http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&category=genre&genreId=161&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rssTop New Country Artists on Rhapsody OnlineNew Countryen720Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:36:53 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&category=genre&genreId=161&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10482910&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:25 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.10482910 art.10482910 Taylor Swift art.10482910 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10482910&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10482910&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Taylor Swift to triple-platinum status. Not bad for a beginner! Preceded by the hit "Love Story," Swift's sophomore effort, Fearless, was released in November 2008. - Nate Cavalieri]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61721&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:27 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61721 art.61721 George Strait art.61721 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61721&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61721&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43391&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:31 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.43391 art.43391 Kenny Chesney art.43391 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43391&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43391&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems rocketed to Number on the country and pop charts and eventually sold more than 4 million copies. In 2008 Chesney won the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year award for the fourth consecutive year. Chesney's mix of heartland rock, pop and country has earned him more than thirty Top Ten country singles and numerous awards.

Born Kenneth Arnold Chesney on March 26, 1968, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to a hair stylist mother, he was raised in nearby Luttrell. Chesney played football at Gibbs High School in Corryton, Tennessee, but didn't begin playing music until he was in college at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, where he studied advertising. After graduating, he moved to Nashville and signed with BMI and Opryland Music Group in 1992. His debut album, In My Wildest Dreams, came out in two years later on the newly revived southern rock label Capricorn Records. Though it was more pure country than his later albums, Chesney set the tone of his winning career with his smooth baritone on slick ballads like "When She Calls Me Baby" and the upbeat honky-tonk of "Whatever It Takes," which climbed to Number 59 on Billboard's country singles chart.

Chesney left Capricorn for RCA subsidiary BNA Records and released his breakthrough second album, All I Need to Know (Number 39, 1995), which yielded Top Ten country hits in the pop-country "Fall in Love" (Number Six, 1995) and ballad "All I Need to Know" (Number Eight, 1995). Successive albums — Me and You (Number Nine Country, 1995) and I Will Stand (Number Ten country, 1997) — fared even better, producing the country hits "When I Close My Eyes" (Number Two, 1996), "Me and You" (Number Two), "She's Got it All" (Number One), "A Chance" (Number 11), "I Will Stand" (Number 27) and "That's Why I'm Here" (Number Two).

Chesney became a crossover success with Everywhere We Go (Number Five country, Number 51 Pop, 1999), with its hits "How Forever Feels" (Number One country, Number 27 pop, 1999), "You Had Me from Hello" (Number One country, Number 34 pop), the novelty song "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" (Number 11 country, Number 68 pop, 1999), and "What I Need to Do" (Number 8 country, Number 56 pop, 2000). The album sold 2 million copies. He began the next decade of his career with Greatest Hits (Number One country, Number 13 pop, 2000), which featured four new songs including "I Lost It" (Number Three country, Number 34 pop) and "Don't Happen Twice" (Number One country, Number 26 pop).

Chesney's sixth release, 2002's No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems was barely country at all; aside from his Tennessee twang and the presence of pedal-steel guitar, the songs were more in line with those of such average-guy, heartland rockers as Bob Seger, Tom Petty or John Mellencamp. No Shoes… rocketed to Number One on both the pop and country charts, yielding huge crossover hits in the upbeat rockers "Young" (Number Two country, Number 35 pop) and "Big Star" (Number Two country, Number 28 pop), the ballad "A Lot of Things Different" (Number Six country, Number 55 pop) and mid-tempo "The Good Stuff" (Number One country, Number 22 pop, and the pure pop-country of the title track (Number Two country, Number 28 pop, 2003).

Chesney has continued his momentum with successive platinum and multi-platinum Number One country albums throughout the 2000s: When the Sun Goes Down (Number One country, Number One pop, 2004), Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair) (Number One country, Number One pop, 2005), The Road and the Radio (Number One country, Number One pop, 2005), Live: Live Those Songs Again (Number One country, Number Four pop, 2006) and Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (Number One country, Number Three pop, 2007).

His string of Top Ten country hits in the 2000s includes, "There Goes My Life" (Number One country, Number 29 pop, 2004), his duet with Uncle Kracker "When the Sun Goes Down" (Number One country, Number 26 pop, 2004), his collaboration with Jimmy Buffett, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait on Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'" (Number Eight country, Number 63 pop, 2004), "Anything But Mine" (Number One country, Number 48 pop, 2005), "Living in Fast Forward" (Number One country, Number 48 pop, 2005), "Summertime" (Number One country, Number 34 pop, 2006), "Beer In Mexico" (Number One country, Number 61 pop, 2007), "Never Wanted Nothing More" (Number One country, Number 22 pop, 2007), "Don't Blink" (Number One country, Number 29 pop, 2007) and his duet with Strait on "Shiftwork" (Number Two country, Number 47 pop, 2007).

