November 2014 – Country Universe

The Best Singles of 1994, Part 1: #40-#31

November 28, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 7

Six Hall of Famers appear in the opening entry of our Best Singles of 1994 list.

CU10: What a Turkey! The Worst Singles of the Last Ten Years

November 27, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 14

Country Universe has reviewed more than a thousand singles during its ten year run. Some of them have been real turkeys. Here are some of the worst, with highlights and links to the original reviews.

Ain’t Nothing Wrong with the Radio? (Or, When Nash ICON Came to Town)

November 23, 2014 Jonathan Keefe 12

I more or less gave up on radio about fifteen years ago, after I purchased my first iPod. Like most right-minded people, I’d rather listen to the music I know I love than resort to

Single Review: Garth Brooks, “Mom”

November 18, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 14

“Mom” Garth Brooks Written by Don Sampson and Wynn Varble Simply put, “Mom” is the best single that Garth Brooks has released since the first term of the Bill Clinton administration. Got your head around

Single Review: Rodney Atkins, “Eat Sleep Love You Repeat”

November 18, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 4

“Eat Sleep Love You Repeat” Rodney Atkins Written by Ryan Bizarri and Walker Hayes I don’t think anybody does “Aw, Shucks” country better than Rodney Atkins. Whether that’s a compliment or an indictment depends on

Album Review: Trisha Yearwood, PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit

November 17, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 34

Trisha Yearwood PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit PrizeFighter: Hit after Hit includes the first set of new material from Trisha Yearwood in seven years. That new material, six tracks in total, is uniformly excellent and often

The Best of 1994: The Ballot

November 13, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 25

Here are the singles and albums that our writers considered for our Best of 1994 lists.

Single Review: Brett Eldredge, “Mean to Me”

November 11, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 9

“Mean to Me” Brett Eldredge Written by Scooter Carusoe and Brett Eldredge Winning a major award seems as good a time as any to pay closer attention to an artist. Brett Eldredge collected his New

CMA 2014: The Winners, and The Good, the Bad, and the Whaaaat??

November 6, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 22

The 2014 CMA Awards show had more great moments than any telecast in years, pulling off the rare feat of making the genre appear far healthier and more appealing than it actually is! Here is

CMA Awards 2014: Staff Predictions and Picks

November 2, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 29

Despite the Grammys and even the ACM’s demonstrating more consistent taste over the past few years, the CMA’s remain the most significant industry awards that honor country music. This year’s slate of nominees gives the