Country Universe

Retro Single Review: Tim McGraw, “I Like It, I Love It”

August 12, 2011 Ben Foster 13

1995 | Peak: #1

Tim McGraw’s third number-one hit is an odd record to review, as it somehow defies the typical appraisal.

Retro Single Review: Alan Jackson, “Someday”

August 12, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 8

1991 | Peak: #1

The conversational approach that wasn’t quite as effective on “Wanted” delivers here, mostly because Jackson has eliminated the middle man.

Retro Single Review: Tim McGraw, “Refried Dreams”

August 10, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 8

1995 | Peak: #5

By all laws of logic and reason, I should hate this song. But I don’t.

Retro Single Review: Dolly Parton, “My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy”

August 10, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 1

1969 | Peak: #45

This one’s a masterpiece. Among Dolly’s southern gothic classics from the early days, it’s rivaled only by “Down From Dover.”

Reader’s Request – Single Review: Ronnie Milsap, “If You Don’t Want Me To”

August 9, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 3

Requested by reader Keith Means.

Veteran artists who have fallen out of favor at radio often kowtow to the current trends in an attempt to regain acceptance.

There’s certainly none of that going on here.

Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, “The Woman in Me (Needs the Man in You)”

August 8, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 8

1995 | Peak: #14

There are some majestic ballads on The Woman in Me, but the title track isn’t one of them.

Favorite Songs by Favorite Artists: Sara Evans

August 7, 2011 Ben Foster 41

Ben counts down his favorite songs by Sara Evans.

Retro Single Review: Alan Jackson, “Don’t Rock the Jukebox”

August 7, 2011 Dan Milliken 5

That’s “don’t rock the jukebox” as in “I’m brokenhearted and that darn rock music won’t help. Play George Jones.” And the pun is that it sounds like he’s asking you not to jostle the machine. Which…people don’t commonly do, really. Kind of a stretch, right?

Retro Single Review: Tim McGraw, “Not a Moment Too Soon”

August 5, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 4

1994 | Peak: #1

The intense heat of McGraw’s record sales helped propel a handful of middling songs to the upper rungs of the chart.

Retro Single Review: George Strait, “A Fire I Can’t Put Out”

August 5, 2011 Ben Foster 6

1983 | Peak: #1

The weeping fiddle intro sets the tone perfectly. The fourth and final single from George Strait’s second album Strait from the Heart, also his second number-one single, found him once again tackling the classic country theme of a memory that won’t go away… and nailing it.