Top 40 Singles of 2011, Part Three: #20-#11

#20
Headache
Joey + Rory

Individual Rankings: #6 – Sam; #15 – Leeann; #17 – Ben

Joey Feek is not a woman to be trifled with. Blow off a day with her to go fishing with your buddies, and be prepared for a holdout that would make the recent NBA lockout look like a bathroom break. Along with a steel guitar-centric, pure country sound, the song’s humor doesn’t wear thin after repeated listenings. (Are you paying attention, Brad “Camouflage” Paisley?) – Sam Gazdziak

#19
Drink Myself Single
Sunny Sweeney

Individual Rankings: #6 – Ben; #13 – Sam; #18 – Jonathan

Sweeney showed her vulnerable side with “From a Table Away” and “Staying’s Worse Than Leaving,” but here she reminds us that she still knows how to cut loose and have a good time. With “Drink Myself Single” Sweeney delivers an up-tempo track that’s rowdy and fun, with a jaunty electric-guitar-meets-steel-guitar arrangement.

Better yet, she does it without sacrificing lyrical intelligence, and even gets through the whole thing without having to resort to the crutch of citing ‘Ol’ Hank.’ With a seething undercurrent of hurt and anger echoing George Jones’ “Why Baby Why,” “Single” shows an artist with one foot grounded in country music’s storied past, but also with an eye toward the future. – Ben Foster

#18
Mary Was the Marrying Kind
Kip Moore

Individual Rankings: #4 – Kevin; #9 – Dan

A song that manages to characterize eight different girls more believably than a lot of songs characterize one. As the narrator runs through his rocky dating history, you get why he wasn’t conditioned to appreciate Mary when they met, and you mourn with him now that he’s learned to too late. – Dan Milliken

#17
Paper Airplane
Alison Krauss & Union Station

Individual Rankings: #2 – Dan; #10 – Ben

#16
Teenage Daughters
Martina McBride

Individual Rankings: #4 – Leeann; #7 – Ben; #19 – Tara

The sassy “Teenage Daughters” was a refreshing departure from the inspirational songs and rangy vocal performances that we’ve become accustomed to hearing from Martina McBride by now. Instead, with restrained vocals rife with personality, McBride slyly offers a realistic take on the frustrations of raising teenage daughters with honesty and without sap. More of that please, Martina! – Leeann Ward

#15
Home
Dierks Bentley

Individual Rankings: #2 – Sam; #5 – Leeann

“Home” sounds like a pretty love song. And it is. it’s an emotional love song to America from a respectful Dierks Bentley. As the best love songs tend to go, it realistically acknowledges ups and downs while ultimately declaring the strength of the ties that bind. Best of all, not only is it a love song to America, it manages to be patriotic without the jingoism or chest thumping that has all too often pervades patriotic songs in the last decade. – Leeann Ward

#14
Another Like You
Hayes Carll with Bonnie Whitmore

Individual Rankings: #1- Sam; #6 – Leeann

A heated political discussion between a diehard conservative and a bleeding-heart liberal turns into a drunken makeout session in an elevator. If more political discussions in this country ended that way, there would be a heck of a lot more being accomplished in Washington. – Sam Gazdziak

#13
Staying’s Worse Than Leaving
Sunny Sweeney

Individual Rankings: #8 – Ben; #10 – Jonathan; #13 – Leeann; #14 – Dan

Sunny Sweeney just gets the economy of the best country songwriting: There’s nothing flashy about the opening lines of “Staying’s Worse Than Leaving,” but the weariness in her delivery of a simple aside (“Trust me, it’s really bad”) tells her character’s back-story in just a scant few words and gives her on-the-verge narrative real emotional heft. – Jonathan Keefe

#12
A Little Bit Stronger
Sara Evans

Individual Rankings: #2 – Kevin; #6 – Ben; #10 – Dan

As a portrait of the post-breakup healing process, Evans’ surprise comeback hit is striking in its simplicity, but nonetheless disarmingly effective. Simple vignettes of going through your daily routines with a smile on your face, changing the station when a song reminds you of your ex, coupled with the refrain of “I got a little bit stronger… just a little bit stronger” beautifully capture the progressive nature of the narrator’s healing journey.

Fittingly, Evans’ vocal begins on a hushed, tired-sounding note, building to a dramatic crescendo as the song progresses – a dynamic, layered performance from one of the finest interpretive singers of her generation. – Ben Foster

#11
Little Bird
Kasey Chambers

Individual Rankings: #6 – Kevin; #11 – Leeann; #12 – Ben; #16 – Tara; #16 – Jonathan; #20 – Dan

She’s heard through the grapevine what she needs to do to get her man back, a laundry list of every compromise under the sun.  No wonder she reaches the conclusion that she just doesn’t need him that bad. – Kevin John Coyne

Next: Top 40 Singles of 2011, Part Four: #10-#1

Previous: Top 40 Singles of 2011, Part Two: #30-#21

My latest playlist is of covers. First, I have the original version (or the one that’s famous for being the original) followed by my favorite cover of it. My only rule is that I have to like both versions. So, songs where I like the cover but not the original won’t make the list.

