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<title>Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</title><link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link><description>Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</description><category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category><language>en</language><ttl>720</ttl><pubDate>Fri, 4 Dec 2009 17:03:33 -0800</pubDate><image>
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<title>Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</title>
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<title>Taylor Swift</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:20:27 -0800</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[With her homespun charm, curly golden locks, and prodigious gift for songwriting, Taylor Swift is one of the youngest Nashville newcomers to capture a national audience in years. When she was just 16, Swift's first big single, "Tim McGraw," peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard country chart and held a spot in the top 10 for months. On the single's success, Swift joined the ranks of teenage country queens like Tanya Tucker, Marie Osmond and LeAnn Rimes, who all charted as teenagers. Unlike those young chart-toppers, Swift wrote the song herself. Born in Wyomissing, Penn., in 1989, Swift began playing guitar at 12, and moved outside of Nashville with her family as a teen, and debuted at the Bluebird Cafe famed songwriter showcase. Her self-titled debut album, issued in October 2006, spawned a handful of radio hits such as "Tim McGraw," "Our Song" and "Picture to Burn," all of which propelled <I>Taylor Swift</I> to triple-platinum status. Not bad for a beginner! Preceded by the hit "Love Story," Swift's sophomore effort, <I>Fearless</I>, was released in November 2008.
- Nate Cavalieri]]></description>
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<title>George Strait</title>
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<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:11 -0800</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[George Strait is less an elder statesman of country than a pure force of nature. The Texas-born traditionalist continues to enjoy an unbelievable run of success that spans two decades of country music. Strait grew up on a ranch, so his cowboy hat is no affectation. He gravitated to music early on, playing rock in high school and switching to country during a stint in the military. He and his band Ace in the Hole played honky tonks and dancehalls throughout Texas in the 1970s, releasing two independent albums and honing a sound that combined lean Honky-Tonk and hard-hitting Western Swing. Strait scored a major Nashville deal in the early '80s and immediately appeared on the country charts. Amazingly, he has stayed at the top of the charts through the turn of the century, with shelves of gold and platinum records to his credit. Although he records some of his own material, he has relied on top-notch songwriters such as Sonny Throckmorton and Jim Lauderdale throughout his career. Strait has done what few artists have: he's remained wildly successful through a number of sweeping changes that have beset country music, playing primarily in a traditional style.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Kenny Chesney</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:10 -0800</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[If Kenny Chesney's new traditional tinged country style leans toward hard rocking pop, blame it on the '70s FM radio and the country rock music coming out of the radio stations in his hometown of Luttrell, TN, a small place just outside Knoxville (also Chet Atkins' hometown). Chesney wasn't one of those kids who grew up with stage parents in Stetsons. He actually stumbled into the realm of country music by accident while studying marketing at East Tennessee State University. He found a guitar under the Christmas tree and was soon playing country and bluegrass with some college buddies. He's one of those rare musicians who got to where he is without the help of any contacts, hook-ups or any <I>Star Search</I> copycat television shows. Chesney climbed his way to the top in the traditional grass roots fashion of constant playing, demo recording, touring and self-promotion. While Chesney's songs maintain the gritty twang of yesteryear's honky-tonk, he has clearly found a balance that suits his songs well -- the scales are tipped toward high-end radio production and polished song hooks. And he has been known to mix in a little beach-twang here and there, a-la Jimmy Buffett.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Gloriana</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:38 -0800</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[Brothers Tom and Mike Gossin formed the earliest incarnation of Gloriana when they moved to North Carolina for college. Schoolwork quickly fell by the wayside when the brothers decided to move to Nashville to pursue their musical ambitions. The twosome met Rachel Reinert through MySpace, and although the duo had never sung with a third party -- much less a woman -- once they heard Rachel and the harmonies she brought to their music, they were convinced to give it a go. At one of their earliest Nashville shows, they were spotted by <I>America's Most Talented Kid</I> winner Cheyenne Kimball. After having released an album of teen-oriented pop, Kimball was looking to start a new chapter in her career. After the show, the mandolin-playing singer asked if she could join the band, and thus Gloriana was born. In February 2008, the quartet signed to producer Matt Serletic's Emblem Music Group and went into the studio with Serletic at the helm. Their debut single, "Wild at Heart," was released in May 2009, with an album expected to follow later in the summer.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Rascal Flatts</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:08 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Cousins Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox (born Gary Vernon) both nurtured their dreams of musical stardom while growing up in Ohio. When DeMarcus landed in Chely Wright's band, he convinced LeVox to quit his job and join him in Nashville. DeMarcus met Joe Don Rooney through Wright's band, and when their regular guitarist couldn't make a show, Rooney offered to step in and Rascal Flatts was born. The trio signed to Lyric Street, and in 2000 released its eponymous debut, which produced four hit singles. In 2002, they coproduced their sophomore effort, <I>I Melt</I>, which again produced four hit singles -- including two No. 1s. If there was any nervousness about following up a double-platinum seller, it didn't show on 2004's <I>Feels Like Today</I>, which debuted in the top slot on both the pop and country charts. In 2006, Rascal Flatts added another feather to an already heavily decorated cap when their version of "Life Is a Highway," recorded for the Pixar movie <I>Cars</I>, topped the ringtone charts. The single did so well, it was added onto their fourth album, <I>Me and My Gang</I>. <I>Still Feels Good</I> was released in 2007, followed by <I>Greatest Hits</I> in 2008.Bio addendum: In 2009, the band released their sixth studio effort, the aptly titled, <I>Unstoppable</I>.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Sugarland</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:16 -0800</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[Country-pop duo Sugarland began as a trio playing in small clubs in Atlanta, Georgia. The trio, Jennifer Nettles, Kristen Hall and Kristian Bush, were all fixtures on the Atlanta scene through various other projects (most notably Bush's outfit, Billy Pilgrim) but it was when they came together as Sugarland in 2002 that people began to take notice. After a number of sold-out shows, the group was signed to Mercury Records. In 2004, Sugarland released their debut, <I>Twice the Speed of Life</I>, which spawned the hits "Baby Girl" (which spent a whopping 46 weeks on the Billboard charts) and "Something More." Shortly before heading back to the studio, Kristen Hall announced she was leaving the band to concentrate on songwriting. Now a duo, Sugarland released <I>Enjoy the Ride</I> in late 2006, and despite the absence of Hall, the album went double-platinum, thanks in part to the heartfelt tear-jerker "Stay." In the summer of 2008, Sugarland released the uber catchy single, "All I Want to Do," which rocketed up the country charts, prompting an early release of their third album, <i>Love On The Inside</i>.