CMIL’s 11 Favorite Albums of 2011
Before we bask in the excitement of all the new music coming our way in 2012, we’re taking a look back at our favorite country albums of 2011. These albums may or may not be the most popular if you add up record sales and awards, but when it comes to our car stereos, they were the most played of the year! Here they are in no particular order…
David Nail – The Sound of a Million Dreams: If you follow us on Twitter and Facebook, you already know how much we love this album! David’s raw voice and unique sound mixed with his knack for picking the right songs set him apart from his Music City peers. “Songs For Sale” and the title track, “The Sound of A Million Dreams,” are our personal favorites but the rest of the songs on the album aren’t far behind! As we’ve said before, we can’t encourage you enough to buy this album
Luke Bryan – tailgates & tanlines: Our favorite “Country Man” released his third album this summer showing fans his depth as both a songwriter and vocalist. This album is one that we continually listen to without skipping a track and we usually hit repeat when his mega-hit “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” comes on, as well as our other favorites, “Drunk On You” and “Tailgate Blues.” This is definitely an album that you need in your collection
Ronnie Dunn – Ronnie Dunn: The highly-anticipated solo debut from the powerhouse vocal half of Brooks & Dunn has already provided country music with two heartfelt and meaningful singles. In addition to those emotional tunes, “Singer In A Cowboy Band,” “I Don’t Dance,” and “Let The Cowboy Rock” are all standout songs on the album. Definitely one of our most played albums of the year, Ronnie’s solo release would make a great stocking stuffer
Jake Owen – Barefoot Blue Jean Night: The title track to this album was arguably the biggest country hit during the summer of 2011, and as great as the song is, it’s not even the best one on the album. Jake’s current single, “Alone With You,” and “Settin’ The World On Fire” are a couple of our top picks, as well as the powerful “The Journey of Your Life,” which instantly became one of our favorites as it took our breath away the very first time that we heard it. If you haven’t already, go ahead and grab a copy
Pistol Annies - Hell On Heels: This album is the epitome of country music and probably the best country album released this year. Miranda Lambert joined her good friends Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe to form this group that’s a throwback to traditional country. Their sound honors the likes of Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn, bringing the younger generation of country fans back in time to the heart of country music. While we love the entire album, “Takin’ Pills,” “Boys From the South,” and “Lemon Drop” are some of our favorites that you need to check out
Eric Church – Chief: This GRAMMY nominated album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts showing the country music community just how much Eric built his die-hard fan base throughout his career. The tunes on Chief encompass everything that we love about Eric. Our favorites tracks include “Drink In My Hand,” “Country Music Jesus,” and “Springsteen.” Grab yourself a copy
Chris Young – Neon: With songs like “Tomorrow,” “You,” and “I Can Take It From There,” Chris Young’s Neon quickly found its way onto our playlist this summer. We love that Young always finds a way to put a fresh spin on a traditional sound. He’s already racked in a No.1 hit with this album and we’re sure there are plenty more to follow. Neon is available for purchase here
Miranda Lambert – Four The Record: While many artists have struggled to follow up a highly successful album like Lambert’s Revolution, the superstar didn’t seem to have any trouble at all with Four The Record. Miranda manages to maintain the sound that fans have come to expect from her with songs like “Mama’s Broken Heart” and “Fastest Girl in Town” while pushing the limits and breaking boundaries with tracks such as “Fine Tune.” Four The Record, like Revolution, will remain one of our favorite country music albums for a long time to come. If you haven’t bought a copy yet (shame on you!), you can pick one up here
Blake Shelton – Red River Blue: Blake Shelton showcases his soft and serious side as well as his lighthearted side that fans have grown to love over the years on his eighth studio album, Red River Blue. The fact that the album features two of our favorite singles of the year, “Honey Bee” and “God Gave Me You,” is reason enough to buy the album
Lady Antebellum – Own The Night: We’re still constantly playing Lady Antebellum’s first two albums and we were happy to add this one to the mix. We’re diggin’ “Friday Night” and “Singing Me Home,” and “We Owned The Night” was one of our favorite singles in all of 2011. Chances are you already have this one in your collection since it’s already been certified Platinum by the RIAA, but if you don’t, you can buy it here
Frankie Ballard – Frankie Ballard: Frankie Ballard’s self-titled debut is an album that really took us by surprise. We were hooked to each and every track upon first listen and haven’t stopped listening since! Frankie is truly one of the most under-rated artists in the business. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy
