This week, the Country Universe staff will be revealing its Top 40 Singles of 2008. Country music has always been a singles format, a trend still prevalent today, as evidenced by the widespread popularity of country radio. The formats have changed, with 78s replaced by 45s, and then by cassette and CD singles, until we reached the current standard of digital downloads. But the concept of the single has remained the standard.
With our picks taking center stage this week, tonight we ask you:
What were your favorite singles of 2008? Was this a good year for country music singles?
Lee Ann’s “Last Call” and Jamey’s “In Color” – were two of my favorites…I’m a sucker for those sad ol’ country songs…wish more artists could get ’em played on radio.
My five, in no special order:
“In Color”
“You’re Gonna Miss This”
“Johnny and June”
“Just a Dream”
“Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”
I’m sure I’ll miss some, but ones that I can remember (in no particular order, expect for the first):
Trisha Yearwood – “They Call It Falling for a Reason”
Patty Loveless – “Why Baby Why”
Lee Ann Womack – “Last Call”
Carrie Underwood – “Last Name”
Joey + Rory – “Cheater, Cheater”
Eric Church – “His Kind of Money (My Kind of Love)”
Crystal Shawanda – “You Can Let Go”
Rissi Palmer – “No Air”
Clint Black – “Long Cool Woman”
Ashton Shepherd – “Sounds So Good”
Alan Jackson – “Good Time”
Lady Antebellum – “Looking for a Good Time”
Emily West – “Rocks In Your Shoes”
Josh Turner (with TY) – “Another Try”
Garth Brooks & Huey Lewis – “Workin’ for a Livin'”
Brooks & Dunn – “Put a Girl In It” / Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
I admit, there are some in there that are kinda embarrassing, but I’m not afraid to admit I love them lol.
I think I preferred alternative rock’s radio singles better, this year, though.
just a dream-carrie underwood
gunpowder and lead-miranda lambert
youre gonna miss this-trace adkins
last call-le ann womack
I thought it was a strong year for debut/breakout singles – Lady A, Ashton Shepherd, Emily West, James Otto, Darius Rucker, Randy Houser and Joey + Rory all had solid releases – but overall I’d say it was a pretty weak year. Too many artists were concerned with releasing “hit” music for many of them to actually release any good music. There were still a good number of gems, but very little I’d call ‘classic.’
Lee Ann Womack – Last Call
Randy Houser – Anything Goes
Darius Rucker – Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It
Jamey Johnson – In Color
Those songs would be among my faves in any year, but I’d have to say it was one of the most uninteresting years in recent history as far as country singles go.
Just A Dream – Carrie Underwood
Waitin’ on a Woman – Brad Paisley
Last Call – Lee Ann Womack
I Saw God Today – George Strait
Another Try – Josh Turner and Trisha Yearwood
Gunpowder and Lead – Miranda Lambert
Fine Line – Little Big Town
Good Lord Willing – Little Big Town
Feel that Fire – Dierks Bentley
Start a Band – Keith Urban/Brad Paisley
Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It – Darius Rucker
Those are a few of my favorites of the year. I’m a sucker for the current country-pop stuff, but there were a few more traditional leaning songs I liked this year. Overall, I thought it was another solid year for country as far as hits. Artistically, it was kind of a weak year. But still another solid year for country music!
Gary Allan – Learning How To Bend
Lee Ann Womack – Last Call
Blake Shelton – She Wouldn’t Be Gone
Trace Adkins – You’re Gonna Miss This
It’s odd, I feel like the singles were great, but mostly the worst ones did well.
I’m for sure going to do a list on my blog very soon, so I won’t post it here. ;)
“this is me your talking to” and “they call it falling for a reason” trisha yearwood, “last call” lee ann womack and “in color” jamey johnson
I’m going with “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”, “Last Call”, and “Takin’ Off This Pain”. Rounding out my top pics is “What I Cannot Change”, which stiffed, and is probably more of a pop song than country, but I’m gonna keep flying the flag for it. All in all, though, I’m going with the consensus that this was a pretty weak year for singles.
Trying to Stop Your Leaving (I think this was an 08 release) – Dierks Bentley
Last Call – Lee Ann Womack
Every Other Weekend – Reba McEntire w/K Chesney or S. Ewing
Gosh, they are all rather melancholy. I guess it was a better year for sad break-up songs.
