06:15 PM CST on Friday, December 23, 2005

By MARIO TARRADELL / The Dallas Morning News

Country music circa 2005 lacked a defining movement, a fresh style that captured the attention of radio programmers and record buyers the way the genre-bending Musik Mafia phenomenon spearheaded by Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson did last year. Sure, we got country rapper Cowboy Troy's national debut, Loco Motive, but that CD didn't make the kind of splash discs from Ms. Wilson and B&R did.

Yet the past 12 months will be remembered as a time when pop-country, not to mention pop-culture country, struck a lucrative chord. From the success of poppy acts such as Keith Urban, Sugarland, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts to the media blitz that was Kenny Chesney's surprise marriage – and quick divorce – from actress Renée Zellweger.

Meanwhile, traditionalism struggled to stay commercially viable despite stellar albums from Lee Ann Womack, Brad Paisley, Patty Loveless, George Strait and newcomer Ray Scott. Even Ms. Womack's Country Music Association Award win – (There's More Where That Came From took album-of-the-year honors – didn't give the CD's sales much of a boost.

The pop-slick sound remains the cash cow

Back in February, when Texan Lee Ann Womack's There's More Where That Came From arrived in stores, the critical praise was universal. From USA Today to People, Entertainment Weekly to The New York Times, her stunning return to traditional country became the genre's new lauded CD.

At last month's Country Music Association Awards, Ms. Womack took home the coveted album-of-the-year trophy. She also won single of the year for "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" and musical event of the year for her beautiful duet with George Strait, "Good News, Bad News."

Yet so far There's More Where That Came From has sold 389,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's mighty far from the sales numbers such a praised, awarded album deserves. What's more, "I May Hate Myself" was the disc's only substantial hit, peaking at No. 10 on Billboard's country singles chart.

The radio and retail resistance to Ms. Womack's CD underscores the state of traditional country in the new millennium. Country's proverbial pendulum, which through the decades has swung back and forth from pop-slick to traditional, seems stuck in pop mode. Traditionalists Brad Paisley, Mr. Strait, Alan Jackson and Joe Nichols have all done well but hardly spectacularly with their recent records.

Mr. Jackson's latest single, "USA Today," petered out at No. 18 while Mr. Nichols' Top 3 hit, "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off," hasn't kept his III album from tumbling out of the Top 20.

In fact, without question 2005 has been the year of country-pop stars such as Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and Rascal Flatts. A couple of newcomers, trio Sugarland and American Idol winner Carrie Underwood, also took the country airwaves by storm with their decidedly polished, barely country sound.

Then there are the CMAs, held in New York for the first time. The obvious point was to take the annual awards show out of the niche that is Nashville and bring it to the pop culture capital. The program was filled with pop stars performing or making appearances, from Bon Jovi and Billy Joel to Paul Simon and Elton John.

The evening's top award, entertainer of the year, went to Mr. Urban, who also took male vocalist honors again. He's riding high with a pair of consecutive double-platinum discs, 2002's Golden Road and 2004's Be Here, and a slew of No. 1 singles, including the recent "Better Life."

Sugarland, also hot with its million-selling debut, Twice the Speed of Life, grabbed a Grammy nomination for best new artist. The group, fronted by the increasingly accessible Jennifer Nettles, is on its third radio smash, "Just Might (Make Me Believe)."

Meanwhile, Ms. Womack's terrific current single, "Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago," slowly inches its way into the Top 40.

E-mail mtarradell@dallasnews.com

Lee Ann Womack
There's More Where That Came From (MCA Nashville)

Ms. Womack's marvelous return to traditional country reveals new nuances even after, say, 10 listens. The way her voice soars on "The Last Time," a beautifully melancholy ballad, and the palpable resilience in her vocal tone during the reflective "Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago." This is genuine country music at its finest.

Gary Allan
Tough All Over (MCA Nashville)

No stranger to great country records, Mr. Allan veered inward to craft an album laced with the pain and anger following his wife's suicide. Every song here taps into his anguish, especially "Puttin' Memories Away," "Best I Ever Had" and "Life Ain't Always Beautiful."

Robert Earl Keen
What I Really Mean (Koch Records)

Mr. Keen's voice finally equals his pen. He was always the consummate storyteller, but this time he turns into a melodic singer on the best disc of his career. And on the title cut, he mixes banjo with saxophone. Down-home with uptown does sound really good.

Trisha Yearwood
Jasper County (MCA Nashville)

A four-year hiatus proved rejuvenating for Ms. Yearwood. Back with longtime producer Garth Fundis, she found a memorable batch of cuts, from the passionate opener, "Who Invented the Wheel," to the breathtaking story ballad "Georgia Rain," and sang them with heart.

Nickel Creek
Why Should the Fire Die? (Sugar Hill Records)

Bluegrass with edge, attitude, finesse and stellar musicianship. Chris Thile, Sara Watkins and brother Sean Watkins exceed all expectations on their most daring and fully realized record. This ain't grandpa's brand of bluegrass, no sir.

Ray Wylie Hubbard
Delirium Tremolos (Rounder)

The king of Americana music's darker side, Mr. Hubbard keeps intact his track record for making great discs. Like the best Texas troubadours, his songs tell gritty stories about characters living on the wrong side of the railroad tracks. And he sings them with raw conviction.