I’ll share a sampling of what I have so far, as long as you share your latest or greatest concept playlist in the comments:

1. Buddy Miller, “Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go” (Miranda Lambert)
2. Hank Williams, “Hey, Good Lookin’” (The Mavericks)
3. Elvis Presley, “Suspicious Minds (Dwight Yoakam)
4. Dolly Parton, “Coat of Many Colors (Shania Twain/Alison Krauss)
5. Waylon Jennings, “Dreaming My Dreams with You” (Alison Krauss and Union Station)
6. Johnny Cash, “Understand Your Man” (Dwight Yoakam)
7. Merle Haggard, “The Way I Am” (Alan Jackson)
8. John Prine, “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round” (Miranda Lambert)
9. John Anderson, “Swingin’” (LeAnn Rimes)
10. Buddy Miller, “Don’t Tell Me” (Alicia Nugent)
11. Kasey Chambers, “Pony” (Ashley Monroe)
12. Tammy Wynette, “Stand by Your Man” (Dixie Chicks)
13. Bill Monroe, “Blue Moon of Kentucky” (John Fogerty)
14. Conway Twitty, “Goodbye Time” (Blake Shelton)
15. Hank Williams, “I Saw the Light” (Blind Boys of Alabama/ Hank Williams Jr.)
16. Bob Dylan, “Shelter from the Storm” (Rodney Crowell/Emmylou Harris)
17. Merle Haggard, “Today I Started Loving You Again” (Buddy Jewell/Miranda Lambert)
18. Nitty Gritty Dirtband, “Fishing in the Dark” (Garth Brooks)
19. The White Stripes, “Dead Leaves in the Dirty Ground” (Chris Thile)
20. Al Green, “Lets Stay Together” (John Berry)
21. David Allan Coe, “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” (Doug Supernaw)
22. The Decemberists, “Shankill Butchers” (Sarah Jarosz
23. Steve Earle, “My Old Friend the Blues” (Patty Loveless)
24. Eric Clapton, “Lay Down Sally” (Delbert McClinton)
25. Fred Eaglesmith, “Time to Get a Gun” (Miranda Lambert)
26. Dolly Parton, “Jolene” (The White Stripes)
27. Johnny Cash, “I Still Miss Someone” (Suzy Bogguss)
28. Pearl Jam, “Better Man” (Sugarland)
29. Kris Kristofferson, “From the Bottle to the Bottom” (Dierks Bentley/Kris Kristofferson)
30. Don Williams, “Lord, I hope this Day is Good” (Lee Ann Womack)
31. Bob Dylan, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s all right” (Randy Travis)

Every day, the staff will share our picks in a different category.  We hope that all of our readers will do the same in the comments!

We’re not limiting ourselves to the country genre. All of us are primarily country fans, but our tastes run wider and deeper than that.

The category for Day 1 is…

Your Favorite Song

Staff Picks

Leeann Ward: “One More Year” – Kacey Chambers & Shane Nicholson

It’s nearly impossible to choose a definitive favorite song, but I can pretty reasonably settle on “One More Year” as one that I haven’t tired of in three years despite my husband’s penchant for playing certain songs repeatedly until I can hardly stand even a great song after a certain saturation point. Such is not the case with “One More Year.” I’m still impressed by its understated devastation every time I hear it.

Dan Milliken: “Days Go By” – Keith Urban

The first time I heard it, on a fuzzy radio station in the background, it sounded like “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” redux. Within my first proper listens, it had me dancing around my dining room. “Days Go By” takes a sad truth – that time is constantly slipping away from us – and twists it into a joyous, mandolin-clanging celebration of life and the time we do have. Carpe some diem, y’all.

Tara Seetharam: “Bless the Broken Road” – Carrie Underwood

It’s hard to find words that speak to the personal connection I’ve formed with this song, so I’ll let my favorite line sum up its lyrical poignancy: “Now I’m just rolling home into my lover’s arms” is as best a description of the ease of true love as I’ve ever heard. As I said in my very first Country Universe post, I’ll take this song in any form by any artist (literally – I have over ten versions on my iPod), but if I had to choose, the conviction in Underwood’s acoustic version is second to none.

Kevin John Coyne: “Hung Up” - Madonna

No matter how much I like a song, I always go through periods where I’m tired of hearing it, and will skip it from time to time when it pops up on shuffle. That’s true about every song I love except this one, which I never tire of. I don’t know if it’s the way the ABBA-borrowed hook fades in and out, or if it’s the insanely catchy chorus that she sings nine times and it’s still not enough.  It’s the perfect pop song by the perfect pop artist and nothing else sounds as good in comparison, even from her own deep catalog of ear candy hits.

Enjoy part one now, and look for the top ten on Friday.

#20
A Crooked Road
Darrell Scott

Tomorrow’s hits today, should the current crop of hitmakers want something as good on the radio as “Long Time Gone” or “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” or just want to have an album cut for the ages like “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.” Scott’s a singer’s songwriter, delivering his songs with enough personality to elevate them above demos but leaving enough room for improvisation, so that any singer can put their own spin on it.

This twenty-track collection is stunningly strong, with his observations about politics and religion and history intriguing, but his take on human relationships being downright enlightening.  – Kevin Coyne

#19
The Pajama Sessions
Sarah Buxton

Buxton is the only songwriter I’ve ever heard on a songwriter’s night that was even more interesting in her introductions than she is when she’s actually singing.  Don’t bother with the too-glossy studio versions that make up the standard version of the album. Skip right to the same songs done live in the deluxe version, as she chats with the songwriters and tells the stories behind the songs, all before singing them with far more personality and enthusiasm than she does the first time around. – KC

#18
Antifogmatic
Punch Brothers

Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the insanely talented and creative force of the Punch Brothers should not be surprised that the band has turned out one of 2010’s most sonically satisfying albums.

With the devastatingly talented Chris Thile serving as frontman, Punch Brothers is equally served by his worthy counterparts, Gabe Witcher (fiddle/violin), Noam Pikelny (banjo), Chris Eldridge (guitar) and Paul Kowert (bass). Together they have created a crisp album that intricately infuses sounds of bluegrass, classical and acoustic music to form an ethereal listening experience. Just don’t make the mistake of settling into a certain tempo or intensity on a given track, because both might vary, as heard in songs like “You Are” and “Rye Whiskey”, among others. Likewise, Punch Brothers isn’t afraid of exploring different genres within one song either.

