Country's Top 5 Biggest Happenings Of The Decade: #1 Carrie Underwood - Dreams Really Do Come True

The Decade's and New Queen Of Country Part One
It really is a true Cinderella story for the music world. At the young age of 21 the young, small town (Checotah, Oklahoma) farm girl, decided she would take one last shot at her music dream. So she took time off from her final year from University, and went and auditioned for the biggest talent show in the world, American Idol. With no actual thoughts of winning she was just hoping for some face time to get noticed and help with her future journalism career. She got a lot more then she expected.



In the summer of 2004, Underwood auditioned for American Idol in St. Louis. On the first show that would have voting results, Underwood sang "Could've Been" by Tiffany and judge Simon Cowell commented that she would be one of the favorites to win the competition. During the top 11 finalists' performance on the March 22, 2005, Underwood gave her now infamous performance of the number one 1980s rock hit "Alone" by Heart and Cowell publicly stated:

Carrie, you are not the girl to beat you are the person to beat. I will make a prediction, not only will you win this show, you will sell more records then any other previous Idol winner.

Underwood is one of five winners never to have been voted in the bottom three, one of the shows producers later said that Underwood dominated the voting, winning each week handily. While on the show, Underwood gained a loyal fan base that would continue to follow her on her amazing journey. On May 25, 2005, Underwood was crowned the winner of the fourth season of American Idol.



Underwood's debut album, entitled Some Hearts, was released to store shelves on November 15, 2005, which was also the same day as the CMA Awards in NYC. Carrie was given a small amount of time to give a shorter version of her first single Jesus Take The Wheel. She stood on the stage alone with a microphone, when finished the people who were unsure about her being a country artist were shocked in disbelief of the big voice that came out of her that was definitely country. That is where her loving marriage with country music began.

After winning American Idol, and finishing up her album, Underwood admirably went back to Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, graduating magna cum laude in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication and an emphasis in journalism. This past year Underwood advocated for teacher's and the respect she has for their jobs, posing for pictures with her mother and sister.

Some Hearts debuted on the Billboard 200 charts with 315,000 copies sold, this made it number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and the biggest debut of any country artist since the start of the SoundScan system in 1991. Some Hearts has since been certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA, and is the fastest-selling debut country album in the history of the SoundScan era.

Jesus Take the Wheel was released to radio and it received so much airplay that it debuted at number thirty-nine on the Billboard Country Chart in its first week. It eventually reached number one for six consecutive weeks. It won the 2006 Grammy award for Country Song of the Year. Her third release Before He Cheats was and even bigger hit for her and spent five consecutive weeks at the top. The crossover affect was huge for Underwood with this one, bringing even more attention to the Country genre then Underwood already brought with her win from American Idol.

After all this was the beginning of her amazing list of accolades. Through Some Hearts, Underwood was awarded:
2005
Teen Choice Awards
Choice Reality Star - female
Top-Selling Hot 100 Song of the Year: "Inside Your Heaven"
Billboard Music Awards
Top-Selling Country Single: "Inside Your Heaven"
Country Single Sales Artist of the Year

2006
Gospel Music Association Awards Country
Recorded Song of the Year: "Jesus, Take the Wheel"
CMT Music Awards
Female Video Of The Year: "Jesus, Take the Wheel"
Breakthrough Video of the Year: "Jesus, Take the Wheel"
Academy of Country Music Awards
Top New Female Vocalist of the Year
Single Record of the Year: "Jesus, Take the Wheel"
Country Music Association Awards
Female Vocalist of the Year
Horizon Award
(this was the first time since 1995 that an artist won both the female vocalist and Horizon award.)
American Music Awards
Favorite New Breakthrough Artist
Billboard Music Awards
Female Country Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
Country Album of the Year
Country New Artist of the Year
Female Billboard 200 Album Artist of the Year

2007
33rd People's Choice Awards
Favorite Country Song: "Before He Cheats"
Favorite Female Singer
Grammy Awards
Best New Artist
Best Female Country Vocal Performance: "Jesus, Take the Wheel"
CMT Music Awards
Video of the Year: "Before He Cheats"
Female Video of the Year: "Before He Cheats"
Academy of Country Music Awards
Female Vocalist of the Year
Album of the Year: "Some Hearts"
Video of the Year: "Before He Cheats"
Country Music Association Awards
Female Vocalist of the Year
Single Of The Year: "Before He Cheats"
American Music Awards
Favorite Country Female Artist
Favorite Country Album: "Some Hearts"
T-Mobile Text-In Award (Artist of the Year)
Billboard Music Awards
Female Country Artist of the Year
Country Album for "Some Hearts"
Country Artist of the Year
Female Billboard 200 Artist of the Year
Country Albums Artist of the Year

2008
Grammy Awards
Best Female Country Vocal Performance: "Before He Cheats"


Part two still to come.

