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By Emily (Age 16, USA)
While McGraw has had so many hits on all different albums, this 2004 release was one of his best albums to date. Even though the album’s singles didn’t do the best on the charts, it was still a great album. The leadoff single, “Live Like You Were Dying,” went to number one and gave Tim a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. The song was a personal song to his father, Tug McGraw, who died in 2004. The second single, “Back When,” is another noteworthy song that also hit number one. Other songs that make the album so great are “My Old Friend,” “Drugs or Jesus,” and “Do You Want Fries with That?” All were singles off of the album, and “Drugs or Jesus” was the only one not to make it into the top 10 on the charts. The album features Tim McGraw’s real, country voice and shows how he’s still around and here to stay. Also check out his newest album, Southern Voice, which dropped in 2009. It’s my second favorite Tim album of the 2000’s.
It was difficult choosing just one Keith Urban album from this decade. Defying Gravity is definitely one of my favorite Keith albums, though. This fifth album was released March 31st, 2009, and became his first album to hit number one on Billboard 200. Not only were the vocals spot on, but the music was great, too. A thing many critics noted was that Urban used the banjo more. This is true, and it made the songs even better, in my opinion. While my favorite Urban song isn’t on this album, there are so many great songs that are on the top of my Keith Urban list. Not only are the singles great, “Sweet Thing,” “Kiss a Girl,” “Only You Can Love Me This Way,” “Til Summer Comes Around,” and “I’m In,” but the album offers a variety of songs that you’ll love. “Thank You” was a song that Urban co-wrote. While it hasn’t been a single, the song is still a great one, and has been said it’s for his wife, Nicole Kidman. “If Ever I Could Love” has my favorite lyric in it (“your heart and mine tonight are defying gravity”), and is where the album’s title came from. “Standing Right in Front of You” is a fun song to listen to, as well. Overall, the album is more about love and being happy than usual for Keith Urban, but it’s a great change. Also check out Golden Road (2002), which features so many great songs, including my favorite, “You’ll Think of Me.” And check out Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing (2006), which received mixed reviews.
Carrie’s first album is still my favorite album by her. I’m not her biggest fan, but I have to admit her debut album was great. The album was released November 15th, 2005, and has since been certified seven times platinum. Not only were the singles great, but the rest of the album was amazing, as well. “Jesus, Take the Wheel” was a great first single. “Before He Cheats” and “Some Hearts” are two songs that are fun to sing along to. “Wasted” and “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” are more serious songs, but are still fun and showcase Underwood’s singing ability. “Lessons Learned” has a great message and is beautifully sung. “We’re Young and Beautiful” was my favorite song off of the album, even though it wasn’t released as a single. It was just a fun, energetic song to sing. “Whenever You Remember” is a nice ballad that complements the album well. Underwood’s vocals sound amazing on “Starts with Goodbye.” While I prefer her debut album over her two follow ups, also check out Carnival Ride (2007). It features some songs you’ll love to sing and dance to, including “The More Boys I Meet,” “Flat on the Floor,” and “Last Name.” The stand out songs to me were “Wheel of the World” and “Just a Dream.”
Alan Jackson is far from my favorite artist in the country industry. But his 2002 album is amazing in my eyes. The album won Album of the Year at the 2003’s Academy of Country Music Awards. “Drive” is personally one of my favorite Alan Jackson songs ever. “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” is also a favorite. The song was written by Jackson about the 9/11 World Trade Towers attacks. The song makes you think and is a great song all around. “That’d Be Alright” was also a single off of the album, but is another favorite Alan Jackson song. While the song is relatively short, at only three minutes and forty-one seconds, the video is much longer, around nine minutes. Don’t let this small fact keep you from listening to the song, though. Also check out Jackson’s 2008 release, Good Time. “Good Time,” “Small Town Southern Man” and “Sissy’s Song” are all great songs to listen to.
It was incredibly difficult choosing one album because this amazing band just show up in the 2000’s. Their third album which was released in 2004, is probably my favorite album. It was certified 5x platinum and had some great singles. “Fast Cars and Freedom,” “Feels Like Today,” and “Bless the Broken Road” are some of the more well-known Rascal Flatts songs today. All did well as singles and proved that the boys were here to stay. “Skin” is one of my favorite songs all time, and while it was initially a hidden track, it was later released as a single. Every time I hear it, I cry. “Where You Are,” “Here’s to You,” “Break Away,” “Holes,” and pretty much the entire album are all great songs that I love to listen to. “Here’s to You” is a song written for the fans. Also check out Me and My Gang (2006) with songs like, “What Hurts the Most” (one of the most popular Rascal Flatts songs), “Stand,” “My Wish,” “I Feel Bad,” “Me and My Gang,” and “He Ain’t the Leavin’ Kind.” Also, Still Feels Good (2007) which features songs such as, “Here,” “Take Me There,” “Bob That Head,” “Winner at a Losing Game,” “Secret Smile” (one of my favorites), “No Reigns,” “It’s Not Supposed to Go Like That” (which makes me cry and is also one of my favorites), and “Every Day.”