Chesney has won numerous awards including Academy of Country Music honors for New Male Vocalist of the Year (1997), Top Male Vocalist of the Year (2002) and Entertainer of the Year (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008); Country Music Association nods for Album of the Year (When the Sun Goes Down, 2004) and Entertainer of the Year (2004, 2006, 2007); and American Music Association awards for Artist of the Year (2004) and Entertainer of the Year (2007); as well as several CMT video awards.

In 2005, Chesney's personal life became tabloid news when he married actress Renée Zellweger in the U.S. Virgin Islands and filed for an annulment after only four months of marriage. In 2008, Chesney — who has a home in the Caribbean — was slated to embark on his Corona beer-sponsored "Poets & Pirates" stadium tour with openers LeAnn Rimes and Keith Urban. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61749&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61749 art.61749 Rascal Flatts art.61749 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61749&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61749&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss I Melt, 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 Feels Like Today, 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 Cars, topped the ringtone charts. The single did so well, it was added onto their fourth album, Me and My Gang. Still Feels Good was released in 2007, followed by Greatest Hits in 2008.Bio addendum: In 2009, the band released their sixth studio effort, the aptly titled, Unstoppable. - Linda Ryan]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.25435208&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:13 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.25435208 art.25435208 Gloriana art.25435208 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.25435208&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.25435208&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss America's Most Talented Kid 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]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6222344&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:31 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6222344 art.6222344 Sugarland art.6222344 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6222344&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6222344&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Twice the Speed of Life, 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 Enjoy the Ride 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, Love On The Inside. - Linda Ryan]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37946&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.37946 art.37946 Brad Paisley art.37946 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37946&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37946&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Who Needs Pictures. In 2003, he released chart-topper Mud on the Tires. Time Well Wasted 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, 5th Gear, 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, Play. - Linda Ryan]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17661&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:31 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.17661 art.17661 Keith Urban art.17661 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17661&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.17661&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Love, Pain And The Whole Crazy Thing. Defying Gravity followed in March, 2009. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63535&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.63535 art.63535 Tim McGraw art.63535 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63535&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63535&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss All I Want 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]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8471&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:31 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.8471 art.8471 Toby Keith art.8471 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8471&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8471&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss ABC News 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 Shock'n Y'all (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 Shock'n Y'all) makes light of Willie Nelson's love for incredibly strong marijuana and "Grain of Salt" from 2006's White Trash With Money serves as a tourist's tequila anthem. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7381976&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:24 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.7381976 art.7381976 Carrie Underwood art.7381976 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7381976&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7381976&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss American Idol. 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 Idol wasn't Underwood's only outlet for musical championship. Her debut long player Some Hearts 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 Carnival Ride. - Mike McGuirk]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1046&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:29 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1046 art.1046 Alan Jackson art.1046 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1046&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1046&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7318667&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.7318667 art.7318667 Jason Aldean art.7318667 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7318667&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7318667&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Dukes Of Hazzard. In 2007, Aldean released his sophomore effort, Relentless. 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, Wide Open, which was released in 2009. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16550565&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.16550565 art.16550565 Lady Antebellum art.16550565 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16550565&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16550565&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5816&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Bluegrass Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:27 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5816 art.5816 Alison Krauss art.5816 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5816&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5816&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Raising Sand, 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 A Hundred Miles or More, 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, Like Red on a Rose. - Philip Sherburne]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61796&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61796 art.61796 Dixie Chicks art.61796 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61796&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61796&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Wide Open Spaces, 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. Wide Open Spaces rocketed to the top of the charts, as did its follow-up Fly. But 2002's aptly titled Home 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 O Brother, Where Art Thou phenomenon. Top of the World Tour: Live 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, Taking the Long Way, was released in late May of 2006. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4772&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4772 art.4772 Brooks & Dunn art.4772 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4772&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4772&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Star Search 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 #1s and Then Some 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, #1s and Then Some is a brilliant bookend to a distinguished career. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66195&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.66195 art.66195 Billy Currington art.66195 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66195&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66195&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1004&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:27 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1004 art.1004 Reba McEntire art.1004 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1004&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1004&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66465&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.66465 art.66465 Dierks Bentley art.66465 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66465&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66465&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Dawson's Creek 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]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2192&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2192 art.2192 Martina McBride art.2192 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2192&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2192&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4266&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:24:59 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4266 art.4266 Faith Hill art.4266 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4266&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4266&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.200&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.200 art.200 Trace Adkins art.200 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.200&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.200&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68597&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Adult Alternative Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:06 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.68597 art.68597 Jewel art.68597 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68597&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68597&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Batman and Robin 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, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, 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, Perfectly Clear. - Linda Ryan]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.44997&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.44997 art.44997 Gary Allan art.44997 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.44997&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.44997&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4635&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:28:26 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4635 art.4635 Randy Travis art.4635 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4635&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4635&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Inspirational Journey, 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 Touched by an Angel, in which Travis also guest-starred. Travis has since released country/Christian albums in rapid succession: Worship and Faith (2003), Passing Through (2004) and Glory Train (2005). In 2008, he released the CD/DVD Around the Bend. - Linda Ryan]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1873&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1873 art.1873 Shania Twain art.1873 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1873&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1873&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss The Woman in Me (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]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37872&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:27 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.37872 art.37872 Blake Shelton art.37872 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37872&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37872&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10366198&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:49:46 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.10366198 art.10366198 Kellie Pickler art.10366198 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10366198&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.10366198&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss American Idol. Pickler was eliminated from the competition early on during the show's fifth season, but she persevered, hitting post-Idol pay dirt with "Red High Heels" (Number 15 Country; Number 64 Pop, 2006) and the autobiographical "I Wonder" (Number 14 Country; Number 75 Pop, 2006).