Country's Top 5 Biggest Happenings Of The Decade: #2 Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks Retires and Starts His Comeback
Garth Brooks has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history. The RIAA has certified his recordings at a combined 128x platinum. Brooks is titled by Neilsen Soundscan the best-selling artist in America, a title held since 1991, well over 11 million ahead of his nearest rival, The Beatles. Brooks has released six albums that achieved diamond status in the United States, those being: Garth Brooks 10x platinum, No Fences 17x platinum, Ropin' the Wind 14x platinum, The Hits 10x platinum, Sevens 10x platinum and Double Live 21x platinum.

Brooks called it quits at the peak of his career following the collapse of his marriage, he’d promised his daughters (who were 4, 6 and 8 at the time) to make his family the top priority in his life until all three went off to college, and that simply wasn’t compatible with a hard-touring road hound like Brooks.

Many offers have been sent Brooks way and he has turned them all down, fans have pleaded with him for years, and still he wouldn't, but when Wynn first brought up the idea of playing in Vegas, “I said he couldn’t afford me,” Brooks told a couple dozen journalists and several hundred fans gathered in the Encore Theater looking on as Brooks and his new business partner sat on stools on the theater’s stage. After a well-timed pause, Brooks added: “I was wrong.”

“The truth is,” Brooks said, pausing briefly, “I’m halfway through what I retired to do. And this last half might be even more important than the first half. So I’m not going to let anything screw that up. So I’ve got a guy here who’s been sweet enough to make it easy for me to do this.

“And if it doesn’t work, we’ll quit doing it. And again, I have to now think, am I supposed to be doing this because I’d be stupid to pass it up?” His eyes glance skyward. “We’ll just give it a shot and see.”

There is one flaw in the deal that clearly still gnaws at Brooks: ticket costs. Brooks is known for keeping prices on his concert tours ridiculously low by contemporary standards: $25 or less. Wynn had suggested tiered ticket prices, allowing some seats in the back of the theater to be priced more in keeping with what Brooks fans have been accustomed to, while the middle and front-row seats would be closer to what other top-name acts on the Las Vegas Strip charge. That idea also ran counter to Brooks’ philosophy that fans shouldn’t get preferential treatment just because they’re financially better off.

“But it’s a 1,500-seat theater,” Brooks said, “and my only response is, if you don’t like Vegas, or you think the ticket price is too high, stay at home. Because we’re still on the same plan: that when the children go to school, I’d like to fire the machine up again and tour. So stay at home and I’ll come to your place for a lot less money and hopefully everything will be good then. So it’s kind of like it’s their choice.

“You can tell that’s the only thing I really have a problem with,” he said with a resigned smile. “My job is for them to walk out of here going ‘Dude, that was worth it.’ ”

So save up your dollars if you would like to see "The Great Garth", before he comes fully out of retirement in six years from now.

Country's Top 5 Biggest Happenings Of The Decade: #3 Taylor Swift

Teen Phenom Taylor Swift
Shortly after a new young blonde erupted into the Country Music world (she's to come later) there was a flood of you and what seemed to be blonde new female artist. Only one came close to matching that first one's success. She has done it in very different ways though.

Swift had PR people but she what seemed to be the most successful PR work on her own, through means that no other artist had done before.....digital, specifically MySpace. She blogged daily, chatted with fans, put up videos of her daily life, and shared all her thoughts. This proved to be the back bone to her rise. Swift has surpassed the 200 million mark for music streams on MySpace. She is currently ranked in the Top 10 for the most MySpace visits for all genres of music, and is MySpace's current top-ranking Country artist.

When Swift was fifteen, she rejected RCA Records because the company wanted to keep her on a development deal. Swift then performed at Nashville's songwriters' venue, The Bluebird Café, catching the attention of Scott Borchetta who signed her to his newly-formed record label, Big Machine Records. She also became the youngest staff songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Tree publishing house at 14.