Kenny is one of country music’s best artists, so it was difficult to choose just one album of his. The 2002 release of his seventh album was big, and since then the album has gone four times platinum. Stand out songs include “Young” and “Big Star.” Both are fun songs you can sing to and feature Kenny’s great vocal ability. “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” is one of my favorite songs to listen to during the summertime. “The Good Stuff” is by far my favorite Kenny song. It was named the number one country single of 2002. It’s also one of Kenny’s best singles to date. Also check out When the Sun Goes Down (2004) with songs that top my Kenny Chesney list like, “I Go Back,” “There Goes My Life” and “When the Sun Goes Down ft. Uncle Kracker.” There are so many other great Chesney songs that aren’t on these two albums (like “You Saved Me”) but these are definitely the “cream of the crop.”
Many of my favorite Martina McBride songs I first heard off of her 2001 Greatest Hits album. The album sold over two million copies and was one of her best albums. It features 19 of the best Martina songs anyone has ever heard, at least up to 2001. “Independence Day” is one of my favorites off of the album, as well as “Blessed,” “My Baby Loves Me,” and “A Broken Wing.” My all-time favorite, though, would be “Concrete Angel.” The song is so beautiful, yet so sad, it just makes you want to cry. Martina McBride’s voice is beautiful on the entire album and makes you love her even more. The only two songs I wish were on the album were “God’s Will” and “This One’s For the Girls.” The album features songs you can dance to, and songs you can cry to. But they’re all great to listen to. Also check out Waking Up Laughing which features the hit song, “Anyway” and “How I Feel.”
Here for the Party - Gretchen Wilson Gretchen’s 2004 debut album is my favorite album she’s released so far. The album was received well, and secured Wilson’s place in the country industry. “Redneck Woman” is one of my favorite songs by Gretchen, and was the perfect way for her to enter the country music world. “Here for the Party” is a fun song that I like to sing along to. “When I think About Cheating” is my favorite song off of any of her albums. It reached number four on the country singles charts. The way Gretchen is able to sing the ballad makes me love it even more. It showcases the vocals that Gretchen has that you may not have been able to see with “Redneck Woman.”
5th Gear - Brad Paisley The fifth album released by Paisley was dropped in mid-2007. All of the first four singles hit number one at some point. When the album was later released in 2008, again, “Waitin’ on a Woman” was released with it. I’m happy it was rereleased because “Waitin’ on a Woman” is my favorite off of the album. “Ticks,” “Online,” and “I’m Still a Guy” are all fun, amusing songs to sing and listen to. Paisley definitely knows what people want to hear. “Letter to Me” is my second favorite off of the album, and is definitely a song I’ll be able to relate to when I’m older. Also check out American Saturday Night (2009) with songs like “Welcome to the Future” and “Water.” My all-time favorite Brad Paisley song, “Then,” is also on this album.
While Fearless may not be my favorite album (I prefer Taylor Swift), it’s still a great album. The album has won many awards for Taylor, including Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, ACM and CMA awards. The album has been certified six times platinum and the top selling album of 2009. “Forever and Always” is one of my favorites off of the album, and is one of the best to hear her perform live. “Fearless,” “Fifteen,” “Love Story,” and “You Belong With Me” are all great songs (“Love Story” and “You Belong with Me” were two of her biggest hits off of the album). “Hey Stephen” is my favorite off of the album, and doesn’t get the recognition it should. “Breathe” and “The Way I Loved You” are often overlooked, as well, but they’re two of the best on the album. “Change” is a great, inspirational song that Taylor performed for the Olympics, as well as at the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards. “You’re Not Sorry” is also a great song to listen to, especially if you’ve gone through a bad break up. “White Horse” is one of the best on the album, and makes you want to cry every time you hear it. Also check out Taylor Swift (2006), her debut album, with songs like, “Teardrops on My Guitar” (my all-time favorite), “Tim McGraw,” “Our Song,” “Picture to Burn,” and “Should’ve Said No.” Songs that are often overlooked that are fantastic are “Cold as You,” “Tied Together with a Smile,” “Mary’s Song,” and “Stay Beautiful.” Also, when Fearless was rereleased, it included six new songs. The best were “Forever & Always (Piano version),” “The Other Side of the Door” (which brings Taylor back to her country roots) and “Jump Then Fall.”
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