For the Record
Artist: Alabama

Even though the title should be taken with a grain of salt -- an enormous number of these 44 songs did reach number one, but a handful only peaked at two or three -- there's no denying that For the Record is an impressive achievement. Spanning two discs and two decades, For the Record contains nearly every great song Alabama recorded, plus three... Read More

Stepping Stone
Artist: Lari White

Lari White has one of the finest voices in popular music. Her ability to bring the strength of her gospel background to anything she sings makes her talent a real treasure. Sadly, she has been misused and abused by the factory system in Music City and has not attained the success she should have. But quality can't be overlooked; like cream, it... Read More

Wide Open Spaces
Artist: Dixie Chicks
Community Score: 9.05

When sisters Martie Seidel and Emily Erwin founded the Dixie Chicks in 1989, could they have possibly known the success that would someday be theirs? After three independent records and several lineup changes, the group was re-energized by new lead singer Natalie Maines and the support of a major label, and exploded onto the contemporary country... Read More

What Livin's All About
Artist: Rhett Akins
Community Score: 9.00

As the title suggests, What Livin's All About finds Rhett Akins stripping back the production gloss somewhat in favor of straight-ahead, direct neo-traditional country. Of course, Akins still has his eye on the new country audience, so the album is hardly honky tonk, but it does reveal that he has a strong ear for material. Most of the songs... Read More

Come on Over
Artist: Shania Twain
Community Score: 8.40

Shania Twain's second record, The Woman in Me, became a blockbuster, appealing as much to a pop audience as it did to the country audience. Part of the reason for its success was how producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange -- best-known for his work with Def Leppard, the Cars, and AC/DC -- steered Twain toward the big choruses and instrumentation that... Read More

Outside the Frame
Artist: Paul Brandt
Community Score: 8.50

Paul Brandt's second album, Outside the Frame, is a successful continuance of the neo-traditionalist formula that made his debut, Calm Before the Storm, such a success. Again working with producer Josh Leo, Brandt finds the middle ground between traditional honky tonk and contemporary country pop and while the songwriting is occasionally uneven,... Read More

Let Me In
Artist: Chely Wright
Community Score: 10.00

For her third album, Chely Wright switched record labels and teamed up with producer Tony Brown, who helmed the boards for records by George Strait and Reba McEntire, among others. Brown stripped Wright's music down to the core -- for much of Let Me In, she's singing over clean acoustic arrangements; only a few cuts are adorned with pop-rock... Read More

Just Between You and Me
Artist: Kinleys

The Kinleys' debut album Just Between You and Me is an engaging set of country-pop illustrating that twin sisters Heather and Jennifer are quite gifted vocally. It's a joy to hear them sing these sweet country-pop tunes, even if the songs don't always equal their performances. With a more consistent set of material, the debut could have been... Read More

Another Perfect Day
Artist: Blake & Brian
Love & Gravity
Artist: BlackHawk
Community Score: 8.00

Love & Gravity finds BlackHawk breaking away from the standard slick contemporary country formula and attempting to deepen their musicality with layered harmonies and subtly structured songs. Although the results don't always work -- several of the songs are simply unmemorable -- its best moments demonstrate that BlackHawk is more talented and... Read More

Words
Artist: Sherrié Austin

"Male song writers... have a very feminine side." And co-writer/producer Will Rambeaux brings it out in Sherrie Austin's spectacular debut album, Words. Seven of the album's ten harmoniously passionate songs were written or co-written by Austin including the album's first two singles, the enthusiastic "Lucky in Love" and the earnest and sincere... Read More

Best of Billy Ray Cyrus: Cover To Cover
Artist: Billy Ray Cyrus
Community Score: 7.00

Billy Ray Cyrus recorded only four albums before releasing The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus, which indicates his status as a one-hit wonder. "Achy Breaky Heart" was the hit that made his career, but it also ruined it, since its jokey refrain and his good looks meant that no one took him seriously. There's not much evidence on The Best of Billy Ray... Read More

Greatest Hits
Artist: Pam Tillis
Community Score: 7.00

Greatest Hits contains all of Pam Tillis' biggest singles, including the Top Ten country hits "Don't Tell Me What To Do," "One of Those Things," "Maybe It Was Memphis," "Shake the Sugar Tree" and "Let That Pony Run," plus two new songs, "Land of the Living" and "All the Good Ones Are Gone." ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide Read More

Collection
Artist: Wynonna Judd
Community Score: 10.00

Collection contains all of the highlights and big hits from Wynonna's three albums (Wynonna, Tell Me Why, Revelations), including "Tell Me Why," "Rock Bottom," "Girls with Guitars," and the number one singles "She Is His Only Need," "I Saw the Light," and "No One Else on Earth." ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide Read More

The Sky's the Limit
Artist: BlackHawk

Blackhawk, like many of their contemporary country peers, struggle to have it both ways. They want to have the hits, but they also want to keep country. At times, the scales have tipped toward the pop end, but with The Sky's the Limit, they move back toward country, coming up with a record that harks back to their organic debut. There is a... Read More