Showing posts with label Dixie Chicks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dixie Chicks. Show all posts

Saturday, November 22, 2025

The Top 100 Songs of 21st Century Americana

Americana –
21st Century:

Top 100 Songs

Americana music is a celebration of roots-oriented musical forms that are heavily associated with the United States. It reaches back hundreds of years to traditional music, gospel, Negro spirituals, folk, blues, and country for its influence although it is framed in a more modern context. It really surfaced in the late ‘60s as an outgrown of the folk rock movement with artists like The Band and The Grateful Dead becoming some of the best known groups to incorporate it into their music. Check out the Dave’s Music Database list The Top 100 Americana Songs from the 20th Century.

Americana, however, was not restricted to the 20th century. In the 21st century, Grammy wins for Album of the Year for the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ Raising Sand, and Mumford & Sons’ Babel made it clear that Americana was not just a throwback sound that had peaked in the 20th century. Therefore the list below is a celebration of New Americana, or Americana in the 21st century.

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

1. Johnny Cash “Hurt” (2002)
2. The Lumineers “Ho Hey” (2012)
3. Hozier “Take Me to Church” (2013)
4. Passenger “Let Her Go” (2012)
5. Hozier “Too Sweet” (2024)
6. Noah Kahan “Stick Season” (2022)
7. Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves “I Remember Everything” (2023)
8. The Dixie Chicks “Not Ready to Make Nice” (2006)
9. Mumford & Sons “I Will Wait” (2012)
10. Kacey Musgraves “Follow Your Arrow” (2013)

11. Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow “Picture” (2001)
12. Chris Stapleton “Tennessee Whiskey” (2015)
13. Noah Kahan with Post Malone “Dial Drunk” (2023)
14. The Lumineers “Ophelia” (2016)
15. Mumford & Sons “Little Lion Man” (2009)
16. Brandi Carlile “The Joke” (2017)
17. Ray LaMontagne “You Are the Best Thing” (2008)
18. Zach Bryan “Something in the Orange” (2022)
19. Brandi Carlile “The Story (I Was Made for You)” (2007)
20. Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová “Falling Slowly” (2006)

21. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit “If We Were Vampires” (2017)
22. Bright Eyes “First Day of My Life” (2005)
23. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats “S.O.B.” (2015)
24. Alabama Shakes “Hold On” (2012)
25. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros “Home” (2009)
26. The Soggy Bottom Boys “Man of Constant Sorrow” (2001)
27. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss “Please Read the Lette” (2007)
28. Beck “Lost Cause” (2002)
29. Chris Stapleton “White Horse” (2023)
30. Loretta Lynn & Jack White “Portland, Oregon” (2004)

31. Chris Stapleon “Broken Halos” (2017)
32. John Mellencamp “Our Country” (2006)
33. Mumford & Sons “The Cave” (2009)
34. The Lumineers “Stubborn Love” (2012)
35. Wilco “Jesus, Etc.” (2002)
36. Leonard Cohen “You Want It Darker” (2016)
37. Mumford & Sons “Guiding Light” (2018)
38. Mumford & Sons “Believe” (2015)
39. Brandi Carlile “Right on Time” (2021)
40. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” (2007)

41. The Highwomen “Crowded Table” (2019)
42. Bob Dylan “Things Have Changed” (2000)
43. Buce Springsteen “Devils & Dust” (2005)
44. Fleet Foxes “White Winter Hymnal” (2008)
45. Chris Stapleton “Starting Over” (2020)
46. Sturgill Simpson “Turtles All the Way Down” (2014)
47. Lord Huron “The Night We Met” (2015)
48. The Head and the Heart “All We Ever Knew” (2016)
49. Kacey Musgraves “Justified” (2021)
50. Hozier “Someone New” (2014)

51. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats “You Worry Me” (2018)
52. Bon Iver “Skinny Love” (2007)
53. Jason Isbell “24 Frames” (2015)
54. Chris Stapleton “You Should Probably Leave” (2020)
55. Kacey Musgraves “Rainbow” (2018)
56. Lucinda Williams “Righteously” (2003)
57. The Lumineers “Gloria” (2019)
58. Ryan Adams “New York, New York” (2001)
59. Zach Bryan “Pink Skies” (2024)
60. Lyle Lovett “12th of June” (2022)

61. Alabama Shakes “Don’t Wanna Fight” (2015)
62. Zach Bryan with The War & the Treaty “Hey Driver” (2023)
63. Courtney Barnett “Pedestrian at Best” (2015)
64. Zach Bryan & the Lumineers “Spotless” (2023)
65. Sharon Van Etten “Seventeen” (2019)
66. Noah Kahan & Hozier “Northern Attitude” (2023)
67. Kacey Musgraves “Merry Go Round” (20120
68. Sufjan Stevens “Chicago” (2005)
69. Brittany Howard “Stay High” (2019)
70. Tracy Chapman “Telling Stories (There Is Friction in the Space Between)” (2000)

