The Top Stories in Country Music for the Year 2009
Country music and country artists were stronger than ever this last year of the 21st century’s first decade. Crossover artists—such as those who have transitioned from country to pop and vice versa—have all made country music love songs more popular among a wider range of audience and listeners. Major news did not come only from those who are active in the scene. Country music has also lost many of its members, losses which has still made headlines this past year. Here, we list down just a few of the stories which captured the attention of all those who love country.
• Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners in the 2009 Grammys when they swept all five categories they were nominated for, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “Please Read the Letter.” Their album, Raising Sands, was a perfect merging of Krauss’ bluegrass roots and Plant’s classic-rock vibe. Their win over more “popular” acts such as Coldplay, Adele, and Leona Lewis made everyone sit up and have another look (or listen) to Americana music.
• In the same night, King of Country George Strait won his first-ever Grammy after 30 years. He won Best Country Album for Troubadour.
• Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” became the first single in the history to hit the top mark on the pop chart after crossing over from country on Billboard. This was just the beginning for the Tennessee native, as she seemed to be everywhere you turned in 2009—the country and music charts, Internet blogs and tabloids, retail stores, television, award shows, fashion shows, and soon movies. She ended the year with countless awards and recognitions from various award-giving bodies, most notable of which is the Entertainer of the Year award from the CMA and the Associated Press.
• Still on Swift, what was supposed to be her most memorable moment last September at the VMAs was ruined when hiphop star Kanye West rudely interrupted her acceptance speech for Best Female Video. This stunt catapulted Swift’s fame higher into the stratosphere and ensured her place in America’s consciousness.
• Country crooner Kenny Chesney sold more concert tickets than any other act in the decade, country or otherwise, according to industry tracker Pollstar. Bringing in $455.6 million at the gate, Chesney is the third highest-grossing artist of 2000-2009, coming after the Dave Matthews Band and Celine Dion. Meanwhile, according to Billboard magazine, Chesney was also this decade’s top 2 country act, which bases its ranking on sales figures recorded by Nielsen Soundscan.
• Mary Ellin Travers, “Mary” in the famed folk trio “Peter, Paul, and Mary” died September 16 following a long struggle with leukemia. Several of the most popular songs from the folk music genre were recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary, including “Lemon Tree,” “Puff (The Magic Dragon),” “If I had a Hammer,” “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” and “Blowin in the Wind.”
• Former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rocker has made the successful crossover to country with the release of his platinum-selling album Learn to Live. He was the CMA’s Best New Artist of the Year, making him the first black artist to win a CMA since the 1980s.
