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400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #75-#51

Kevin John Coyne — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:53:43 +0000

As might be expected, the subject matters are getting more intense as we edge closer to the top. But there’s still room for some carefree moments here, thanks to the Dixie Chicks and Jo Dee Messina.

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #75-#51

#75
When You Say Nothing at All
Alison Krauss & Union Station
1995 | Peak: #3

Listen

This Keith Whitley classic was recorded as part of a tribute album to the late country star. It became a hit all over again, perhaps because Krauss performed it in a near-whisper. The quiet arrangement matches the sentiment beautifully. – Kevin Coyne

#74
Alibis
Tracy Lawrence
1993 | Peak: #1

Listen

Lawrence dishes on his ex’s cheating ways to her new potential lover. How did she get that way? He reveals that he’s the one who taught her everything she knows from the cheater’s playbook. Moreover, he seems regretful of her corruption. – Leeann Ward

#73
Cowboy Take Me Away
Dixie Chicks
1999 | Peak: #1

Listen

In a modern world where life can so easily feel cold and mechanical, love remains earthy and exciting and mysterious. It’s a window into a different world, one where we’re not defined by the predictables of our routine – the same stresses, the same cars and buildings – but by our core nature as people, our place in the greater fabric of Earth and, perhaps, heaven. On the surface, “Cowboy Take Me Away” sounds like just a sugar-sweet love song – I’ve even heard it called “pre-feminist” – but there’s something else going on here: a plea for life to have meaning again. – Dan Milliken

#72
A Thousand Miles From Nowhere
Dwight Yoakam
1993 | Peak: #2

Listen

With it’s hypnotizing melody, one can’t help but feel for Yoakam as he reels from “the cruel, cruel words” that were said to him, which cause him to feel as though he’s far removed from reality at “a thousand miles from nowhere.” – LW

#71
I’m Holding My Own
Lee Roy Parnell
1994 | Peak: #3

Listen

When an ex-girlfriend asks Parnell how he’s been getting by since their break-up, he responds with a fabulous, subtle mix of thoughtfulness and indignation. It takes a skilled artist to pull of the haughty emphasis on “holdin’” without compromising the maturity of the song. – Tara Seetharam

#70
You Don’t Seem to Miss Me
Patty Loveless with George Jones
1997 | Peak: #14

Listen

This is one of those great records that could only work as a country song. The fiddle is her undying love, and the steel guitar is her painful worry that it’s no longer reciprocated. Just the instrumental track could tell most of the story. Throw in two of the finest vocalists in country music history, and you’ve got yourself a classic. – KC

#69
A Bad Goodbye
Clint Black with Wynonna
1993 | Peak: #2

Listen

Should he stay or should he go? He knows that he should go, but guilt and, maybe, even some sort of co-dependency won’t let him make a clean break. He wants to avoid a bad goodbye, but unfortunately for him, such a thing rarely exists. – LW

#68
Past the Point of Rescue
Hal Ketchum
1992 | Peak: #2

Listen

This level of self-awareness is dangerous when your heart is on the verge of being broken. – KC

#67
Shut Up and Drive
Chely Wright
1997 | Peak: #14

Listen

A remarkably rational inner monologue by a woman finally driving away from her always-failing relationship. She knows she’s still susceptible to her own loneliness, but reminds herself, “you’ll only miss the man that you wanted him to be.” – DM

#66
Thanks to You
Emmylou Harris
1994 | Peak: #65

Listen

Songs of salvation are a lot more interesting when the protagonist has a long way to go before they get there. – KC

#65
Things Change
Dwight Yoakam
1998 | Peak: #17

Listen

Yoakam’s always getting left, so most of this record is just a very good version of what he normally gives us. But in that final verse, where he gets to turn the knife himself, he settles the score for one brief moment. – KC

#64
If You Ever Have Forever in Mind
Vince Gill
1998 | Peak: #5

Listen

A slow-burning, jazzy, luscious record that Gill knocks out of the park. – TS

#63
Almost Goodbye
Mark Chesnutt
1993 | Peak: #1

Listen

“Sometimes the most important words are the ones left unspoken”, Chesnutt observes. In this case, it’s a premature “goodbye.” It is a power ballad wrought with melodrama of epic proportions, but it’s just so good anyway. – LW

#62
Wide Open Spaces
Dixie Chicks
1998 | Peak: #1

Listen

A beloved, inescapable coming-of-age smash. – DM

#61
Aces
Suzy Bogguss
1992 | Peak: #9

Listen

A woman who’d rather be right than wrong finally realizes that way of thinking is about to leave her alone and lonely. – KC

#60
Never Again, Again
Lee Ann Womack
1997 | Peak: #23

Listen

Right out of the gate, Womack aces her traditional country exam: clever, frank, self-deprecating, sad, gorgeously sung. – DM

#59
In My Next Life
Merle Haggard
1994 | Peak: #58

Listen

He’s spent his whole life trying to be her hero, and he’s set the bar so high in his mind, he doesn’t even realize that he cleared it by a long shot. – KC

#58
You’d Think He’d Know Me Better
Bobbie Cryner
1996 | Peak: #56

Listen

It’s very difficult to be a thoroughly unlikable narrator and still garner sympathy, but Cryner pulls it off here. – KC

#57
That’s Why I’m Here
Kenny Chesney
1998 | Peak: #2

Listen

Chesney paints a sympathetic portrait of a man who has owned the consequences of his alcoholism. – LW

#56
Love Travels
Kathy Mattea
1997 | Peak: #39

Listen

Five and half minutes of Celtic-flavored bliss, and not a wasted second among them. – KC

#55
All These Years
Sawyer Brown
1992 | Peak: #3

Listen

A husband catches his wife in bed with another man, and they finally share the candid, open conversation that could potentially save their marriage. – DM

#54
I’m Alright
Jo Dee Messina
1998 | Peak: #1

Listen

With a lunch date between two old friends as its backdrop, “I’m Alright” dances around the details of a struggling artist’s life. It’s brilliant in its blend of realism and optimism, but above all, it’s insanely infectious. – TS

#53
Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)
Radney Foster
1999 | Peak: #74

Listen

A lullaby of timeless beauty from a father unable to stay near his child. Deep love and deep sadness sound from every note. – DM

#52
Here I Am
Patty Loveless
1994 | Peak: #4

Listen

The truth is revealed so slowly here that even after a thousand listens, it still comes as a surprise. Credit a brilliant lyric from Tony Arata and a masterclass vocal from Loveless for that. – KC

#51
Worlds Apart
Vince Gill
1996 | Peak: #5

Listen

Gill quietly displays a sweet social conscience: “There’s nothing quite as ugly as two people full of hate/We’ll end up as equals when we stand at heaven’s gate/Love is still the answer/It’s the only place to start/Why do you and me have to be worlds apart?” Tragically, Gill’s question never stops being relevant. – LW

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #100-#76

Kevin John Coyne — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 06:48:10 +0000

Many a star was launched in the nineties, a few of them right out of the gate. This section includes the debut singles from Toby Keith, Jo Dee Messina, LeAnn Rimes, and Doug Stone, along with Grammy-winning hits by Alison Krauss and Dwight Yoakam.

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #100-#76

#100
The Battle Hymn of Love
Kathy Mattea & Tim O’Brien
1990 | Peak: #9

Listen

Wedding songs are typically made of the same fiber, but this one is a little different: it’s energized by burning conviction and fierce pledges. – Tara Seetharam

#99
Blue
LeAnn Rimes
1996 | Peak: #10

Listen

Sure, the novelty of thirteen year-old Rimes’ prodigious Patsy imitation helped things along. But that unshakable yodeled hook would have made “Blue” a classic in any era of country music. – Dan Milliken

#98
The River and the Highway
Pam Tillis
1996 | Peak: #8

Listen

Just an unbelievably haunting and gorgeous song. – Leeann Ward

#97
Standing Knee Deep in a River (Dying of Thirst)
Kathy Mattea
1993 | Peak: #19

Listen

A moving reflection on our tendency to miss the true blessings and enriching opportunities around us. It would be a great song if it just stuck to lost friendship and love; that it twists in the third verse to consider our relationship to the less fortunate puts it on a completely different level. The way things are, we’re all left “parched and empty” in some sense – the poor who struggle in a culture of incredible wealth, and the financially secure who march on in self-absorbed, self-contained existences, wondering why they never feel quite whole. – DM

#96
Yard Sale
Sammy Kershaw
1992 | Peak: #17

Listen

As if the dissolution of his marriage wasn’t bad enough, now he gets to sit around acting friendly for a bunch of strangers “sortin’ through what’s left of you and me” and paying him chump change for it. A Jones-worthy lament. – DM

#95
Where Are You Now
Clint Black
1991 | Peak: #1

Listen

What happens when you take for granted the person you always assume will be there for you, then realize that this time, they’ve finally stopped waiting around for you? You ask the question that Clint Black is asking here. – Kevin Coyne

#94
Back When We Were Beautiful
Matraca Berg
1997 | Peak: Did Not Chart

Listen

So beautifully raw that it makes almost every other depiction of the elderly in modern country music feel like a hollow, oversimplified contrivance. – DM

#93
I Guess You Had to Be There
Lorrie Morgan
1993 | Peak: #14

Listen

Imagine loving someone so much that you’re willing to accept their tryst with sad resignation, realizing that there’s no happiness left for them at home. Love hurts. – KC

#92
Deep Down
Pam Tillis
1995 | Peak: #6

Listen

Excellent lyric aside, what makes this record truly unique is the way that Tillis has a conversation with the band. She sings a line in the first verse, the guitar responds to it. In the second verse, she’s answered by the fiddle. By the time the song builds to a crescendo, they’re singing in harmony. It’s cool. – KC

#91
Heads Carolina, Tails California
Jo Dee Messina
1996 | Peak: #2

Listen

Right out of the gate, Messina demands positive proactivity, charms world. – DM

#90
Baby, Now That I’ve Found You
Alison Krauss
1995 | Peak: #49

Listen

Krauss turns forgettable Motown fodder into a sad, hushed plea to a lover who already has a foot out the door and probably isn’t coming back. – DM

#89
Ships That Don’t Come In
Joe Diffie
1992 | Peak: #5

Listen

This single presents Joe Diffie at his very finest. Humanity permeates each and every note. – LW

#88
Something in Red
Lorrie Morgan
1992 | Peak: #14

Listen

An ingeniously poetic story song, told through parallel-structured stanzas that chronicle a woman’s life by her clothing choices at given points. You could write a good paper on the themes presented here, so richly drawn is the woman’s character. – DM

#87
Should’ve Been a Cowboy
Toby Keith
1993 | Peak: #1

Listen

This is the song that started it all for Toby Keith. It’s the voice of a more youthful, less egotistical man with a fine song on his hands to kick start his national career. – LW

#86
I’ll Think of Something
Mark Chesnutt
1992 | Peak: #1

Listen

In this cover of an old Hank Jr. single, Chesnutt is fully submerged in post-breakup despair. You’re not sure he actually even wants to think of something to help him along. – DM

#85
Come On Back
Carlene Carter
1990 | Peak: #3

Listen

There’s such a sprightly, inviting sound going on here that you might not even notice that Carter’s actually proposing something pretty serious: that her man stops running around on her in random dive bars. However deep your understanding of the single, though, it’s a definite toe-tapper. – DM