71. Bon Iver “Holocene” (2011)
72. John Mellencamp with Bruce Springsteen “Wasted Days” (2021)
73. Kacey Musgraves “Space Cowboy” (2018)
74. The Avett Brothers “Ain’t No Man” (2016)
75. Nathaniel Rateliff “And It’s Still Alright” (2020)
76. The Head and the Heart “Lost in My Mind” (2011)
77. Mumford & Sons “The Wolf” (2015)
78. John Mellencamp “If I Die Sudden” (2008)
79. Hozier “Eat Your Young” (2023)
80. The Avett Brothers “I and Love and You” (2009)

81. Hozier with Mavis Staples “Nina Cried Power” (2018)
82. Neko Case “Hold on Hold On” (2006)
83. Old Crow Medicine Show “Wagon Wheel” (2004)
84. The Head and the Heart “Missed Connection” (2019)
85. Mumford & Sons “Lover of the Light” (2012)
86. Bonnie Raitt “Just Like That” (2022)
87. The Decemberists “This Is Why We Fight” (2011)
88. Sturgill Simpson “In Bloom” (2016)
89. The Lumineers “Life in the City” (2019)
90. Ray LaMontagne & the Pariah Dogs “Beg, Steal or Borrow” (2010)

91. Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues” (2011)
92. Neko Case, k.d. lang, & Laura Veirs “Atomic Number” (2016)
93. Phoebe Bridgers “Motion Sickness” (2017)
94. Patty Griffin “Heavenly Day” (2007)
95. Mindy Smith “Come to Jesus” (2004)
96. Keb’ Mo’ with Jaci Velasquez “This Is My Home” (2019)
97. John Prine “I Remember Everything” (2020)
98. The Avett Brothers “Kick Drum Heart” (2009)
99. Shakey Graves “Dearly Departed” (2014)
100. Josh Ritter “Getting Ready to Get Down” (2015)

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First posted 11/22/2025.

   
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Friday, March 22, 2024

Top 100 Country Albums of All Time

Country Music:

The Top 100 Albums

This was originally posted as a top 20 list on Facebook and then expanded for the DMDB blog. 38 lists (sources at bottom of page) focused on country albums were aggregated to create this list. Albums making 3 or more of those lists were ranked by their overall status in Dave’s Music Database. Also factored in were those which topped the country album chart or won Country Album of the Year awards from the Academy of Country Music, American Music Awards, Billboard, Country Music Association, Dave’s Music Database, and the Grammys.

There is a lot of cross-polination between country, folk, and Americana. I’ve created three separate lists for these genres and allowed an album to only show up on one of the three lists. Check out those and other best-of-genre/category lists here.

1. Shania Twain Come on Over (1997)
2. Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (1968)
3. Taylor Swift Fearless (2008)
4. Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)
5. Various artists O Brother Where Art Thou (soundtrack, 2000)
6. Taylor Swift Red (2012)
7. Chris Stapleton Traveller (2015)
8. Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour (2018)
9. Garth Brooks Ropin’ the Wind (1991)
10. The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)

11. Gram Parsons Grievous Angel (1974)
12. Garth Brooks No Fences (1990)
13. Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits (compilation: 1947-53, released 1978)
14. Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits (compilation: 1977-80, released 1980)
15. Patsy Cline 12 Greatest Hits (compilation: 1957-63, released 1973)
16. Morgan Wallen Dangerous: The Double Album (2021)
17. Garth Brooks The Hits (compilation: 1989-1993)
18. Carrie Underwood Some Hearts (2005)
19. Johnny Cash At San Quentin (live, 1969)
20. Taylor Swift Speak Now (2010)

21. The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)
22. Billy Ray Cyrus Some Gave All (1992)
23. Dixie Chicks Home (2002)
24. Shania Twain Up! (2002)
25. Dixie Chicks Wide Open Spaces (1998)
26. Sturgill Simpson A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016)
27. Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose (2004)
28. Morgan Wallen One Thing at a Time (2023)
29. Dixie Chicks Fly (1999)
30. Willie Nelson Red-Headed Stranger (1975)

31. Shania Twain The Woman in Me (1995)
32. Lady Antebellum Need You Now (2010)
33. Shania Twain Greatest Hits (compilation: 1994-2004, released 2004)
34. Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way (2006)
35. Garth Brooks Double Live (1998)
36. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972)
37. Kacey Musgraves Same Trailer, Different Park (2013)
38. Alan Jackson Greatest Hits Volume 2 and Some Other Stuff (compilation: 1996-2003, released 2003)
39. Alabama Greatest Hits (compilation: 1980-86, released 1986)
40. Gram Parsons G.P. (1973)

41. Alan Jackson The Greatest Hits Collection (compilation: 1989-95, released 1995)
42. Chris Stapleton Starting Over (2020)
43. Taylor Swift Taylor Swift (2006)
44. Garth Brooks In Pieces (1993)
45. Taylor Swift Red (Taylor’s Version) (2021)
46. Kenny Rogers The Gambler (1978)
47. Miranda Lambert Platinum (2014)
48. Luke Combs This One’s for You (2017)
49. Emmylou Harris Wrecking Ball (1995)
50. Garth Brooks Sevens (1997)

51. Clint Black Killin’ Time (1989)
52. Tim McGraw Greatest Hits (compilation: 1994-99, released 2000)
53. Garth Brooks The Chase (1992)
54. Kenny Rogers Ten Years of Gold (compilation: 1967-77, released 1978)
55. Eagles Long Road Out of Eden (2007)
56. George Strait 50 Number Ones (compilation: 1982-2004, released 2004)
57. Zach Bryan American Heartbreak (2022)
58. Willie Nelson Stardust (1978)
59. LeAnn Rimes Blue (1996)
60. Garth Brooks Garth Brooks (1989)

61. Faith Hill Breathe (1999)
62. Randy Travis Always and Forever (1987)
63. Chris Stapleton From a Room, Volume 1 (2017)
64. Various Artists Coyote Ugly (soundtrack, 2000)
65. Luke Bryan Crash My Party (2013)
66. Kacey Musgraves Star-Crossed (2021)
67. Eric Church Chief (2011)
68. Various Artists Country Music (box: 1928-2002, released 2019)
69. Waylon Jennings Greatest Hits (compilation: 1968-78, released 1979)
70. Willie Nelson Always on My Mind (1982)

71. Gretchen Wilson Here for the Party (2004)
72. Jason Aldean My Kinda Party (2011)
73. Garth Brooks The Ultimate Hits (compilation: 1989-2007, released 2007)
74. Alan Jackson Drive (2002)
75. Lyle Lovett Pontiac (1987)
76. Charlie Rich Behind Closed Doors (1973)
77. Willie Nelson Greatest Hits & Some That Will Be (compilation: 1973-81, released 1981)
78. Tim McGraw Not a Moment Too Soon (1994)
79. Alan Jackson A Lot about Livin’ and a Little ‘Bout Love (1992)
80. Alabama Mountain Music (1982)

81. Rascal Flatts Me and My Gang (2006)
82. Kenny Chesney When the Sun Goes Down (2004)
83. Mary Chapin Carpenter Come on, Come On (1992)
84. Alabama The Closer You Get (1983)
85. Brad Paisley Time Well Wasted (2005)
86. Alabama Feels So Right (1981)
87. Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, & Jessi Colter Wanted! The Outlaws (1976)
88. Brooks & Dunn Brand New Man (1991)
89. Toby Keith Shock ‘n Y’all (2003)
90. Reba McEntire Greatest Hits Volume Two (compilation: 1988-93, released 1993)

91. Miranda Lambert Revolution (2009)
92. George Strait Blue Clear Sky (1996)
93. John Denver Back Home Again (1974)
94. Glen Campbell Wichita Lineman (1968)
95. Kenny Rogers Kenny (1979)
96. Garth Brooks Fresh Horses (1995)
97. Elvis Presley Moody Blue (1977)
98. Garth Brooks Scarecrow (2001)
99. Randy Travis Storms of Life (1986)
100. Dwight Yoakam Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc. (1986)

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First posted 3/17/2010; last updated 3/22/2024.

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Thursday, December 31, 2020

2020: Top 25 Albums

First posted 1/8/2021; updated 1/12/2021.

Dave’s Music Database:

Top Albums of 2020

Based on a combination of year-end lists and overall status in Dave’s Music Database, these are the top 25 albums of 2020:

  1. Taylor Swift Folklore
  2. Fiona Apple Fetch the Bolt Cutters
  3. Bruce Springsteen Letter to You
  4. The Weeknd After Hours
  5. Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways
  6. Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia
  7. Phoebe Bridgers Punisher
  8. Taylor Swift Evermore
  9. Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 4 (RTJ4)
  10. Dixie Chicks Gaslighter

  11. Haim Women in Music Part III
  12. Pop Smoke Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
  13. Lady Gaga Chromatica
  14. Lil Baby My Turn
  15. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit Reunions
  16. Lil Uzi Vert Eternal Atake
  17. Tame Impala The Slow Rush
  18. BTS Map of the Soul: 7
  19. Perfume Genius Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
  20. 21 Savage/Metro Boomin Savage Mode II

  21. AC/DC Power Up
  22. Juice Wrld Legends Never Die
  23. Rina Sawayama Sawayama
  24. Ariana Grande Positions
  25. The Strokes The New Abnormal

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Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Rick Rubin: Top 50 Albums

First posted 3/10/2020.