The first two I liked from the beginning, and I seem to appreciate them a little bit more each time I listen to them. The McEntire song made no impression on me at all initially, but the more I heard it later on, the more I realized how beautifully written and performed it was, no matter who she was singing it with.
Carrie Underwood – Just A Dream
Lee Ann Womack – Last Call
Trisha Yearwood – This Is Me You’re Talking To
Ashton Shepherd – Takin’ Off This Pain
Trace Adkins – You’re Gonna Miss This
Jamey Johnson – In Color
Patty Loveless: “Why Baby Why” and “Crazy Arms”
Not only are these two my favorite singles of ’08, by far…I think these are the two most unfairly neglected songs of the year. Patty’s singles deserved far more airtime than they received.
Honorable mention would go to Joey and Rory for: Cheater Cheater.
Was Miranda’s “Famous in a Small Town” from ’08? If so, that would also make my list.
I’ll be posting mine of CMC after I rap up the soldier songs so by next weekend I’ll broadcast my top 50 favorites of the year. Look forward to seeing your lists.
Last Call – Lee Ann Womack
What I cannot Change – LeAnn Rimes
Just a Dream – Carrie Underwood
Low – Sara Evans
Joey + Rory, Cheater, Cheater – not the best song, but completely irresistible
Miranda Lambert, Gunpowder And Lead
Lee Ann Womack, Last Call
Trisha Yearwood and Josh Turner, Another Try
Trisha Yearwood, This Is Me You’re Talking To
Ashton Shepherd, Taking Off This Pain
Aaron Watson, That’s What I Like About A Country Song
Patty Loveless, Crazy Arms
Star de Azlan, She’s Pretty
Jamey Johnson, In Color
Dolly Parton, Shinola
Randy Travis, Faith In You
Trace Adkins, Muddy Water
“Last Call” by LAW and “This Is Me You’re Talking To” by Trisha Y. have got to be the best.
other notibles include:
“Just A Dream” by Carrie Underwood
“Stay” by Sugarland (popular in 2008)
“You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins
“I Saw God Today” by George Strait
“Gunpowder And Lead” by Miranda Lambert
“What I Cannot Change” by LeAnn Rimes
“Low” by Sara Evans
“Jesus And Gravity” by Dolly Parton
“Already Gone” by Sugarland
“Cheater, Cheater” by Joey + Rory
“A Baby Changes Everything” by Faith Hill (not the best, but I still love it)
“Every Other Weekend” by Reba and Kenny Chesney
I believe some of the singles this year were good and a very little precentage of those became big hits, so I would say that this year was pretty blah in terms of singles compared to years past.. course thats just me, and I may be biased because the only voice I really hear nowadays on the radio most times is Taylor Swift.. but whatever.
My favorites were:
“Youre gonna Miss This”,
Both AShton Shepherd songs
“Chicken Fried”
“Last Call”
“Cheater, Cheater”
“Cowgirls don’t Cry”, and “Put a Girl in it”
“Good Time”, and Small Town Southern Man”
“In Color”
All in All, a very good year for country music.
I forgot “Just a Dream”
Just A Dream – CU
Your Gonna Miss – TA
More Like Her & Gunpowder And Lead – ML
Waitin’ on a Woman & Letter To Me – BP
Learning How To Bend – GA
Trying to Stop Your Leaving – DB
Everything’s Fine – JT
All and all I thought it was a good year for singles, although there were many songs not released that should have, and some that should did better then they did. I could have done with alot less KC and TS, tired of hearing them once every half hour, especially when the songs aren’t really all that.
Good year for albums, blah year for singles. That said:
Jamey Johnson “In Color”
Little Big Town “Fine Line”
Carrie Underwood “Just a Dream”
Miranda Lambert “Gunpowder & Lead”
Taylor Swift “Love Story”
My Top 18:
18. “Last Call” by Lee Ann Womack
17. “Do You Believe Me Now?” by Jimmy Wayne
16. “Love Don’t Live Here” by Lady A.
15. “Fine Line” by Little Big Town
14. “Home” by Blake Shelton w/Miranda Lambert
13. “You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins
12. “Cheater, Cheater” by Joey + Rory
11. “Space” by Sarah Buxton
10. “The Best Days of Your Life” by Kellie Pickler
9. “Johnny and June” by Heidi Newfield
8. “Gunpowder and Lead” by Miranda Lambert
7. “I Still Miss You” by Keith Anderson
6. “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” by Blake Shelton
5. “Last Name” by Carrie Underwood
4. “A Baby Changes Everything” by Faith Hill
3. “Just a Dream” by Carrie Underwood
2. “Life in a Northern Town” by Sugarland feat. Little Big Town w/Jake Owen (I think that it was released in ‘08???)