All focus shouldn’t be placed on the instrumentation, however, as Antifogmatic is rife with intriguing lyrics as well, including the reflective “This is the Song (Good Luck)” and the aggressive chorus of “You Are”: “You take my love and my lust / cold clock my mind out / turn in my keys to the kingdom / and lip-lock my body down.” – Leeann Ward

#17
Allergic to Crazy
Don Schlitz

You know him as one of the pens behind such classics as “The Gambler,” “On the Other Hand” and “Rockin’ with the Rhythm of the Rain.” But get Don Schlitz on his own, and it’s like listening to an especially colorful uncle catch you up on all his latest appraisals, glass of wine in hand. Whether it’s a goofy kiss-off (“I’m allergic to crazy, so baby, you’ve got to go”), folksy social commentary (“When they say it’s not about the money, it’s about the money”) or a heartfelt relationship reflection (“We’ve been too cold too long to ever be warm again”), Schlitz is a master of the clever yet revealing turn of phrase. – Dan Milliken

#16
You Get What You Give
Zac Brown Band

The only way to define You Get What You Give is to call it a Zac Brown Band album, as it draws from a funky mishmash of influences – from reggae to bluegrass, southern rock to neo-traditionalist country. But it’s cohesive in that every track sounds entirely authentic and radiates with a palpable commitment to the music, particularly in terms of melody and instrumentation. Brown’s rich, underrated vocals, along with his unique blend of wit and charisma, top off this album. – Tara Seetharam

#15
Little Bird
Kacey Chambers

Coming off her masterpiece collaboration with husband, Shane Nicholson, Kasey Chambers subtly backs away from the mainly acoustic base of Rattlin’ Bones with a more muscular sound for Little Bird. Like Rattlin’ Bones, however, this album is produced by Nicholson and father, Bill Chambers, which helps to keep the album from being as pop sounding as prior Chambers solo outings have been.

As a result, Little Bird has a sampling of bluegrass, Jazz, old school country, pop, and simple acoustic music. While this is a bit of a departure from her previous album, it still maintains many of its most tasteful qualities, including a variety of musical influences that blend seamlessly together, along with a continuation of fascinating songwriting. With this album, she’s just as honest and raw as ever while maintaining a willingness to have some fun once in awhile too. – LW

#14
Speak Now
Taylor Swift

Country much? Nah, but blame the market. Swift is growing into a fantastic pop singer-songwriter, adept at choosing telling details, constructing potent hooks and recording it all with nuance and character. The general story here is one of her coming to terms with a world of seemingly colder, less sensitive people, with “Sparks Fly,” “Dear John” and “The Story of Us” in particular offering sucker punches of romantic desperation and confusion.

She needs to work on her responses to non-exes, apparently: the critic-lashing “Mean” begs for some added maturity and cleverness, while the Kanye-directed “Innocent” seems self-important and patronizing given the actual triviality of the incident it addresses. But even when her judgment misfires, Swift’s persona feels fully human and her craft remains damn near impeccable. – DM

#13
They Call Me Cadillac
Randy Houser

We often hear about artists who wish that they could record more country material. Sometimes, it’s difficult to know who is sincere in their claims or who is simply giving lip service. Randy Houser was one such artist who said that his second album would be more organic and more country than his first.

In one of the surprises of 2010, Houser came through on his promise and gave us just that—an album that dialed back the bombast and loudness and focused more on the actual music and lyrics. Furthermore, he created an album that is worthy of the best instrument that he has, his voice.

Not only are his production choices much more palatable on this project, but the lyrical content is more solid as well. He’s still able to have fun with lighthearted fare as we hear in the title track, but he’s also willing to go deeper, as evidenced in “Lead Me Home”, “Addicted” and “Somewhere South of Memphis.” – LW

#12
The Band Perry
The Band Perry

So here’s a new band that has learned all the right lessons from Nickel Creek, Taylor Swift and the Beatles.  The depth isn’t totally there yet, and the songwriting is still a work in progress, but when it works, it’s better than everything else on country radio today.  When it doesn’t, it’s still a ball to listen to. – KC

#11
The Lloyd Green Album
Peter Cooper

Moonlighting journalist Cooper continues making an underground case for himself as one of the most thoughtful artists working anywhere near the country genre. His approach hasn’t changed much since 2008′s Mission Door: richly detailed stories brought to life with spare arrangements led by master steel guitarist Lloyd Green. But once again, give Cooper a poignant song – like his own “Elmer the Dancer” or John Hiatt’s “Train to Birmingham” – and he and Green knock it (softly, and pensively) out of the park. – DM

Part 2: #10-#1

#40
“This Is Me You’re Talking To”
Trisha Yearwood
2008
Peak: #25

Flawless. Proof positive that the nineties formula at its best is better than anything on naughties radio. Perhaps they can’t play it too much for that reason. It’s not good for business to park a new Lexus in a used car lot of Ford Pintos. – Kevin Coyne

#39
“Famous in a Small Town”
Miranda Lambert
2007
Peak: #14

This is one of those slice-of-life songs that anyone from a small town can easily relate to. What sets it above the pack of songs of that ilk is the witty nugget of truth that “everybody dies famous in a small town.” The Springsteen-esque vibe of the production is pretty cool, too. – Leeann Ward

#38
“Simple Love”
Alison Krauss
2007
Peak: Did not chart

A sweet homage to the purest form of love – the kind that always gives and never asks back – sung by one of the purest voices in country music. The combination is magic. – Tara Seetharam

#37
“Songs About Rain”
Gary Allan
2003
Peak: #12

A somewhat corny song about a man seeking musical escape is raised to the classic country rafters by Allan’s miserable snarl of a vocal. – Dan Milliken