Rick Rubin:

Top 50 Albums

Happy birthday to Rick Rubin! He was born Frederick Jay Rubin on 3/10/1963 in Long Beach, New York. He became a record executive with Def Jam, American Recordings, and then Columbia. “The barefoot Buddha with the woolly salt-and-pepper beard” UT was once dubbed the king of rap by the Village Voice. WP He “was among the key figures behind the commercial and artistic rise of hip-hop, lending his signature rap/metal style to many of the biggest records of the pre-gangsta era.” AMG However, he branched out to work with artists as diverse as Adele, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, the Dixie Chicks, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Rolling Stone called him “the most successful producer in any genre” UT and MTV said he is “the most important producer of the last 20 years.” WK Rubin has produced more than 100 albums with total sales of more than 100 million. WP In 2007, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. WK

Esquire magazine says Rubin is “one of the few industry giants with the confidence to just let artists be themselves.” WK Rubin says his role is “‘to inspire and challenge artists to do their best work, and to do it for the sake of the work as opposed to the ends.” UT Daron Malakian of System of a Down says, “Rick’s like the song doctor. If you play something for him, it’s like going in for a checkup…the songs always feel better after his suggestions.” WP

Rubin continues, saying “Today’s surplus of lousy albums results largely from the twisted agendas of labels and managers who fixate on deadlines and marketing rather than nurturing talent…I try to…refocus everything on the art and the artist’s truth.” UT Malakian adds, “Production with Rick doesn’t mean you're going to sit in a studio. It might mean you go to a record store or to the beach. Or you go for a drive. You bond as people first.” WP

Early Years (1963-1984):

Rubin grew up in an upper-middle-class neighborhood in Long Island. He says his parents, Mickey and Linda, smothered and spoiled him and hoped he would become a doctor or lawyer. WP However, he was more interested in “aggressive sounds and outlaw music.” UT As he said, “I like things that are unique and extreme.” UT He was never into drugs, but was somewhat of an outcast in school, wearing sunglasses and black leather. WP

He had a band, the Pricks, in high school, and played guitar in an art-punk band called Hose while at New York University. WK He even played a few gigs at the legendary CBGB’s club in New York, WP but “never considered himself a musician.” UT When he enrolled at NYU, he intended to go to law school, until he was enamored by rap music, or what he considered “black punk rock.” WP He became a fixture at New York hip-hop clubs and was disappointed with most of the rap singles he purchased because he wished the records “felt and sounded like being at a club” WP instead of “disco songs with guys rapping on them.” WP As he says, “I started making records I wanted to hear. I didn’t know it was a viable job.” UT

Def Jam (1984-1988):

Rubin produced his first single, It’s Yours, in 1984 for T La Rock and Jazzy Jay. It became one of the biggest rap hits in New York and got Rubin noticed by Russell Simmons, a music promotor from Queens who also managed his brother’s group, Run-D.M.C. Simmons was shocked when he found out that “‘the blackest song he’d ever heard’ was produced by a Jewish kid from Long Island.” WP The two founded Def Jam, operating out of Rubin’s dorm room at Weinstein Hall, with his parents fronting them $5000. Def Jam made the big time when they landed a $2 million distribution deal with Columbia and broke big with LL Cool J’s 1985 album Radio. WP

The album wasn’t much more than rapping and percussive beats, showcasing Rubin’s minimalist approach which eliminated string sections, backup vocals, reverb, and other typical production elements in favor of naked vocals and instrumentation. WK Instead of a “Produced by Rick Rubin” credit in the liner notes, it read “Reduced by Rick Rubin.” WK Rubin also challenged LL Cool J, “rap’s biggest solo star,” WP “to add traditional song structure to his work, figuring that if it worked for the Beatles, it should work for everyone else.” WP Rubin’s approach had “an immediate impact, playing a key role in rap’s rise.” UT

Another trademark of Rubin’s early work became a fusion of rap and heavy rock. It was his idea for Run-D.M.C. to cover Aerosmith’s Walk This Way, a move credited with reviving Aerosmith’s career and introducing rap to mainstream audiences. WK Run- The song’s parent album, Raising Hell, along with the Beastie Boys’ “obnoxious and bratty” WP Licensed to Ill, “rap broke worldwide in 1986.” AMG The latter exploded “rap’s sonic boundaries [by] adding punk and metal to the mix,” WP a move which hooked “masses of white suburban kids” WP and gave the album the distinction of being the first rap album to top the Billboard album chart. WP

Def American (1988-1993):

