Week ending 11/28/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: Willie Nelson – City of New Orleans (Sony)
1989: Randy Travis – No Holdin’ Back (Warner Brothers)
1994: George Strait – Lead On (MCA)
1999: Faith Hill – Breathe (Warner Brothers)
2004: Shania Twain – Greatest Hits (Mercury)
2009: Carrie Underwood- Play On (19/Arista)

Classic Rewind: Shania Twain – ‘You’re Still the One’

Classic Rewind: Shania Twain – ‘Any Man Of Mine’

Week ending 9/12/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: George Strait – Right or Wrong (MCA)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Tim McGraw -Live Like You Were Dying (Curb)
2009: Reba McEntire – Keep On Loving You (Valory/Starstruck)

Week ending 9/5/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: George Strait – Right or Wrong (MCA Nashville)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA Nashville)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Big & Rich -Horse of a Different Color (Warner Brothers)
2009: Reba McEntire - Keep On Loving You (Valory/Starstruck)

Single Review: Carrie Underwood – ‘Cowboy Casanova’

A while back I must have become a follower of Carrie Underwood on Facebook, because after returning from the library, I saw a notice of her new single on my news feed- and I decided to give it a listen. I enjoyed Carnival Ride at first, but after a while, I got sick of it [...]

Week ending 8/29/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: George Strait – Right or Wrong (MCA Nashville)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA Nashville)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Jimmy Buffett – License To Chill (Mailboat)
2009: George Strait -Twang (MCA Nashville)

Week ending 8/22/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: Hank Williams Jr. – Major Moves (Warner Brothers)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Jimmy Buffett – License To Chill (Mailboat)
2009: Sugarland - Live On The Inside (Mercury)

Week ending 8/15/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: Hank Williams Jr. – Major Moves (Warner Brothers)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Jimmy Buffett – License To Chill (Mailboat)
2009: Taylor Swift – Fearless (Big Machine)

Week ending 8/8/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: Hank Williams Jr. – Major Moves (Warner Brothers)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Jimmy Buffett – License To Chill (Mailboat)
2009: Taylor Swift – Fearless (Big Machine)

Week ending 8/1/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984:  Hank Williams Jr. – Major Moves (Warner Brothers)
1989:  Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Jimmy Buffett – License To Chill (Mailboat)
2009: Taylor Swift – Fearless (Big Machine)

R-r-r-r-remix time!

Remixes are a foreign concept in country music- in my opinion, good country music shouldn’t ever have to be remixed in any other way. A remix makes me think “What, it wasn’t good enough the original way? Why is this better?” Usually country songs, if remixed, will be remixed for pop radio, like Taylor Swift’s [...]

Recommendation: Songs about getting over him/her

It’s a major theme of music in general, maybe moreso in country music, the song about trying to get over an ex. Sometimes it works (“Nah!” by Shania Twain or “Strange” by Reba McEntire), sometimes it doesn’t (“Keep You” by Sugarland or “Something Burning Out” by Pam Tillis), but when done right, it sure makes [...]

Album Review: Tanya Tucker – ‘TNT’

In her 1997 autobiography Nickel Dreams , Tanya Tucker referred to TNT as her first million-selling album and the one that nearly killed her career. In 1977, in need of professional management, she was referred to a Los Angeles firm called Far Out Management, who had managed a number of pop [...]

Single Review: Tanya Tucker – ‘Pecos Promenade’

This insanely catchy dance tune hit the scene long before the line-dancing craze of the early 1990s, but I have a feeling if those young country fans had done their homework back then, this one would have been getting played in the host of country dance clubs that dotted the nation from Atlanta to Seattle [...]

Create a covers album

There are some songs that are so closely associated with their original performers that they just sound foreign coming from the mouths of even the best singers. Covers albums can be a blessing or a curse for this reason. And in my opinion, some get it right and some don’t. Some artists make [...]

Recommendation: Songs about rain

It’s raining again today in southern Ohio, and it has been for the better part of a week now.  A couple days ago, during a particularly torrential downpour, I was sitting here listening to music and decided to search the word ‘rain’ in my media library.  And I have to say I was surprised at [...]

Signature songs from superb singers

This past year, Taylor Swift had a massive hit in “Love Story.” I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It went to #1 on 3 charts worldwide, including the American and Canadian County charts as well as Australia’s all-genre chart. Beyond that, “Love Story” went into the top 5 on U.S. Billboard’s Hot 100, Pop 100 [...]

Single Review: Reba – ‘Strange’

For her first solo single since 2005, Reba returns offering up an irresistible up-tempo strong woman anthem.  The self-described ’sexy sassy’ sound of her new single ‘Strange’ is filled with the spunk that has been missing from Reba’s singles for over a decade.  My only complaint with the production is that the backing vocalists are [...]

To twang or not to twang?

It’s a generations-old question.  Is country music country enough these days?  And when does the want to go mainstream override the need to remain traditional? Remixing country songs for pop radio is certainly nothing new.  But it’s a subject that seems to be coming up more and more these days.  Taylor Swift’s done it, and [...]