Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 2001, 22 different songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles & Tracks, in 52 issues of the magazine, based on weekly airplay data from country music radio stations compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. [1]
Singer Tim McGraw's song "My Next Thirty Years" was at number one at the start of the year, having been at the top since the issue dated December 16, 2000, [2] and remained at number one until the issue dated January 20, when it was replaced by "Born to Fly" by Sara Evans. [3] McGraw also topped the chart with "Grown Men Don't Cry" in June and "Angry All the Time" in November. Toby Keith also achieved three number ones in 2001, "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This" in March, "I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight" in September and "I Wanna Talk About Me" in November–December, and had the most weeks at number one of any act during the year, with nine. Four acts each topped the charts with two songs, groups Lonestar and Brooks & Dunn and solo artists Jamie O'Neal and Alan Jackson, the latter of whom ended the year at the top of the chart with "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)". Jackson's song, written in response to the September 11 attacks and premiered at the 2001 Country Music Association Awards, [4] [5] reached the top spot after just six weeks on the chart, the fastest such rise for four years. [6] It would remain at number one until the chart dated February 2 of the following year. [7] The longest run at number one during 2001 was six weeks, achieved by two songs, "Ain't Nothing 'bout You" by Brooks & Dunn and "I'm Already There" by Lonestar. "Ain't Nothing 'bout You" was ranked number one on Billboard's year-end chart of the most popular country songs, [8] and is the longest-running of the duo's twenty number ones. [9]
Several artists achieved their first Hot Country Singles & Tracks number ones in 2001. Early in the year, two Australian singers, Jamie O'Neal and Keith Urban, achieved their first number ones in consecutive weeks with "There Is No Arizona" and "But for the Grace of God" respectively. [10] [11] Teenage vocalist Jessica Andrews made her first appearance at the top of the chart in April with "Who I Am". [12] Later in the year Blake Shelton and Cyndi Thomson achieved their first chart-toppers with "Austin" and "What I Really Meant to Say" respectively. [13] [14] O'Neal, Shelton and Thomson all reached the top position in 2001 with their first charting singles, in contrast to the previous year when no artist achieved this feat. [15] Shelton's five-week run at the top tied the record held by Billy Ray Cyrus for the longest spell at number one by an artist's debut single since Nielsen began compiling data for the chart in 1990. [16]
Kenneth Arnold Chesney is an American country singer. He has recorded more than 20 albums that include more than 40 Top 10 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, 33 of which have reached number one. Many of these also have charted within the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making him one of the most successful crossover country artists. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin" from his first album, Blake Shelton. "Austin" spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The now Platinum-certified debut album also produced two more top 20 entries.
Australian country music singer Keith Urban has released 12 studio albums, four compilation albums, and 57 singles. He began his career in 1991 with the release of his self-titled debut album on EMI and Capitol Records in Australia. After an American album in 1997 as a member of The Ranch, he embarked on a solo career there as well, subsequently releasing five more studio albums. His highest-certified album in the US is 2004's Be Here, which is four-times-platinum.
"Austin" is a song written by David Kent and Kirsti Manna and recorded by American country music artist Blake Shelton. It was released in April 2001 as Shelton's debut single and the first from his self-titled debut album.
Trace Adkins is an American country music singer. His discography consists of fourteen studio albums and six greatest hits albums. Of his fourteen studio albums, six have been certified by the RIAA: 1997's Big Time is certified Gold, as are 2001's Chrome, and 2006's Dangerous Man. His 1996 debut Dreamin' Out Loud and 2003's Comin' On Strong are certified Platinum. 2005's Songs About Me is his best-selling album, certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA. Two of Adkins' compilation albums, