In addition to giving readers a shot at an iPod Shuffle and some autographed EPs (be sure to enter by next Tuesday!), Whitney Duncan kindly agreed to help Country California launch a new album recommendations series. Basically, we’ll poll artists of various stripes for 5-10 of their all-time favorite country albums.
We’re looking to feature a wide range of artists, so feel free to recommend someone (probably in country or a neighboring genre) whose album recommendations would interest you and we’ll try to add them to the list. This should be an eclectic series that shines a light on some classic music, allows participating artists to reveal themselves as fans, and explores various ideas about what qualifies as ‘country’ music. Though we ask that recommendations be country, we don’t pretend to know exactly what that means or enforce any one definition of the term, so each artist’s own idea of what qualifies as country will contribute to the unique character of his or her list.
This is an especially appropriate time for Duncan to reflect on some of her favorite country music: she makes her Opry debut tomorrow night (Friday, October 16). You can tune in online at wsmonline.com.
We think some of Whitney’s recommendations may surprise you!
20 Greatest Hits – Tanya Tucker
She was who I idolized in country music as a little girl. I used to sing ‘Walking Shoes’ and ‘Down to My Last Teardrop’ in every talent show I entered. Her voice is one of my favorites of all females.
Anniversary: 20 Years of Hits – Tammy Wynette
‘Stand By Your Man,’ ‘Til I Can Make It On My Own’ and ‘Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad’ were some of my favorites from her.
The Essential David Allan Coe – David Allan Coe
While all my friends’ favorite was ‘If That Ain’t Country,’ mine was ‘Would You Lay With Me In a Field of Stone.’
The Very Best of Travis Tritt – Travis Tritt
His voice is one of my favorite male voices. ‘I’m Gonna Be Somebody’ was my favorite when I was younger because I used to blast it while dreaming of being a country music singer.
20 Greatest Hits – Don Williams
‘Good Ole Boys Like Me’ is my favorite all time song. It reminds me of home.
Chris Knight – Chris Knight
He made being a redneck cool. ‘It Ain’t Easy Being Me’ and ‘House and 90 Acres’ are my favorites by him. His voice is just so rough and cool. All of his albums are great, but none beat his first one.
The Woman In Me – Shania Twain
This CD was brilliant! It mixed country with something so cool. It had a huge impact on me as an artist. Her voice is right under Tanya Tucker’s for me.
That’s a fairly straightforward list compared to some artists who really like the obscure stuff. Its really nice to see the “classic country” artists included in Whitney’s list and shows her to be far more authentically country than most of the female artists doing well on Top 40 country radio these days. In fact her being so country deep down is a real hindrance in the pop-rock AirHead Country marketplace Whitney is trying to break into.
I remember when Taylor Swift’s iPod song list of her favorite songs was posted online at People magazine and country artists comprised well under 10% of the list. Sheesh…
That’s an interesting list.
A nice idea, CM.
I would love to hear what Chely Wright’s recommendations are.
I’m liking this new feature! Some of the artists I’d most like to see recommendations from are Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood, Chely Wright, Brad Paisley. I could go on but I’ll stop now. :)
Cool concept, and it’s pretty interesting to see a list that includes both Chris Knight and Shania Twain.
Lovin’ the love for Tanya!
Cool that she likes Chris Knight! Honesty moment: that Shania album’s not half bad. Everything after that one is more than half bad though. Another honesty moment: greatest hits are kind of a cop out.
She certainly has good taste in music. I was suprised. I don’t think she’ll have any problem having a hit song. Sometimes it just takes a little while to find the right song for the big hit..
I’d love to know what she thinks about another girls like her, that are actually in the business, but not a GREAT level of success, even when most of the girls deserve it. So I’d ask her about Ashley Monroe, Katrina Elam, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Julie Roberts, Sarah Buxton, Sunny Sweeney, and the list could go on and on…