#84
Ain’t That Lonely Yet
Dwight Yoakam
1993 | Peak: #3

Listen

Bitterness and melancholy aren’t supposed to go down this smoothly. – KC

#83
You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone
Brooks & Dunn
1995 | Peak: #1

Listen

Kix Brooks takes the lead here, and turns in a better single than the vast majority of Dunn-led hits. – KC

#82
The Fear of Being Alone
Reba McEntire
1996 | Peak: #2

Listen

For all of her theatrics and melodramatic flair, the best Reba McEntire singles are the ones that are deeply grounded in the realities of everyday people. Here, she gets in touch with her inner Oslin, with a candid conversation between two older adults resisting the urge to mistake loneliness for love. – KC

#81
You Don’t Even Know Who I Am
Patty Loveless
1995 | Peak: #5

Listen

As is typically the case when relationships dissolve, there are two sides to the story, two perspectives. Often times, neither side is completely wrong. The Gretchen Peters penned, “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am”, vividly explores both sides of the story. She feels emotionally abandoned; he feels unappreciated. The one thing they can agree on is that it’s over. The punch of “What do I care if you go” is the brilliant conclusion that none of us see coming. – LW

#80
I Saw the Light
Wynonna
1992 | Peak: #1

Listen

Wynonna’s inspired performance elevates what could have been a familiar done-me-wrong song to a smart, unforgettable hit. – TS

#79
No Place That Far
Sara Evans
1998 | Peak: #1

Listen

Rarely has Evans sounded as good as she does on this treasure of a love song, fueled by the raw emotion in her performance. As always, Vince Gill’s back-up vocals add another layer of soul to the stirring ballad. – TS

#78
A Little Past Little Rock
Lee Ann Womack
1998 | Peak: #2

Listen

It’s lonely out there on the road after finally leaving for good, nothing but a little self-mocking wordplay to comfort you. – DM

#77
Who’s That Man
Toby Keith
1994 | Peak: #1

Listen

Country music reaches some of its highest highs and lowest lows when its conceits are at their most potentially ridiculous. “Who’s That Man” is a serious song inspired that exaggerative joke about what happens when you play a country song backwards – getting your house back, your woman back, your dog back – so you might expect it to be one of those “lowest lows.” In Keith’s hands, though, the losses feel relevant and real. Go figure. – DM

#76
I’d Be Better Off (In a Pine Box)
Doug Stone
1990 | Peak: #4

Listen

Stone would rather lay out in a coffin, do time in jail, or go to Hell and confront the devil than see his lady happy with someone else. Rumor has it that Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum are planning a collaborative cover of this one soon. – DM

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #375-351

Kevin John Coyne — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:27:30 +0000

The second segment of our countdown includes the first appearances by Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire, two of the biggest-selling stars of the decade.

#375
How Do I Get There
Deana Carter
1997 | Peak: #1

It’s always a gamble when friends decide to take their relationship to the next level. “How Do I Get There” explores the struggle of following one’s heart, even though it’s taking a big emotional risk to do so. – Leeann Ward

#374
If I Could Make a Living
Clay Walker
1994 | Peak: #1

This song is either ridiculously cheesy or irresistibly cheesy depending on your taste, but there’s no denying Walker sells the heck out of it with charm and enthusiasm. – Tara Seetharam

#373
It Sure is Monday
Mark Chesnutt
1993 | Peak: #1

Mark Chesnutt is one of the best male vocalists of the nineties, but there were many times when he did not always rise to the challenge of conveying the energy to elevate a decent song to a good one. Case in point: “Friends in Low Places”, which was eventually properly energized by Garth Brooks. “It Sure Is Monday”, however, is a positive example of Chesnutt actually making a song his own by demonstrating the ability to breathe life into a decent song and make it really good. – LW

#372
Take Me as I Am
Faith Hill
1994 | Peak: #2

What do you think – will you take Faith Hill as she is? I mean, I know she’s kinda ugly and stuff, but…she does tell, like, the best Drunken-Martina stories at parties. And her quiche is just beyond.

Joking aside, it’s really something how this hit manages to make a mature, realistic perspective on love sound so bubbly and optimistic. That Hill can sing lines like “Baby, don’t turn out the light / I want to see you look at me” and sound so effervescent doing it suggests that we don’t have to forfeit our Taylor-Swiftish enthusiasm for romance just because our outlook on it grows up. – Dan Milliken

#371
What Mattered Most
Ty Herndon
1995 | Peak: #1

Many nineties stars had their biggest hit right out of the box. Herndon’s debut single remains his finest moment, but don’t take that as a minimization of his talent. A carefully cataloged collection of little things noticed while missing the big picture, this single would be the finest moment of plenty a career. – Kevin Coyne

#370
My Heart Has a History
Paul Brandt
1996 | Peak: #5

Brandt’s debut album was a big hit stateside, thanks in large part to his stunning debut single. A finely crafted lyric, a production that makes room for a church organ, and the best baritone voice to surface in the mid-nineties. His native Canada’s been smart enough to hold on to him. He still regularly reaches the top ten of the country charts north of the border. – KC

#369
We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This
George Strait
1998 | Peak: #4

The kind of song that can’t get over how great its own title is, but in this case it totally works. The nervy melody nails the rush of flirting with trouble. – DM

#368
Don’t Laugh at Me
Mark Wills
1998 | Peak: #2

Wills builds this socially conscious song around a deceivingly elementary message, but it’s the anecdotes that drive it home, simple and real. The most stinging line for me is the cripple’s “don’t think I don’t notice that our eyes never meet,” because it materializes the imaginary, unnecessary divide society creates between people that Wills is begging us to tear down. – TS

#367
Then What?
Clay Walker
1997 | Peak: #2

Friends don’t let friends throw their good lives away.Clay Walker’s catchiest song to date, “Then What?” is a straightforward attempt to caution his friend regarding the consequences of committing adultery. – LW

#366
(Without You) What Do I Do With Me
Tanya Tucker
1991 | Peak: #2

One of those beautiful heartbreak songs that works as well for a widow as it does for the recently divorced. – KC

#365
It’s a Little Too Late
Mark Chesnutt
1996 | Peak: #1

A catchy little tale of an oblivious man, a fed-up woman and a whole lot of things that he should’ve-would’ve-could’ve done to keep her. – TS

#364
She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful
Sammy Kershaw
1993 | Peak: #1

It’s refreshing that this song has had so much staying power on country radio, because nowadays it isn’t often the spotlight falls on women like this one – modest, grounded, and beautiful inside and out – or on the men who are special enough to recognize them. – TS

#363
Walk On Faith
Mike Reid
1990 | Peak: #1

Reid urges us to use faith as our compass as we travel through life, a theme that’s no stranger to country music but that’s rarely expressed so joyfully and hopefully. – TS

#362
I Just Might Be
Lorrie Morgan
1996 | Peak: #45

The awkward removal of a minor swear word ruined the rhythm of the chorus, which is as good a theory as any for why this excellent record didn’t fare too well at radio. She so casually dismisses the man who dismissed her that it’s easy to walk away thinking it was the wrongdoer, not the wronged, who got the shaft. – KC

#361
Bye Bye
Jo Dee Messina
1998 | Peak: #1

One of country music’s greatest break-up anthems, “Bye Bye” is an exhilarating rush of pride and newfound freedom. – TS

#360
Can’t Break it to My Heart
Tracy Lawrence
1993 | Peak: #1

With one of the best tear-soaked male voices of the nineties, Tracy Lawrence was adept at ringing out the emotions of the songs that he sang, no matter the tempo. While “Can’t Break It to My Heart” is set to a bouncy melody, Lawrence laments that he knows his relationship is over with palpable emotion. As a result, he can get it through his head, but he just can’t break it his heart. – LW

#359
Maybe
Mandy Barnett
1996 | Peak: #65

Sometimes a singer sounds so great singing something that the song itself feels irrelevant. Mandy Barnett faces this problem a good deal of the time. – DM

#358
Fallin’ Out of Love
Reba McEntire
1991 | Peak: #2

One of her smartest and most emotionally resonant singles finds McEntire using the second person voice, perhaps as the inner monologue of the woman who slowly discovers that “nothing feels as good as letting go.” – KC

#357
I Love the Way You Love Me
John Michael Montgomery
1993 | Peak: #1

Montgomery delivers a love song that aptly balances sweet, telling details with the sweeping profession in its title. – TS

#356
I Cross My Heart
George Strait
1992 | Peak: #1

A passionate, straightforward vow of love – no bells or whistles needed. – TS

#355
Every Once in a While
BlackHawk
1994 | Peak: #2

Well before Toby Keith got in touch with his inner swagger, BlackHawk released this stunningly arrogant record which assumes that the woman he left behind still revels in his memory, so lucky she was to have been with him for at least one moment in time. Stunningly arrogant, indeed, but somehow pretty darn charming, too. – KC

#354
Now I Know
Lari White
1994 | Peak: #5

It wasn’t written as an answer song to the BlackHawk record above, but it certainly would make an interesting rebuttal. White’s biggest hit was also her best.- KC

#353
The Thunder Rolls
Garth Brooks
1991 | Peak: #1

One of country music’s truly epic singles, masterful in how it captures the surreal mist of emotions that hangs over lives being played at their highest stakes. – DM

#352
A Little Bit of You
Lee Roy Parnell
1995 | Peak: #2

This is simply an honest-to-goodness declaration of infatuation. Who wouldn’t want to hear “There ain’t nothin’ that a little bit of you can’t cure”?
- LW

#351
I’ll Think of a Reason Later
Lee Ann Womack
1998 | Peak: #2

A delightful slice of catharsis for jealous ex-girlfriends everywhere, made extra amusing by the contrast of Womack’s sweet soprano against the vindictive lyrics. – TS

Searching For Bobbie Cryner

Kevin John Coyne — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:01:51 +0000

I’ve been wanting to write about Bobbie Cryner for a long time. Thanks to some kind folks uploading her music on to YouTube, I can finally do so. (For whatever reason, her two fantastic albums -- Bobbie Cryner and Girl o f Your Dreams -- have yet to see digital release.)

This woman was good. Real good. Possibly the best unheralded singer-songwriter of her time, with a sultry voice formed at the crossroads of Bobbie Gentry and Dottie West. She first surfaced on Sony, releasing her self-titled debut in 1993. It was previewed by the autobiographical “Daddy Laid the Blues on Me.”

It could’ve been the start of a legendary career, but the single stalled at #63. Next up was the haunting “He Feels Guilty”, which went to #68. It has an amazing guitar intro. That video can be viewed here. Her debut album produced a third single, the #72 “You Could Steal Me.” This one’s heartbreakingly gorgeous, but I can’t find an online way of sharing it with you.

The rest of that first album includes a duet with Dwight Yoakam on “I Don’t Care”, the Buck Owens classic. Another stellar cover is “The One I Love the Most”, which could’ve been a George Jones classic back in the early seventies.

But the best material comes from her own pen. Check out “I Think It’s Over Now”, which features the lyric, “You don’t have to say you love me if you think there’s any doubt. But if you have to think it over, well, I think it’s over now.”

Also worth seeking out is the closing track from that album, “This Heart Speaks For Itself,” which has every part of her body fooling others that she’s over the man who let her down.

