them credit for our personal growth. Messina suggests here that we can appreciate them in the moment. – KC

#52
“What the World Needs”
Wynonna Judd
2003
Peak: #14

Sometimes a message is so meaningful on its own that it doesn’t need to be swathed in lyrical complexity. Judd’s case for what the world needs is heartfelt, honest and too accurate to feel clichéd, with dead-on lines like, “Rich, poor, don’t matter/We’re all the same/Everybody’s hungry in a different way.” – TS

#51
“Boondocks”
Little Big Town
2005
Peak: #9

One of the decade’s few examples of the hackneyed “country living” theme done gloriously right, with a lush, rustic sound, unstoppable hook and potent sensory details. And oh, the harmonies! – DM

#50
“The Long Way Around”
Dixie Chicks
2006
Peak: Did not chart

If “Not Ready to Make Nice” is the Chicks’ attempts to address “the incident” to the world, “The Long Way Around” is like their attempt to address it to themselves. Reflecting on the history of their lives and careers, they observe that they’ve always done things their own way, concluding that “the incident” is just one more manifestation of that spirit, and to change course to suit others’ expectations would be to lie to themselves. “Guess I could have made it easier on myself,” Natalie Maines concedes, “but I could never follow.” – DM

#49
“Flies on the Butter (You Can’t Go Home Again)”
Wynonna Judd with Naomi Judd
2004
Peak: #33

With the wistful “Flies on the Butter” The Judds reunite for a song that nostalgically hearkens to their beloved mother-daughter harmony. – LW

#48
“Goodbye Earl”
Dixie Chicks
2000
Peak: #13

Call it malicious wrongdoing or call it justice served – whatever it is, “Goodbye Earl” is an inventive, spunky black comedy of sorts about two best friends who take the domestic abuse justice system into their own hands. It’s no doubt controversial, but in the end, to take the song at face value is to overlook its hilarity (death by black-eyed peas? Really?). – TS

#47
“What I Cannot Change”
LeAnn Rimes
2008
Peak: Did not chart

An adaptation of the Serenity Prayer, “What I Cannot Change” is a gorgeous declaration of changing oneself rather than demanding change that cannot be controlled. Rimes wisely sings, “I will learn to let go what I cannot change/I will learn to forgive what I cannot change/I will learn to love what I cannot change/But I will change, I will change/Whatever I, whenever I can.” – LW

#46
“Suds in the Bucket”
Sara Evans
2004
Peak: #1

A vivid, delightful story of a girl who, via her pick-up-truck-clad Prince Charming, smashes out the walls of her small town, leaving a community in disarray, the suds in the bucket and the clothes hangin’ out on the line. Evans delivers the story with genuine, toe-tapping gusto. – TS

#45
“Letters From Home”
John Michael Montgomery
2004
Peak: #2

One of country music’s all-time great war songs, a beautifully human portrait of the men and women in the armed forces and the relationships they put on hold back home in order to do their jobs. – DM

#44
“Like We Never Loved At All”
Faith Hill with Tim McGraw
2005
Peak: #5

A song that so perfectly speaks to the disbelief you feel upon realization that someone who once made you whole is now becoming whole on his own. It’s a well-known sentiment, but Hill and McGraw are so effective at infusing the song with real feelings of hurt, despair and remnants of love that the pain seems to come alive. – TS

#43
“Good Directions”
Billy Currington
2006
Peak: #1

“Good Directions” shows that it’s country without loudly declaring it. This song with turnip greens and pork rinds is ridiculously charming, which is largely bolstered by Currington’s boyish delivery. – LW

#42
“Wake Up Older”
Julie Roberts
2005
Peak: #46

The three minutes and eight seconds in which the Julie Roberts hype matched reality. – KC

#41
“Wrapped”
George Strait
2007
Peak: #2

Strait tries in vain to untangle himself from an irresistible love interest in this song, and it’s just the kind of authentic, charming dance hall number that he knocks out of the park. – 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

My picks for Vocal Duo:

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

The only real filler in this category is Big & Rich, who have been largely dormant this past year.

As for Vocal Group, all five of my picks have been very active these past twelve months:

• Eli Young Band
• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Rascal Flatts
• Zac Brown Band

What are your picks for Vocal Duo and Vocal Group?