My Top 10 of ’10

All the industry magazines are releasing their end of the year charts, so keeping with the trend, I would like to weigh in on the best country tunes of 2010.  The following is how I would rank the releases of the past year in my own Top 10 Chart.

#10 Love Like Crazy – Lee Brice

Talk about the little engine that could.  This song stayed on the charts for nearly all of 2010 inching its way to the top 10.  It’s an awesome love song, well sung by a great songwriter.  Congratulations to Lee on his first BIG hit!

#9 Voices – Chris Young

This hit was another result of persistence.  It is technically still climbing the charts, but I remember about 3 years ago, when I heard the song for the first time.  I loved it then, when it was released to radio and I love it now, re-released following the number one success of Young’s Gettin’ You Home and The Man I Want To Be.

#8 Little White Church – Little Big Town

Take a hand-clappin’ song and give it to a foursome who could all go solo in their own right…how can you go wrong?  I still turn the studio speakers up and beat on the counter when I play this one!

#7 Hurry Home – Jason Michael Carroll

What happened to this guy?  He was considered one of the biggest rising stars just 2 years ago, but following this powerful, emotional ballad about an estranged daughter, he just kinda became estranged himself.  Here’s hoping we’ll hear from him again soon.  Until then enjoy this tear-jerker that far under-performed its potential on the charts in 2010.

# 6 Why Don’t We Just Dance – Josh Turner

It appears at the top of the Mediabase charts this year, and why not?  It’s got a good beat and you can dance to it.  It’s awful hard not to sing along, so we’ll hear this one on the radio for years to come.

#5 Rain is a Good Thing – Luke Bryan

Upon the first listen to Luke’s Doin’ My Thing album, I came upon this track and said, “If this isn’t a hit single, then whiskey doesn’t make my baby feel a little frisky.”

#4  I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes – Dierks Bentley

Ladies, this one’s for you.  I’m sure Mr. Bentley has no problem getting you to close those eyes when singing this sexy ballad.  And you know what, us guys like the song too…we just wish we thought of it first.  That’s a pretty smooth line Dierks!

#3 Highway 20 Ride – Zac Brown Band

Coming from a guy that has never had to experience either side of divorce, this song, made me FEEL it.  Isn’t that the mark of great song anyway?  If it can make you FEEL something, especially something you’ve never gone through yourself, it’s a winner!

#2 Need You Now – Lady Antebellum

This song could have easily been number one on any chart.  The reason I put it near the top is because of the way I reacted to it when it first came out.  I just wanted to hear it over and over again.  I’m not the only one, Need You Now’s popularity and cross-over appeal has put Lady A on the map as one of the top young acts in all of music.

# 1 Hillbilly Bone – Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins

Fun, Fun, Fun!  That is why people love Blake Shelton.  This song combined with his off-the-wall (and sometimes off-color) Tweets made 2010 the year Blake Shelton went from being another dude in country music to the CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, Grand Ole Opry Member, and one of the hottest stars in the format.  We saw it in May when Blake shot his GAC special at a jam-packed Roberts Stadium.  The crowd was crazy for the boy, and will continue to go crazy for him in 2011.

There they are.  I hope you enjoy.  Have a Happy New Year!