In one of those glorious second chances that the music business rarely doles out, Cryner resurfaced on MCA three years later, sporting a more cosmopolitan sound and look. On Girl of Your Dreams, Cryner penned all five of the strongest tracks, while also credibly covering Dusty Springfield and Dottie West. The lead single was “I Just Can’t Stand to Be Unhappy”, a kiss-off anthem that was too smart for country radio, stopping at #63:

What followed was an absolute masterpiece, one that still only reached #56 (and only #66 when Lorrie Morgan revived it two years later.) “You’d Think He’d Know Me Better” is shockingly good, managing to tell the story of a selfish and cold woman by having her talk about how inconsiderate her man is. She’s the only one left in the dark at the end, as the listeners all realize who’s really to blame for this broken home:

Her final MCA single was “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength”, which chronicled Cryner’s battle with alcoholism. It didn’t chart.

Again, the album had gems beyond what went to radio. “Vision of Loneliness” is amazing, a song that gained new resonance with me when my mother related to it so well during her bereavement:

The title track should’ve been a single, though it’s hard to imagine radio playing it after passing on her earlier work. I’d argue that “The Girl of Your Dreams” isn’t just Cryner’s finest piece of writing, but that it rivals the very best of Matraca Berg, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Rosanne Cash. It begs for Trisha Yearwood to cover it:

So what happened after that second album faded into obscurity? How could a songwriting talent like this get lost in the shuffle? Well, it didn’t happen right away. After Morgan covered “You’d Think He’d Know Me Better”, Cryner surfaced as a writer on albums by top-tier female artists.

The most high profile of these three came after Cryner left a demo in Yearwood’s mailbox that simply had the title, “Real Live Woman.” Yearwood later commented that she prayed before listening to it that it would live up to that title. It did, and ended up being Cryner’s biggest hit when Yearwood took it into the top twenty:

Suzy Bogguss took the compelling story song “Nobody Love, Nobody Gets Hurt” to #63 in 1998, titling her album after it as Yearwood did with “Real Live Woman” in 2000.

Finally, Lee Ann Womack included “Stronger Than I Am” on her smash album I Hope You Dance. It finds a woman in awe of her young daughter who seems so much stronger than she is.

After that, I have no idea what happened to this woman. Do you? In an era when country music isn’t made for adults, or even by adults, this woman’s contributions are desperately needed.

2010 ACM Awards: Staff Picks & Predictions

Tara Seetharam — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:52:48 +0000

Nashville takes over Vegas this Sunday for the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, and it could actually be an interesting night. Eight acts are vying for Entertainer of the Year, one trio is poised to sweep the show, and a certain artist’s performance may solidify her as Music Row’s Lady Gaga. We’ll find out for sure Sunday at 8 pm Eastern, but in the meantime, we’ve picked ‘em and predicted ‘em. Sound off in the comments below.

Entertainer of the Year

Should Win:

Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley – Tara
George Strait – Kevin
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Zac Brown Band – Dan, Leeann

Will Win:

Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift – Dan, Tara, Kevin, Leeann
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Zac Brown Band

Kevin: While I suspect that this will be the end of her impressive awards show victory lap, Swift should easily win this award. Does she deserve it? Probably. If I was an ACM voter (traditional member or willing to go vote online), I guess that I’d vote for George Strait, though my favorite among those with a real shot at this is Carrie Underwood.

Leeann: I predict Swift, though I don’t know if the backlash against her will thwart my prediction. Then again, the fan voting debacle will likely still work in her favor. I’ll throw my personal vote to Zac Brown Band, since I’ve really dug their live performances that I’ve seen on television. They seem like natural entertainers.

Dan: Fan-voted = Taylor Swift, with a possible Underwood repeat. But Swift hasn’t been as interesting post-Grammys. So I’ll also go with our resident grassroots heroes, ZBB.

Tara: One of the most rewarding aspects of being a five-year Underwood fan has been watching her stage presence gradually become as killer as her vocals, resulting in a powerful combination. I’d love for this to be properly recognized, and rationale seems pointless now that the EOTY race is a glorified internet fan war…but I can’t ignore that Underwood spent most of 2009 off stage. I’m going with Paisley.

Top Male Vocalist of the Year

Should Win:

Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley – Tara, Dan, Leeann
Darius Rucker
George Strait
Keith Urban – Kevin

Will Win:

Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley – Kevin, Leeann
Darius Rucker – Dan
George Strait – Tara
Keith Urban

Dan: It feels like Paisley’s winning streak may be just about up, which is a shame, since this year has actually been stronger material-wise for him than the years for which he’s won. Honestly, as much as I hate to say it, Jason Aldean had a bigger year than any of these guys.

Tara: Paisley and Strait were the only two who impressed me in 2009, and Paisley’s material feels fresher and more interesting. But I agree with Dan that his winning streak has probably run its course, so I’ll go out on a limb and say Strait will be the one to edge him out.

Kevin: I agree with Dan but suspect that there isn’t another nominee with enough momentum to upset the status quo in this race. If I’m wrong, I hope it’s because Urban or Strait pull it off.

Leeann: I think Paisley just might have another year of winning left in him.

Top Female Vocalist of the Year

Should Win:

Miranda Lambert – Dan, Leeann
Reba McEntire – Kevin
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood – Tara
Lee Ann Womack

Will Win:

Miranda Lambert – Kevin, Leeann
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift – Dan
Carrie Underwood – Tara
Lee Ann Womack

Tara: It’s really a toss-up between Lambert and Underwood for me, with personal preference and investment swaying me towards the latter artist. I’m eerily optimistic that the ACM voters will stick to the truest sense of the award’s title – as I adamantly believe they should – and sidestep Swift.

Kevin: This is the first time in my twenty years as a country fan that I’m rooting for Reba McEntire to win Female Vocalist, though I wanted her to win Entertainer every year she was nominated in the nineties. Consider me smitten by “Consider Me Gone.” As always, I’d be happy with an Underwood victory and I wouldn’t mind Womack or Lambert, either. I’m guessing that Lambert will actually win, given her widespread appeal among ACM voters and the fact that she’s had a big radio and retail breakthrough during the voting period.

Leeann: The Academy seems to like Lambert pretty well. Since this has been her biggest year to date, it’s hard for me to imagine that she won’t be rewarded for it.

Dan: I’m going to cautiously predict that Swift’s CMA win will carry over to ACM, but Underwood has been reliably successful, and Lambert’s got stronger momentum than ever. The latter is also my favorite mainstream act at the moment, so it’s a no-brainer that I’m rooting for her to take it.

Top Vocal Group of the Year

Should Win:

Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Randy Rogers Band
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band – Dan, Tara, Kevin, Leeann

Will Win:

Lady Antebellum – Dan, Tara, Kevin, Leeann
Little Big Town
Randy Rogers Band
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

Leeann: Lady A has the hype and momentum that makes it impossible for me to bet against them. I’d sure love to see ZBB prove me wrong ,though.

Dan: Little Big Town’s new single has me thinking I’ll probably be gunning for them again soon, but for now, I’m with Zac Brown Band.

Tara: I have a feeling the coming year(s) is going to be Lady Antebellum’s year o’ accolades, so I’d like to see the equally deserving Zac Brown Band pick this one up while they still have some momentum.

Kevin: This is becoming a habit. Predict LA, root for ZBB. This was so much easier when the Dixie Chicks were in the running.

Top Vocal Duo of the Year

Should Win:

Brooks & Dunn
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Steel Magnolia
Sugarland – Kevin, Tara, Leeann

Will Win:

Brooks & Dunn – Dan, Tara, Leeann
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Steel Magnolia
Sugarland – Kevin

Kevin: A sympathy vote might give B&D one more trophy, but it seems that both the CMA and ACM see this award as one that is passed down from one duo to the next, and not very often at that. I wonder if they will be calling this “The Sugarland Award” like it was once called “The Judds Award” and “The Brooks & Dunn Award.”

Leeann: I’d love to see Joey + Rory win, but I know it wouldn’t actually be fair if they did. So, I’m not officially picking them here. I’m pretty sure this one will go to Brooks & Dunn as a parting gift, though they’d be totally undeserving at this point. Really, Sugarland is probably the duo that makes most sense. It’s just too bad I’m not more personally invested in them, though I’ve warmed up a bit.

Dan: Sugarland have been off the radar since “Joey” trailed off months ago, and I still remember how ACM stuck with Brooks & Dunn that one year even after CMA had passed the torch. So I see the veteran duo winning again in a shrug. I’m indifferent, personally.

Tara: I keep going back on forth on this one. I want Brooks & Dunn to win, but I can’t rationalize it. I think the ACM voters may feel the same.

Top New Artist of the Year

Should Win:

Luke Bryan
Joey + Rory - Kevin, Dan, Tara, Leeann
Gloriana

Will Win:

Luke Bryan - Kevin, Dan
Joey + Rory
Gloriana – Tara, Leeann

Kevin: It’s categories like this that make me feel out of touch with contemporary country music. I love Joey + Rory, but can’t see them winning. Who’s bigger now, Bryan or Gloriana? I’m taking a guess here.

Leeann: I’m like Kevin. I love Joey + Rory, but don’t imagine they’ll have enough votes to win. So, between Bryan and Gloriana, I’ll flip a coin and predict the latter.

Dan: Given the fan vote, I imagine this award will boil down to whether or not Taylor Swift has been urging her peoples to back Gloriana like she did with the AMAs. She hasn’t tweet-commanded it, and that’s as much research as I’m willing to do on the subject. So I’ll go with Bryan.

Tara: My best guess is that there’s enough fan overlap for Swift’s votes to lift Gloriana to victory.

Album of the Year

Should Win:

Brad Paisley, American Saturday Night
Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum
Miranda Lambert, Revolution – Tara, Dan, Leeann
Carrie Underwood, Play On – Kevin
Zac Brown Band, The Foundation

Will Win:

Brad Paisley, American Saturday Night
Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum – Kevin, Dan, Leeann
Miranda Lambert, Revolution – Tara
Carrie Underwood, Play On
Zac Brown Band, The Foundation

Kevin: I’m expecting a Lady Antebellum sweep. They’re just ridiculously popular right now. But I could see any one of these five winning. I revisit the Underwood set more than any of the others.

Leeann: I can’t ignore Lady A’s popularity right now, but I’d love to see Lambert be recognized for one of my two favorite albums on this list, Paisley’s album being the other one.

Dan: Revolution doesn’t have the punch or consistency of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but it’s got some brains, and I like that. I’m expecting a Lady A sweep too, though.

Tara: If my co-bloggers are right about a Lady A sweep, I’ll be pleased to see the trio’s underrated debut album take this award. But frankly, every album in this line-up is substantial, authentic and layered. I’m backing Revolution because it’s the sharpest of them all, created by the artist who has the firmest grasp on her potential.

Single Record of the Year

Should Win:

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

Will Win:

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

Kevin: There’s only one career-changing single in the running here.

Leeann: Ditto to Kevin. But also, it’s my favorite in terms of melody.

Dan: I swear I’m not just being a spoilsport. I know “Need You Now” sounds great, and in many respects it was the single of the year. But I can’t get past how boring Lady A’s lyrics always are. There’s just not a single original phrase in that song, and it puts a damper on my experience listening to it.

Tara: It’s never been my personal favorite, but “Need You Now” finds the trio excelling at what it does best – honing in on specific, raw emotion and expressing it potently and believably. In a category as weak as this one, and with a performance as haunting as Scott’s, “Need You Now” is the clear winner.

Song of the Year

Should Win:

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

Will Win:

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

Kevin: I like the writing of “Need You Now” more than the performance, even if it’s just a college dorm knock-off of “I May Hate Myself in the Morning.” I range from indifference to active dislike for the rest of these entries.

Leeann: I think Lady A will sweep these awards, but I doubt that Swift will walk away with nothing. Since she’s most lauded for her songwriting skills, I predict that the Academy will continue the trend in this category.

Dan: “You Belong with Me” combines a memorable melody with telling details. Subject matter notwithstanding, it’s the only one of these songs I take seriously as a composition.

Tara: Unlike Kevin, I think “Need You Now” is better performed than written, but it’s still a great composition. I wouldn’t mind if Swift took this award, though.

Video of the Year

Should Win:

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

Will Win:

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” – Dan, Tara, Kevin

Tara: The “You Belong With Me” video is brilliant in that it embodies everything that makes Swift relevant and appealing. I just really wish Paisley’s video had been better directed, because its message is so compelling.

Dan: That Swift video is mega-charming. But Lambert’s is a close second.

Kevin: I’m rooting for the only video I don’t reflexively skip past while channel surfing.

Vocal Event of the Year

Should Win:

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

Will Win:

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

Kevin: Nice to see Griffin on the ballot, but “I Told You So” is among both my favorite Underwood and favorite Travis singles.

Leeann: Frankly, I’m not crazy about any of them, as long as the B&D collaboration doesn’t get the token vote.

Dan: Wish I liked “Seeing Stars” more. I’d actually probably go with presumptive favorite “Hillbilly Bone” if the song itself didn’t feel like such a Music Row toss-off. There’s charm in the idea and performances, but again, limp lyrics.

Tara: Underwood and Travis’ collaboration is the strongest and most exquisite of the bunch, but it feels a little like old news, with the news of the day being the inescapable (but nonetheless solid) “Hillbilly Bone.”

ACM Flashback: Single Record of the Year

Kevin John Coyne — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:41:45 +0000

As with the similar CMA category of Single of the Year, looking over the history of this category is the quickest way to get a snapshot of country music in a given year. There is a quite a bt of consensus among the two organizations here, and it is very rare for the winner at one show to not at least be nominated at the other. The winners list here would make a great 2-disc set of country classics, at least for those who don’t mind a little pop in their country. The ACM definitely has more of a taste for crossover than its CMA counterpart, and the organizations have only agreed on 17 singles in the past four decades and change.

As always, we start with a look at this year’s nominees and work our way back to 1968.

2010

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

There’s usually a “Huh?” nominee among the ACM list in recent years. This year, it’s David Nail. Good for him! Currington hasn’t won yet for this hit, even though he got himself a Grammy nomination for it. With Lady Antebellum reaching the upper ranks of the country and pop charts with “Need You Now”, my guess is that they’re the presumptive favorites. Then again, Miranda Lambert is a nominee for the third straight year, and she’s up for her biggest radio hit.

2009

Trace Adkins, “You’re Gonna Miss This”
Jamey Johnson, “In Color”
Miranda Lambert, “Gunpowder & Lead”
Heidi Newfield, “Johnny and June”
Brad Paisley, “Waitin’ On a Woman”

Adkins has been a fairly regular fixture on country radio since 1996, but this was his first major industry award. He also won the ACM for Top New Male Vocalist in 1997.

2008

Gary Allan, “Watching Airplanes”
Big & Rich, “Lost in This Moment”
Kenny Chesney, “Don’t Blink”
Miranda Lambert, “Famous in a Small Town”
Sugarland, “Stay”

“Stay” swept the Song of the Year categories at all three industry shows, along with winning the ACM for Single Record. Allan’s presence here shows that being a little West Coast can still help a guy at the ACMs.

2007

Heartland, “I Loved Her First”
Rascal Flatts, “What Hurts the Most”
George Strait, “Give it Away”
Josh Turner, “Would You Go With Me”
Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats”

George Strait earned his second ACM Single Record award a decade after his first (“Check Yes or No”) and two and a half decades after having his first radio hit. Underwood won at the CMAs later that year. “Give it Away” is one of a small group of ACM winners to not receive a nomination at the CMA ceremony.

2006

Gary Allan, “Best I Ever Had”
Brooks & Dunn, “Believe”
Brad Paisley, “Alcohol”
Sugarland, “Baby Girl”
Carrie Underwood, “Jesus, Take the Wheel”

In the battle of biblical hits, the CMA picked Brooks & Dunn but the ACM picked Carrie Underwood. Much like George Strait would later win a CMA trophy for a different single (“I Saw God Today”), Underwood later triumphed at the CMA with “Before He Cheats.”

2005

Tim McGraw, “Live Like You Were Dying”
Brad Paisley with Alison Krauss, “Whiskey Lullaby”
Rascal Flatts, “Bless the Broken Road”
Keith Urban, “Days Go By”
Gretchen Wilson, “Redneck Woman”
Lee Ann Womack, “I May Hate Myself in the Morning”

Because McGraw picked up the trophy at the CMAs in 2004, the field was cleared for Womack to win the CMA later in 2005. McGraw had won the ACM before for “It’s Your Love.”

2004

Brooks & Dunn, “Red Dirt Road”
Alan Jackson with Jimmy Buffett, “It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere”
Alan Jackson, “Remember When”
Toby Keith, “American Soldier”
Randy Travis, “Three Wooden Crosses”

Among all the lead nominees, only Toby Keith wasn’t a previous winner. Still, the award went to the new alcoholic’s creed, winning over a more pensive Jackson track and a big comeback hit for Randy Travis.

2003

Kenny Chesney, “The Good Stuff”
Toby Keith, “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)”
Trick Pony, “Just What I Do”
Keith Urban, “Somebody Like You”
Mark Wills, “19 Somethin’”

Chesney spent nearly two months at #1 with this hit, perhaps giving him the edge over the other mega-hits at radio from Keith, Urban, and Wills. As for the Trick Pony nomination, somebody really should find out what Heidi Newfield has on those ACM voters.

2002

Brooks & Dunn, “Ain’t Nothin’ ‘Bout You”
Diamond Rio, “One More Day”
Alan Jackson, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”
Toby Keith, “I Wanna Talk About Me”
Travis Tritt, “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive”

Jackson’s powerful 9/11 reflection stands out as the only ballad among his four ACM Single Record victories.

2001

Toby Keith, “How Do You Like Me Now?!”
John Michael Montgomery, “The Little Girl”
Jamie O’Neal, “There is No Arizona”
Aaron Tippin, “Kiss This”
Lee Ann Womack with Sons of the Desert, “I Hope You Dance”

Toby Keith’s run of four consecutive nominations began this year. His album of the same name proved victorious that evening. Womack’s massive hit became an instant standard, and is incidentally the most recent winner to also be a genuine crossover hit.

2000

Dixie Chicks, “Ready to Run”
Lonestar, “Amazed”
Tim McGraw, “Please Remember Me”
Brad Paisley, “He Didn’t Have to Be”
George Strait, “Write This Down”

As pop hits go, this one was a monster. “Amazed” even topped the Hot 100, the first country single to do so since “Islands in the Stream.”

1999

Faith Hill, “This Kiss”
Martina McBride, “A Broken Wing”
Shania Twain, “You’re Still the One”
Steve Wariner, “Holes in the Floor of Heaven”
The Wilkinsons, “26 Cents”

Hill and hubby Tim McGraw each have two ACM trophies in this category, one solo and one shared.

1998

Diamond Rio, “How Your Love Makes Me Feel”
Tim McGraw with Faith Hill, “It’s Your Love”
LeAnn Rimes, “How Do I Live”
George Strait, “Carrying Your Love With Me”
Trisha Yearwood, “How Do I Live (from “Con Air”)”

While Yearwood had won over Rimes at the Grammys a few weeks earlier, the ACM sidestepped the big controversy of the year and gave the trophy to the biggest hit in the bunch.

1997

Brooks & Dunn, “My Maria”
Deana Carter, “Strawberry Wine”
Tracy Lawrence, “Time Marches On”
LeAnn Rimes, “Blue”
George Strait, “Carried Away”

It’s rare that the ACM goes with the song that was least successful at radio, but don’t let that #10 peak of “Blue” fool you. That hit was responsible for millions of record sales.

1996

Brooks & Dunn, “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone”
Faith Hill, “It Matters to Me”
Tim McGraw, “I Like It, I Love It”
George Strait, “Check Yes or No”
Shania Twain, “Any Man of Mine”

It was a stroke of marketing brilliance: add two singles to a box set of a genre superstar. When the first single became one of his biggest hits, the box set quickly became the top selling in country music history.

1995

Joe Diffie, “Third Rock From the Sun”
Vince Gill, “Tryin’ to Get Over You”
Alan Jackson, “Livin’ On Love”
Tim McGraw, “Don’t Take the Girl”
John Michael Montgomery, “I Swear”

There have been a few wedding standards to win this award, though Montgomery’s hit didn’t cross over in its original form.

1994

Clint Black with Wynonna, “A Bad Goodbye”
Garth Brooks, “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up)”
Alan Jackson, “Chattahoochee”
Reba McEntire with Linda Davis, “Does He Love You”
Dwight Yoakam, “Ain’t That Lonely Yet”

Jackson won the ACM with his massive hit, but the McEntire/Davis duet and the Yoakam track were Grammy winners.

1993

John Anderson, “Straight Tequila Night”
Brooks & Dunn, “Boot Scootin’ Boogie”
Billy Ray Cyrus, “Achy Breaky Heart”
Collin Raye, “Love, Me”
Tanya Tucker, “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane”

Brooks & Dunn are among the most nominated artists in this category’s history, but this is their only victory.

1992

Clint Black, “Where Are You Now”
Garth Brooks, “Shameless”
Alan Jackson, “Don’t Rock the Jukebox”
Travis Tritt, “Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)”
Trisha Yearwood, “She’s in Love With the Boy”

This was Jackson’s first major industry award.

1991

Alabama, “Jukebox in My Mind”
Garth Brooks, “Friends in Low Places”
Vince Gill, “When I Call Your Name”
Alan Jackson, “Here in the Real World”
Shenandoah, “Next to You, Next to Me”

Garth-mania was beginning to peak in 1991. He swept the ACMs that year.

1990

Clint Black, “Better Man”
Garth Brooks, “If Tomorrow Never Comes”
Patty Loveless, “Timber I’m Falling in Love”
Keith Whitley, “I’m No Stranger to the Rain”
Hank Williams & Hank Williams Jr., “There’s a Tear in My Beer”

Clint Black is one of only three artists in the last twenty years to win for their first proper single, with Carrie Underwood and LeAnn Rimes being the other two.

1989

Kathy Mattea, “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses”
K.T. Oslin, “I’ll Always Come Back”
Ricky Van Shelton, “I’ll Leave This World Loving You”
Randy Travis, “I Told You So”
Keith Whitley, “Don’t Close Your Eyes”

Mattea’s award-winning hit had such a high profile that it was even referenced in the dialog of the hit movie Rain Man.

