Year in Review

Contemporary country music is youth-driven, which makes it no different from any other commercially viable genre.

But in 2007, old fogeys Garth Brooks and the Eagles handily took the sales crown from hot acts Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.

The figures don't lie. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Ms. Underwood's Carnival Ride and Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good each sold 1.4 million copies. Mr. Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates moved a relatively paltry 897,000 copies even after two No. 1 singles. The Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, which has been in stores less time than the Underwood, Rascal and Chesney CDs, is at 2.2 million copies.

And even Mr. Brooks' The Ultimate Hits, a $26 package of two CDs and one DVD, has sold 1.1 million, a mere 300,000 less than the single discs Carnival Ride and Still Feels Good.

Sometimes youth is no match for experience.

1 Miranda Lambert, July 1, Smirnoff Music Centre ­ She should be a headliner, not an opening act. Especially since she totally thwarted star Toby Keith's stage momentum. The blond firecracker exploded during her 40-minute set, a ferocious display of platform presence, tight musicianship and piercing songs.

Nan Coulter / Special to DMN

Miranda Lambert at Smirnoff Centre

2 Jack Ingram, March 29, Billy Bob's Texas ­Great Jack Ingram concerts are no surprise. But this one was different. He came to Billy Bob's during the whirlwind busy week of his This Is It CD release. The disc proved to be his breakthrough; so did this show. The married father of three now understands the true connection between music and emotions.

3 Trisha Yearwood, Sept. 10, Bass Performance Hall ­She may tour sporadically, but when Ms. Yearwood sings for a crowd it's always a welcomed and familiar event. Her arsenal of hits stood proud, and so did material from her wonderful new CD.

4 Martina McBride, Little Big Town, July 13, Nokia Theatre ­The magic of voices, from Little Big Town's exquisite four-part harmonies to Ms. McBride's powerhouse pipes. These two artists represent contemporary country well, assuring us there is soul on the mainstream airwaves today.

5 Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Sept. 8, Smirnoff Music Centre ­Wow, what a double-bill that was! The high-octane honky-tonk of Brooks & Dunn actually blended quite fabulously with the everyman, traditional country of Mr. Jackson. But only 13,000 people in attendance? This should have been a 20,000 sellout.

6 Oak Ridge Boys, Jan. 24, Bass Performance Hall ­Old-school entertainment still has a pulse, thanks to Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Joe Bonsall and Richard Sterban. They offered a clean, feel-good show filled with enduring staples. Folks, there's no reason to knock that.

Jason Janik / Special to DMN

Willie Nelson at Smirnoff Centre

7 Willie Nelson, Pat Green, Randy Rogers Band, Oct. 27, Smirnoff Music Centre ­The legend, the regional trailblazer and the upstart ­ and all of them Texans, to boot. It was a long show, but one that underscored the heart of Lone Star country music. Mr. Rogers and his pickers were the revelation of the evening.

8 Brad Paisley, May 12, Smirnoff Music Centre ­Humor, pathos and seriously killer guitar picking ... sounds like a Brad Paisley gig. He's developed nicely into a seamless showman. Plus, his standout repertoire continues to prove that commercial doesn't have to be a dirty word.

9 LeAnn Rimes, Sept. 24, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center ­Poised and in spectacular voice, the Garland-raised Ms. Rimes blossomed into the performer and artist she hinted at being back when she was 13 and merely singing songs her handlers placed in front of her. Now she feels the music. The journey was all worth it.

10 Josh Turner, Nov. 10, American Airlines Center ­ His concert had too many covers, but Mr. Turner had genuine charm and a barrel-deep baritone that resonated with every note. Plus, how cool to see his wife, Jennifer, onstage playing keyboards and doing harmony vocals.

1 Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Columbia Nashville) ­Lindale's ridiculously talented singer-songwriter fired off her career-defining collection of tunes. She effortlessly revealed gumption, tenderness, vitriol, melancholy and reflection, all to the beat of hard-core country-rock fueled by plenty of Texas attitude. And she's only 24 years old.

2 Joe Nichols, Real Things (Universal South) ­This is it, folks. The Arkansas-born traditional country singer finally found the perfect batch of songs to match his whiskey-and-molasses baritone. One listen of this gem isn't enough. It just gets better and better.