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Brad Paisley</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 1 Dec 2009 09:47:08 -0800</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[Brad Paisley has a bit more going for him than your average Nashville molded hunk-in-a-hat. Before moving to Music City, he was a teenage phenomenon in his native West Virginia. Leading a country band, Paisley sang in a mature voice and played a wicked Bakersfield honky-tonk-influenced lead guitar. When he got to Nashville, he quickly nailed a publishing deal, which in turn led to a recording contract. Paisley wrote or co-wrote every song and played lead guitar on his 1999 debut <i>Who Needs Pictures</i>. In 2003, he released chart-topper <I>Mud on the Tires</I>. <I>Time Well Wasted</I> came at the end of 2005, and earned him both the CMA and ACM award for Album of the Year, as well as four Grammy nominations. A few months after Paisley's son William Huckleberry was born in 2007, his sixth album, <I>5th Gear</I>, was released. The album succeeded with a handful of hit singles and a Grammy for the instrumental track, "Throttleneck." Perhaps the award was inspiration for his next album, the largely instrumental effort, <I>Play</I>.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Tim McGraw</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:07 -0800</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[For a while there in the early 1990s, Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks were running neck and neck up the country music charts and it looked like Brooks was in the lead, but a slew of multi-platinum albums and undeniable good looks don't lie. Rather, they solidified McGraw as the most popular male country star of the '90s (especially with the lady fans who made him into somewhat of a heartthrob). Of course, it also helped that McGraw was a relentless touring machine, and his marriage to mega-star country diva Faith Hill didn't hurt. And baseball fans favored McGraw on account of his being the son of famous major league southpaw pitcher Tug McGraw (former player for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies). Tim McGraw's polished new traditional sound is rooted in old school, boot-scootin' honky-tonk and some of the catchier sides of southern rock from the '80s that, when mixed with the former, would help innovate the new traditional sound altogether. And if his early ballads sound influenced by the late, great Keith Whitley, it's because McGraw idolized him while growing up. McGraw found his own sound (and first real chart topper) with 1994's playfully twangy "Indian Outlaw," but not without some controversy surrounding the allegedly politically incorrect depiction of Native American stereotypes in the lyrics. But as they say, no press is bad press and "Indian Outlaw" crossed over to the pop charts, setting the tone for McGraw's snowballing success. In 1996, he toured his third album<i>All I Want</i> with opener Faith Hill and by the end of the jaunt, the two were hitched and fetching all kinds of Johnny and June Carter Cash comparisons. McGraw and Hill's first duet, the romantic, heart-string pulling "It's Your Love," came out in 1997 with the kind of affectionate aplomb that propelled McGraw (and Hill) to red carpeted, crossover superstardom.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Keith Urban</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:11 -0800</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[Australia-by-way-of-New Zealand-born Keith Urban grew up loving the sounds of '60s Nashville, but don't expect to hear too much Jim Reeves in his young-hearted country love songs. Urban's sound may be rooted in the past, but his music is all about the present, replete with semi-programmed beats and dramatic, sweeping crescendos. When he was a small child, Urban took guitar lessons from a woman who placed a guitar instruction ad in his father's shop window. Not only did he show a seemingly innate talent for the instrument, but also for acting and singing in grade school plays and musicals. He was winning talent shows before he was even ten years old. Urban's father shared his love for old country songs with the boy, so the early influences of his father's record collection seeped in and set the tone for who he is today. But long before Urban became one of America's hot country stars, he played with the Ranch, a twangy Australian trio enamored with traditional tones and catchy songs. (Capitol Nashville has actually re-released their long out-of-print debut and added two bonus tracks.) Urban married actress Nicole Kidman on June 25th, 2006 before checking into the Betty Ford Center on October 19th of the same year. He successfully completed rehabilitation on January 18th, 2007 just in time to tour his album <i>Love, Pain And The Whole Crazy Thing</i>. <I>Defying Gravity</I> followed in March, 2009.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Toby Keith</title>
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<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:14 -0800</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[Toby Keith first gained national recognition in 1993 with his tongue-in-cheek No. 1 hit "Should've Been a Cowboy." Along with a slew of like-minded country artists, he was a part of the neo-traditionalist movement that was intent on wresting the radio waves from the slick pop product pushers of the time. In the late-1990s he released a string of country hits that showcased his deep vocals and decidedly uptown yet tasteful arrangements. Then shortly after the turn of the century, Keith reinvented himself as a controversial crooner of sorts after recording 2002's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," one of the first songs to cash in on the 9-11 tragedy with its vengeful lyrics promising that America would put a "boot in the ass" of the terrorists. The song was an instant hit with red state country music fans and compelled <i>ABC News</i> anchor Peter Jennings to protest Keith's appearance on a network Fourth of July special. Of course tons of media hoopla followed, giving Keith the kind of priceless promotion that propelled "Courtesy" into legendary crossover hit status. Since then, Keith has continued to crank out the kind of roadhouse honky-tonk country songs that he began his career with, but he also stuck with what made him the most money -- riling up angry right wing Americans. His 2003 album <i>Shock'n Y'all</i> (it sounds like "Shock And Awe" when you say it out loud) featured "The Taliban Song," which referred to Middle Eastern men as camel herders. In interviews, Keith dismisses these kinds of songs as "bus songs," tunes that he pens for fun, and were never meant to be released until his fans insisted. But not all of his "bus songs" are politically charged. Keith's "Weed With Willie" (also from <i>Shock'n Y'all</i>) makes light of Willie Nelson's love for incredibly strong marijuana and "Grain of Salt" from 2006's <i>White Trash With Money</i> serves as a tourist's tequila anthem.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Carrie Underwood</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7381976&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:19:30 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[In May of 2005, Carrie Underwood became the fourth winning contestant on the hugely popular TV show <I>American Idol</I>. Seemingly within seconds her first single was released, "Inside Your Heaven." Underwood has all the makings of a classic ballad belter, with an extremely powerful voice and a gift for emotiveness but her music seems geared towards the country crowd more than the teen crowd of fellow winner Kelly Clarkson or the contemporary R&B of Reuben Studdard, the show's second winner. But <i>Idol</i> wasn't Underwood's only outlet for musical championship. Her debut long player <i>Some Hearts</i> went 6X Platinum and broke Nielson SoundScan history as the fastest selling debut country album. She has since taken home five Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, two Grammys and Female Vocalist Of The Year awards for 2006 and in 2007, shortly after the release of her critically acclaimed sophomore album <i>Carnival Ride</i>.