1988

Restless Heart, “I’ll Still Be Loving You”
Ricky Van Shelton, “Somebody Lied”
George Strait, “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”
Randy Travis, “Forever and Ever, Amen”
Hank Williams Jr., “Born to Boogie”

Travis won for the second year in a row with what would become his signature hit.

1987

Alabama, “Touch Me When We’re Dancing”
Janie Fricke, “Always Have, Always Will”
The Judds, “Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain”
Reba McEntire, “Whoever’s in New England”
Randy Travis, “On the Other Hand”

This was technically his first single, but when released under the name Randy Traywick, it bombed. Warner Bros. then released “1982″ under Randy Travis, and it went top ten. They then re-released this song, and it became his first #1 hit.

1986

Lee Greenwood, “Dixie Road”
Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, “Highwayman”
The Judds, “Love is Alive”
Mel McDaniel, “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On”
Hank Williams Jr., “I’m For Love”

So successful was this winning single that the four legends would go on to release future collaborations as the Highwaymen.

1985

Alabama, “When We Make Love”
Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson, “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before”
The Judds, “Why Not Me”
John Schneider, “I’ve Been Around Enough to Know”
Conway Twitty, “I Don’t Know a Thing About Love (The Moon Song)”

Say what you want about this winner, but it was popular enough to sell two million 45s.

1984

John Anderson, “Swingin’”
Anne Murray, “A Little Good News”
Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard, “Pancho and Lefty”
Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton, “Islands in the Stream”
Shelly West, “José Cuervo”

Another pop smash that moved two million 45s. Is there anybody over 30 who can’t sing along to the chorus?

1983

David Frizzell, “I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home”
Willie Nelson, “Always on My Mind”
Kenny Rogers, “Love Will Turn You Around”
Ricky Skaggs, “Crying My Heart Out Over You”
Sylvia, “Nobody”

Nelson’s had quite a few signature hits, but none bigger than this one.

1982

Rosanne Cash, “Seven Year Ache”
David Frizzell & Shelly West, “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma”
Barbara Mandrell, “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool”
Ronnie Milsap, “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me”
Oak Ridge Boys, “Elvira”

This might be the most pop-flavored lineup in category’s history. Even the Mandrell hit doth protest too much.

1981

George Jones, “He Stopped Loving Her Today”
Johnny Lee, “Lookin’ For Love”
Dolly Parton, “9 to 5″
Eddie Rabbitt, “Drivin’ My Life Away”
Don Williams, “I Believe in You”

Jones capped his biggest comeback in a career defined by them with several awards for this classic hit.

1980

Charlie Daniels Band, “Devil Went Down to Georgia”
Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Band, “All the Gold in California”
Crystal Gayle, “Half the Way”
Waylon Jennings, “Amanda”
Kenny Rogers, “Coward of the County”

West Coast represent!

1979

Crystal Gayle, “Talking in Your Sleep”
Loretta Lynn, “Out of My Head and Back in My Bed”
Willie Nelson, “Georgia On My Mind”
Waylon & Willie, “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys”
Don Williams, “Tulsa Time”

In a category of superstars, the Gentle Giant of Country Music was the victor.

1978

Debby Boone, “You Light Up My Life”
Crystal Gayle, “Don’t it Make My Brown Eyes Blue”
Waylon Jennings, “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)”
Kenny Rogers, “Lucille”
Linda Ronstadt, “Blue Bayou”

All of these records made a big impact on both the country and the pop chart.

1977

Mickey Gilley, “Bring it On Home to Me”
Loretta Lynn, “Somebody Somewhere (Don’t Know What He’s Missin’ Tonight)”
Marty Robbins, “El Paso City”
Red Sovine, “Teddy Bear”
Waylon & Willie, “Good Hearted Woman”

A surprising win, perhaps fueled by the momentum of Gilley’s previous single, “Don’t the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time.”

1976

Glen Campbell, “Rhinestone Cowboy”
Freddie Fender, “Before the Next Teardrop Falls”
Mickey Gilley, “Overnight Sensation”
Willie Nelson, “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”
Kenny Starr, “The Blind Man in the Bleachers”

Campbell made quite the comeback with this one, and it later inspired the Dolly Parton film vehicle Rhinestone, which earned an ACM nomination of its own for the Tex Ritter Award.

1975

John Denver, “Back Home Again”
Merle Haggard, “Things Aren’t Funny Anymore”
Ronnie Milsap, “(I’d Be) A Legend in My Time”
Cal Smith, “Country Bumpkin”
Billy Swan, “I Can Help”

Smith may not have gotten all the recognition that his talent warranted, but he made two undeniable classics: “The Lord Knows I’m Drinking”, and his winner here.

1974

Merle Haggard, “If We Make it Through December”
Byron MacGregor, “The Americans”
Jeanne Pruett, “Satin Sheets”
Charlie Rich, “Behind Closed Doors”
Charlie Rich, “The Most Beautiful Girl”

Rich’s two hits were so big that even with vote-splitting, he still emerged the winner.

1973

Donna Fargo, “The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.”
Merle Haggard, “It’s Not Love (But It’s Not Bad)”
Johnny Rodriguez, “Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through)”
Jerry Wallace, “If You Leave Me Tonight I’ll Cry”
Faron Young, “Four in the Morning”

Fargo was a local star on the West Coast before she broke through nationwide with this hit, dominating the 1973 ACM Awards as a result.

1972

Merle Haggard, “Carolyn”
Freddie Hart, “Easy Loving”
Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, “Lead Me On”
Loretta Lynn, “One’s On the Way”
Charley Pride, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning”

This gold-selling classic helped Hart triumph over the superstars of his day.

1971

Lynn Anderson, “Rose Garden”
Merle Haggard, “The Fightin’ Side of Me”
Anne Murray, “Snowbird”
Ray Price, “For the Good Times”
Sammi Smith, “Help Me Make it Through the Night”

Each one of these is a classic in its own right. In a battle of Kristofferson-penned hits, Price emerged victorious, though Smith won the CMA later that year.

1970

Glen Campbell, “Try a Little Kindness”
Johnny Cash, “A Boy Named Sue”
Merle Haggard, “Okie From Muskogee”
Billy Mize, “Make it Rain”
Elvis Presley, “Don’t Cry Daddy”
Freddy Weller, “Games People Play”
Tammy Wynette, “Stand By Your Man”

Haggard’s only victory in this category came on a night where he also won Album of the Year for the only time in several nominations.

1969

Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman”
Merle Haggard, “I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am”
Merle Haggard, “The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde”
Merle Haggard, “Mama Tried”
Roger Miller, “Little Green Apples”

Miller’s known for his legendary songwriting, but his winning hit here was penned by Bobby Russell.

1968

Glen Campbell, “Burning Bridges”
Glen Campbell, “Gentle on My Mind”
The Gosdin Bros., “Hangin’ On”
Bobbie Gentry, “Ode to Billy Joe”
Merle Haggard, “Branded Man”
Merle Haggard, “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive”

A young Vern Gosdin made up half of the nominated Gosdin Bros., a nice historical footnote to the first year of this category. Glen Campbell’s victory was appropriately West Coast for the ACMs first attempt at honoring the national country music scene.

Facts & Feats:

Most Wins

(4) – Alan Jackson
(3) – Willie Nelson
(2) – Glen Campbell, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers, George Strait, Randy Travis

Most Nominations

(12) – Merle Haggard
(8) – Willie Nelson
(6) – Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, George Strait
(5) – Glen Campbell, Waylon Jennings, Tim McGraw
(4) – Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis

Most Nominations Without a Win

(4) – Toby Keith, Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley
(3) – Alabama, Crystal Gayle, The Judds, Miranda Lambert, Hank Williams Jr.

Singles that Won Both the ACM and CMA Award:

Merle Haggard, “Okie From Muskogee”
Donna Fargo, “The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.”
Charlie Rich, “Behind Closed Doors”
Cal Smith, ‘Country Bumpkin”
Kenny Rogers, “Lucille”
George Jones, “He Stopped Loving Her Today”
Oak Ridge Boys, “Elvira”
Willie Nelson, “Always On My Mind”
Randy Travis, “Forever and Ever, Amen”
Kathy Mattea, “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses”
Garth Brooks, “Friends in Low Places”
Alan Jackson, “Chattahoochee”
John Michael Montgomery, “I Swear”
George Strait, “Check Yes or No”
Lee Ann Womack with Sons of the Desert, “I Hope You Dance”
Alan Jackson, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”
Tim McGraw, “Live Like You Were Dying”

ACM Flashback: Album of the Year

Kevin John Coyne — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:37:10 +0000

The ACM Awards has traditionally been overshadowed by the CMA Awards, despite its longer existence. This is for several reasons. First, the ACM originally existed to emphasize the West Coast country music scene, whereas the CMA Awards represented Nashville from the start. The ACM has also been more commercially-oriented from the beginning, as the history of this category proves. Eighteen of the last twenty winners in this ACM category are multi-platinum sellers, and the organization allowed greatest hits albums to compete for more than a decade.

Still, the ACM category has bragging rights of its own. Critically-acclaimed albums like Storms of Life, Trio, Killin’ Time and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend won at the ACMs but were overlooked by the CMAs. Additionally, women have also been far more successful at this ceremony. Only five women have ever won the CMA Album trophy, and one of them was Sissy Spacek! At the ACMs, women have dominated the category for the past three years, and the category has honored everyone from Loretta Lynn and Donna Fargo to K.T. Oslin and Shania Twain.

A special note about ACM flashbacks. Like the Grammys, the ACMs issue their award for a given year the following year, so the awards for 2009, for example, are given out in 2010. For the purposes of the flashbacks, Country Universe notes the year the award is presented. While the ACM first presented awards in 1966, the Album category wasn’t introduced until 1968.

As with other flashbacks, we begin with a look at this year’s nominees:

2010

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

Three previous winners – Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, and Carrie Underwood – compete against the debut albums of two hot bands. Lady Antebellum and Zac Brown Band each picked up a Grammy this year and are well represented on the rest of the ACM ballot. This is a very competitive race. Even the sales-friendly nature of the ACMs doesn’t help much here, as four of these albums are platinum and Lambert’s just went gold.

2009

Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song
Montgomery Gentry, Back When I Knew It All
George Strait, Troubadour
Taylor Swift, Fearless
Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride

Taylor Swift became the third consecutive female artist to win in this category, a feat that would’ve seemed unthinkable earlier in the middle part of the decade, when country radio all but exiled women from radio.

2008

Rodney Atkins, If You’re Going Through Hell
Kenny Chesney, Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates
Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Brad Paisley, 5th Gear
Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift

A visibly shocked Lambert accepted the trophy for her critically acclaimed sophomore set. While it did go gold, it remains an anomaly among ACM album winners. You have to go all the way back to 1979 (Oak Ridge Boys) to find another ACM album winner that didn’t sell platinum or higher.

2007

Brooks & Dunn, Hillbilly Deluxe
Vince Gill, These Days
Rascal Flatts, Me and My Gang
George Strait, It Just Comes Natural
Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts

Carrie Underwood became the first solo female artist to win this award in eleven years with her 7 million-selling Some Hearts.

