The Best Country Music of 2011
Contents
Check out a list of the best country music of 2011. You’ll find songs from artists like Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, and more.
Introduction
It’s been another great year for country music, with plenty of chart-topping singles and award-winning albums. Here are our picks for the best country music of 2011.
As always, there were plenty of great country albums released this year. One of the best was Eric Church’s “Chief”, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. Another standout album was Miranda Lambert’s “Four the Record”, which topped the country charts and earned Lambert a Grammy for Best Country Female Vocal Performance.
On the singles front, there were several great songs released this year, but one that stood out above the rest was Kenny Chesney’s “Somewhere with You”. The song spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and was named Song of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.
So those are our picks for the best country music of 2011. What are yours?
Best Country Albums of 2011
It was a great year for country music and these are the best albums of 2011. This list includes albums from well-known artists such as Lady Antebellum, Blake Shelton, and Miranda Lambert. These are the albums that made us smile, laugh, cry, and everything in between.
Carrie Underwood – Blown Away
Carrie Underwood’s album “Blown Away” was one of the best country albums of 2011. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It features the singles “Good Girl”, “Blown Away”, and “Two Black Cadillacs”.
Eric Church – Chief
Chief is the third studio album by American country music artist Eric Church. It was released on July 26, 2011, through EMI Nashville. Its singles “Homeboy”, “Creepin'”, and “Like Jesus Does” were all top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Upon its release, Chief debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts, becoming Church’s first album to do so. It received positive reviews from music critics and was nominated for Album of the Year at both the 54th Grammy Awards and the 2011 ACM Awards.
Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party
Jason Aldean’s album My Kinda Party was released in 2010 and became one of the best-selling albums of that year. The album’s lead single, “Dirt Road Anthem”, was a huge success, spending seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Country charts. Other popular singles from the album include “My Kinda Party”, “Don’t You Wanna Stay” (a duet with Kelly Clarkson), and “Tattoos on This Town”. My Kinda Party was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards, and won Album of the Year at the 2011 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Best Country Songs of 2011
It’s been a great year for country music, with a mix of old favorites and new voices making some great songs. Here’s a look at some of the best country songs of 2011.
Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”
Carrie Underwood is one of the most successful country artists of all time. She has had 14 #1 singles and has sold over 15 million albums. Her song “Good Girl” was released in 2012 and became her 13th #1 single. The song was written by Carrie Underwood, Ashley Gorley, and Chris DeStefano.
Eric Church – “Springsteen”
Eric Church’s “Springsteen” is a song about finding hope and comfort in the music of Bruce Springsteen. The song spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Country charts and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Song. The song’s lyrics speak to the power of music to bring people together and provide a sense of connection and unity.
Jason Aldean – “Dirt Road Anthem”
Aldean’s collaboration with rapper Ludacris on “Dirt Road Anthem” was one of the defining country crossover hits of 2011. The song, which samples Confederate Railroad’s “Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind,” took Aldean’s career to a new level, reaching No. 1 on both the country and pop charts and helping to break down barriers between the two genres.
Conclusion
We’ve reached the end of 2011, and it’s been a great year for country music. So many artists have released great albums and singles, and it’s hard to narrow it down to the best of the best. But we’ve tried, and here are our picks for the best country music of 2011.
Best Album: “My Kinda Party” by Jason Aldean
Aldean’s fourth studio album was released in November 2010, but its singles – “Dirt Road Anthem,” “My Kinda Party,” “Don’t You Wanna Stay” (with Kelly Clarkson) – were so popular that the album feels like it came out this year. It’s a great mix of party anthems and emotional ballads, and Aldean is at the top of his game.
Best Single: “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry
This song was released in June 2010, but it didn’t become a huge hit until early 2011. It spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and has been certified quadruple-platinum. The song is about a young person accepting death, but it also has a message of living life to the fullest – something we can all relate to.
Best Male Artist: Blake Shelton
Shelton had a great year with his album “Red River Blue” debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and producing three No. 1 singles – “Honey Bee,” “God Gave Me You,” and “Drink on It.” He also won Male Vocalist of the Year at both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards. His wife Miranda Lambert also had a great year (she won Female Vocalist of the Year at both awards shows), but we give Shelton the edge for his overall success in 2011.
Best Female Artist: Carrie Underwood
Underwood dominated the country music charts in 2011 with her album “Blown Away” debuting at No. 1 and producing three No. 1 singles – “Good Girl,” “Blown Away,�� and New single “Two Black Cadillacs.” She also won Female Vocalist of the Year at both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards (for a fourth consecutive year). We can’t wait to see what she does in 2012!