She was born on June 28th, 1986, in Albemarle, North Carolina, to her then-18-year-old mother Cynthia Morton and father Clyde "Bo" Pickler, Jr. When the singer was two, her mother gave up her custodial rights, and Kellie was raised by her paternal grandparents in the nearby village of Palestine. (Pickler's hit song "I Wonder" ponders what her life would have been like had her mother not abandoned her.) In 2004, she graduated from North Stanly High School and sang LeeAnn Rimes' "On the Side of Angels" at her commencement ceremony. After school, she continued living with her grandfather while working at the Sonic Drive-In. That year, she also won the Miss Stanly County beauty pageant and competed in the Miss North Carolina contest.

In 2005, with the urging of her grandfather, she auditioned for American Idol in Greensboro, and made the cut. Inspired by Dolly Parton, Pickler lasted several rounds into the contest and was a favorite of Idol's curmudgeon judge, Simon Cowell. Although she was eliminated from before reaching the top, her country-bumpkin personality and Jessica Simpson-like ditzy humor charmed the show's fans and judges alike, and she signed a record deal with BNA Records, the label of country superstar Kenny Chesney. A week after her elimination from the contest, her father was released from prison, where he had served three years for aggravated assault.

Pickler's first album, Small Town Girl (Number One Country; Number Nine Pop, 2006), came out in October 2006 and sold 79,000 copies in its first week. Pickler's down-home and unpretentious personality has landed her on an array of TV shows, from prominent spots on The View and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. In late 2007, she won a songwriter's award at the ASCAP Awards for "Red High Heels" and later, at the Country Music Awards show, received a standing ovation for her tearful performance of "I Wonder." Pickler's second album — which she says will include songs of a very personal nature about her rocky upbringing — is due out in 2008. ]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65908&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:27:18 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.65908 art.65908 Miranda Lambert art.65908 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65908&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65908&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Nashville Star. 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, Kerosene. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37729&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.37729 art.37729 Montgomery Gentry art.37729 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37729&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37729&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3019&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Country Pop/Cosmopolitan Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.3019 art.3019 LeAnn Rimes art.3019 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3019&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3019&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Sittin' On Top of the World) 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]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55028&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:26 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.55028 art.55028 Lee Ann Womack art.55028 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55028&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55028&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss I Hope You Dance, 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 Something Worth Leaving Behind in 2002. It took three years to produce There's More Where That Came From, 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, Call Me Crazy. - Linda Ryan]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2356&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Texas Country Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:06 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2356 art.2356 Lyle Lovett art.2356 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2356&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2356&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.924&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.924 art.924 Travis Tritt art.924 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.924&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.924&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9391301&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:04:05 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.9391301 art.9391301 Eric Church art.9391301 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9391301&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9391301&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Sinners Like Me. 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, Carolina. - Jamie Sanchez]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66740&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.66740 art.66740 Josh Turner art.66740 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66740&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66740&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43133&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:06 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.43133 art.43133 Trisha Yearwood art.43133 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43133&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43133&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16784&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:31 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.16784 art.16784 Sara Evans art.16784 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16784&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.16784&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Three Chords & the Truth, debuted in 1997, landing her some radio play and a touring support slot for the great George Jones. Since then she's released albums at a prolific rate: 1998's No Place That Far was met with praise from critics; 1999's Girl's Night Out garnered her even more fans and positive press; 2000's Born to Fly did well enough, but she really hit her stride in 2003 with Restless. With less traditional instrumentation and more commercial-sounding songs and production, Restlessindicated that Evans had swapped twang for a more mainstream rock orientation, but she never lost her voice's impassioned force. In 2005, the singer earned Billboard's "country's next female superstar" status when Real Fine Place debuted at the top spot on the magazine's country album chart and at No. 3 on the Top 200 Album Chart. Veering closer to the pop flame than at anytime before, the winsome singer covered a Sheryl Crow song and hired John Mayer's drummer and bass player for the record. But she didn't entirely turn her back on her country roots; on songs like "Coalminer," and the "Cheatin'," she sounds as down home as someone in a pair of Daisy Dukes. She's also appeared on albums by leading country lights like Keith Urban, Faith Hill and Carolyn Dawn Johnson, and doesn't plan to stop there: Evans, who lives outside of Nashville with her husband and two children, son Avery and daughter Audrey, says the next thing she wants is a career on the silver screen. And who would ever doubt her -- by her own admission she can switch gears at the drop of a…diaper: "I can separate things so easily in my mind. I can literally change a diaper or discipline Avery and then walk on stage. I'm such a multitasker you would not even believe. If I just had a few more arms, there's no telling what I could do. I think that's the trademark of a true woman," says Evans on her website. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4663&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Traditional Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:53 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4663 art.4663 Clint Black art.4663 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4663&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4663&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Nashville Star winner Buddy Jewell, Black saw to his own music, releasing Spend My Time (2004), Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic (2005) and Love Songs (2007). In early 2008, Black released a cover of the Hollies' classic "Long Cool Woman." - Linda Ryan]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.59784&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.59784 art.59784 Vince Gill art.59784 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.59784&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.59784&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Turn Me Loose. 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]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18490&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.18490 art.18490 Rodney Atkins art.18490 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18490&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18490&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Honestly. The album's title track, featuring Atkins' emotive, powerful vocal range, became his first Top 5 hit. His second album, If You're Going Through Hell, became an even bigger success, debuting at No. 1 on the country albums chart. In 2009, Atkins released his third album, It's America. - Jamie Sanchez]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11761&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.11761 art.11761 Lonestar art.11761 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11761&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11761&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68964&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Country Humor Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:52 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.68964 art.68964 Rodney Carrington art.68964 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68964&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68964&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4992413&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:54 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4992413 art.4992413 Big & Rich art.4992413 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4992413&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4992413&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.56920&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:31 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.56920 art.56920 Little Big Town art.56920 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.56920&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.56920&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss O Brother, Where Art Thou?. In fact, Little Big Town didn't land a proper record deal until the success of the Dixie Chicks and the O Brother soundtrack proved to label heads that people would pay money for Americana music. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8473&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:29 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.8473 art.8473 Tracy Lawrence art.8473 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8473&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.8473&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss Sticks and Stones was released to rave reviews. The title track was his first No. 1, and Lawrence kept pace with that marker throughout the 1990s, collecting a number of awards along the way. In the late '90s, Lawrence married, was convicted of spousal battery, and divorced. He returned to music in 2000 with the introspective effort Lessons Learned. Atlantic Records closed the door on their partnership after that release, but Lawrence was scooped up by Warner Bros. shortly after. His self-titled effort didn't measure up to past efforts, nor did 2004's effort, Strong. For the Love arrived in 2007 and the following year, Lawrence released the wry single, "You Can't Hide Redneck." - Linda Ryan]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5289455&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5289455 art.5289455 Gretchen Wilson art.5289455 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5289455&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5289455&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss The Simpsons episode where Homer befriends the aspiring country singer Lurlene Lumpkin. Like Lumpkin, Wilson grew up in a poor, rural part of the country. Born to a 16-year-old mother and to a father who left the home when she was only a toddler, Wilson grew up in Pocahontas, Ill., and moved nomadically from trailer park to trailer park. While only 14 and with just an eighth grade education, she worked as a bartender and a cook in the same tavern as her mom. Wilson began her career in her early 20s by singing in bar bands and soon she relocated to Nashville where she joined up with the Muzik Mafia songwriting club. Her debut single, "Redneck Woman," (which she co-wrote with John Rich of Big & Rich and Lonestar) set sales records on the Billboard charts, making her an overnight sensation. She has been credited with saving country music in a time when Nashville is leaning toward the pop production of Faith Hill and Shania Twain -- artists who sound like they're desperately trying to cross over into the Adult Contemporary market. In contrast, Wilson celebrates her redneck roots in her compositions (by name checking Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kid Rock, for example). - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61748&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61748 art.61748 Craig Morgan art.61748 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61748&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61748&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss I Love It, which housed the hit singles "Almost Home" and "Every Friday Afternoon." My Kind of Livin' was released in 2005, quickly followed by Little Bit of Life a year later. In 2008, the singer's Greatest Hits Collection hit the shelves in time for Christmas. - Eric Shea]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.216&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss New Country Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:30 -0800 Top New Country Artists on Rhapsody Online art.216 art.216 Diamond Rio art.216 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.216&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.216&variant=data&rws=%2Fcountry%2Fcountry-pop-cosmopolitan%2Fnew-country%2Fartist-chart.rss