3 Little Big Town, A Place to Land (Equity Music Group) ­Contemporary country can successfully merge with classic rock, in this case the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. The vocal quartet topped 2005's breakthrough The Road to Here with stunning harmonies and great songs.

4 Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden (ERC) ­It took Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit 28 years to deliver a new studio disc. But man, was it worth the wait. Two CDs filled with glorious harmonies, socially conscious tracks and that iconic So-Cal rock-meets-country sound.

5 Trisha Yearwood, Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love (Big Machine) ­No pandering, no trying to be young and hip, just a batch of exquisite songs delivered with Ms. Yearwood's timeless voice. "The Dreaming Fields," a beautifully crafted ballad, will linger in your head weeks after you've heard the record.

6 Gary Allan, Living Hard (MCA Nashville) ­The gritty honky-tonk regular rocks with a bit more gusto on his kicking seventh studio outing. Choice cuts among many: The sly "Like It's a Bad Thing," the sexy "She's So California" and the sobering "Half of My Mistakes."

7 Moot Davis, Already Moved On (Little Dog) ­If you're talking about the honky-tonks, especially the real ones with sawdust on the floors and peanuts on the counters, then you gotta mention Mr. Davis. His stingingly good second CD adds accordion, piano and mandola to his '50s and '60s traditional country style.

8 Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand (Rounder) ­The artistic pairing of the year. Led Zeppelin's legendary front man sings with bluegrass music's reigning queen. The results are haunting, lovely and memorable. Play this one and brood.

9 Cross Canadian Ragweed, Mission California (Universal South) ­Mature and polished, Cody Canada and his Ragweed dudes fully embraced their Southern rock influences and created the best disc of their career. Take your pick of cool stuff: "Record Exec," "Dead Man," "Lawrence," "NYCG" and "Soul Agent."

10 Bucky Covington, Bucky Covington (Lyric Street) ­That American Idol factory has largely been a creative wasteland when it comes to country releases. But the affable Mr. Covington, with help from producer Mark Miller (of Sawyer Brown fame), gave us some hope with a worthy, honest, workingman's country-by-way-of-Southern-rock CD.

Carrie Underwood needs a new mantel. Or three.

In 2007 the fresh-faced singer from Checotah, Okla., took home 14 industry awards, all stemming from the success of her 2004 debut CD, Some Hearts (which sold 6 million), and its two biggest singles, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and the pop crossover "Before He Cheats."

She began the year with a pair of Grammy Awards, best new artist and best female vocal performance (for "Wheel"). Before long she had two People's Choice Awards, two CMT Music Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards, two Country Music Association Awards and a trio of American Music Awards.

Now she stands to win another pair of Grammy Awards in February's 50th annual presentation. It's no surprise, really. She's the perfect mainstream trinket recipient. Ms. Underwood impresses the masses with her lungpower, she's pretty, she's youthful, she's from a small town (which helps her seem genuine), and she's safe.

Her American Idol win makes her the public's sweetheart. No doubt she's also charmed country ­ and pop ­ radio programmers. Her award-winning success is a no-brainer.

M.T.

"We broke up for 14 years starting in 1980, got back together in '94. We've been touring all over the world, and this band has never been good at writing and recording while on tour. We've had some personnel problems. There's been some litigation that I can't go into detail about. It took us awhile to learn how to work together again in the studio." Don Henley, on why it took the Eagles 28 years to make the new studio album, Long Road Out of Eden

"When I went in to get signed, I already had songs. I know who I am as an artist. I'm good enough to where I feel I could put songs on an album on a major label. I said, 'If y'all are going to try to change that or make me cut these No. 1 singles or whatever they are, I'm not going to do it. It's wasting everyone's time. I'll just go back to Texas and playing in clubs.'" Miranda Lambert, on her initial meeting with her Columbia Nashville record label executives

"I was going to sell it right after that happened. But I forced myself back in the bedroom and I really pushed through. It has gotten easier. It's gotten easier through music. There is no better therapy. That has really pulled me through. I'm in a really good place now." Gary Allan, on returning to the house where his late wife, Angela Herzberg, committed suicide