Taylor Swift originally released her self-titled debut album in late 2005 to deaf ears. After almost a year, and the success of another young female that opened the doors for Swift (and the other new females), and her label sent her album out to the shelves again, to a very weak start, but there was a start. Her debut album was later released on October 24, 2006. Swift wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album, which debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 and sold 39,000 copies during its first week.[29] It later peaked at number one at Billboard Top Country Albums and number five on the Billboard 200. It also spent eight consecutive weeks at the top of the Top Country Albums charts and remained at the top for 24 out of 91 weeks. The only other country artists this decade to achieve the #1 sales position for 20 weeks or more are The Dixie Chicks and Carrie Underwood. As of November 2008, Taylor Swift has sold over three million copies and 7.5 million single downloads.

Swift's latest studio album, Fearless, was released in the United States on November 11, 2008. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. Its sales of 592,304 were the highest debut of any country artist in 2008. This is also the largest opening U.S. sales week in 2008 by a female artist in all genres of music, and the fourth biggest overall. She was the first artist in the history of Nielsen SoundScan to have two different albums in the Top 10 on the year end album chart. It also was the first album by a female artist in country music history to log eight weeks at #1 on The Billboard 200.

In January 2009, Swift announced her first headlining tour. Swift is taking her North American Fearless Tour 2009 to 52 cities in 38 states and provinces in the US and Canada over the span of 6 months. Opening acts include Kellie Pickler and Gloriana, a new group in country music. The tour features a theatrical presentation of graphics, sets and visual elements designed by Swift; Swift plays guitar as well as piano. Multiple costume changes and a fairy-tale castle are some of the elements of the three-act show. The tour has also been extended.

Swift has expanded her skills to acting, appearing on C.S.I. and SNL, also will appear in the upcoming movie Valentine's Day. She also added some major awards to her cabinet this year. Most notably the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award, she broke Kenny Chesney's three year winning streak, and which made her the youngest artist to win. She also broke Carrie Underwood's three year winning streak taking home the Female Vocalist of the Year award. This brought a roar across the Internet, as Swift is known for her weak vocals, so it seemed she didn't meet the criteria but still got the award.

Taylor Swift has become a major crossover act now, never admitting that her songs have been remixed to fit the Pop genre when they clearly have. Some say she is no longer country or is riding the country train in case the Pop world doesn't continue it's support, which ever it is and whatever she is doing right now it is working, as Billboard named her the 2009 Artist of the Year.

Swift's song are still geared to young high school girls, and that is where the majority of her fan base lye's. Seeing how Fearlees is coming to the end of its lifespan, we will have to see if her turning 20 will have any affect on her writing skills, and bring out some more mature material to reach out to a wider range of listeners. Or she could stick to the same format as her first two albums, and hope for the best. Regardless right now she is riding a very high wave.

Country's Top 5 Biggest Happenings Of The Decade: #4 Dixie Chicks

Dixie Chicks Crash, Burn, and Rise

The Dixie Chicks started out the decade winning both the 2000 ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year Award, making them only the sixth female(s) and first female group to do so. The group has sold 30.5 million albums in the United States through August 2009, making them the best-selling female group in the country.

The Bomb: During the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, the Dixie Chicks performed in concert in London on March 10, 2003, at the Shepherd's Bush Empire theatre in England. During the introduction to their song "Travelin' Soldier", Natalie Maines, a Texas native, said:

"Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

Shortly after, the U.S. media picked up the story and controversy erupted.

Fans were burning their cd's and country radio was refusing to play their music. DJ's were actually getting suspended in Texas if they played one of their songs.

"I don't think any of us ever trusted Nashville. When you're in that town you know everybody is talking about everybody else. Everybody is wishing for the other guy to fail." -Martie Maguire

Maines publicly apologized to an unwanting ear. Bruce Springsteen and Madonna both felt compelled to come out in support of the right of the band to express their opinions freely.

April, 2003, the Dixie Chicks launched a publicity campaign to explain their position. During a prime-time interview with Diane Sawyer, Maines said she remained proud of her original statement. The band also appeared naked (with private parts strategically covered) on the May 2 cover of Entertainment Weekly magazine, with slogans such as "Traitors," "Saddam's Angels," "Dixie Sluts", "Proud Americans," "Hero," "Free Speech", and "Brave" printed on their bodies. The slogans represented the labels (both positive and negative) that had been placed on them in the aftermath of Maines' statement.