- Mike McGuirk]]></description>
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<title>Jason Aldean</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:46 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Not too many people get more than one chance at breaking in the music industry, especially in the overly competitive and unforgiving realm of country music. But after getting dropped from two different labels, Jason Aldean was picked up by Broken Bow records. And it came at quite a crucial time in his life. He and his wife had a new baby, two car payments pending and a mortgage to pay. Not that he's in it for the money, but it sure didn't hurt to be given a third chance. And as the old cliche goes, the third time was the charm. Aldean's 2005 self-titled debut album was rich in twangy, rootsy rock and his songs meshed perfectly into Nashville's return to redneck pride and all things <I>Dukes Of Hazzard</I>. In 2007, Aldean released his sophomore effort, <I>Relentless</I>. Buoyed by the radio hit "Johnny Cash," the album was certified gold in record time. In 2008, he took part in CMT on Tour with Lady Antebellum and Eric Durrance. Aldean went back into the studio later that year to start work on his third release, <I>Wide Open</I>, which was released in 2009.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Alan Jackson</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:17 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1046&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Alan Jackson's quiet country voice packs a heavy, passionate punch with its heartfelt inflections and Honky-Tonk soul. Since the 1980s, this New Traditionalist has been blending spiritual and studio alchemy to create new ways of filling beers with tears. From chart toppers like "Love's Got a Hold On You" to his rocking rendition of "Summertime Blues," it is evident that Jackson has an expansive vocal and musical range. Even his more compromised, Nashville-sounding songs manage to incorporate a strong sense of soul that seems piped in directly on his textured vocals.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Alison Krauss</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5816&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Bluegrass</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:04 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5816&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Alison Krauss was slated for greatness at an early age. At 12, the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America named her Most Promising Fiddler in the Midwest; just two years later, in 1985, she signed to Rounder Records. But even those honors barely foretold the success Krauss would eventually enjoy, breaking out of the bluegrass scene to become a bona-fide pop star with 26 Grammys to her name. Krauss' biggest record to date has been 2007's <I>Raising Sand</I>, which might have something to do with the participation of a certain Robert Plant. Produced by T-Bone Burnett, the unlikely project turned out to be a natural pairing, with the singers' voices hanging sweetly together over an easy, supple backdrop of rootsy Americana. The album, a critical and commercial success, followed shortly after <I>A Hundred Miles or More</I>, a collection of Krauss' collaborations with artists like Brad Paisley, James Taylor and Sting. Beyond singing and songwriting, Krauss also produces other artists' records, such as Alan Jackson's acclaimed 2006 release, <I>Like Red on a Rose</I>.
- Philip Sherburne]]></description>
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<title>Lady Antebellum</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:21 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Georgia trio Lady Antebellum incorporate elements of Southern rock and roots-inspired pop for a twanging, radio-friendly sound rich with boy-girl harmonies.
Formed in 2006, Lady Antebellum have gone from obscurity to playing with country legends such as Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood -- you get the picture. The roots of the group took hold when Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley became friends in junior high school. Bonded by a love of music, their friendship continued even when the two were separated during their college years. Flash forward to a fateful day in a local Nashville hot spot, when Kelley met Hillary Scott. The two ended up agreeing to try to write together, and Kelley called Haywood and dragged him down to Nashville. The trio started writing and came up with a handful of songs, including what would be their first single, "Love Don't Live Here." Lady Antebellum were born. It didn't take long for Lady A (as their fans call them) to get signed. In 2008, Lady Antebellum released their self-titled debut.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Dixie Chicks</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:55:46 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Few of the millions and millions of people who bought the Dixie Chicks' major label debut, <i>Wide Open Spaces,</i> knew that the band had already been together for almost a decade, playing the folk and bluegrass circuit. The group was started by champion fiddle player Martie Seidel and her banjo-playing sister Emily Irwin. They went through a succession of lead singers before settling on Natalie Maines in the late-1990s. Maines' country pedigree is impressive, beginning with her father Lloyd Maines, a legendary pedal steel guitarist and studio luminary who has produced and played with Uncle Tupelo, Richard Buckner and Joe Ely, among others. With Maines in place, the Chicks dropped some of their bluegrass trappings in favor of a more conventional New Country sound. The fine-tuning paid off. <I>Wide Open Spaces</I> rocketed to the top of the charts, as did its follow-up <i>Fly</i>. But 2002's aptly titled <i>Home</i> found the girls returning to their bluegrass roots (despite the pop-friendly cover of Stevie Nicks' "Landslide"), which was a well-timed choice considering that by then, country music fans were caught up in old-timey fever thanks to the <i>O Brother, Where Art Thou</i> phenomenon. <i>Top of the World Tour: Live</i> was released in November of 2003, perfectly capturing the unstoppable energy and undying love for country music the Dixie Chicks exude on the live stage. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed and even boycotted by many media outlets after Maines test-drove the First Amendment on a London stage when she stated: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas." Following the short-lived Dixie Chicks boycott, the band released "I Hope" in 2005, a hit single recorded to garner charity funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Their seventh studio album, <i>Taking the Long Way, </i> was released in late May of 2006.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Willie Nelson</title>
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<category>Outlaw Country</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:06:59 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Willie Nelson was one of the original outlaws of country music, and one of its most influential songwriters. He began playing in the 1960s, writing "Crazy" for Patsy Cline and "Hello Walls" for Faron Young. Nelson's career as a performer flourished in the mid-1970s when he joined up with Waylon Jennings and released the crossover, chart-topping <I>Red Headed Stranger</I>. It was the hit "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" that perpetuated the then-popular image of the longhaired country boy. Willie Nelson had arrived as a country superstar. His folky, nasal inflections carried his voice through many different genres of music, including Western Swing, traditional pop, jazz, Traditional Country, Cowboy country songs, Honky-Tonk, rock 'n' roll, folk music and of course, the blues. Nelson's success lasted until the late 1980s, when some trouble with the IRS landed him in a number of stuffed-crust pizza commercials and a cameo role in the film <i>Half Baked</i> smoking his beloved joints. When the day is done, Nelson can easily be considered a bona fide legend.