“This is a dream,” Emmy Russell said when she first entered the American Idol 2024 audition and met the panel consisting of Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. After an impressive performance of her original song, “Skinny,” she exited with three yeses, a golden ticket to Hollywood, and a dream slowly coming true. “Tell … Read more
In April 1987, George Strait released “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” as the second single from his album Ocean Front Property. It became one of the most popular songs by George Strait and is widely regarded as one of his best. In fact, the song ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. … Read more
Back in 2019, Lukas Nelson, one of Willie Nelson’s four children who decided to follow in his musical footsteps, dropped an acoustic rendition of “My Own Peculiar Way.” According to Lukas, he had been having a great time out on the road and playing with his dad. And so, he decided to do a cover … Read more
Singer-songwriter Keith Urban lived out a fan’s biggest dream – and a country musician’s, too – when he collaborated with his lifelong idol and one of his biggest influences, Don Williams. He was featured on Williams’ track “Imagine That” off his 2012 studio album And So It Goes. It was one of two Don Williams … Read more
In August 2018, everyone was swept away by a video uploaded by Darell Burnett on Facebook featuring a blind girl from the Philippines casually belting a Dolly Parton classic, “I Will Always Love You,” whilst sitting down the whole time. And people couldn’t get enough of her rendition. In fact, in a matter of a … Read more
In July 1969, Linda Martell released her version of “Color Him Father” as the debut single of her country music career. Her rendition captivated audiences, earning positive reviews. It even peaked at No. 22 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, where it spent a total of ten weeks. The single became Martell’s highest-peaking track on … Read more
Deciding on the absolute best country artists is a near-impossible task, guaranteed to spark lively discussions and passionate disagreements. This genre, steeped in storytelling, soulful melodies, and twangy guitars, has produced a staggering number of iconic figures. While any list is inherently subjective, certain artists stand as undisputed giants whose voices and songs have shaped … Read more
Country singer Ben Haggard went straight to the major leagues, performing on stage at 15 as the lead guitarist of his father’s band, The Strangers. He said, “I never had any experience on stage, and I had to adapt or essentially not play.” But he didn’t regret it because it taught him many things. And … Read more
On November 22, 1999, Toby Keith released “How Do You Like Me Now?!” as the second single from his fifth studio album. The song swiftly soared high, ranking No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart – where it spent five weeks atop. It also marked his first crossover success on the Billboard Hot 100, … Read more
In an episode of NBC’s hit show “Little Big Shots” in 2018, an 11-year-old girl with autism, Kaylee Rogers, broke all odds as she sang her rousing rendition of Leonard Cohen’s hit gospel song “Hallelujah” with Grammy award-winning group, Pentatonix. Before her guesting on the show, Kaylee was already quite the internet sensation. But what … Read more
Beyoncé made an epic debut on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with her country single “Texas Hold ‘Em” landing at No. 1. According to Billboard, the song amassed 19.2 million streams on official platforms and garnered an audience of 4.8 million through airplay across all formats. With such a feat, Beyoncé made history by becoming … Read more
In 2017, country singer Joe Nichols released his soul-stirring track “Billy Graham’s Bible” as part of his album Never Gets Old. The song aims to revive traditional country music, which has been slowly fading through the years. With the desire to fill in the shoes of country legends like Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, and Merle … Read more
In 1965, the iconic bluegrass duo Flatt & Scruggs released their breakout gospel song “Get in Line Brother” as part of their album Great Original Recordings. Before becoming the iconic duo, they were members of Bill Monroe’s band, the Bluegrass Boys, from 1945 to 1948. But in 1949, the two decided to form their group, … Read more
On August 20, 2001, Toby Keith released “I Wanna Talk About Me” as the second single from his album Pull My Chain. The song became a chart-topping hit, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. It also experienced triumph on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at No. 3. It remains … Read more
On January 28, 1983, country music band Alabama released “Dixieland Delight” as the lead-off single from their album The Closer You Get…. It reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, making it one of the many successful songs by Alabama. “Dixieland Delight” became one of their signature tunes and remains popular among country … Read more