Rubin’s relationship with Simmons suffered ad Def Jam flourished. In 1988, Rubin left Def Jam and moved to Los Angeles to launch Def American. He signed a number of heavy rock acts and “abrasive artists” WP like Slayer, Geto Boys, and Andrew “Dice” Clay, who recorded “shocking, controversial albums…with unflinching tracks about murder, Satanic worship, necrophilia and Nazism.” WP “I guess edgy things tend to get my attention,” Rubin said. “But it wasn’t the fact that it was offensive that made me like it…The music is what drives me.’” WP

Rubin signed a deal with Time Warner for a reported $75 to $100 million and “his label jumped out to a fast start with bestsellers from the likes of the Black Crowes and Sir Mix-a-Lot.” WP In 1991, Rubin produced Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the breakthrough album by Red Hot Chili Peppers. AMG Under the Bridge, the album’s #2 pop hit, grew out of Rubin’s discovery of a poem written by Anthony Kiedis about overcoming heroin addiction. Rubin convinced the reluctant singer to present it to the band. WP

American Recordings (1993-2006):

In 1993, Rubin dropped “Def” from the name and the label became American Recordings. Johnny Cash’s career-reviving album of the same name would signify Rubin’s greatest career achievement aside from launching rap into the mainstream. Cash had been at a creative and commercial low when Rubin met him and convinced him to overhaul unlikely rock tunes, most notably Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt, into stripped-down, emotionally-bare confessionals.

Rubin worked a similar magic for Neil Diamond, who had “created a cabaret image by drifting from his emotional core as a singer/songwriter.” UT 12 Songs “was the crooner’s best-reviewed work in decades, landing on more than a few music critics’ best-of-2005 lists.” WP It also reached #4 on the Billboard album chart, Diamond’s highest chart position in a quarter century. Diamond said, “I was one of those radio stars killed by videos. It was hard to get back on track. With Rick, I found the right path. He picked up on the vibe of acoustic guitar and understatement, something I haven’t done in years and wasn’t able to replicate until this album.” UT

During this time, Rubin lent production duties to chart-topping albums from artists as diverse as Audioslave, the Dixie Chicks, Jay-Z, System of a Down, and Justin Timberlake. He also won Producer of the Year in 2007 for work with Johnny Cash, the Dixie Chicks, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and U2. The Dixie Chicks also won the Album of the Year Grammy for their Rick Rubin-produced Taking the Long Way.

Columbia (2007-2012):

Rubin was named co-head of Columbia Records in May 2007. He produced #1 albums for Adele, Neil Diamond, Linkin Park, and Metallica. He wond the Producer of the Year Grammy again in 2009. In 2012, Adele’s 21, with several songs produced by Rubin, won the Grammy for Album of the Year.

Republic Records (2012-):

In his post-Columbia years, Rubin lent production duties to #1 albums from Eminem, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Kanye West, and the comeback of Black Sabbath.

Rick Rubin’s Top 50 Albums:

Here are the 50 albums produced by Rick Rubin. 19 of these rank in the top 1000 albums of all time according to the DMDB.

  1. Adele 21 (2011)
  2. Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
  3. Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
  4. Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill (1986)
  5. Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006)
  6. Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication (1999)
  7. Ed Sheeran X (Multiply) (2014)
  8. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Greatest Hits (1976-93, released 1993)
  9. Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell (1986)
  10. Red Hot Chili Peppers By the Way (2002)

  11. Lucinda Williams Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)
  12. System of a Down Toxicity (2001)
  13. Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium (2006)
  14. Johnny Cash American Recordings (1994)
  15. Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way (2006)
  16. U2 Best of 1980-1990 (compilation: 1980-2006, released 2006)
  17. Red Hot Chili Peppers Greatest Hits (1989-2003, released 2003)
  18. Slayer Reign in Blood (1986)
  19. Kanye West Yeezus (2013)
  20. Black Crowes Shake Your Money Maker (1990)

  21. Jay-Z The Black Album (2003)
  22. Johnny Cash American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)
  23. Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
  24. The Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
  25. Metallica Death Magnetic (2008)
  26. Aerosmith O Yeah! The Ultimate Hits (compilation: 1973-2002, released 2002)
  27. Sheryl Crow The Globe Sessions (1998)
  28. Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight (2007)
  29. LL Cool J Radio (1985)
  30. Red Hot Chili Peppers What Hits!? (compilation: 1984-91, released 1992)

  31. Johnny Cash American III: Solitary Man (2000)
  32. Public Enemy Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987)
  33. System of a Down Mezmerize (2005)
  34. Shakira Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 (2005)
  35. Red Hot Chili Peppers One Hot Minute (1995)
  36. Audioslave Out of Exile (2005)
  37. Audioslave Audioslave (2002)
  38. Johnny Cash Unearthed (box set: 1993-2003, released 2003)
  39. Tom Petty Wildflowers (1994)
  40. Kanye West The Life of Pablo (2016)

  41. Johnny Cash American V: A Hundred Highways (2006)
  42. The Avett Brothers I and Love and You (2009)
  43. Weezer Make Believe (2005)
  44. Johnny Cash Ameican VI: Ain’t No Grave (2010)
  45. Linkin Park A Thousand Suns (2010)
  46. Neil Diamond i>12 Songs (2005)
  47. Eminem Revival (2017)
  48. Lady Gaga Artpop (2013)
  49. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Echo (1999)
  50. Linkin Park Living Things (2012)

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Why the Grammys Matter

Originally published in my "Aural Fixation" column on PopMatters.com on February 18, 2013. See original post here.