2006

Gary Allan, Tough All Over
Brad Paisley, Time Well Wasted
Rascal Flatts, Feels Like Today
Sugarland, Twice the Speed of Life
Lee Ann Womack, There’s More Where That Came From

A strikingly strong lineup, with the victory going to Brad Paisley. Due to differences in eligibility between the two shows, there are two CMA winners in this category. Not only did Paisley repeat his victory the following fall, Womack won the CMA the previous year.

2005

Kenny Chesney, When the Sun Goes Down
Sara Evans, Restless
Tim McGraw, Live Like You Were Dying
Keith Urban, Be Here
Gretchen Wilson, Here for the Party

Though he’s always been popular with the CMA and Grammy voters, Urban’s only Album award to date came courtesy of the ACMs. Oddly enough, they haven’t nominated him since.

2004

Brooks & Dunn, Red Dirt Road
Toby Keith, Shock’n Y’All
Martina McBride, Martina
Brad Paisley, Mud on the Tires
George Strait, Honkytonkville

On an evening where he won several major awards, Keith picked up his second Album of the Year trophy from the ACMs for an album that included the #1 hits “American Soldier”, “Whiskey Girl”, and “I Love This Bar.”

2003

Kenny Chesney, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
Dixie Chicks, Home
Alan Jackson, Drive
Toby Keith, Unleashed
Trick Pony, On a Mission

If you think all of those 2009 nominations for Heidi Newfield were surprising, check out Trick Pony’s presence in this category among four albums that sold more than 4 million copies each. Alan Jackson picked up his third trophy in this category for the album that included “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” and “Drive (For Daddy Gene)”.

2002

Brooks & Dunn, Steers & Stripes
Toby Keith, Pull My Chain
Tim McGraw, Set This Circus Down
Soundtrack, O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Travis Tritt, Down the Road I Go

Big comeback albums for Brooks & Dunn and Travis Tritt were nominated, but it was no surprise to see the victory go to the landmark soundtrack that sold more than eight million copies in the end.

2001

Johnny Cash, American III: Solitary Man
Billy Gilman, One Voice
Toby Keith, How Do You Like Me Now?!
Brad Paisley, Who Needs Pictures
Lee Ann Womack, I Hope You Dance

Even Keith was a veteran in comparison to Gilman and Paisley, who were nominated with their debut albums, but the biggest surprise was the nomination of Cash for his third project with Rick Rubin. Even the CMA didn’t recognize those collaborations until the fourth volume and “Hurt.”

2000

Asleep at the Wheel, Ride With Bob
Dixie Chicks, Fly
Faith Hill, Breathe
George Jones, Cold Hard Truth
Tim McGraw, A Place in the Sun

An impressively eclectic lineup is unsurprisingly represented by the consensus choice Dixie Chicks, the one act that everybody used to agree on.

1999

Garth Brooks, Double Live
Dixie Chicks, Wide Open Spaces
Faith Hill, Faith
Jo Dee Messina, I’m Alright
George Strait, One Step at a Time

For the fourth time in the nineties, the trophy went to an artist’s breakthrough album. After their shocking win at the Grammys a few weeks earlier, this Dixie Chicks victory wasn’t quite as surprising.

1998

Garth Brooks, Sevens
Patty Loveless, Long Stretch of Lonesome
Tim McGraw, Everywhere
George Strait, Carrying Your Love With Me
Shania Twain, Come On Over

Strait’s third victory in this category tied him with Alabama for most wins. It was also his first album to top the overall Billboard 200, a feat he’s repeated with three additional albums.

1997

Brooks & Dunn, Borderline
Tracy Lawrence, Time Marches On
Patty Loveless, The Trouble With the Truth
LeAnn Rimes, Blue
George Strait, Blue Clear Sky

Strait’s victory came with an album that featured the #1 hits “Blue Clear Sky” and “Carried Away”, along with the rodeo-themed “I Can Still Make Cheyenne.”

1996

Brooks & Dunn, Waitin’ On Sundown
Patty Loveless, When Fallen Angels Fly
Tim McGraw, All I Want
George Strait, Lead On
Shania Twain, The Woman in Me

Although Loveless won the CMA award the previous fall, the ACM sided with the Grammy winner for Best Country Album, Shania Twain’s landmark set, The Woman in Me.

1995

Garth Brooks, In Pieces
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Stones in the Road
Vince Gill, When Love Finds You
Alan Jackson, Who I Am
Tim McGraw, Not a Moment Too Soon

McGraw’s only victory in this category came with his first nomination. This set remains his top-selling to date, thanks to the presence of the massive hits “Don’t Take the Girl”, “Indian Outlaw”, “Down on the Farm”, and the title track.

1994

Brooks & Dunn, Hard Workin’ Man
Billy Ray Cyrus, It Won’t Be the Last
Vince Gill, I Still Believe In You
Alan Jackson, A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ‘Bout Love)
Various Artists, Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles
Dwight Yoakam, This Time

Alan Jackson picked up his second victory in this category with an album that included “Chattahoochee”, which would remain his biggest hit for nearly a decade.

1993

Garth Brooks, The Chase
Brooks & Dunn, Brand New Man
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Come On Come On
Billy Ray Cyrus, Some Gave All
Wynonna, Wynonna

These are some big selling albums. Wynonna and Mary Chapin Carpenter both sold five million and they are tied for last place among the nominees. It’s easy to forget how fresh the Brooks & Dunn sound was when it first arrived on the scene. Five hits, including the classic title track, “Neon Moon”, and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie”, helped power them to a win.

1992

Garth Brooks, No Fences
Garth Brooks, Ropin’ the Wind
Alan Jackson, Don’t Rock the Jukebox
Ricky Van Shelton, Backroads
Travis Tritt, It’s All About to Change

In perhaps the most bizarre moment in this category’s history, Garth Brooks competed again with No Fences, which won the same award last year. Alan Jackson emerged victorious with his sophomore set.

1991

Alabama, Pass it On Down
Garth Brooks, No Fences
Vince Gill, When I Call Your Name
Alan Jackson, Here in the Real World
Ricky Van Shelton, RVS III

No Fences includes the Garth Brooks classics “Friends in Low Places”, “Unanswered Prayers”, and “The Thunder Rolls”. It remains his highest-selling album to date, and second only to Shania Twain’s Come On Over among all single-disc country albums in history.

1990

Clint Black, Killin’ Time
Rodney Crowell, Diamonds and Dirt
Kathy Mattea, Willow in the Wind
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Vol. II
Randy Travis, Old 8×10

The winning album demonstrates why Clint Black was the head of the Class of ’89, even though he’d soon be overshadowed by fellow newbie Garth Brooks.

1989

Vern Gosdin, Chiseled in Stone
K.T. Oslin, This Woman
Ricky Van Shelton, Loving Proof
George Strait, If You Ain’t Lovin’ You Ain’t Livin’
Dwight Yoakam, Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room

K.T. Oslin dominated the awards circuit in 1988 and 1989, with her final victories coming at the ACM Awards. Her Album of the Year winner included the #1 hit “Hold Me”, along with the top five hits “Hey Bobby” and the title track.

1988

The Judds, Heart Land
Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, Trio
George Strait, Ocean Front Property
Randy Travis, Always and Forever
Hank Williams Jr., Born to Boogie

The classic project by legends Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris also won a CMA for Vocal Event and a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

1987

The Judds, Rockin’ With the Rhythm
Ricky Skaggs, Live in London
George Strait, 7
Randy Travis, Storms of Life
Dwight Yoakam, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.

The neo-traditionalist movement at its peak, with a win by its standard-bearing artist with his standard-bearing debut album.

1986

Alabama, 40 Hour Week
Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, Highwayman
The Judds, Why Not Me
George Strait, Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
Hank Williams Jr., Five-O

The only #1 hit from this album was the title track, but “The Fireman” and “The Cowboy Rides Away” have since become signature songs for the legendary artist.

1985

Alabama, Roll On
Earl Thomas Conley, Don’t Make it Easy On Me
Ricky Skaggs, Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown
George Strait, Right or Wrong
Hank Williams Jr., Man of Steel

Their third victory in four years came on the strength of the hits “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)”, “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)”, “(There’s a) Fire in the Night”, and “When We Make Love.”

1984

Alabama, The Closer You Get…
John Anderson, Wild & Blue
Merle Haggard, Going Where the Lonely Go
Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson, Pancho & Lefty
Ricky Skaggs, Highways & Heartaches

Over a field of traditionalists old and new, the pop-country supergroup Alabama won their second Album award. In addition to the hit title track, The Closer You Get… included the hits “Lady Down on Love” and “Dixieland Delight.”

1983

Alabama, Mountain Music
Willie Nelson, Always On My Mind
Kenny Rogers, Love Will Turn You Around
Ricky Skaggs, Waitin’ For the Sun to Shine
Don Williams, Listen to the Radio

Nelson’s biggest single powered the album of the same name to victory. It also included a pair of #2 hits: “Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning” and “Let it Be Me.”

1982

Alabama, Feels So Right
Rosanne Cash, Seven Year Ache
George Jones, Still the Same Ole Me
Oak Ridge Boys, Fancy Free
Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs

With the exception of George Jones, all the nominees here enjoyed significant pop success with these projects. Alabama won their first trophy in this category with Feels So Right, which included the hit title track, “Old Flame”, and their biggest crossover hit, “Love in the First Degree.”

1981

Charley Pride, There’s a Little Bit of Hank in Me
Kenny Rogers, Greatest Hits
Soundtrack, Coal Miner’s Daughter
Soundtrack, Urban Cowboy
Don Williams, I Believe in You

For all that it’s been maligned, the Urban Cowboy soundtrack does have a lot of classic hits on it. Some of them were recycled, like “Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “Lyin’ Eyes”, but some were introduced on the soundtrack, most notably Anne Murray’s “Could I Have This Dance” and Johnny Lee’s “Lookin’ For Love.”

1980

Larry Gatlin, Straight Ahead
Emmylou Harris, Blue Kentucky Girl
Waylon Jennings, Greatest Hits
Willie Nelson, Willie Sings Kristofferson
Kenny Rogers, Kenny

Those of you wondering how on earth Larry Gatlin was the winner in this field should know that this was actually a platinum-selling album. Perhaps its big hit, “All the Gold in California”, endeared the project to west coast voters.

1979

Ronnie Milsap, It Was Almost Like a Song
Anne Murray, Let’s Keep it That Way
Willie Nelson, Stardust
Oak Ridge Boys, Y’All Come Back Saloon
Kenny Rogers & Dottie West, Every Time Two Fools Collide

They had made several albums as gospel stars, but it was their first big country hit that fueled this win for Album of the Year.

1978

Waylon Jennings, Ol’ Waylon
Dolly Parton, Here You Come Again
Elvis Presley, Moody Blue
Kenny Rogers, Kenny Rogers
Conway Twitty, Greatest Hits Vol. II

This self-titled album was renamed “Lucille” in later pressings to capitalize on its biggest hit.

1977

Mickey Gilley, Gilley’s Smokin’
Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, Wanted! The Outlaws
Loretta Lynn, Somebody Somewhere
Marty Robbins, El Paso City
Conway Twitty, Now and Then

Gilley’s winning album features his most well known hit, “Don’t the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time.” It’s the most recent album in the category’s history that hasn’t reached at least gold status.

