James Otto – Page 3 – Country Universe

2008 Rewind: “In Color,” Jamey Johnson

December 26, 2008 Guest Contributor 10

Jamey Johnson’s “In Color” is the greatest country song of 2008. There’s no quantifiable evidence to support the argument, and in terms of artistic validity, beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it? But “In

Blake Boldt’s Year-End Lists

December 25, 2008 Guest Contributor 5

Happy holidays! Singles: 1. “In Color,” Jamey Johnson 2. “Waitin’ on a Woman,” Brad Paisley 3. “This Is Me You’re Talking To,” Trisha Yearwood 4. “She Left Me for Jesus,” Hayes Carll 5. “What I

Dan Milliken’s Top 20 Singles of 2008

December 23, 2008 Dan Milliken 6

Let’s do this, y’all. You’ll recognize some of these write-ups from our collective list, but others weren’t posted there or were cut down for that list. This is my “Director’s Cut” version, you might say

Best Country Singles of 2008, Part 4: #10-#1

December 19, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 37

Our top ten singles of the year represent the very best of what country music is and what country music can be. With a combination of rising stars and veteran artists, it’s clear that the

Discussion: SoundScan Sound Off

December 17, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 30

In this era of rampant piracy and economic recession, things aren’t looking good for the music industry. We don’t post too often about the business side of the music business here, as we tend to

Discussion: Billboard’s 2008 Year-End Charts

December 11, 2008 Guest Contributor 32

Earlier this week, Billboard announced the year-end charts in all musical genres. Billboard’s chart year runs from the first week of December (2007) to the last week of November (2008), and the country albums list

Grammy Grace and Gratitude

December 8, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 8

Eschewing the “I never wanted it one anyway” posing of one of his most prominent peers, Kenny Chesney is loudly proclaiming his joy in getting a Grammy nomination: “I’m not gonna say that I gave

Discussion: Country Universe Giveaway/Darius Rucker, Learn to Live

November 18, 2008 Guest Contributor 38

While a number of artists from different musical genres entered into the country rodeo this past year, no Nashville newcomer was more successful than Hootie & the Blowfish frontman, Darius Rucker. His debut country disc,

2008 CMA Awards Live Blog

November 12, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 254

2008 CMA Winners Entertainer: Kenny Chesney Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood Album: George Strait, Troubadour Vocal Duo: Sugarland New Artist: Lady Antebellum Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts Song: Jennifer Nettles, “Stay” Single: George

Country Universe Staff: 2008 CMA Predictions

November 12, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 19

This afternoon, the Country Universe staff is following up last night’s personal picks with our actual predictions about who will win tonight. Check back tonight at show time to join the live blog and mock