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Brooks &amp; Dunn</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4772&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:44 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Brooks and Dunn are like a <i>Star Search</i> dream come true. Kix Brooks was on the Capitol Records roster with a solo album before spending time writing songs for a handful of country artists. Through an introduction from Arista Nashville guru Tim DuBois, Brooks befriended Ronnie Dunn who had won a national country talent competition. The uncanny chemistry between the two quickly made them the most popular country duo of the 1990s. Their slick sound and warm tones traverse from heavy, knee slapping, honky-tonk inspired boogie rock to radio-friendly ballads worthy of womanly tears in beers. Brooks and Dunn's songs tend to lure fans of new country music with their sharp ears for barbed melody as well as their hypnotizing close-harmonies. After 20 successful years, Brooks and Dunn announced that after a farewell tour in 2010, the two would retire as a duo. To commemorate, they released <I>#1s and Then Some</I> in October 2009. The 30-song double album includes 23 No. 1 hits plus two new songs: "Indian Summer" and "Honky Tonk Stomp." An expansive collection, <I>#1s and Then Some</I> is a brilliant bookend to a distinguished career.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Billy Currington</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66195&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:46 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Billy Currington grew up with an alcoholic stepfather who turned him on to the country artists who would later influence his own music: Willie Nelson, Keith Whitley, Waylon Jennings, Alabama and George Strait all helped to shape Currington's traditional-tinged country songwriting. He started writing songs at the age of 12, but didn't pursue a serious musical career until a preacher from a friend's church was so impressed by his talent that he drove the young singer-songwriter to Nashville to audition at Opryland, U.S.A. Although he didn't make the audition, one thing was certain: Currington knew exactly what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>John Denver</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42555&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:41 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42555&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[If thrift store record bins are any sort of barometer, it would seem that every person in America at one time owned a John Denver record. By this same logic, you can also guess to say that they all tossed them out at the same time. At some point, John Denver went from being America's most loved singer-songwriter to being the punchline on late-night talk shows. Blame it on overexposure or his constant mugging with Muppets, George Burns, and other bloodless creatures. Eventually, his humanitarian concerns took precedence over his folk/pop. The author of such heart-on-a-sleeve snapshots as "Sunshine On My Shoulder" and "Rocky Mountain High" died in a plane crash in 1997. John Denver's real name was Henry John Deutschendorf. He was raised on many Air Force bases, but always loved and championed the outdoors.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Martina McBride</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2192&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:41 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2192&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Martina McBride knew that she wanted to be a country music singer long before she married Charlie Daniels' soundman. Before she finished high school, McBride used to play keyboards for her father's band, the Schifters. After her husband became the production manager for Garth Brooks in the early 1990s, McBride landed a sweet gig as the opening act for the hugely successful Brooks on one of his early tours. Critics may have jumped on the conflict of interest, but there was no denying that the lady could sing. Since then, McBride has proven herself by landing numerous hits on the country charts and developing her voice even further. Today, many critics consider McBride one of the most underrated singers in Nashville, and with good reason: her inflections somehow manage to sound both dainty and powerful at once. Whether she's singing soft and romantic ballads or more uptempo country rockers, her dynamic voice can go anywhere she wants to drive it.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Dierks Bentley</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66465&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Dierks Bentley</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66465&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66465&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Unlike many other young men with hyped debut albums spilling out of Nashville, Dierks Bentley wasn't bred to be a country star. He didn't grow up with a preacher father or a gospel-singing mom and nobody dragged him to the Grand Ole Opry when he was a kid. Bentley had to pick it all up on his own. He collected country records as a child and when he was old enough to drink, he found himself pounding the pavement and hitting up live show after live show in Music City. His wide-eyed, heartfelt songs sound like this: If <I>Dawson's Creek</I> wasn't just about white American middle class kids, but white American middle class kids growing up in suburban Tennessee, Bentley would be all over those soundtracks.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Faith Hill</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4266&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:55:43 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.4266</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Faith Hill</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.4266</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4266&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4266&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[The other half of new country's First Family (she's married to Tim McGraw), Faith Hill has been a star in her own right since the million-selling smash "Wild One" in 1993. She is a direct descendant of the Reba McEntire school of blending traditional styles with pop-oriented hooks and backing. With big-budget production and an angelic voice, she sings crossover-prone new country with the poise and assurance of a bona-fide star with staying power.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Reba McEntire</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1004&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:27 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.1004</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Reba McEntire</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.1004</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1004&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1004&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Reba McEntire is at the top of the heap when it comes to big-time country pop stars. An uninterrupted string of No. 1 hits in the '80s and the steady stream of multi-million selling records since has made her name one of the most recognized in the genre. She sings with Tammy-fied power, delivering ballads on top of ballads that have gradually incorporated an ever-slickening sheen of studio craft. In recent years she has taken on the image of a Nashville matriarch, and her songs are geared to inspire the millions of people listening to young country radio today.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Trace Adkins</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.200&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:17 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
<guid isPermaLink="false">art.200</guid>