1976

Glen Campbell, Rhinestone Cowboy
Freddie Fender, Before the Next Teardrop Falls
Merle Haggard, Keep Movin’ On
Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty, Feelins’
Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger

This shared award is the only Album trophy that either Lynn or Twitty won from the ACM or CMA, though Lynn did go on to win Best Country Album three decades later at the Grammys.

1975

John Denver, Back Home Again
Merle Haggard, Merle Haggard Presents His 30th Album
Loretta Lynn, They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy
Cal Smith, Country Bumpkin
Bob Wills, For the Last Time

Denver’s biggest country album, it spent thirteen weeks atop the country album chart. The title track topped the chart, and “Annie’s Song” became a wedding standard.

1974

Merle Haggard, I Love Dixie Blues…so I Recorded “Live” in New Orleans
Loretta Lynn, Love is the Foundation
Charlie Rich, Behind Closed Doors
Johnny Rodriguez, Introducing Johnny Rodriguez
Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn, Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man

Rich’s classic set has sold four million copies, an unheard of tally for a country album from this time period. It didn’t hurt that the title track and “The Most Beautiful Girl” were crossover hits, with the latter actually topping the pop singles chart.

1973

Mac Davis, Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me
Donna Fargo, The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.
Merle Haggard, The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard, It’s Not Love (But It’s Not Bad)
Merle Haggard, Let Me Tell You About a Song
Freddie Hart, Bless Your Heart

Donna Fargo triumphed in a field of six albums, half of which were recorded by Merle Haggard! The Fargo set produced two million-selling singles – the title track and “Funny Face”.

1972

Merle Haggard, Hag
Merle Haggard, Someday We’ll Look Back
Freddie Hart, Easy Loving
Ray Price, I Won’t Mention it Again
Charley Pride, Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs

The title track was a massive hit, helping Hart’s Easy Loving reach gold status and spend nine weeks atop the country albums chart.

1971

Glen Campbell, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album
Merle Haggard, The Fightin’ Side of Me
Merle Haggard, A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills)
Ray Price, For the Good Times
Charley Pride, Charley Pride’s 10th Album

Who knows how many times Haggard could’ve won this award if he wasn’t nominated against himself? This year, Ray Price’s For the Good Times was the victor, thanks to the Kristofferson-penned title track.

1970

Glen Campbell, Live
Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison
Merle Haggard, Okie From Muskogee
Charley Pride, Best of Charley Pride
Tammy Wynette, Greatest Hits

Haggard’s only victory in this category was for a live album. Incidentally, he won over two other live albums and a pair of greatest hits sets.

1969

Glen Campbell, Wichita Lineman
Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell, Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell
Merle Haggard, The Best of Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard, Mama Tried
Buck Owens, Best of Buck Owens

Campbell won for the second year in a row, this time sharing the victory with Bobbie Gentry of “Ode to Billie Joe” fame.

1968

Glen Campbell, Burning Bridges
Glen Campbell, Gentle on My Mind
Merle Haggard, Branded Man
Merle Haggard, I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Wynn Stewart, It’s Such a Pretty World Today

California favorite Glen Campbell won the first ACM trophy in this category, and he’d remain a favorite of the Academy over the next decade.

Facts & Feats

Multiple Wins:

(3) – Alabama, Alan Jackson, George Strait
(2) – Glen Campbell, Dixie Chicks, Toby Keith

Most Nominations:

(17) – Merle Haggard
(12) – George Strait
(7) – Garth Brooks, Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson
(6) – Alabama, Tim McGraw
(5) – Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers

Most Nominations Without a Win:

(4) – Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride, Ricky Skaggs
(3) – Johnny Cash, Kenny Chesney, The Judds, Patty Loveless, Ricky Van Shelton, Hank Williams Jr., Dwight Yoakam

Albums that won the ACM Award and the CMA Award:

Merle Haggard, Okie From Muskogee
Charlie Rich, Behind Closed Doors
Willie Nelson, Always on My Mind
Alabama, The Closer You Get
George Strait, Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
Garth Brooks, No Fences
George Strait, Blue Clear Sky
George Strait, Carrying Your Love With Me
Dixie Chicks, Fly
Soundtrack, O Brother Where Art Thou?
Alan Jackson, Drive
Brad Paisley, Time Well Wasted
George Strait, It Just Comes Natural
Taylor Swift, Fearless

Albums that Won the ACM award and the Grammy for Album of the Year:

Soundtrack, O Brother Where Art Thou?
Taylor Swift, Fearless

Albums that Won the ACM award and the Grammy for Best Country Album (only presented in 1965-1966 and 1995-present):

Shania Twain, The Woman in Me
Dixie Chicks, Wide Open Spaces
Dixie Chicks, Fly
George Strait, Troubadour
Taylor Swift, Fearless

2010 ACM Nominations

Dan Milliken — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:17:00 +0000

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?

Grammy 2010 Staff Picks & Predictions

Dan Milliken — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:14:53 +0000

Even in Grammy’s darkest hours, CU brings its picking powers!

- Superhero television show about our blog from the 50′s.

We won’t be live-blogging this time around, but will be reacting to the show in a full post tomorrow, and welcome your reactions in comments on this post. The awards telecast starts at 8 pm Eastern, and I imagine there will be some red carpet action in the hour prior.

Record of the Year

Picks

Beyonce, “Halo” – Kevin
Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody” - Tara
Lady GaGa, “Poker Face” - Dan
Taylor Swift, “You Belong with Me”

Predictions

Beyonce, “Halo”
Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody” – Kevin, Dan, Tara
Lady GaGa, “Poker Face”
Taylor Swift, “You Belong with Me”

Kevin: Am I wrong for preferring Eric Cartman’s rendition of “Poker Face” over the original? This is a pretty lightweight slate of contenders. I really like “Halo”, but I suspect Kings of Leon will win, simply because it’s the only rock song in a lineup of pop hits.

Dan: “Poker Face” just feels very representative of popular music in 2009. I wouldn’t whine if it got passed over so that “Bad Romance” could take this award next year, though.

Tara: I would’ve pulled for “Single Ladies” in a heartbeat had it been submitted, but “Use Somebody” is just as deserving of this award. It’s a fantastic song even outside the context of its moment in pop culture, and it’s the kind of larger-than-life song that the voters have picked to win in the past.

Album of the Year

Picks

Beyonce, I Am…Sasha Fierce
Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.
Lady GaGa, The Fame – Kevin, Tara
Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
Taylor Swift, Fearless - Dan

Predictions

Beyonce, I Am…Sasha Fierce
Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.
Lady GaGa, The Fame
Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King - Kevin
Taylor Swift, Fearless - Dan, Tara

Kevin: I’d like to see dance music get some respect in the big category, even if there are a half-dozen Madonna albums at this point that would’ve been worthier winners than The Fame. Again, I think the Top 40 votes are going to be split, leaving Dave Matthews Band the winners.

Dan: In little over a year, Fearless has grown from success story to cultural artifact. It’s that rare pop album that seems to have a personality all its own, like Jagged Little Pill in a yellow sundress (and sung about as well). I could see anyone but the Peas taking this, but I think Swift’s support in both Nashville and the Top 40 crowd will take her to the top.

Tara: I have to say I was fairly shocked to see Swift’s truckload of Grammy nominations, so I’m having a little trouble wrapping my mind around the Academy’s thought process – but, I suppose a Swift win in this category is inevitable. However, I fully back Lady GaGa, who is the perfect storm of creativity, vision, swagger and raw vocal talent (remember that, pop world?).

Song of the Year

Picks

“Poker Face”, Lady GaGa & RedOne
“Pretty Wings”, Hod David & Musze
“Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”, Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart
“Use Somebody”, Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill- Kevin, Dan, Tara
“You Belong With Me”, Liz Rose & Taylor Swift

Predictions

“Poker Face”, Lady GaGa & RedOne
“Pretty Wings”, Hod David & Musze
“Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”, Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart
“Use Somebody”, Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill
“You Belong With Me”, Liz Rose & Taylor Swift – Kevin, Dan, Tara

Kevin: I think this is Swift’s best chance in the Big Three categories, given how much respect she commands as a songwriter.

Dan: I have no idea what some of the lyrics in “Use Somebody” are about, but that hook is just classic. I agree that Swift will probably take this one, though.

Tara: I think I speak for many when I say this is the kind of category in which Swift deserves to be recognized and rewarded. Though I wouldn’t agree, I’d be happy to see her take this.

Best New Artist:

Zac Brown Band
Keri Hilson
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings

Zac Brown Band. ‘Nuff said.

Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals

Picks

Rosanne Cash & Bruce Springsteen, “Sea of Heartbreak” – Leeann, Kevin
Ciara & Justin Timberlake, “Love Sex Magic”
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat, “Lucky”
Willie Nelson & Norah Jones, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” - Dan, Tara
Taylor Swift & Colbie Caillat, “Breathe”

Predictions

Rosanne Cash & Bruce Springsteen, “Sea of Heartbreak”
Ciara & Justin Timberlake, “Love Sex Magic”
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat, “Lucky”
Willie Nelson & Norah Jones, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” – Kevin, Dan, Tara
Taylor Swift & Colbie Caillat, “Breathe” - Leeann

Kevin: Love the Cash/Springsteen combo, but I think Nelson and Jones are most likely to hit that Grammy sweet spot. They already have sixteen awards between them.

Leeann: I almost chose Nelson/Jones, but Cash/Springsteen edges them out due to their chill vocal vibe. I predict that Taylor Swift will actually win the award, though, for reasons that are probably obvious.

Dan: You need warm, quirky voices to do “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” justice, and Nelson/Jones fit the bill nicely.

Tara: I’ve always adored the song, and Nelson and Jones’ collaboration is simply delicious. Shout out to JT, though, whose presence in the pop music industry is sorely missed.

Best Female Country Performance

Picks

Miranda Lambert, “Dead Flowers”
Martina McBride, “I Just Call You Mine”
Taylor Swift, “White Horse”
Carrie Underwood, “Just A Dream” – Kevin, Tara
Lee Ann Womack, “Solitary Thinkin’” – Leeann, Dan

Predictions

Miranda Lambert, “Dead Flowers”
Martina McBride, “I Just Call You Mine”
Taylor Swift, “White Horse” - Leeann
Carrie Underwood, “Just A Dream” – Kevin, Dan, Tara
Lee Ann Womack, “Solitary Thinkin’”

Kevin: A Swift sweep could lift her to victory here, but I have trouble imagining Underwood’s powerhouse performance losing to one of Swift’s lesser-known hits, especially given Underwood’s undefeated run in this category.

Leeann: While Carrie Underwood probably deserves it, I would be a fool not to just assume that Swift would pick up this award. However, I’d love to see Lee Ann Womack win it with one of the few songs that I truly enjoy of hers. I’ve always liked Womack’s voice, so I’m excited when she sings a song that I like equally as much.

Dan: None of these singles ever made much of an impression on me, so it’s hard to care much about the performances. But I think Womack’s has the most interesting phrasing. I’d like to see her yank one from the Underwood Grammy Love hoard. Really, anyone would be fine; I just don’t want Miranda to win, since “Dead Flowers” is one of her weakest singles.

Tara: I like “Solitary Thinkin’” and “Just a Dream” equally, but Underwood delivers the more compelling performance, and I think it’ll go down as one of the most memorable moments of her career. She seems to be the country voters’ current Grammy darling, considering her undeserved win last year, so I hesitantly predict she’ll continue her winning streak – barring a Swift sweep.