#36
“Jesus, Take the Wheel”
Carrie Underwood
2005
Peak: #1

On the surface, it’s a story of a woman who finds herself at a personal crossroad and looks to Jesus to take control. But at its core, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” is a sweeping plea for salvation that’s accessible to anyone who subscribes to this belief, in any situation. And that’s the beauty of the song: it trades self-righteousness for compassion, largely due to Underwood’s fervent yet humble performance. – TS

#35
“What You Give Away”
Vince Gill with Sheryl Crow
2007
Peak: #43

In this anthem of giving, Vince Gill sings, “The measure of a man is one who lends a hand.” He clearly believes the platitude to be true, as thoroughly demonstrated by his own various charitable endeavors. With a swelling gospel choir and soulful harmony contribution by Sheryl Crow, Gill inspires us to think of others, because it’s all in “what we give away.” – LW

#34
“Remember When”
Alan Jackson
2003
Peak: #1

This is a beautifully simplistic song that serves as a lyrical photo album of memories for the Jacksons. It richly chronicles the various stages of their relationship and lets us all in on the memories in the process. – LW

#33
“Travelin’ Thru”
Dolly Parton
2006
Peak: Did not chart

The 2005 film Transamerica digs into the heart of a transsexual woman’s identity struggle as she nears her final operation. Parton’s Oscar-nominated contribution to the film digs into the heart of the identity struggles within us all, recognizing that we are all fundamentally trying to “figure out where all [our] pieces fit” in some way or another. A country-folk classic. – DM

#32
“Monday Morning Church”
Alan Jackson
2004
Peak: #5

The woman who holds the keys to his salvation is buried in the cold, hard ground. One suspects that his heart would feel just as empty in a Sunday morning church, so deep is his grief. – KC

#31
“Born to Fly”
Sara Evans
2000
Peak: #1

This isn’t so much a tale of a restless soul as it is an encapsulation of every emotion a restless soul feels. Evans is buoyantly impatient from start to finish, and it’s just one of those rare performances where the spirit of the character transcends the song. – TS

#30
“Rattlin’ Bones”
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson
2008
Peak: #55 (Australia)

The husband-wife duo showcases their easy harmony in this swampy song of hopelessness. While its mood is decidedly dark, it’s still a sonic treat. – LW

#29
“Gunpowder & Lead”
Miranda Lambert
2008
Peak: #7

Lambert follows in the footsteps of “Goodbye Earl” and “Independence Day” with this vengeful anthem of female liberation, but it’s far from derivative. With palpable ferocity, the song focuses on a single moment of raw determination, building from an eerily collected verse to an explosive chorus that surges with sheer, rocking energy. – TS

#28
“Bless the Broken Road”
Rascal Flatts
2005
Peak: #1

A gorgeous expression of a grand, yet powerfully simplistic view on love – that God designs the journey of two soul mates. I can’t find many words that speak to the innate personal connection I’ve formed with this song, but perhaps my favorite line sums up its lyrical poignancy:  “now I’m just rolling home into my lover’s arms” is as best a description of the ease of true love as I’ve ever heard. – TS

#27
“Stealing Kisses”
Faith Hill
2006
Peak: #36

Desperate housewife indeed. The walls are closing in on this one, as she’s isolated from the rest of society in her suburban prison. No wonder she winds up in front of her high school twenty years after graduation, whispering to all of the girls with their future still ahead of them: “Run. Run. Run.” – KC

#26
“Somebody Like You”
Keith Urban
2002
Peak: #1

Over the last decade, Urban has been arguably the best source of complication in any broad-strokes argument decrying the artistic quality of country-pop. This star-making signature hit introduced a sound so infectious – with singing so passionate, riffs so face-melting – that even the most rigid traditionalists could be heard muttering concessions that Nashville had a superlative talent on its hands. – DM

#25
“Wagon Wheel”
Old Crow Medicine Show
2004
Peak: Did not chart

Old Crow Medicine Show’s first album is full of melodically memorable hooks, but none more so than their signature song, “Wagon Wheel”, which was originally started by Bob Dylan and later filled in by OCMS’s lead singer, Ketch Secor. – LW

#24
“Moments”
Emerson Drive
2006
Peak: #1

A chance encounter with a homeless man turns into a stirring, pivotal reflection on the events that truly define our lives. Few third-person narratives this decade have drawn characters of such tangible spirit. – DM

#23
“I Don’t Paint Myself into Corners”
Trisha Yearwood
2002
Peak: #47

“In the light of truth, it wasn’t you. It was me.” So goes this reclaiming of one’s own identity, which shifts the responsibility of happiness from the other who always disappoints to the self who finds freedom in letting the other go. Yearwood’s masterful performance parallels this journey of personal growth, with the first declaration barely a whisper and the final a full-throated wail. – KC

#22
“You’ll Think of Me”
Keith Urban
2004
Peak: #1

Urban nurses a broken heart by reveling in the idea that his ex will eventually regret letting him go. He nails the sharp mix of emotions that accompanies this mindset, with a performance that’s both peaceful and biting, dejected and vindictive. – TS

#21
“Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)”
Dixie Chicks
2003
Peak: #48

The story behind the song is heart-wrenching. Radney Foster penned it for his young son who moved to Paris with his ex-wife, and recorded it on a tape that his son played every night before he went to bed. Yet it works just as well as a maternal tuck-in from far away, which Natalie Maines is able to credibly emote despite the fact that she and her fellow Chicks took their kids on the road with them. – KC

- – -

• 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

As we come to the end of our list, the top ten selections are a lot like the ninety before them, with perhaps a bit more of a roots leaning overall.  If you didn’t see your favorite on the list, or just want to discover more great music that you might have missed, be sure to check out the list at The 9513, if you somehow haven’t done so already. Even better, start a blog and write your own list.  It feels like a lot of barriers fell within country music this decade, and I think one of the best walls to come down was the one between music journalism and the listening audience.  I hope in the next decade, a lot more readers become writers, so we can all keep reveling in the music we love and helping others discover it.