<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.200</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Trace Adkins</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.200</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.200&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.200&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Louisiana born singer-songwriter Adkins is a former college football player and oil rig roughneck. After slogging away at the fringes of the music industry for a number of years, he got a record deal and his 1996 debut record took him straight into the country charts. Adkins connected with his listeners with the combination of his smoky baritone vocals and his smart, slightly dark, Honky-Tonk sensibility. The single "Thinking Thing," also off of his debut, reached No. 1 in 1997.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Jewel</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68597&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Adult Alternative</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:03 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.68597</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Jewel</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68597&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68597&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Jewel Kilcher is a modern-day folknik who gained a huge cult following playing Southern California coffeehouses before signing to Atlantic in 1995. Her dynamic, sparkling voice can extend from a wood-nymph lightness to that of a sultry, soulful chanteuse. Born in Utah but raised in Alaska, Jewel began playing music with her parents at the early age of six. After graduating from Michigan's Interlochen Fine Arts Academy, she moved to San Diego, where she lived in the back of her van and began to focus on her music as a career. Jewel's late-'90s hits included "Foolish Games" (from the <I>Batman and Robin</I> soundtrack) and "Who Will Save Your Soul," co-written with singer-songwriter Steve Poltz of the Rugburns. Throughout the decade and into the new millennium, Jewel released a string of albums, yet her sales declined, despite critical praise and radio airplay. After the singer's sixth release, <I>Goodbye Alice in Wonderland</I>, Jewel was dropped by her label and took the opportunity to reinvent herself. Dating rodeo rider Ty Murray provided plenty of opportunities to be in Nashville, Tenn., and that is where Jewel recorded 2008's country effort, <I>Perfectly Clear</I>.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Gary Allan</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.44997&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:04 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Gary Allan</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.44997</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.44997&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.44997&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Having grown up digging the music of Merle Haggard and George Strait, it's no surprise that Gary Allan went the route of the New Traditionalist. His county is dressed up with old school Honky-Tonk tips of the hat, and the songs are fueled by his strong and toneful tenor.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Kellie Pickler</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10366198&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:49:46 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Kellie Pickler</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.10366198</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10366198&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10366198&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[<I>American Idol</I> season five contestant Kellie Pickler found her way into the hearts of America with her ditzy responses to the questions <I>American Idol</I> put before her and the child-like enthusiasm she showed week after week. Although she didn't win, she did parlay her <I>Idol</I> experience into a bona fide country music career. Pickler was signed shortly after the show ended and released her debut, <I>Small Town Girl</I>, at the end of 2006. Her debut garnered three hit singles, "Red High Heels," "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" and "I Wonder." Two successful years later, Pickler released her sophomore effort, <I>Kellie Pickler</I>.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Shania Twain</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1873&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:55:46 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.1873</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Shania Twain</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.1873</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1873&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1873&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[In the mid-1990s, Shania Twain put the whammy on the country music industry with a string of chart-busting hits -- which sounded more like stadium rock than Country Pop -- and a brazenly sexy image. Much to the chagrin of more traditional-minded critics, Twain broke sales records and paved the way for such stars as Jo Dee Messina and the Dixie Chicks. She remains a major figure on the scene, with a second CMA award-winning album and a reworking of her red hot image, which de-emphasizes sex appeal and focuses on female empowerment in a male-dominated industry. Retaining the loud guitars and anthemic quality of <i>The Woman in Me</i> (1997), Shania's more recent work still appeals to the crossover market she tore open, but she sometimes still makes concessions to the naysayers of yesterday with a stronger twang in her voice and more overtly countrified melodies.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Alabama</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.923&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:52 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.923</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Alabama</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.923</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.923&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.923&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Alabama are Country Rock veterans beloved by gun enthusiasts and pick-up owners across these United States. With arena-rock aesthetics and pure country songs, Alabama tapped into a mother lode of a fan-base. Their booming New Country anthems and tear-jerker ballads have crossed over into the pop world more than once, illustrating a nationwide taste for countrified boogie and bearded lead singers. After more than two decades, these guys are still producing chart-topping songs rooted as deeply in rock tradition as they are in the irony and sentimentalism of country music.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Blake Shelton</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37872&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:54 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.37872</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Blake Shelton</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.37872</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37872&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37872&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Oklahoma born and bred Blake Shelton was just out of his teens when he landed his solo debut on Warner Brothers. He's a young man with an old soul, playing New Traditional country music like he's lived each song he sings. Shelton's voice is warm and passionate and his appreciation for country music is evident in his charming vocal tone.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Randy Travis</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4635&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:54:14 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Randy Travis</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.4635</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4635&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4635&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Travis burst onto the country scene in the mid-1980s, around the same time as a few other seemingly like-minded new traditionalists. He combines a smoothly expressive baritone with self-penned material that features lyrical depth as well as great honky tonk-style instrumental work. Starting in 1985 with the single "On the Other Hand," Travis has gone into the charts and sold a huge number of records. He virtually kicked open the door for the "country hunk" phenomenon, although by the time the '90s rolled around, the "hat pack" (Garth Brooks, Clint Black, etc.) steamrolled past him. He was still a country radio favorite and strong seller throughout the decade. In 2000, Travis released the hugely successful <I>Inspirational Journey</I>, which combined aspects of traditional country and contemporary worship music. The album was a hit on country radio as well as contemporary Christian outlets. Many of the songs were also featured on <I>Touched by an Angel</I>, in which Travis also guest-starred. Travis has since released country/Christian albums in rapid succession: <I>Worship and Faith</I> (2003), <I>Passing Through</I> (2004) and <I>Glory Train</I> (2005). In 2008, he released the CD/DVD <I>Around the Bend</I>.