2006 – Country Universe

100 Greatest Contemporary Country Albums: #5-#1

December 30, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 10

Five albums. Seven women. Fourteen million copies sold. The latest list comes to an end as I said it would in the beginning, dominated by the female artists who have been such a potent creative

100 Greatest Contemporary Country Albums: #10-#6

December 26, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 2

#10 Tough All Over Gary Allan 2005 An explosion of anger, regret and grief, Allan made the strongest album of his career in the aftermath of his wife’s suicide. “Best I Ever Had” may have

Best Country Albums of 2006

December 24, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 9

My 2005 list was dominated by established female artists returning to greatness, and this year’s list complements it well, as 2006 is dominated by male artists either reaching new artistic heights or returning to them.

Songwriter Dennis Linde Passes Away

December 23, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 5

Dennis Linde, one of country music’s most clever and unique songwriters, has died. He was 63. His songwriting credits include “Burning Love” (Elvis Presley), “Goodbye Earl” (Dixie Chicks), “Callin’ Baton Rouge” (Garth Brooks, New Grass

CMT Giants: Reba Proves the Trisha Theory

December 22, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 17

The Trisha Theory: Once Trisha Yearwood sings or records a song, it has been sung definitively. No other vocalist need bother tackling it; they will inevitably pale in comparison to Yearwood’s performance of the song.

Best Reissues and Compilations of 2006

December 18, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 4

As much as we love new music, reissues and compilations are what ultimately record the history of country music. Greatest Hits albums remain in print long after most studio albums have been cut out, while

Best Country Singles of 2006

December 17, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 9

It wasn’t a banner year for the genre like 2005 was, but there were still a lot of good singles sent to radio and retail this year. Some were hits, some weren’t, but these were

Best of ’06 Lists Start Rolling In

December 16, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 4

Country Universe will begin posting best of 2006 lists over the next two weeks, with a look back at the year’s best singles and reissues. Lists from established publications have already begun rolling in, with

100 Greatest Contemporary Country Albums: #15-#11

December 10, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 5

#15 Homeward Looking Angel Pam Tillis 1992 If she hadn’t already released a mediocre pop album in the early 80’s, Pam Tillis would be able to claim one of the best debut albums ever with

2007 Grammy Nominations

December 8, 2006 Kevin John Coyne 2

As readers of this site know, I am a big fan of the Grammy Awards. They have a tendency to acknowledge many of the artists that I enjoy the most with their nominations every year,