Sappy introduction aside, here’s our top ten of the decade:

#10
Patty Loveless, Mountain Soul

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and few albums have inspired more imitation than Patty Loveless’ Mountain Soul. Bluegrass music full of roots influences, Mountain Soul, with its traditional sound, has become a surrogate definition of authenticity for mainstream artists returning to their musical beginnings. Standout songs include “Cheap Whiskey,” a classically dark drinking song; the energetic “The Boys are Back in Town,” with its WWII imagery; and “Soul of Constant Sorrow,” based on the traditional work popularized by the Stanley Brothers. – William Ward

Recommended Tracks: “The Boys are Back in Town”, “Cheap Whiskey”, “Soul of Constant Sorrow”, “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive”

#9
Vince Gill, These Days

An inordinate amount of praise has already been heaped upon Vince Gill’s prolific, 2006 landmark 4-disc box set of all original material. Moreover, all of the praise is warranted. Not only is all of the material original rather than culled from previous albums; Gill had a hand in writing each of the 43 tracks. Each disc is divided into its own genre (rock, jazz, bluegrass/acoustic and straight-up country). Furthermore, each disc is masterfully executed. Fortunately, These Days does not prove the old “less is more” adage. Instead, it only leaves us longing for more. – Leeann Ward

Recommended Tracks: “Sweet Thing”, “Faint of Heart (with Diana Krall)”, “Little Brother”, “Some Things Never Change (featuring Emmylou Harris)

#8
Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose

She had already made a fine latter-day album with 2000′s Still Country, but Loretta Lynn’s crowning artistic moment of the last thirty years came when rocker Jack White offered to turn his semi-fetishization of Lynn’s music and persona into a full LP. As you’d expect of a project born of such fanboy fantasy, White was not shy about dressing up Loretta in his favorite things – in this case, snaky electric guitars and loose, often atmospheric arrangements that made the Kentucky gal sound more raw, Gothic and edgy than she ever had in her bouncy classic singles. But White also had the good sense not to let his little indulgences distract from the fantastic artist on his hands, who wrote herself a batch of sharp, soulful songs that capture the essence of what truly makes real country music – and Lynn herself – rock so hard. – Dan Milliken

Recommended Tracks: “Portland, Oregon”, “Trouble On the Line”, “Family Tree”, “Miss Being Mrs.”

#7
Johnny Cash, American III: Solitary Man

It’s astounding how some artists can convey as much meaning through voice as they can through lyric. Cash performs covers and original material alike so affectingly on this Grammy-award winning album that you feel like you can reach out and touch what you’re hearing. It’s a stunningly haunting, uniquely introspective project, carried by the strength of Cash’s wisdom and transcendent voice. – Tara Seetharam

Recommended Tracks: “Before My Time”, “I’m Leaving Now”, “Solitary Man”, “I See a Darkness”

#6
Old Crow Medicine Show, Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show’s first and best progressive acoustic album is difficult to label as far as genre is concerned. However, what can be defined is that there are elements of bluegrass, country, folk, etc., which all culminate in a mighty fine debut effort from a band that has developed an impressive cult following as a result. With overt drug references, subtler (though still obvious) political undertones, quiet philosophical moments and some simply fun numbers, this album never gets tiresome, which is a testament to its long lasting substance as a whole. – LW

Recommended Tracks: “Tell It to Me”, “Big Time in the Jungle”, “Wagon Wheel”

#5
Kathy Mattea, Coal

Kathy Mattea’s Coal is a near-perfect example of an album acting as a single piece of art. More than a collection of mining songs, Coal, co-produced by Marty Stuart, is a brutal and beautiful look at a way of life that is both challenging and enlightening. Notable tracks include “Dark as a Dungeon,” delivered with meticulous but even intensity; the haunting “Red-Winged Blackbird,” with its blood and coal color imagery; and the a cappella “Black Lung,” an impressive choice in which Mattea successfully pushes the boundaries of her musical abilities. – WW

Recommended Tracks: “Blue Diamond Mines”, “Red-Winged Blackbird”, “Sally in the Garden”, “Dark as a Dungeon”

#4
Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Call it potential realized: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the album we all knew Lambert could make, and waited on the tips of our toes to hear. Her follow-up to Kerosene is a rich, defiant album that conveys a sharp perspective and a clear musical identity. Amidst a spunky blend of twang and rock, she draws from a more incisive set of songwriting skills and packs a hell of a believable punch, like on her first top ten hit, “Gunpowder & Lead.” And the punch isn’t reserved for the fiery numbers, as the album’s most gripping track comes in the form of pure tenderness. The wistful lament “More Like Her” is one of the best and most heartbreaking songs of this decade. – TS

Recommended Tracks: “Famous in a Small Town”, “More Like Her”, “Dry Town”, “Love Letters”

#3
Gary Allan, Tough All Over

A rough, scattered, imperfect and wholly realistic 12-track grieving process. By the time of the tragic personal events leading to this album, Allan had already proven he could interpret a song better than just about anyone working in the genre; on Tough All Over, he took on the unimaginable task of interpreting his own battered emotional core. The results are striking, as he confronts not just his inevitable loneliness (“Best I Ever Had”, “Ring”, “Puttin’ Memories Away”), but also less tidy trackings of guilt (“I Just Got Back From Hell”), self-loathing (“What Kind of Fool”), spite (the title track), and reluctant hope (“Nickajack Cave [Johnny Cash's Redemption]“, “Life Ain’t Always Beautiful”). Country music and Allan himself have produced several more beautiful albums this past decade, but none that sounded quite so necessary. – DM