So your favorites didn’t win, huh? Get over it. Bashing the Grammys is too easy. Try recognizing them as markers of what is happening in the music industry, not on your iPod.
The day after the 2012 Grammys, an NPR article debating the award ceremony’s merits found its way onto my Facebook feed (“Question of the Week: Be Honest – Do You Care About the Grammys?”, 11 February 2013). As Jacob Ganz notes, “cataloging the Grammys’ flubs has become easy sport,” yet he answers his question with “a surprising yes.”

Wait – what? How could any self-respecting journalist part with the widely-held belief that “the Grannys” are out of touch and irrelevant? Didn’t this guy get his Music Journalism 101 handbook? It clearly spells out what anyone writing about music is supposed to hate: pop music made for and by teens and tweens, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, bands that sell out and, most of all, the Grammys.

After all, this is the organization which made such notorious flubs as giving a Best New Artist trophy to Milli Vanilli and deciding to break in its hard rock category by bypassing Metallica in favor of Jethro Tull. The judges thought it made more sense to give Song of the Year to Roger Williams’ “Little Green Apples” than The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”. Heck, this is the organization which gave Tony Bennett’s 1994 MTV Unplugged the lofty Album of the Year prize.

Indeed, there are some embarrassing chapters in the Grammy history book. However, more often than not, the Grammys get it right. Well, maybe not 100 percent right, but more right than wrong. Let’s look at just the last decade’s Album of the Year winners (parentheses indicate year it won, not year of release):

  • Mumford & Sons Babel (2013)
  • Adele 21 (2012)
  • Arcade Fire The Suburbs (2011)
  • Taylor Swift Fearless (2010)
  • Robert Plant and Allison KraussRaising Sand (2009)
  • Herbie Hancock River: The Joni Letters (2008)
  • Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way (2007)
  • U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2006)
  • Ray Charles Genius Loves Company (2005)
  • OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2004)

The most popular criticism of the Grammys is that it leans toward safe, middle-of-the-road picks. Most of these albums can be spun at a dinner party without riling the guests. Even OutKast, arguably the edgiest act on this list, is bound to produce smiles when “Hey Ya!” kicks in.

However, this isn’t just a list of music for 40somethings and beyond. Adolescents caught with Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons on their iPods aren’t going to become pariahs. No matter how mainstream Adele and Taylor Swift are, can anyone reasonably argue they don’t deserve golden trinkets to decorate their fireplace mantles?

Another common complaint levied specifically at the Album of the Year prize is that it’s more of a career achievement award. That certainly has happened – does anyone really think Hancock’s River or Charles’ Genius are the pinnacles of their careers? Doesn’t it seem silly that the former beat out Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black and Kanye West and that the latter triumphed over Green Day, Usher, Alicia Keys, and, well, Kanye West?

Sorry, Kanye. None of these are for Album of the Year;
image from smokingsecion.uproxx.com

However, most of these albums were significant releases representative of a surprisingly wide array of genres including folk, British blue-eyed soul, rock, country, Americana, jazz, R&B, and rap.

Cynics may whine that none of these albums represent their genre at its best. Sure, Taylor Swift may be categorized as country, but she’s more pop. U2 may be the biggest rock band in the world, but they hardly represent the edgiest stuff the genre has to offer. These albums, however, may well open up the average music fan to stretch his or her music palette.

Detractors are fond of screaming “The Grammys are just a popularity contest!” Uh, yeah. That’s kind of the point. The Recording Academy isn’t generally trying to tout the next big thing – unless it’s crowning Esperanza Spalding Best New Artist like a couple years ago. Its members are understandably looking to boost the profiles of already familiar properties. The ideal candidates mix critical acclaim and an “it” factor along with commercial clout. It should be no surprise that the Grammy powers-that-be aren’t aiming to spotlight your local club’s favorite Saturday night bar band as the best in its field.

One of the biggest flaws behind the average person’s arguments regarding awards shows, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or assessments of who should and shouldn’t get radio airplay comes down to this: people are baffled when the rest of the world doesn’t share their musical tastes.

It also wouldn’t hurt to remember that when Mumford & Sons takes home the big one, their fans who have been with them since the beginning had their dreams come true – the rest of the world did catch on to their personal tastes. 