Patty Loveless
Dreamin' My Dreams (Epic Nashville)

In a year with precious few standout country albums by women, Ms. Loveless delivered again. Dreamin' My Dreams is a little electric, a little acoustic and always soulful. Patty's voice effortlessly draws you in. The CD was criminally ignored by record buyers.

Brad Paisley
Time Well Wasted (Arista Nashville)

Neo-traditionalist never disappoints. As always, he nails country humor ("Alcohol," "Cornography") and killer guitar licks ("Time Warp"). But he expands his palette, going for sexy balladry on "Rainin' You" and Southern gospel divinity on "When I Get Where I'm Going" with Dolly Parton.

George Strait
Somewhere Down in Texas (MCA Nashville)

King George always makes good albums. But there's something special about this one. The songs have a transcendent quality, especially "You'll Be There" and "By the Light of the Burning Bridge." His duet with Lee Ann Womack, "Good News, Bad News," is simply stunning.

Ray Scott
My Kind of Music (Warner Bros. Nashville)

Newcomer emerges with a commanding debut effort buoyed by his rugged, no-nonsense baritone and straightforward, hard country tunes. He's a real folks poet, much like Merle Haggard, and he's got the don't-mess-with-me stance of Johnny Cash.

Lee Ann Womack
Feb. 8 at Billy Bob's Texas

On the national release day of her There's More Where That Came From CD, Ms. Womack was in North Texas. Her intimate Billy Bob's gig was a rare treat. Not only did she perform every song from the disc, she was loose, chatty and warm throughout.

Gary Allan
Oct. 8 at the State Fair of Texas

Powerful show, especially since it was three days prior to the release of Tough All Over, which he recorded after his wife's suicide. But in customary fashion, he said very little onstage, letting his piercing new country songs and his stellar canon of cuts do the talking.

Alan Jackson
Sept. 16 at Smirnoff Music Centre

How can you go wrong with 90 minutes of Alan Jackson? You get authentic country traditionalism, great musicianship, a distinguishable baritone and an honest aw-shucks quality that leaves more of an impression than the most calculated showmanship.

Brooks & Dunn
Aug. 6 at Smirnoff Music Centre

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn opened their Deuces Wild Tour in Dallas, with fellow duos Big & Rich and the Warren Brothers as opening acts. Instead of visual bombast, B&D walked to center stage in low-key fashion and then delivered one great concert.

Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic
July 4 at the Fort Worth Stockyards

On pure bang for your buck, Mr. Nelson's annual multiartist party is a serious bargain. Especially this year, with legends such as Bob Dylan and Billy Joe Shaver performing. But the appeal of the shindig lies in the daylong camaraderie of music, friends, food and sunshine.

Robert Earl Keen
May 29 at LaGrave Field

To go with the melodic and reflective tone of his latest effort What I Really Mean, Mr. Keen showcased his artistic maturity in front of an audience filled with liquored-up Texas country fans waiting for him to do "The Road Goes on Forever." He held his own. Not an easy feat.

Tift Merritt
Jan. 20 at Sons of Hermann Hall

Give her a tambourine and she turns into a hippy-chick country-rocker with spitfire sass. Ms. Merritt isn't your conventional country singer-songwriter. Some might not even call her country at all. All that matters is she has presence, spunk and talent.

Pat Green
April 23 at Smirnoff Music Centre

For his first sold-out show at the 20,000-seat amphitheater, Austin's Mr. Green kept the proceedings spirited and organic. He's not a bells-and-whistles performer, and that's a good thing. He's got a batch of solid songs, good players and an easygoing, hometown personality that makes you root for him.

Dolly Parton
Dec. 1 at Nokia Theatre

What's not to like about Dolly? She still looks like a million bucks, sounds pristine and treats the stage as if it were her living room. Ms. Parton's endearing persona remains unequaled in any music genre.

Ray Wylie Hubbard
Feb. 4 at Granada Theater

With his black knit cap, long hair and scraggly beard, Mr. Hubbard looked as grungy as he sounded. But that, of course, is part of his charm. He pulled out the requisite "(Up Against the Wall) Redneck Mother" but thankfully focused his set on material from his career-reviving last five discs.

1. "That's What I Love About Sunday," Craig Morgan

2. "As Good As I Once Was," Toby Keith

3. "Bless the Broken Road," Rascal Flatts

4. "Something More," Sugarland

5. "Fast Cars and Freedom," Rascal Flatts

6. "Nothin' to Lose," Josh Gracin

7. "Baby Girl," Sugarland

8. "Making Memories of Us," Keith Urban

9. "Mississippi Girl," Faith Hill

10. "Gone," Montgomery Gentry

1. Greatest Hits, Shania Twain

2. Feels Like Today, Rascal Flatts

3. Greatest Hits 2, Toby Keith

4. Here for the Party, Gretchen Wilson

5. Live Like You Were Dying, Tim McGraw

6. 50 Number Ones, George Strait

7. Be Here, Keith Urban

8. Honkytonk University, Toby Keith

9. Horse af a Different Color, Big & Rich.

10. Twice the Speed of Life, Sugarland.

Source: Billboard magazine