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Kenny Rogers</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61791&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:43 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Kenny Rogers</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.61791</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61791&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61791&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[This pop icon has had a career that has thrived for more than 30 years. Rogers first found success in the 1960s with the New Christy Minstrels, a prefab lite folk vocal group that also boasted one-time members Roger McGuinn and John Denver. From there, Rogers started the First Edition, who had their first hit with a rocking, psychedelic, fuzz-guitar-laden version of Mickey Newbury's "Just Dropped In" only a month after signing to Reprise in 1968. After the First Edition broke up, Rogers had his first No. 1 hit with "Lady," a duet with Lionel Richie, and his second with "Islands in the Stream," which found him paired him with Dolly Parton. He became a country pop hitmaker in the 1970s with "The Gambler" and "Lucille," among others. The comforting timbre of Rogers' singing voice carries with it a hushed paternal calm that seems to naturally warm up the narratives of his songs and give them a quiet authority. In fact, his songs' story lines are so strong that two of them -- "The Gambler" and "Coward of the Country" -- were turned into made-for-TV Westerns in the mid-'80s. Rogers continued to have big records throughout that decade, as well as a platinum-selling Christmas collection. The '90s charts were not as kind, and Rogers hit a patch of bad luck. Kenny Rogers Roasters, his poultry food chain, lost some sales to Boston Market, and then he was sued for two million dollars by Kevin O'Toole after he tossed a Frisbee from a stage inside a concert hall that struck a chandelier, dropping shards of broken glass onto O'Toole. He was also the butt of a somewhat infamous Internet site: http://www.MenWhoLookLikeKennyRogers.com. Kenny Rogers seems to have recaptured some of his luster, and is a huge international star. His Christmas albums always fare well among his fans, and he released a new album every year in the new millennium aside from 2005. He has even published two somewhat successful books: <I>Kenny Rogers' America</I> and <I>Kenny Rogers: Your Friends and Mine</I>, the latter of which is an engaging collection of never-before-published photographs from his own personal collection.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Montgomery Gentry</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37729&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:55:21 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37729&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Montgomery Gentry is not the name of one person, but two (that is to say that they are a duo). Their New Country sound started off with the duo tipping their hat to Honky-Tonk inspired New Traditionalists, but they have also tried their hand at more uptempo Southern Rock styles. Their songs, harmonies, and instrumentation all come together to form a chemistry that is not only believable, but also enjoyable.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Miranda Lambert</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65908&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:27:18 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Miranda Lambert</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65908&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65908&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[While most country starlets grow up in a musical family, Miranda Lambert was raised by the prerequisite musical father (he played country guitar) and a mother who ran a detective agency, which may be one of the reasons why her own songs are loaded with rich narrative intrigue. At the ripe age of 16, Lambert entered country music singing contests in Arlington, Texas and a year later she was playing guitar and writing her own songs. Further talent show contests garnered her a spot in a potato chip commercial and led her to form her first band, The Texas Pride Band. While most aspiring bands cut demo recordings in hopes that local venue promoters will add them to a bill, Lambert's father-funded demo actually landed her two songs on the Texas music charts. Of course that meant she had to stop everything and move to Nashville, which she gladly did in 2003, appearing (and taking third place) on <I>Nashville Star</I>. It wasn't long before Sony snatched her up, which isn't as impressive as the fact that they let her pen 10 of the 11 songs on her debut album, <I>Kerosene.</I>
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>George Jones</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.962&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Honky-Tonk</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:46 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.962&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.962&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Known by his fans as the King of the Broken Hearts, George Glenn Jones has been blessed with one of the most distinctive, influential and golden voices in the history of country music. Infatuated with the music of Hank Williams, Jones spent the better part of his youth playing in smoky honky-tonks until he developed a songwriting style that spawned nearly as many chart-toppers as Eddy Arnold. Jones puts his life into his songs, telling tales of debauchery and oppression, reflecting his personal battles with alcoholism and divorce. He hit the charts with the platinum-selling widow's anthem "He Stopped Loving Her Today" in 1980, but by the '90s, country radio had begun exchanging their heritage artists for younger, fresher faces. Although Jones didn't have much in the way of chart success, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992 and continued to record and tour throughout the decade. In 1996, Jones authored the book, <I>I Lived to Tell It All</I>, which hit the <I>New York Times</I>' Best Seller list and television specials shined a spotlight on the legend, feeding the public's insatiable hunger for George Jones. Surprisingly, George's second Grammy came in 1999, some 20 years after his first, for the acclaimed album, <I>Cold Hard Truth</I>. In 2008, Jones released a duets album called <I>Burn Your Playhouse Down</I>.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>LeAnn Rimes</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3019&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3019&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[LeAnn Rimes' almost eerie channeling of Patsy Cline on the 1996 smash single "Blue" is something that has somewhat confounded her career. While she has continued to have huge record sales, the elitism of the press has not been so kind. When she tried to break away from country music in 1997, with strange covers of "You Light Up My Life" and the National Anthem, she was attacked by critics. A well-sung, crossover-ambitious follow-up (<i>Sittin' On Top of the World</i>) met with equally lukewarm reviews. And then in 1999, she released a record of choice country covers and caught flack for not performing original material. It's an unfair amount of scrutiny foisted upon a girl with a remarkable voice who, at thirteen years old, became a sensation by the simple fact of that beautiful voice. Maybe so much is demanded of her because she is truly a gifted performer, not some novelty child act whose appeal wears off within a year or two. Certainly Rimes is a talented singer, and, as she grows into her art, an exciting performer to follow. She has yet to put out the record that lives up to her potential, but with each release, she gets a little close; and at eighteen years old, with four major releases under her belt, she seems to have plenty of time to do it. Judging from her obvious penchant for AAA balladry, however, don't be surprised if her defining moment has nothing to do with country music at all. Just expect to have your socks knocked off.