my top 10 favorite country artists.

okay.
so this one really will stay at 10. and the descriptions will hopefully be a lot shorter.
as always,
no particular order.

1. Johnny Cash- the king of country music. he did so much to the genre, to all genres really. he revolutionized music with his lyrics. he was a bad boy with a soft heart. his deep hurt voice is known around the world.
favorite: cocaine blues

2. Willie Nelson- oh willie...this man is so cool. there arent even words. he's in his seventies and still going strong. ill probably cry when this man passes. while i do support his love/use of pot, i support him. he was a large part of the outlaw country music of the 70s. hell, i just remembered how i used to sing his songs for karaoke when i was little. haha. plus, willie reminds me of my grandpa. =]
favorites: blue eyes cryin in the rain, on the road again, always on my mind, mamas dont let your babies grow up to be cowboys.

3. Alison Krauss & Union Station- I went over alison and her band in my list of my "10" favorite artists. just for effect, this woman has won 21 grammys, more than any other female artist and tied for 7th place of most grammys won of all time. and shes only 37. this woman is already a freaking legend. the bluegrass she plays is amazing. mmm...alison krauss...
favorites: new favorite, oh atlanta, forget about it, new favorite, stars

4. Reba McEntire- oh ms mcentire... i believe i fell in love with reba the first time i heard "fancy" play. gosh...fancy. that has to be one of the most classic country songs. id know rebas voice anywhere. she's evolved so wonderfully over the years. she has been through so much and still managed to come out on top. plus, she toured with kelly clarkson. and let me say that i wouldve given my left arm to have seen them together live[but the closes to LA they were coming was reno,nv]. reba is lengend. end of story.
favorites: fancy, the greatest man i never knew, how blue, whoevers in new england, love revival, im gonna take that mountain, my sister.

5. Brooks & Dunn- wow...i seem to be doing all my legends first. haha. these men have so many hits under their belt. idk where to even begin. i guess ill start with what is probably their most popular song, boot scootin boogie. really, who doenst love this song? it makes you wanna get up, dance, and literally scoot your boots. haha. the combination of ronnie dunn singing along with kix brooks' mandolin/guitar playing is an unbeatable combo. these men have won the CMA vocal duo of the year every year btwn 92 and 06, with the exception of 2000. that says a lot, eh?
favorites: my maria, honky tonk truth, boot scootin boogie, that aint no way to go, rock my world, neon moon, shes not the cheatin kind, red dirt road, aint nothin bout you.

6. Dixie Chicks- so much controversy. sometimes i really wish they really did just "shut up and sing" because maybe then theyd still be making country albums. these three women are incredibly smart and even more talented. i remember when wide open spaces was first released and there was all this buzz surrounding this new all girl country group. they were more than just pretty faces. natalie has one of the most distinct voices ive ever heard. i envied martie's ability to play the fiddle for quite a few years when i was younger. and, on top of being gorgeous, emily can play so many instruments, inc one of my fav, the dobro. i was so happy when they released their third album, home, because it was so incredibly bluegrass and well-crafted. it remains one of my favorite country cds to this day. however, after home, natalie made the remarks about george bush and that was the end of country music for the chicks. it was "a cold day in july," eventho it was really august.
favorites: hello mr heartache, sin wagon, hole in my head, let him fly, ready to run, if i fall, long time gone, truth no 2, white trash wedding, a home, top of the world, easy silence, everybody knows, wide open spaces, i can love you better, theres your trouble, never say die, tonight the heartaches on me.

7. Martina McBride- she has been called the "celine dion of country." what an honor. im not quite sure when i fell in love with martina. i think it was probably when i heard "i love you" while watching runaway bride. i dont know what to say about martina other than she can basically sing just about anything. and she has the prettiest blue eyes in country music. her songs are catchy and most of them have a message, usually uplifting, but sometimes just informative.
favorites: i love you, loves the only house, valentine, chances are, how far, my baby loves me, independence day, safe in the arms of love.

8. Toby Keith- i love this guy for so many reasons. first, i find him attractive in the weirdest way. second, i love love love his voice. im not sure what it is about, i think its probably how thick and masculine it is. its almsot seductive. i was a 13yr old girl whod never had a sip of anything alcoholic in her life singing along to toby's "i love this bar." i remember loving that song so much. it was my favorite for awhile. memories... he stood up against the dixie chicks when they made remarks against bush, wearing shirts that had "FUDC" and "FUNM" on them, meaning "eff you dixie chicks/natalie maines." it was pretty bomb. he's a bad ass and he knows it.

9. Garth Brooks- i seriously almost forgor to put him on my list. gosh, im dumb. gees, i think everyone knows who garth brooks is. hes freaking bomb. it doenst even seem like hes been aronud as long as he has. half his songs make you wanna get up and dance. he has such charisma on stage. i wanna go see him! but thats something entitely different. the point is, im an idiot for almost forgetting to put mr brooks on my list. gees. i mean, really, every country fan knows all the words to "friends in low places."
favorites: friends in low places[the live version], two pina coladas, two of a kind workin on a full house, papa loved mama, longneck bottle, aint goin down, the dance, rodeo, if tomorrow never comes, much too young.

10. because i swore this would stay at 10...Tim McGraw, Loretta Lynn, Shania Twain, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, LeAnn Rimes, Sara Evans.
favorites, tim: i like it i love it, just to see your smile, where the green grass grows, something like that, maybe we should just sleep on it, down on the farm, my old friend, let it go, back when, i need you, the cowboy in me, when the stars go blue, real good man.
favorites, shania: her entire come on over album, i aint no quitter, dance with the one that brought you, thank you baby, in my car, any man of mine.
favorites, brad: the world, alcohol, he didnt have to be, we danced, ticks, oh love.
favorites, sugarland: everything. seriously, everything.
favorites, leann rimes: blue, one way ticket, somethings gotta give, life goes on, i believe, 10 thousand angels cried, cant fight the moonlight, big deal.
favorites, sara evans: born to fly, saints and angels, i keep looking, suds in the bucket, true lies, three chords and the truth.