Kevin John Coyne

Single Review: Big & Rich, "That's Why I Pray"

July 9, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 7

Scattershot social commentary, too wide in scope and too narrow in perspective.

Here’s how it works:

100 Greatest Men: #47. Rodney Crowell

July 8, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 10

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

First as a songwriter, then as a new country superstar, and currently as an alternative country icon, Rodney Crowell has made an indelible mark on country music for nearly four decades.

Single Review: Jerrod Niemann, "Shinin' on Me"

July 7, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 3

I’ve got an idea about how we can stop the bleeding.

Let’s make it mandatory for all new country singles to have arrangements like the ones on Jerrod Niemann records. While we’re at it, let’s keep Zac Brown Band on retainer, too.

Single Review: Lee Brice, “Hard to Love”

July 6, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 5

Hard to love, but easy enough to like.

100 Greatest Men: #48. Kris Kristofferson

July 6, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 4

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

Though his Hall of Fame career has now stretched several decades, Kris Kristofferson will forever be defined by his legendary songwriting in the late sixties and early seventies.

Single Review: David Nail, “Someone Like You”

July 5, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 4

You really can’t mess this one up.

“Someone Like You” is going to be covered endlessly anyway. It’s already a standard.

Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, "Ka-Ching!"

July 5, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 3

2003 | Peak: #2 (Europe, Austria, Sweden); #3 (Germany); #8 (U.K.)

Shania Twain at her most deliciously subversive.

“Ka-Ching!” stands in such sharp contrast to her entire catalog that it’s something of a shock that she wrote and recorded it.

100 Greatest Men: #49. Toby Keith

July 4, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 7

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

After first finding success as a smooth country balladeer, Toby Keith got in touch with his sense of humor and aggressive bravado. The combination made him one of the biggest country stars of the new century.

100 Greatest Men: #50. Don Williams

July 4, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 11

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

As soft-spoken off the record as on, Don Williams became known as the Gentle Giant, as he quietly racked up dozens of hits over the course of two decades.

Retro Single Review: George Strait, &quot;Famous Last Words of a Fool&quot;

July 4, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 1

1988 | Peak: #1

Strait previewed his eighth studio album, If You Ain’t Lovin’ You Ain’t Livin’, with a cover of a minor hit by Dean Dillon from 1983.