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Patsy Cline</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61365&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Nashville Sound</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:47 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61365&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Patsy Cline was one of the greatest country singers of all time. She helped inspire and influence women musicians everywhere to stand up and be counted in the country and western music world above and beyond Nashville. Although her deeply romantic recordings and haunting voice can induce a chill up the spine, it was Cline's untimely death on March 5th, 1963 that helped create the kind of myth that can immortalize any country singer (see Hank Williams or Gram Parsons). Between 1955 and 1960, Cline recorded almost twenty singles. Out of these songs, only "Walkin' After Midnight" became a hit. After 1960 she stopped experimenting with Rockabilly and stiff ballads that better suited Kitty Wells and Brenda Lee. The fact that this time also marked a break with a binding publishing contract seemed to affect her singing greatly. Free of legal and artistic strife, Cline's vocals seemed to loosen up with confidence on songs she had longed to sing, such as "Crazy" and "I Fall to Pieces." The latter peaked at number one on the country charts and crossed over to fall in at number twelve on the pop charts. Cline was in line to continue recording Country Pop chart crossovers, until her untimely death in a plane crash at thirty-years-old: two years into the birth of her superstardom. The emotional playing and singing on her recordings has been emulated by and inspirational to everyone from Loretta Lynn and Willie Nelson to the Screaming Sirens and k.d. lang.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Dolly Parton</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4802&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:24:57 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4802&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4802&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Dolly Parton is almost more famous for her impossibly curvaceous figure and huge hair than for her music -- which is somewhat of a shame. She is, after all, a distinctive and important part of country music, representing a link from the music of her Appalachian birth place to country's crossover to pop. Parton is a multifaceted artist whose first success came as a songwriter in the mid-1960s, with hit songs recorded by Bill Phillips. After she became Porter Wagoner's singing partner, her career took off and she became a solo artist by 1971. She consistently charted throughout the '70s and crossed over to the Pop charts with " Here You Come Again" in 1977. Along the way Parton became a genuine pop culture icon. Despite the glitzy, glamorous aura that surrounds her, on her recordings Parton always manages to include some element that seems like pure country. As Nashville in the '90s has continued to show its disdain for veteran performers -- and for that matter any artist who doesn't seem genetically engineered -- Parton seems to be backing away from her own image. Her latest releases have been straight bluegrass and countrified folk-pop albums that she's recorded with members of Nashville's elite community of virtuoso bluegrass pickers.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Olivia Newton-John</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69282&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Lite Rock</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:13 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Olivia Newton-John</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69282&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Olivia Newton-John was in many ways the Doris Day of the 1970s. She radiated natural beauty in a clean, friendly way that comforted kids yet titillated their parents. Olivia Newton-John was an English girl raised in Australia whose career first took off in the U.K. when she became a regular feature of Cliff Richards' variety show. After enjoying a string of hits in Britain, Newton-John finally broke through to the American market with the Grammy-award winning "Let Me Be There." She moved to the U.S. and became a very successful country/ADCO vocalist in the Anne Murray mold (much to the consternation of the Nashville establishment, who enjoyed getting bested by an Aussie <I>even</I> less than by a Canadian). But by the time <I>Grease</I> made Newton-John a superstar, she had already successfully transitioned to MOR adult contemporary music. Newton-John entered the 1980s as a star beloved by the entire family but few fresh-faced singing actresses could survive cinematic bombs on the level of the roller disco fiasco <I>Xanadu</I>. This follow-up to <I>Grease</I> single-handedly capsized her movie career (and the short-lived resurgence of the movie musical) but it did sport an era-defining soundtrack and gave Olivia Newton-John a big summer single with "Magic" (a great collaboration with ELO). Newton-John wisely co-mingled sex and fitness for 1981's <I>Physical</I>, achieving both the biggest-selling album and single of her career in the process. Having reached the apex of her musical popularity, Olivia Newton-John slowly receded from the charts and spotlight over the years, although she has continued to record and perform sporadically. Though she successfully beat back cancer, Newton-John has been the victim of a rather innocuous suburban myth that she was once married to Elton John.
- Nick Dedina]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Lee Ann Womack</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55028&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:09 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55028&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55028&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Born and raised in Texas, Lee Ann Womack grew up with country music. While in the music business program at Belmont University in Nashville, Womack married songwriter Jason Sellers. After Lee Ann had her first child in 1991, she stayed home and concentrated on her songwriting. She signed with Tree Hill publishing in 1995 and to Decca as a recording artist a year later. Womack's first single only got a lukewarm response, but subsequent singles rose to No. 2 in the charts. While her career got on track, her marriage derailed, ending in 1996. In 1999, Womack gave birth to her second daughter and married producer Frank Liddel. The following year, Womack released her third album, <I>I Hope You Dance</I>, her biggest hit. The title track spent five weeks atop the country charts, crossing over to the pop and adult contemporary charts. Trying to recapture the crossover momentum,Womack released the glossy <I>Something Worth Leaving Behind</I> in 2002. It took three years to produce <I>There's More Where That Came From</I>, a return to her traditional roots. The album won CMA's Album of the Year, and "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" won single of the year. In 2008, Womack released album seven, <I>Call Me Crazy</I>.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Emmylou Harris</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.418&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Cosmic American Music</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:07:02 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.418&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.418&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[The otherworldly and yet accessible voice of Emmylou Harris has helped bring country music to wider audiences. After the untimely death of her protege Gram Parsons, Harris kept the cosmic American music spirit and sound alive in her own solo recordings. She was blessed with a warm and nurturing singing voice that seems like it was destined to bring beautiful high-lonesome harmonies to life. Whether she's singing soulfully by herself or harmonizing with other folks, her elastic and dynamic vocals unfold and soar to astral heights, adding new dimensions and organic depth to whatever song she graces. Her incandescent inflections have accompanied the likes of Neil Young, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Beck, Sheryl Crow, The Band, Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, and Glen Campbell to name a very few--but her rich phrasing and harmonious articulation has never been as powerful nor as heartbreakingly emotional as when she sang in close harmony with the late, great Parsons.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Travis Tritt</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.924&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:06:58 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.924&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.924&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Unlike most new traditional hat-acts of the '90s, Travis Tritt refused to hide his long hair under a big, stupid Stetson. He also set himself aside from all the Garth Brooks and Clint Black wannabes by throwing down bluesy Southern Rock for his post-outlaw sound. Tritt's voice is gritty enough to match his ragged image, and disciplined enough to land him more hits than a drunk buckle bunny on payday.