In 2018, American Christian singer Lauren Daigle released her breakout song “You Say” as part of her album Look Up Child. Upon its release, it immediately landed on the charts, peaking at no. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs Chart. “You Say” became such a radio hit … Read more
In 1990, country superstar Reba McEntire released her sixteenth studio album, “Rumor Has It.” The album immediately made it to the charts, landing at no. 4 on the “US Top Country Albums (Billboard). Aside from that, it also won the triple platinum award from RIAA for having a total of over 3 million album sales … Read more
In 1990, Grammy award-winning singer Bill Gaither released his breakout gospel hit “I Believe, Help Thou My Unbelief” as part of his album A Few Good Men. “I Believe, Help Thou My Unbelief” is among the best-written songs Gaither and his wife Gloria had ever released. It is a song that has touched many Christians’ … Read more
Many are surprised to learn that “There’ll Be Peace in The Valley for Me,” popularly known as “Peace in the Valley,” by Mahalia Jackson, is the original version of the hit gospel song. In fact, writer Thomas A. Dorsey wrote it especially for her in 1939. Most are familiar with Elvis Presley or Red Foley’s … Read more
In 2018, rising country music artist Scott Southworth released his breakout single “I Ain’t Leaving Town” featuring Bobby Marquez as part of his album, Hey Hillbilly Singer! With various modern musical genres popping out nowadays, song releases about loving country music are rare to come by. But, through new artists of the 21st century, the … Read more
In 1999, the southern gospel vocal group Gaither Vocal Band released their song “Let Freedom Ring.” Although the song didn’t land on any musical charts, it became an anthem in political rallies, religious gatherings, and even patriotic ceremonies. Captivated by the Grammy award-winning band’s voices, “Let Freedom Ring” immediately became one of Gaither Vocal Band’s … Read more
In 1989, American country singer Don Williams released his hit single “Old Coyote Town” as part of his album “Traces.” Co-written by Larry Boone together with Paul Nelson and Gene Nelson, the song also appeared on Boone’s 1988 album Swingin’ Doors, Sawdust Floors. Upon its release, “Old Coyote Town ” immediately climbed up the charts, … Read more
When Cole Swindell released the third single, “Flatliner,” off his 2017 gold-selling sophomore album You Should Be Here, which he co-wrote with Jaron Boyer and Matt Bronleewe, he was on a chart steak. That is, since 2013’s “Chillin’ It,” Cole Swindell’s radio singles topped either of the two leading country airplay charts. He already had … Read more
After Elvis Presley’s breakthrough hit cover of Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog” written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Leiber said in their 2009 book “Hound Dog: The Leiber and Stoller Autobiography” that music publisher Jean Aberbach wanted another Leiber-Stoller smash for the Kind of Rock & Roll. And so, they came up with an idea: … Read more
Country singer Travis Tritt poured his everything out in his 1995 hit song “Tell Me I Was Dreaming.” And let us warn you: It’s so heartbreaking, you’d literally feel your chest throbbing from the pain. This track, written by Tritt along with Bruce Ray Brown and produced by Gregg Brown, was the second of the … Read more
While Keith Whitley’s solo career only spanned five years, tragically cut short by his sudden death in 1989, his impact was undeniably immense. Even those who don’t really listen to country music may have come across at least one or two Keith Whitley songs just like his five number-one hits: “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “When … Read more
Country music singer Randy Travis released his rendition of the 1868 hymn “In The Sweet By and By,” with lyrics by Sanford Fillmore Bennett and music by Joseph Philbrick Webster, in his 2003 album Worship & Faith. The song was previously covered by fellow country icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Loretta … Read more
No country music fan wouldn’t know about the iconic country music duos, most especially Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. The two collaborated on 11 studio albums from 1971 to 1988, earning five chart-toppers off five different albums – including their fifth and final hit “Feelins” from their same-titled 1975 album. The song, which was written … Read more
“Blue Skies” was originally written by American award winner composer Irving Berlin as a last-minute addition to the musical Betsy in 1926, which became an instant hit. Several artists recorded and performed the song, but it was in 1946 that it became notable because it became the title for a Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire film. It … Read more
Initially released by Kris Kristofferson in 1970, the piece “Help Me Make It Through The Night” is still famous today. The lyrics speak about a man’s longing for intimacy, making it controversial. Despite that, several artists, like Sammi Smith, Olivia-Newton John, Engelbert Humperdink, and Willie Nelson, still released their versions. Smith’s version bagged the Grammy … Read more