2. Country as presented here is a lifestyle, not a revolutionary political movement.  No need for all the drama.

3. This song is about as country as “Wanted Dead or Alive” anyway.

4. Oh, and Neal McCoy already did this.

Grade: C

Listen: Country Must Be Country Wide

Besides the fact that Wilson has once again turned out a country pride anthem in the vein of “Redneck Woman”, she name drops several legends of Southern Rock while appropriating their style for her own.

Gretchen, I’ll give you a pass on Hank Jr. and Charlie Daniels, even though you sang about both of them on your first hit. But come on, the Allman Brothers Band? ZZ Top? Are you kidding?

I’d say it’s like she’s not even trying anymore, but she probably is. It just turns out that she’s a one-dimensional character, and that character hasn’t been fresh or interesting since 2004.

Written by Tom Hambridge and Jeffrey Steele

Grade:  D

Listen: I’ve Got Your Country Right Here

As with the Singles of the Decade feature, this countdown has been compiled through combination of four equally weighed Top 20 lists by Kevin, Leeann, Tara and myself. An inverted point system was applied to the individual rankings (#1 on a list meant 20 points, while #20 on the list meant 1 point). The songs were then ranked together by number of total points, greatest to least. The final result is another rather stylistically diverse set.

As always, we hope you enjoy the countdown, and welcome all the feedback you can muster. Happy New Year!

#40

Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”

The trio puts a country spin on an old school pop sound, but without forsaking raw emotion. The highlight of the song is Hillary Scott’s smoky performance, which draws out all the anguish and regret you’d expect from a desperate, 1 AM lover’s call. – Tara Seetharam

#39

Joey + Rory, “Play the Song”

While Joey + Rory’s image appears to be squeaky-clean, it is fascinating that their songs have displayed some of the most attitude in the mainstream country music world. After releasing the sassy “Cheater, Cheater”, they have appealed to radio (the very people holding part of the duo’s career in their hands) to stop limiting their playlists with safe choices and to just “play the song.” – Leeann Ward

#38

Toby Keith, “Cryin’ for Me (Wayman’s Song)”

A heartfelt tribute to a friend that has passed on, with a vocal that once again proves Keith to be among the finest the genre has ever seen. – Kevin Coyne

#37

Rosanne Cash with Bruce Springsteen, “Sea of Heartbreak”

On her 2009 covers album, Rosanne Cash includes a rendtion of Don Gibson’s “Sea of Heartbreak.” She turns the song into her own with a jaunty production and the inclusion of revered rocker Bruce Springsteen, who channels a smoother sound than usual. – LW

#36

Zac Brown Band, “Toes”

As tired as I am of picturing Zac Brown’s ass in the sand, his group delivered the best Jimmy Buffett send-up the genre has seen in many years of them. “Toes” is light and silly, to be sure, but light and silly can work when you paint them with detail and don’t over-amplify them. – Dan Milliken

#35

Joey + Rory, “To Say Goodbye”

The matter-of-fact presentation somehow enhances the sadness by underplaying it. – KC

#34

Charlie Robison, “Feelin’ Good”

Charlie Robison’s album Beautiful Day reflects his varied emotions after his divorce from Dixie Chick Emily Robison. While there is a lot of dark reflection on the album, there are sparks of hope for the future as well, though forced they may sometimes be. “Feelin’ Good” is one of those songs; it’s mixed with both optimism and leftover pain. – LW

#33

Trace Adkins, “All I Ask for Anymore”

A humble confession of a man’s shifting priorities, sung with sturdy conviction and quiet confidence. It’s nothing groundbreaking for Adkins, but a home run nonetheless. – TS

#32

Kellie Pickler, “Best Days of Your Life”

The chorus that will not quit helped make this the closest that Taylor Swift has ever gotten to heavy rotation in my world. – KC

#31

Montgomery Gentry, “Long Line of Losers”

Yeah, I know. But I can’t help it. Every time my brain tells me to forget this sensationalized celebration of white-trash lineage, I listen to it again and the smile comes right back. There’s just something cool about being willing to accept the role your family has in shaping your identity, especially those parts of it that outsiders might look down on. – DM

#30

Steve Azar, “Moo La Moo”

Good to know that the working man still has a voice being offered to country radio, even if they don’t choose to play him. – KC

#29

Cherryholmes, “This Is My Son”

A mother’s prayers draw a sad parallel between her soldier son and her savior, as she realizes each has been sacrificed for “a people who don’t care that they’re free at the cost of his life.” It’s a wonder the group was able to make such a provocative message sound so pretty. – DM

#28

Charlie Robison, “Reconsider”

Robison’s vulnerability is palpable in this song that wonders if he could somehow repair his failed relationship. While he asks “would you reconsider?”, it’s evident that he already knows the answer and it’s not good. – LW

#27

Tim McGraw, “It’s a Business Doing Pleasure with You”

Funny as all get out, McGraw returned with an “I Like It, I Love It” for the new millenium. $48 and a thrown shoulder at the county fair would be getting off easy these days. – KC

#26

Holly Williams, “Mama”

Songs that pay tribute to Mama are rather common in country music. Holly William’s version of the Mama tribute is different, however, as it looks through the lens of a daughter who is grateful to a mother for not trying to sabotage the daughter’s relationship with her father, even with plenty of valid ammunition to do so. The fact that we know that Holly Williams is the daughter of Hank Williams, Jr. only helps to add to the weight of the song. – LW

#25

Brad Paisley, “American Saturday Night”

Paisley serves up his own brand of playful patriotism with this infectious ode to our melting-pot nation. It’s a splash of truth mixed with a heck of a lot of fun – a signature Paisley recipe. – TS