Recommended Tracks: “Tough All Over”, “I Just Got Back From Hell”, “Ring”, “Life Ain’t Always Beautiful”

#2
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, Rattlin’ Bones

The fact that neither Kasey Chambers nor Shane Nicholson make particularly traditional-sounding music on their own makes it all the more incredible that they have joined together to create one of the rootsiest records on this list. Aside from the intriguing, though processed “Jackson Hole”, the songs on Rattlin’ Bones sound more like beloved classics than the original Chambers and Nicholson compositions that they actually are. The naturally compatible husband-wife pairing has created an album full of crisp, majestic harmonies, distinctive melodies and intriguing lyrics, easily making this album one of the most sonically pleasing and substantive albums of the decade. – LW

Recommended Tracks: “Rattlin’ Bones”, “Monkey on A Wire”, “One More Year”, “No One Hurts Up Here”

#1
Dixie Chicks, Home

This was our top selection by such a wide margin that it’s tempting to just say, “Of course it’s the greatest album of the decade. It’s Home.”   But one sentence does not a justification for best album of the decade make, so let me go on to say that Home is conclusive proof that a modern country album can tear down the walls between radio-friendly and artistic, mainstream and Americana, pure country and crossover, revealing that while they looked like stone, they were paper walls all along.

It was a hint of further greatness to come that the Chicks were able to pen some of their own material and have it stand proudly among the very best works of brilliant songwriters, and the album became a classic because the songs really are the best ever written by Darrell Scott (“Long Time Gone”), Stevie Nicks (“Landslide”), Bruce Robison (“Travelin’ Soldier”), Radney Foster, (“Godspeed [Sweet Dreams]), and Patty Griffin (“Truth No. 2 and “Top of the World”). But with the acoustic production and their decision to record three-part harmonies for the first time, the result is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Despite the formula being so simple – great songs + great vocals + great production = great album – Home is a reminder of just how difficult that formula is to pull off.  Released back in 2002, no country album has come along since to match its quality. – KC

Recommended Tracks: “Long Time Gone”, “Truth No. 2″, “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)”, “Top of the World”

- – -

• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 1: #100-#91
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 2: #90-#81
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 3: #80-#71
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 4: #70-#61
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 5: #60-51
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 6: #50-#41
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 7: #40-#31
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 8: #30-#21
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 9: #20-#11

#20
Nickel Creek, This Side

With Alison Krauss still in the producer’s chair, This Side begins to drift away from the more pure bluegrass feel of Nickel Creek’s debut album. Containing deliciously funky grooves and even tighter musicianship among the trio, Nickel Creek further proves their inimitable creativity and talent on their sophomore project that ultimately secures their popularity among progressive bluegrass fans and perhaps a few unsuspecting traditionalists along the way as well. – Leeann Ward

Recommended Tracks: “Spit on A Stranger”, “I Should’ve Known Better”, “This Side”, “Sabra Girl”

#19
Lee Ann Womack, There’s More Where That Came From

It wasn’t quite the radical return to traditional country music that the album cover and subsequent marketing implied, but There’s More Where That Came From had more going for it than twin fiddles and steel, anyway: the strongest collection of songs that Womack had ever assembled. For those who went beyond the album’s one hit and two subsequent singles, the treasures were bountiful, including a cover of “Just Someone I Used to Know” hidden at the end of the disc. – Kevin Coyne

Recommended Tracks: “One’s a Couple”, “I May Hate Myself in the Morning”, “The Last Time”, “Stubborn (Psalm 151)”

#18
Bill Chambers, Sleeping With the Blues

Kasey Chambers’ father, Bill Chambers, shows that the talented apple doesn’t fall far from the proverbial tree. Chambers’ well worn gravel voice sounds as though he is personally all too familiar with the blues, which appropriately helps in service of the album’s general tone. Sleeping with the Blues is wonderfully produced with pure acoustic country instrumentation, which nicely supports this set of songs that contain straight up country music themes with a sly mix of wit and doom. – LW

Recommended Tracks: “I Drink”, “”Sleeping with the Blues”, “Big A** Garage Sale”, “Hold You in My Heart”

#17
Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell, Begonias

George and Tammy, Loretta and Conway, Dolly and Porter, Caitlin and Thad. Heresy? Perhaps. However, when Begonias was released in 2005, duet albums seemed like a thing of the past in country music. Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell, once neighbors in North Carolina, succeed in questioning that perception with their harmonies, songwriting, and natural chemistry by producing a timeless folk-country album that reminds us that great duets are not something that only exist as part of country music history. – William Ward

Recommended Tracks: “Something Less than Something More”, “Second Option”, “Conversations About a Friend”, “Waiting on June”

#16
Alison Krauss & Union Station, Lonely Runs Both Ways

But just what are the two ways that lonely runs? Through the leaver (“Goodbye Is All We Have”) and the left (“Wouldn’t Be So Bad”)? Through the lovestruck (“If I Didn’t Know Any Better”) and the loved (“Crazy As Me”)? Or just through haunting traditional bluegrass (everything the fellas sing lead on here) as well as haunting grass-pop (everything with Krauss)? I say all of the above – and if Krauss and company are the ones running lonely around, I’ll follow them whichever way they decide to take it. – Dan Milliken

Recommended Tracks: “Restless”, “Crazy As Me”, “If I Didn’t Know Any Better”, “A Living Prayer”