Best Male Country Performance

Picks

Trace Adkins, “All I Ask For Anymore”
Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy”
Jamey Johnson, “High Cost of Living” - Leeann, Tara
George Strait, “Living For The Night”- Kevin, Dan
Keith Urban, “Sweet Thing”

Predictions

Trace Adkins, “All I Ask For Anymore”
Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy”
Jamey Johnson, “High Cost of Living” – Leeann
George Strait, “Living For The Night” – Dan
Keith Urban, “Sweet Thing” – Kevin, Tara

Kevin: I’m pulling for Strait’s first win in this category, but given that Urban’s won this twice and the other four have yet to win, I’m guessing he’s the favorite.

Leeann: Jamey Johnson’s vocal performance is as hard scrabble as the song itself, which is why I believe it deserves to win. Since Johnson is a critical favorite, I think he has a good chance with the Academy as well.

Dan: I’m tempted to go for Urban, who is charming as ever in his cut. But Strait elevated a pretty rote song, and he’s overdue in this category.

Tara: The only song I actually enjoy is Adkins’, but I recognize that Johnson’s is the strongest. Like Kevin, though, I think Urban is the favorite among the voters, similar to Underwood in the female category.

Best Country Performance by a Group or Duo with Vocals

Picks

Brooks & Dunn, “Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Zac Brown Band, “Chicken Fried”
Lady Antebellum, “I Run to You” - Tara
Rascal Flatts, “Here Comes Goodbye”
Sugarland, “It Happens” - Leeann, Kevin, Dan

Predictions

Brooks & Dunn, “Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Zac Brown Band, “Chicken Fried” – Kevin, Dan
Lady Antebellum, “I Run to You” - Leeann, Tara
Rascal Flatts, “Here Comes Goodbye”
Sugarland, “It Happens”

Kevin: I’m honestly just guessing here.

Leeann: The Sugarland song is one of my personal guilty pleasures. Nettles sings it with sheer delight. I think that Lady A has the best chance of taking the award, however, based on their incredible hype in the last year or so.

Dan: What an underwhelming set of songs. Give it to Sugarland for personality. Why couldn’t ZBB have submitted “Toes”?

Tara: I’m going with personal preference here, considering the weak line-up. It’s no secret that I’m in love with “I Run To You,” and apparently the world is currently in love with Lady A.

Best Country Collaboration with Vocals

Picks

Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin, “Beautiful World” - Leeann
Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally, “Down the Road”
Brad Paisley & Keith Urban, “Start A Band”
Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis, “I Told You So” – Kevin, Tara
Lee Ann Womack & George Strait, “Everything But Quits” – Dan

Predictions

Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin, “Beautiful World”
Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally, “Down the Road”
Brad Paisley & Keith Urban, “Start A Band” - Leeann
Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis, “I Told You So” – Kevin, Tara, Dan
Lee Ann Womack & George Strait, “Everything But Quits”

Kevin: “I Told You So” has the most Grammy-friendly collaborators, with ten combined wins. Paisley and Urban combine for five, so they’re also a factor in this race.

Leeann: Each of these collaborations look incredibly exciting on paper, but they’re all underwhelming/disappointing in reality. I think the award is a toss up between the Underwood/Travis and Urban/Paisley collaborations though.

Dan: These are all kinda boring, too.

Tara: “I Told You So” deserves the win, and I think there’s a good chance it’ll edge out its competitor, “Start a Band.” I’ll be thrilled if and when Travis gets to accept this award, twenty years later.

Best Country Instrumental Performance

Picks

Alison Brown, “Under the (Five) Wire”
The Greencards, “The Crystal Merchant”
Sarah Jarosz, “Mansinneedof” - Leeann
Steve Wariner, “Producer’s Medley”

Predictions

Alison Brown, “Under the (Five) Wire”
The Greencards, “The Crystal Merchant”
Sarah Jarosz, “Mansinneedof”
Steve Wariner, “Producer’s Medley” - Leeann

Leeann: I think the nostalgia factor may give the push that the Wariner instrumental will need in order to win.

Best Country Song

Picks

“All I Ask For Anymore”, Casey Beathard & Tim James
“High Cost of Living”, Jamey Johnson & James Slater - Dan, Leeann, Tara
“I Run to You”, Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott
“People Are Crazy”, Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones
“White Horse”, Liz Rose & Taylor Swift - Kevin

Predictions

“All I Ask For Anymore”, Casey Beathard & Tim James
“High Cost of Living”, Jamey Johnson & James Slater
“I Run to You”, Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott
“People Are Crazy”, Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones
“White Horse”, Liz Rose & Taylor Swift - Leeann, Kevin, Tara, Dan

Kevin: Swift’s high profile benefits her most in the songwriting categories. It was no big surprise to see Shania Twain win this award for “You’re Still the One”, but when she repeated the following year for “Come On Over”, it proved how much star wattage can help in this race.

Leeann: I’m not going to bet against Taylor Swift, but I’d sure like to see “High Cost of Living” win this one.

Dan: It’s nice to know that NARAS is still willing to nominate a great non-hit. Not so sure they’re willing to give one a trophy, though.

Tara: What they said.

Best Country Album

Picks

Zac Brown Band, The Foundation
George Strait, Twang - Leeann, Kevin, Tara, Dan
Taylor Swift, Fearless
Keith Urban, Defying Gravity
Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy

Predictions

Zac Brown Band, The Foundation
George Strait, Twang
Taylor Swift, Fearless – Dan, Leeann, Kevin, Tara
Keith Urban, Defying Gravity
Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy

Kevin: It would be great to see Strait repeat, but it’s very rare for a country album to lose this race when it’s also nominated in the general Album field. It’s happened only once – 1999 – when Shania Twain’s Come On Over shockingly lost to Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks.

Leeann: I like the Strait album the most, but Taylor Swift is an undeniable force to be reckoned with.

Dan: Technically, I like the Swift album the most, but I’d love to see Strait win this particular award. He challenged his very established formula on Twang, and it worked. Plus I’ve never been fully comfortable calling Fearless a country album.

Tara: It’s Taylor Swift’s world right now, and we’re just living in it. Even you, Mr. Strait.

Best Americana Album

Picks

Bob Dylan, Together Through Life
Levon Helm, Electric Dirt
Willie Nelson & Asleep At the Wheel, Willie and the Wheel – Leeann, Dan, Tara
Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
Lucinda Williams, Little Honey

Predictions

Bob Dylan, Together Through Life - Dan
Levon Helm, Electric Dirt
Willie Nelson & Asleep At the Wheel, Willie and the Wheel – Leeann, Tara
Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
Lucinda Williams, Little Honey

Leeann: I particularly want Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel to win this award, and I think they have a very good chance of doing it, too.

Dan: All really solid albums, and so many critical faves that it’s a hard call on the prediction. I’d love to see Nelson & Co. get their due for this long-in-the-making project.

Tara: Masterful album.

Best Bluegrass Album

Picks

Jim Lauderdale, Could We Get Any Closer? – Leeann
Steve Martin, The Crow / New Songs For The Five-String Banjo
Michael Martin Murphey, Buckaroo Blue Grass
Bryan Sutton and Friends, Almost Live
Rhonda Vincent, Destination Live

Predictions

Jim Lauderdale, Could We Get Any Closer?
Steve Martin, The Crow / New Songs For The Five-String Banjo – Leeann
Michael Martin Murphey, Buckaroo Blue Grass
Bryan Sutton and Friends, Almost Live
Rhonda Vincent, Destination Live

Leeann: Steve Martin equals star power, not that he wouldn’t actually be deserving, since the album is rather good.

My Grammy Wish List: 2010 Edition

Kevin John Coyne — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:02:31 +0000

Since this was a solo blog, doing a Grammy Wish List has been an annual tradition. I’m not too excited about this year’s Grammys, to be honest. 2009 was a weak year in my opinion, and the shortened 11-month eligibility period didn’t help matters. But a tradition is a tradition, so here are my picks in the eleven categories that I care about this year:

* denotes my personal wish:

Record of the Year

Beyoncé, “Halo” *
The Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody”
Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”

It’s always nice to see a country radio hit in there, but I honestly can’t stand “You Belong With Me.” I dig the Kings of Leon song, but the record that I enjoy the most here is “Halo.” Some pundits have suggested that Beyoncé threw her chances at this trophy by submitting “Halo” instead of “Single Ladies”, but I like that song even less than “You Belong With Me.” Love “Halo”, though.

Song of the Year

Lady Gaga & RedOne, “Poker Face”
Hod David & Musze, “Pretty Wings”
Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”
Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, “Use Somebody” *
Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”

Great to see Liz Rose in there, too, but I still can’t stand the song. I think “Use Somebody” is a great composition that could easily be a hit in other formats if the right artist covered it. Are you listening, Sugarland?

Best New Artist

Zac Brown Band *
Keri Hilson
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings

Zac Brown Band don’t quite live up to the hype, but they come a lot closer than last year’s nominee, Lady Antebellum.

Best Country Album

Zac Brown Band, The Foundation
George Strait, Twang *
Taylor Swift, Fearless
Keith Urban, Defying Gravity
Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy

There isn’t an album here that is built for more than cherry-picking. Strait’s set has the most cherries.

Best Female Country Vocal Performance

Miranda Lambert, “Dead Flowers”
Martina McBride, “I Just Call You Mine”
Taylor Swift, “White Horse”
Carrie Underwood, “Just a Dream” *
Lee Ann Womack, “Solitary Thinkin’”

The only women who brought their A-game to this category are Swift and Underwood. “White Horse” might be the better song, but Underwood’s is the better vocal performance by a country mile.

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Trace Adkins, “All I Ask For Anymore”
Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy”
Jamey Johnson, “High Cost of Living”
George Strait, “Living For the Night” *
Keith Urban, “Sweet Thing”

I love the Strait song, so it’s my pick, but this is one of the only strong categories this year and I wouldn’t mind seeing any of these five win.

Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals

Brooks & Dunn, “Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Zac Brown Band, “Chicken Fried”
Lady Antebellum, “I Run to You”
Rascal Flatts, “Here Comes Goodbye”
Sugarland, “It Happens” *

No A-game here, but Sugarland’s B-game is better than the rest.

Best Country Vocal Collaboration

Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin, “Beautiful World”
Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally, “Down the Road”
Brad Paisley & Keith Urban, “Start a Band”
Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis, “I Told You So” *
Lee Ann Womack & George Strait, “Everything But Quits”

Some amazing pairings here, but Underwood and Travis are the only ones with the material to match the talent.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Adele, “Hometown Glory”
Beyoncé, “Halo”
Katy Perry, “Hot N Cold”
Pink, “Sober” *
Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”

Pink is an awesome songwriter, and easily the most substantial female pop star to come along in the last decade. “Sober” is one of her best.

Best Pop Vocal Album

The Black Eyed Peas, The End
Colbie Caillat, The Breakthrough
Kelly Clarkson, All I Ever Wanted
The Fray, The Fray
Pink, Funhouse *

It’s not quite as good as I’m Not Dead, but it comes close.

Best Dance Recording

The Black Eyed Peas, “Boom Boom Pow”
David Guetta and Kelly Rowland, “When Love Takes Over”
Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
Madonna, “Celebration” *
Britney Spears, “Womanizer”

Even her throwaway singles are built to last.