On March 16, 2006, the Dixie Chicks released the single "Not Ready to Make Nice" in advance of their upcoming album. Written by the Chicks and songwriter Dan Wilson, it directly addressed the political controversy that had surrounded the group for the previous three years:

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and I don’t have time to go 'round and 'round and 'round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

and, in reaction to the death threat Maines had received, as well as a response to a protesting woman telling her small child to say "screw 'em":

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better
Shut up and sing or my life will be over

Taking the Long Way debuted at number one on both the U.S. pop albums chart and the U.S. country albums chart, selling 526,000 copies in the first week (the year's second-best such total for any country act) and making it a gold record within its first week, despite having little or no airplay in areas that had once embraced them. The Chicks became the first female group in chart history to have three albums debut at #1. Take that Nashville!

The Icing on the Cake: The Chicks went on to win t the 49th Grammy Awards Show on February 11, 2007, the group won all five categories for which they were nominated, including the top awards of Song of the Year and

Record of the Year

, both for "Not Ready to Make Nice", and

Album of the Year

, for Taking the Long Way. Maines interpreted the wins as being a show of public support for their advocacy of free speech. It had been 14 years since an artist had swept those three awards.

Country's Top 5 Biggest Happenings Of The Decade: #5 Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney Hits the Ground Touring
Kenny Chesney has become synonymous with "Stadium Tours" in the 2000's. Starting out as an opening act for Tim McGraw, he saw what it took and how much more it could become and ran with it. Bringing multiple acts and turning a concert into more of a all day sporting event including tailgating and everthing that comes with it.

Chesney has won the Billboard Touring Award for Top Package Tour four consecutive years between 2005 and 2008; Somewhere In The Sun Tour 2005, The Road & The Radio Tour 2006, Flip-Flop Summer Tour 2007, and The Poets & Pirates Tour 2008. not sure where Sun City Carnival Tour 2009 will end up this year just yet, but don't be surprised.

These tours have brought him some major accolades including four consecutive ACM Entertainer of the Year Awards, and four CMA Entertainer of the Year Awards in five years. Shockingly his streak was broken at both this year both by young women, Carrie Underwood took home the ACM trophy, and Taylor Swift the CMA.

Chesney announced this year will be his first break from touring, while he will do some shows he will not be putting on the usual production.

This Week On The Charts

Singles
Lady Antebellum gets its 5th week at the top with Need You Now, which marks their best week in their music career. Followed in order by Reba with Consider Me Gone (highest she has been in a long time), Luke Bryan with Do I, Dierks Bentley with I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes, and with the 5th spot, Craig Morgan with Bonfire.

Albums
Trailing Swift who is at the top, in the Top 5 albums are Carrie Underwood's Play On, Sugarland's Gold and Green, Lady Antebellum's self-titled album and Tim McGraw's Southern Voice, in that order.

Break outs
Zac Brown Band's, Highway 20 Ride is moving up the charts nicely, they may get their forth straigh #1 with this one.

Carrie Underwood's New single Temporary Home is racing up the charts with its inspiring message at this time of year. This will no doubt be her 12th straight #1 for her which just keeps her continuing to break all records in music/country history.

Carrie Underwood Announces Spring Tour

Carrie Underwood has announced a 45-city tour in 2010 to support her latest album, Play On. With dates in the U.S. and Canada, the first leg of the itinerary begins March 11 in Reading, Pa., and concludes May 30 in Spokane, Wash. She will be joined by Craig Morgan as well as Sons of Sylvia, a band formerly known as the Clark Brothers, who also collaborated with Underwood on Play On.

During her Carnival Ride tour in 2008, the American Idol winner performed 137 shows for a total of 1.2 million fans. Which helped earn her, her ACM Entertainer of the Year title!

"I am getting so excited about next year as we are currently working through all the big plans for the tour," she said. "I cannot wait to perform new music and see familiar faces across the U.S. and Canada!"

Here's a list of the tour dates:

March 11: Reading, Pa.
March 12: Albany, N.Y.
March 13: Providence, R.I.
March 15: Portland, Maine
March 16: Bridgeport, Conn.
March 19: Atlantic City, N.J.
March 20: Mashantucket, Conn.
March 21: Worcester, Mass.
March 23: Hamilton, Ontario
March 24: Kanata, Ontario
March 26: Trenton, N.J.
March 27: Amherst, Mass.
March 29: Wilkes Barre, Pa.
March 31: Rochester, N.Y.

April 1: Pittsburgh, Pa.
April 3: Pikeville, Ky.
April 6: Columbus, Ohio
April 7: Peoria, Ill.
April 9: Indianapolis
April 10: Rockford, Ill.
April 12: Fort Wayne, Ind.
April 13: Saginaw, Mich.
April 14: Lansing, Mich.
April 23: Grand Rapids, Mich.
April 24: Toledo, Ohio
April 25: Cincinnati
April 27: Richmond, Va.
April 28: Charleston, W.Va.
April 30: Fayetteville, N.C.