#15
The Be Good Tanyas, Blue Horse

It is true that The Be Good Tanyas are in the periphery of country music’s big tent, but their mellow sound is refreshingly organic. Their unconventional vocal style, delightful harmonies and accessible melodic hooks make this album a joy to hear. Particularly interesting is their meandering interpretation of “Oh Suzanna.” – LW

Recommended Tracks: “The Littlest Birds”, “Dog Song aka. Sleep Dog Lullaby”, “Oh Suzanna”, “Light Enough to Travel”

#14
Dwight Yoakam, Blame the Vain

Fully self-producing for the first time, Yoakam returned to what he’s always does best: smart, simple heartbreak songs with no-frills production and minimal BS. Except on “She’ll Remember,” where the frills and BS are badly British-accented, bizarrely futuristic and fully awesome. He’s the kind of artist so consistent that it’s easy to take him for granted, but here he tried to one-up himself and damn near succeeded. – DM

Recommended Tracks: “Blame The Vain”, “Just Passin’ Time”, “She’ll Remember”, “The Last Heart In Line”

#13
Shania Twain, Up!

As distinctive and boundary-pushing as they were, Shania Twain’s first two mega-albums were a bit restrained, as if there was a “let’s not push this too far” voice in the back of her head. With Up!, she fully lets loose her creativity, spinning the same nineteen tracks in three different styles over three discs, with the American release featuring the country and pop editions. Rather than split the difference to please both audiences, she shamelessly panders to each one instead, stacking on the fiddle and steel more so than she ever did before on one disc, while venturing into pure Europop on the other. The winner in all of this is the listener, particularly the one who has a taste for both banjo and synthesizer, as Twain’s relentless zest for lyrical escapism finally has the music to match her infectious positivity. – KC

Recommended Tracks: “Nah!”, “Ka-Ching!”, “What a Way to Wanna Be!”, “I Ain’t Goin’ Down”

#12
Dixie Chicks, Taking the Long Way

Somewhere between the Bush slam heard around the world and the five-Grammy victory seen around the world came this masterful, refreshingly real album, defined only by its own merits. A raw slice of the album deals with the incident that changed the Chicks’ career – and quite possibly the course of mainstream country music – reflecting a tenacity that’s wrapped in still-tender pain. But the same multi-faceted assuredness rings throughout the rest of Taking The Long Way, found in songs that dive deep, lyrically and sonically, into stories of struggle and doubt. With its bone-chilling depictions of life’s realities, the Chicks’ first fully-written album is a piece of art that pays a brilliant, ironic tribute to the heart of country music. – Tara Seetharam

Recommended Tracks: “Not Ready to Make Nice”, “Silent House”, “I Hope”, “So Hard”

#11
Nickel Creek, Why Should the Fire Die?

While they have been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album and won IMBA award for Instrumental Group of the Year, Nickel Creek have always insisted that they are not a bluegrass band. With Why Should the Fire Die?, Nickel Creek makes its strongest argument, taking on new producers, introducing more rock and pop influence, and generally going in their own direction. Still, and perhaps most importantly, they have maintained their ability to avoid all things formulaic while pushing beyond the boundaries of youthful talent. – WW

Recommended Tracks: “When in Rome”, “Can’t Complain”, “Anthony”, “Doubting Thomas”

- – -

• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 1: #100-#91
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 2: #90-#81
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 3: #80-#71
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 4: #70-#61
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 5: #60-51
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 6: #50-#41
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 7: #40-#31
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 8: #30-#21
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Conclusion: #10-#1

#40
Tim McGraw, Live Like You Were Dying

The title track looks forward, pondering what to do with the scarcity of time left, but the best of the rest of these tracks look backward, sometimes with sadness (“My Old Friend”), sometimes with humor (“Back When”), and often with both (“Open Season on My Heart”, “Can’t Tell Me Nothin’.”) – Kevin Coyne

Recommended Tracks: “My Old Friend”, “Old Town New”, “Open Season On My Heart”

#39
Ashley Monroe,  Satisfied

At just nineteen years old, Ashley Monroe has made an album with content comparatively mature, both in lyrics and production, to most other albums on this list. With a voice naturally tinged with both twang and sophistication, Monroe sings of loss, relational strife and even regret and sorrow with acute adeptness. While many of the compositions are sonically and topically subdued, she is not incapable of letting loose on certain numbers such as Kasey Chambers’ “Pony”, which includes a mean yodel, and a delightful duet with Dwight Yoakam, “That’s Why We Call Each Other Baby.” – Leeann Ward

Recommended Tracks: “Pony”, “Satisfied”, “Hank’s Cadillac”

#38
Dolly Parton, Little Sparrow

She got her groove back with The Grass Is Blue, but Parton’s career revival truly peaked when she revisited her mountain roots on this classic album. She won a Grammy for her treatment of the Collective Soul hit “Shine”, and she wrote new songs like the title track, which ranks among her best work. She even revisited her finest pre-”Coat of Many Colors” composition, “Down From Dover”, restoring the verse that Porter Wagoner had forced her to edit out for the sake of brevity. – KC

Recommended Tracks: “Little Sparrow”, “Shine”, “Down From Dover”

#37
Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts

Six months after taking the American Idol crown, Underwood unapologetically introduced herself as a polished country-pop artist via Some Hearts. With explosive hits like “Before He Cheats” at the helm, the album became the best-selling debut by a solo female country artist, making it easy to overlook that it is as genuine as it is commercially viable. It’s an album that fits Underwood like a glove, bottling a unique combination of naivety and perceptiveness, sass and charm, bombast and reservation – the kinds of paradoxes that have come to define her as an artist and as a person. And while the material is standard country-pop, to be sure, we’re reminded by Underwood’s compelling, crystalline performances that standard material can be made to be just as memorable as anything else. – Tara Seetharam