Reflect on the Grammys of yesteryear and there are signs that things have changed. Look at the ‘80s. It was the decade of the blockbuster and the Grammys were doled out accordingly. Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, George Michael, Lionel Richie, and U2 all produced memorable Album of the Year pop chestnuts, but were far from edgy picks which would challenge the average music listener to open up to a “new” kind of music.   

Maybe you didn’t root for Mumford & Sons or Adele the last couple years. Maybe you have no use for them at all. However, they are flag bearers for some of the most significant directions for music in recent years. Along with success for the Mumfords comes exposure for The Lumineers, Alabama Shakes, The Avett Brothers, and The Decemberists – and maybe a dip of the toe into the musical folk-rock pond which spawned them. People who champion Adele might also try Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Joss Stone, Florence + the Machine, or other artists indebted to the blue-eyed soul of Dusty Springfield a generation ago. 

That’s the context in which to judge the Grammys. They are markers of what is popular today and what is trending for tomorrow, but they can also serve as links to the musical past. Complain and whine about the awards if you wish, but as for Jacob Ganz’s question “Do You Care About the Grammys?” I reply with a resounding Yes!

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Saturday, March 10, 2012

Producer Rick Rubin was born: March 10, 1963

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Friday, June 29, 2007

Crowded House released “Silent House”

Silent House

Crowded House

Writer(s): Neil Finn, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison (see lyrics here)

Released: 6/29/2007 (album cut on Time on Earth)

First Charted: --

Peak: 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): --

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, -- streaming

Awards (Crowded House):

Click on award for more details.

Awards (Dixie Chicks):

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

“Silent House” was a joint writing effort between Neil Finn and the Dixie Chicks. Neither released it as a single, but both recorded versions. It was first featured on the latter’s 2006 album Taking the Long Way Home, which won the Grammy for Album of the Year. A year later, Finn recorded his version of the song with his band, Crowded House. It was featured on Time on Earth, the band’s first album in fourteen years.

Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks said the song is about her grandmother, who’d been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for a decade. The song reflects on “memories of her triggered by walking through the house.” SF She described it as “a sad song that tries to be sweet” BT and that it takes the perspective that “it’s okay to forget, I’ll try and carry on.” BT

The Dixie Chicks’ version “is quintessential country, complete with banjos a-plucking and fiddles a-whining.” GW It isn’t a fast song, but the drums do give it momentum. Vocally, Maines has a “strong, forthright” voice and “the melody is firmly in her wheelhouse.” GW

By contrast, on the Crowded House version, the drums are “barely there: less percussive, and more like thumps, like heartbeats.” GW Additionally, Finn’s “voice is softer, more vulnerable.” GW As such, the latter version ends up striking a more somber, reflective tone. The song takes on even more weight with the knowledge that Paul Hester, Finn’s bandmate in Crowded House and Split Enz, had committed suicide in 2005. While a different kind of loss, one can’t help but wonder if Finn thinks about Hester when he sings the song.

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First posted 5/6/2020; last updated 11/13/2023.

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Sunday, February 11, 2007

Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way won Album of the Year

Taking the Long Way

The Dixie Chicks

Released: May 23, 2006

Peak: 12 US, 19 CW, 10 UK, 14 CN, 2 AU

Sales (in millions): 3.0 US, 0.1 UK, 3.96 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: country

Tracks:

Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts.

  1. The Long Way Around (8/29/06, --)
  2. Easy Silence
  3. Not Ready to Make Nice (3/25/06, 4 BB, 36 CW, 32 AC)
  4. Everybody Knows (5/6/06, 45 CW)
  5. Bitter End
  6. Lullaby
  7. Lubbock or Leave It
  8. Silent House
  9. Favorite Year
  10. Voice Inside My Head
  11. I Like It
  12. Baby Hold On
  13. So Hard
  14. I Hope (10/22/05, 54 CW)

Total Running Time: 66:42

The Players:

  • Natalie Maines (vocals, Omnichord)
  • Martie Maguire (fiddle, viola, mandolin, strings, background vocals)
  • Emily Robison (banjo, guitar, papoose, accordion, sitar, background vocals)

Rating:

4.235 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

About the Album:

As if following up three albums that sold nearly 30 million copies and a battle with their record label over royalties weren’t enough, this Texas trio now known as the Chicks were facing backlash from criticism of then-President George W. Bush made by lead singer Natalie Maines. Conservative country radio suddenly wanted nothing to do with them. To their credit, Maines, Martie Maguire, and Emily Robison did not back down. While their country audience diminished, they had become international superstars bigger than a particular genre.