1. “Praying for Time” by Carrie Underwood
“Low” – Sara Evans
One of the best of the year, Also, “Chicken Fried” came to mind as well.
My top 15:
15. Darius Rucker – Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It
14. Miranda Lambert – Gunpowder & Lead
13. Carrie Underwood – Last Name
12. Jason Michael Carrol – I Can Sleep When I’m Dead
11. Jason Blaine – Flirtin’ With Me
10. Taylor Swift – I’m Only Me When I’m You (wasn’t actually a radio single, but there was a video for it)
9. Rascal Flatts – Every Day
8. Dierks Bentley – Trying to Stop Your Leaving
7. Josh Gracin – Unbelievable (Anne Marie)
6. Carrie Underwood – Just a Dream
5. Bon Jovi / LeeAnn Rimes – ‘Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore
4. Sugarland – Stay
3. Rascal Flatts – Bob That Head
2. Josh Gracin – We Weren’t Crazy
1. Taylor Swift – Should’ve Said No
Some honorable mentions:
Lost Trailers- Holler Back
Ashton Shepherd – Sounds So Good
Little Big Town – I’m With the Band
Billy Ray Cyrus / Miley Cyrus – Ready, Set, Don’t Go
Gretchen Wilson – Don’t Do Me No Good
Gary Allan – Watching Airplanes
My favorite singles of 2008…I couldn’t come up with ten:
* “In Color,” Jamey Johnson
* “Last Call,” Lee Ann Womack
* “Just Got Started Lovin’ You,” James Otto
* “Anything Goes,” Randy Houser
* “Waiting on a Woman,” Brad Paisley
* “They Call It Fallin’ for a Reason,” Trisha Yearwood
* “Love Don’t Live Here,” Lady Antebellum
* “Tequila on Ice,” Darryl Worley
Overall, I’m among those who were underwhelmed by 2008’s radio singles. In several cases, I found myself preferring artists’ album tracks and/or live performances to their singles (especially true of Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert and Sugarland, also true of Trisha Yearwood).
The “Life in a Northern Town” video was out late last year, but the song didn’t actually get worked to radio until March ’08 or so.
This is me you’re talking to…nothing comes close.
Trisha Yearwood’s singles were all excellent this year! I love the album!
“LOVE STORY”!!
I also loved “Chicken Fried”, “Letter to Me” (ALOT!), “In Color”, “Gunpowder and Lead”. I think that’s mostly it. I like Pickler’s current “Best Days of Your Life” as well.
So many good singles this year:
Sounds so Good – Ashton Shepherd
Love Don’t Live Here – Lady Antebellum
Chicken Fried – Zac Brown Band
Holler Back – Lost Trailers
They Call it Falling for a Reason – Trisha Yearwood
Good Lord Willing – Little Big Town
Country Man – Luke Bryan
I’m probably forgetting a whole load of ’em but this is a good list.
did anyone’s radio station play Trisha Yearwood’s “They Call It Falling for a Reason”?? Mine was too foolish to play it :(
I’d like to echo Taylor’s choices in post #24 and add Sara Evans’ “Low” and Zac Brown’s “Chicken Fried” to my list.
As much as I love Sara and her music, I don’t think “Low” is one of her best…still I like it far better than 90% of the other singles out this year, and it too deserved far more airplay than it received.
And cliche’d or not, I think “Chicken Fried” is a down home delight, and very traditional sounding. Even with the grafted-on and awkwardly excecuted patriotic ending. I love the Patriotic sentiment, but it’s been done better by other artists. Love the song overall though.
I’d also add “Holler Back” to my list.
But nothing beats Patty’s “Crazy Arms” or “Why Baby Why” in my book!
In Color – J. Johnson
Cheater, Cheater – Joey & Rory
Troubadour – G. Strait
You’re Gonna Miss This – T. Adkins
Anything Goes – R. Houser
Johnny & June – H. Newfield
This Is Me Your Talking To – T. Yearwood
Don’t THink I Don’t Think About It – D. Rucker