May 1: Columbia, S.C.
May 2: Augusta, Ga.
May 4: Tallahassee, Fla.
May 5: Pensacola, Fla.
May 7: New Orleans
May 8: Lafayette, La.
May 10: Beaumont, Texas
May 12: Austin, Texas
May 13: Corpus Christi, Texas
May 15: Tucson, Ariz.
May 18: Fresno, Calif.
May 20: Sacramento, Calif.
May 21: Reno, Nev.
May 22: Las Vegas
May 29: Everett, Wash.
May 30: Spokane, Wash.

Faith Hill & Carrie Underwood Celebrate The Holiday's

Two of Country Music's female big voices are sharing the holiday's with millions on the small screen. Carrie Underwood and Faith Hill will be hosting Holiday specials.

Carrie Underwood with Dolly Parton

Everyone knows Carrie Underwood can sing. Nigel Lythgoe wants you to know she's also funny.

The co-creator of So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol, the show that started Underwood on the path to stardom, spoke to the media this week about Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special. It airs Monday at 8 p.m. on Fox.

Besides Underwood, the show features country singers Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton; fellow American Idol winner David Cook; Broadway and TV stars Kristin Chenoweth and Christina Applegate; and country music trio Sons of Sylvia.

"As you'll see on this special, it's not just about her singing on this," Lythgoe said. "It's about her comedy timing and everything else.

"She just handles herself as if she's been in the business for 20 years and not the four or five she's been in now."

Lythgoe is confident this show will be fun.

"I love the fact that her real sister and her mom take part in the show and the very fact that Carrie is up there to be self-deprecating," he said. "You don't get that very often nowadays and it's a beautiful quality, one that I hope she never loses."

So for a some good family T.V. time check out this Holiday Special Monday at 8 p.m. on Fox. Here is a preview of what you can look forward to;



Faith Hill will star in the 11th annual A Home for the Holidays special. airing Dec. 23 on CBS. Guest performances will include Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood, as well as Mary J. Blige, Michael Franti and Shakira. This will be Hill's second time to host the special, which will share people's personal stories about foster care adoption. Hill was adopted shortly after her birth.

Look for this musical pleasure airing Dec. 23 on CBS.

And yes Carrie Underwood and Faith Hill will be working together so I think the scene from the 06' CMA's is water under the bridge!

Happy Holiday Season.

Taylor Swift Grabs Eight Grammy Noms

Taylor Swift received the second most nominations for the Grammy's announced earlier tonight. They included;

Record Of The Year - You Belong With Me
Album Of The Year - Fearless
Song Of The - You Belong With Me
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - You Belong With Me
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals - Breathe - Taylor Swift & Colbie Caillat

She was also nominated in three Country categories with some other country greats. Here are all the Country nominations;

Best Female Country Vocal Performance

Dead Flowers
Miranda Lambert

I Just Call You Mine
Martina McBride

White Horse
Taylor Swift

Just A Dream
Carrie Underwood

Solitary Thinkin'
Lee Ann Womack

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

All I Ask For Anymore
Trace Adkins

People Are Crazy
Billy Currington

High Cost Of Living
Jamey Johnson

Living For The Night
George Strait

Sweet Thing
Keith Urban

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

Cowgirls Don't Cry
Brooks & Dunn

Chicken Fried
Zac Brown Band

I Run To You
Lady Antebellum

Here Comes Goodbye
Rascal Flatts

It Happens
Sugarland

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

Beautiful World
Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin

Down The Road
Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally

Start A Band
Brad Paisley & Keith Urban

I Told You So
Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis

Everything But Quits
Lee Ann Womack & George Strait

Best Country Song

All I Ask For Anymore
Casey Beathard & Tim James, songwriters (Trace Adkins)

High Cost Of Living
Jamey Johnson & James Slater, songwriters (Jamey Johnson)

I Run To You
Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

People Are Crazy
Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones, songwriters (Billy Currington)

White Horse
Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

Best Country Album

The Foundation
Zac Brown Band

Twang
George Strait

Fearless
Taylor Swift

Defying Gravity
Keith Urban

Call Me Crazy
Lee Ann Womack

Congrats to all the Country nominees that will be representing at the Grammy's

*Food for thought - Are the Grammy's as confused as the rest of country fans and don't know if Swift is either Pop or Country?