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Josh Turner</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66740&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Traditional</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Josh Turner</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[When you first hear the barrel-chested, bass-heavy baritone voice of Josh Turner, it's quite difficult to believe that such a deep and mature-sounding voice can come from the mouth of such a young and boyish face. Were Don Williams dead, you'd think Turner was channeling his spirit every time he sang. He grew up in South Carolina, and always seemed to have his tender ears attuned to the low notes sung in his church quartet. As a young boy, he would walk around attempting to sing as low as possible -- and it obviously paid off. Obsessed with country music for years, Turner found his way to Nashville, where he was signed to MCA records after they had listened to only two of his songs. Even more impressive is that a major label signed him knowing that his material is far from the expendable country pop churned out every day in Music City. Rather than rocking a headset microphone and running around onstage in rhinestones, Turner puts forth songs that are old-timey and gospel-influenced.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Vince Gill</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Vince Gill</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[A former singer for the Country Rock band Pure Prairie League, Vince Gill found success as a solo artist with his 1983 solo debut <I>Turn Me Loose</I>. From this album, Gill's first single "Victim of Life's Circumstances" broke Top-40 and he's been on an uphill hayride ever since. Gill's Country Rock upbringing sometimes makes its way into his traditional-tinged Country Pop, and his latest recordings are saturated with the kind of passion you just can't fake. Gill's buttery vocals bring his sweeping ballads to life in a way that lets you know he's a man in love.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Lyle Lovett</title>
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<category>Texas Country</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 3 Dec 2009 22:53:07 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Lyle Lovett</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Mellow country Folk-Rock with a subtle Texas flavor. Although many people consider Lovett a country singer, his work covers a much more broad and diverse spectrum of Singer-Songwiter musings.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Eric Church</title>
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<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:04:05 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Eric Church</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[He believes the Bible is cold hard fact. And he believes the tax man and the devil share the same address. Eric Church is a country singer with a straightforward message. Anyone who doubts this need only listen to his debut album. Raised in North Carolina, Church started singing "Elvira" to anyone who would listen when he was just four years old. At 13, he started writing music and soon learned how to play the guitar. While pursuing his marketing degree from Appalachian State University, Church formed his first band, the aptly named Mountain Boys. Performing five nights a week at local bars around the Carolinas, Church honed his musical skills and started getting the Nashville bug. With two years left until graduation, Church decided he was ready to drop out and head to the country music capital. But, his father intervened with an offer Church couldn't refuse: Stay and finish college, and he would pay his son's living expenses for six months. His father stayed true to his word and, after graduating, the marketing major headed to Nashville with guitar in hand. It wasn't long before he caught the attention of Capitol Records, who signed Church after a live performance. In 2006, Church released his debut, <I>Sinners Like Me</I>. His traditional sound instantly found a place in the hearts of fans and critics, many of whom were getting fed up with the commercialization of modern country. Three years and countless tours later, Church released his sophomore effort, <I>Carolina</I>.
- Jamie Sanchez]]></description>
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<title>Charlie Daniels</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3250&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Southern Rock</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:31 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Charlie Daniels</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[People have a hard time believing that the man who wrote "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" also played on such Bob Dylan albums as <i>Nashville Skyline</i>, <i>Self Portrait</i>, <i>New Morning</i>, and <i>Dylan</i>. Charlie Daniels was known as the long haired country boy with adroit musical skills that were a true gift from the gods of music. In his heyday, Daniels surrounded himself with an ever changing team of exquisitely talented musicians that contributed to his trademark sound: strict country music with an edgy injection of Southern Rock, blues shuffles and Boogie Rock overtones. Aside from making music that would soon pump from the speakers of Bo and Luke's General Lee, Daniels wrote songs that Elvis Presley covered; he played with Leonard Cohen's touring band in the 1960s, and even produced the Youngbloods' album <i>Elephant Memory</i>. Daniels managed to install a set of ethics for his fan-base-turned-subculture when he penned its anthem, "Long Haired Country Boy" with: "People say I'm no good and crazy as a loon / Cause I get stoned in the morning, get drunk in the afternoon. / Kinda like my old blue tick hound I like to lay around in the shade / I ain't got no money but I've damn sure got it made.../ I don't want much of nothing at all but I will take another toke."
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Trisha Yearwood</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43133&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>New Country</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:06 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Trisha Yearwood</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43133&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[After spending a number of years working as a demo singer, country superstar Trisha Yearwood burst on the scene in 1991 with the hit single "She's In Love with the Boy," and has stayed at the top of the charts ever since. Her friendship with Garth Brooks scored her an opening slot on one of his tours, which proved instrumental in propelling her so quickly to stardom. Yearwood is an impressively expressive and nuanced singer who's at home with diva-style country pop ballads and -- seemingly -- all other manner of country material. Her records aren't always consistent, but she's not afraid to choose material from some cooler, lesser known songwriters like Kim Richey, Pat McLaughlin and Kevin Welch.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>Conway Twitty</title>
<link>http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4922&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Pop/Cosmopolitan</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:42 -0800</pubDate>
<source url="http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=130&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Conway Twitty</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4922&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Conway Twitty cut his musician's teeth in the 1950s as a rock 'n' roll singer, but eventually found home in the rootsy, yet accessible, country music that gave him celebrity in the 1970s and 1980s. His deep, rural vocal inflections gave Nashville some of the most amazingly sung ballads of the country pop era. Lyrically ladened with double entendre, Twitty's sensual songs made him the Tom Jones of country music (rhinestone panties, anyone?). Of greater importance was his courageous risk-taking in a city that hardly tolerates experimenting with musical crosses. Twitty's personalized country is a slick hybrid of R&B shuffles and steady rock 'n' roll backbeats soaked in note-bending twang and cascading melodies--all engineered to make women swoon.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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