“Their sound and sensibility played to an audience that was much bigger and more self-consciously sophisticated than the country audience, so their shift from country to pop on 2006’s Taking the Long Way feels natural.” STE “The trio’s harmonies still shine brightly, they still play with conviction, and they still have a strong body of songs here.” STE On songs like “the defiant Not Ready to Make Nice [Grammy winner for song and record of the year] and the redneck-baiting Lubbock or Live It” STE they “don’t sound like they’re in retreat…they merely sound like they’re being themselves.” STE

“They are now savvy, sophisticated urbanites” STE that are now “a little more NPR than hot country” STE with a sound that is “more suited for upscale apartments and coffeehouses” STE than Nashville. The album cover even suggests the newer image with them looking “like they’ve stepped out of Sex and the City.” STE

The band outsourced some songwriting to the likes of Sheryl Crow, Neil Finn (Crowded House, Split Enz), Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), Dan Wilson (Semisonic, Trip Shakespeare), and bluesman Keb’ Mo’. “All are accomplished songwriters whose strengths may not seem to lie in country, but they all know how to structure a song, and they help give the group direction and the album focus.” STE

They also worked with famed producer Rick Rubin. His “skill on picking collaborators for the trio makes up for his typically flat production – it’s clean and classy but not colorful, which it begs to be, given that this is a pop album filled with different styles and textures from rollicking rock & roll to soulful laments to sweet ballads. But this lack of zest in the production is forgivable because Taking the Long Way is otherwise a strong, confident affair that is far from suggesting the Dixie Chicks are being cowardly for moving away from country. Rather, they’re bravely asserting their identity through this varied, successful crossover move.” STE

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First posted 10/8/2011; last updated 2/6/2024.

 
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Saturday, September 14, 2002

Dixie Chicks Home hit #1

Home

Dixie Chicks

Released: August 27, 2002

Peak: 14 US, 119 CW, 33 UK, 2 CN, 4 AU

Sales (in millions): 6.01 US, 0.1 UK, 8.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: country

Tracks:

Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts.

  1. Long Time Gone (6/8/02, 7 US, 2 CW)
  2. Landslide (9/7/02, 7 US, 2 CW, 1 AC)
  3. Travelin’ Soldier (1/26/02, 25 US, 1 CW)
  4. Truth No. 2
  5. White Trash Wedding (9/14/02, 56 CW)
  6. A Home
  7. More Love
  8. I Believe in Love
  9. Tortured, Tangled Hearts (9/14/02, 58 CW)
  10. Lil’ Jack Slade
  11. Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) (6/7/03, 48 CW)
  12. Top of the World

The Players:

  • Martie Maguire (fiddle, mandolin, viola, vocals)
  • Natalie Maines (vocals)
  • Emily Robison (banjo, Dobro, accordion, vocals, Papoose)

Rating:

4.144 out of 5.00 (average of 17 ratings)

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

About the Album:

The Dixie Chicks’ previous effort, Fly, followed its predecessor into the 10-million-selling stratosphere. “Following Fly turned out to be a little more difficult for the Dixie Chicks, not least because they were involved in an ugly battle with their record company over royalties. While they were away, country radio grew stricter, but there were undercurrents of change, particularly in the grassroots success of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. The Dixie Chicks always had deep country roots, but it was entirely conceivable that they could have chosen the pop route, since it’s always the safest bet for established stars to follow the mainstream – especially after they have been away for a while.” AMG

“Fortunately, one thing this trio has never been is predictable, and they were emboldened by their successful battle with the label, along with the O Brother, leading to the stunner that is Home, their sixth album.” AMG Sure, they cover Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide, but otherwise “there are no concessions to pop anywhere; there are hardly any electric guitars, actually. This is a pure country album, loaded with fiddles, acoustic guitars, and close harmonies, but retaining the Chicks’ signature flair, sense of humor, and personality.” AMG

“It’s a vibrant, quirky, heartfelt record that finds the group investing as much in a funny, rollicking number like White Trash Wedding or something as sadly sweet as Godspeed (Sweet Dreams).” AMG

“But the key to the album is that, as they so brilliantly put it on the wonderful opener, Long Time Gone, they recognize many modern country singers ‘sound tired but they don’t sound Haggard’ and ‘have money but they don’t have Cash’ – and this is a sentiment that doesn’t just apply to those riding the charts, but to the po-faced alt-country contenders who are too serious to have fun.” AMG

“They deftly balance modern attitudes with classic instrumentation, all built on terrific songwriting, winding up with an album that feels purer than anything on the charts, yet much livelier and genuine than alt-country. This is what country music in 2002 should sound like. With Home, the Dixie Chicks illustrate that country music should be simple but adventurous, sincere but fun. In doing so, they've delivered not just their best album, but what’s arguably the best country album yet released in the 2000s. Needless to say, an instant classic.” AMG

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First posted 3/29/2008; last updated 3/13/2024.

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