Recommended Tracks: “Wasted”, “Jesus, Take The Wheel”, “The Night Before (Life Goes On)”

#36
Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott, Real Time

In which two modern virtuosos sit in a living room and pluck out an acoustic album to match any before or since. The playing is exemplary, the songwriting deeply inspired, and the country-folk-bluegrass sound ageless. – Dan Milliken

Recommended Tracks: “Walk Beside Me”, “There Ain’t No Easy Way”, “Long Time Gone”

#35
Soundtrack, O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Sometimes an album’s perceived quality becomes inextricable from its legend. Such is the case with the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers’ modern-day Odyssey, one of the bestselling country sets of the decade and a landmark in the genre’s history for its regeneration of mainstream interest in roots music. In essence, it’s really just a bunch of old-time covers done in exceptionally convincing old-time form. Whether that’s enough to put it among the decade’s finest country albums is up for debate – but there’s no denying it’s among the most essential. – DM

Recommended Tracks: “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”, “Didn’t Leave Nobody But the Baby”, “O Death”

#34
Buddy and Julie Miller, Written in Chalk

Americana’s favorite couple outdo themselves on one of this year’s most revelatory albums, a tour de force of down-home soul and raw depth. The Millers excel at finding just the right sound to express the sentiments of their material, scoring randy lovemakin’ (“Gasoline And Matches”) and quiet grief (“Don’t Say Goodbye”) with equal aplomb. – DM

Recommended Tracks: “One Part, Two Part”, “Chalk”, “Everytime We Say Goodbye”

#33
Patty Loveless, Sleepless Nights

The last decade has seen numerous well executed traditional covers albums, but none of higher quality than Patty Loveless’ tribute to tradition, Sleepless Nights. Loveless culls songs from various places, including compositions mostly previously attributed to male singers, to create an album that solidly stands as a cohesive unit. Due to Loveless’ naturally distinctive twang and her producer husband’s (Emory Gordy, Jr.) tasteful arrangements (prominent bass, light percussion and steel guitar), Sleepless Nights does well at staying authentic while still sounding progressive enough to warrant yet another covers project. – LW

Recommended Tracks: “Pain of Loving You”, “Sleepless Nights”, “Cold Cold Heart”

#32
Justin Townes Earle, Midnight at the Movies

While The Good Life gained considerably more attention among traditional country audiences than Midnight at the Movies, with Justin Townes Earle’s follow-up, we are presented with his first fully mature album. Nominated for an Americana Music Award for Album of the Year, Midnight at the Movies delivers a voice fallen far from the rough gravel of Earle’s father, Steve Earle, but with gleaming jewels of writing equal to some of his father’s best work. – William Ward

Recommended Tracks: “They Killed John Henry”, “Mama’s Eyes”, “Black Eyed Suzy”

#31
Keith Urban, Golden Road

Urban’s second solo album is an exuberant, original piece of work that solidified his place as one of the genre’s most gifted and charismatic male artists. The album showcases both his fine musicianship and intuitive sense of balance, as the material embraces exhilaration without feeling frivolous, and sentimentality without feeling melodramatic. Much like his other albums, it’s hard to classify Urban’s style on Golden Road, with its intermixed elements of rock, pop and traditional country – but who the heck cares when it’s this good? – TS

Recommended Tracks: “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me”, “You’ll Think Of Me”, “Raining On Sunday”

- – -

• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 1: #100-#91
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 2: #90-#81
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 3: #80-#71
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 4: #70-#61
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 5: #60-51
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 6: #50-#41
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 7: #40-#31
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 8: #30-#21
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 9: #20-#11
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Conclusion: #10-#1

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Real Animal, by ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
Written in Chalk, by BUDDY & JULIE MILLER
Jason Isbell & The 40 Unit, by JASON ISBELL & THE 40 UNIT
Midnight At The Movies, by JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
BUDDY MILLER
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
RAUL MALO

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
BUDDY MILLER
GURF MORLIX
JERRY DOUGLAS
SAM BUSH

NEW & EMERGING ARTIST
BAND OF HEATHENS
BELLEVILLE OUTFIT
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
SARAH BORGES

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Chalk,” written by JULIE MILLER, performed by BUDDY MILLER & PATTY GRIFFIN
“Country Love” by the GOURDS
“Homeland Refugee,” by JOE ELY, JIMMIE DALE GILMORE, and BUTCH HANCOCK, performed by the FLATLANDERS
“Rattlin’ Bones” by KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON, performed by KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON
“Sex And Gasoline,” by RODNEY CROWELL, performed by RODNEY CROWELL

DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR
BUDDY & JULIE MILLER
FLATLANDERS
KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON
RECKLESS KELLY

The awards will be given out at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on September 17. Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale will serve as hosts.

Country music, however, is also rife with songs that contain metaphors. Many times, the metaphors are easy to comprehend, but there are times when they seem almost out of reach. They are the songs that can be interpreted in different ways, which are often the most fun.

Fore me, one such song is Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson’s “Monkey on A Wire.” In my mind, at least, it’s somewhat of a challenge to pinpoint the exact symbolism of the monkey on a wire. In my review of their album, I give it a respectable try, but I’m still not convinced of my interpretation. My guess was:

“The unshakably catchy “Monkey On A Wire” explores the tenuous act of attempting to resist the desires of temptation, but ultimately recognizing the futility of the exercise. With us as flawed humans playing the part of the symbolic monkey on a wire who’s attempting to evade the devil, they sing: ‘Oh, here I go/Me and my desire/Everyone’s got their own monkey on a wire/Oh, down below/Leader of the choir/He’s waiting for the next monkey on a wire.’”

So, my question is:

What are your favorite songs with metaphors or symbolism? Explain.

Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson – Monkey On A Wire