#24

Zac Brown Band, “Whatever It Is”

There is no mainstream band who manages to sound more at ease than the Zac Brown Band. “Whatever It Is” magnifies the relaxed vibe that the group seems to naturally exude. Furthermore, the fact that they’re able to do it with a love song is refreshing in and of itself. – LW

#23

Sugarland, “Joey”

Never-ending questions that will remain unanswered, fueled by guilt and helplessness that are unabated. – KC

#22

Mark Chesnutt, “She Never Got Me Over You”

A slice of pure, timeless classic country, written by the late Keith Whitley and performed beautifully by one of our most talented traditional male vocalists. – TS

#21

Emily West, “That Kind of Happy”

This is one of those rare instances when pop and country successfully collide to create a piece of irresistible ear candy. Emily West seems to be good at that. – LW

Contrary to what is commonly believed, there has always been a ceiling on how old you could be and still get country airplay. This year, both George Strait and Reba McEntire have been working steadily to shatter that ceiling.

Take a look at the age of country legends when they earned their most recent top ten solo hit:

1. Eddy Arnold, 62
2. Kenny Rogers, 61*
3. Conway Twitty, 58
4. George Strait, 57
5. George Jones, 57**
6. Marty Robbins, 57
7. Willie Nelson, 56**
8. Ray Price, 56
9. Reba McEntire, 54
10. Waylon Jennings, 53
11. Merle Haggard, 52
12. Alan Jackson, 50
13. Charley Pride, 50
14. Johnny Cash, 49
15. Ernest Tubb, 49
16. Ronnie Milsap, 48
17. Loretta Lynn, 47
18. Webb Pierce, 46
19. Garth Brooks, 45
20. Dolly Parton, 43**
21. Hank Williams Jr., 41
22. Tammy Wynette, 40

* Kenny Rogers was the lead singer for his final top ten hit “Buy Me a Rose”, with harmony vocalists Billy Dean and Alison Krauss credited on the single

** George Jones, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton returned to the top ten in later years through duets with younger artists

It’s also worth noting that Alan Jackson, at 50, isn’t too far away from passing several legends on the list.

So George Strait remains in heavy rotation at the age of 57, outpacing all but three stars in country music history. Among the ladies, McEntire is a full seven years older than her nearest competitor Loretta Lynn was when she enjoyed her last top ten hit.

Thoughts?

Chesnutt’s greatest commercial and radio successes came early on. His first three studio albums went platinum and his fourth went gold. He’d earn an additional platinum record with a hits collection assembled from those sets.

While he remained a consistent presence on radio for the entire decade, his sales tapered off. His last big hit was his 1999 cover of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” which went to #1. In more recent years, he’s limited his covers to The Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Rich.

Ten Essential Tracks:

“Too Cold at Home”
from the 1990 album Too Cold at Home

Chesnutt’s first twelve singles reached the top ten, starting with this pure country hit that finds him hiding out in a bar on a sweltering summer day. “It’s too hot to fish, too hot for golf, and too cold at home.”

“Brother Jukebox”
from the 1990 album Too Cold at Home

He’s still at the bar for this hit, his first to top the charts. This time, the woman has left him, and his only family left are the jukebox, wine, freedom, and time.

“I’ll Think of Something”
from the 1992 album Longnecks & Short Stories

A bone-chilling cover of a very old Hank Williams Jr. single. His nuanced vocal digs deeper than Williams did on the 1974 original.

“Bubba Shot the Jukebox”
from the 1992 album Longnecks & Short Stories

This was one of the first singles forced by radio, as unsolicited airplay pushed it on to the charts while MCA was still working “I’ll Think of Something.” Songwriter Dennis Linde also penned Chesnutt’s #1 hit “It Sure is Monday.”

“Almost Goodbye”
from the 1993 album Almost Goodbye

It begins like a domestic epic worthy of George Jones, complete with the swelling of the strings for heightened emotional effect. But cooler heads prevail as they realize how much they’d have to lose if they said the word goodbye. After all, “Sometimes the most important words are the ones that you leave unspoken.”

“I Just Wanted You to Know”
from the 1993 album Almost Goodbye

One side of what must be an incredibly awkward telephone conversation, with the woman’s implied silence at the other end of the line making things just a little more uncomfortable.

“Goin’ Through the Big D”
from the 1994 album What a Way to Live

The nineties equivalent of “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft.)”

“Trouble”
from the 1995 album Wings

Covering Todd Snider. The coolest thing that Mark Chesnutt has ever done. “A woman like you walks in a place like this and you can almost hear the promises break.”

“It Wouldn’t Hurt to Have Wings”
from the 1995 album Wings

Essentially the title track to Chesnutt’s finest major label album, it was also the set’s only big hit.

“Thank God For Believers”
from the 1997 album Thank God For Believers

In a decade that brought several powerful new perspectives on alcoholism, this was one of the best, as the man who struggles with his addiction can’t believe the strength and the faith of the woman who stays beside him.

Two Hidden Treasures:

“Strangers”
from the 1995 album Wings

Take your pick from this album – perhaps you’d prefer “As the Honky Tonk Turns” or “King of Broken Hearts” – but my favorite is the closing track, where strangers that meet in the evening will be strangers again the next morning.

“A Hard Secret to Keep”
from the 2004 album Savin’ the Honky Tonk

This is the best moment of Chesnutt’s strongest album, the independent release Savin’ the Honky Tonk. It’s an album that more than lives up to its title, especially on this tale of cheater’s paranoia.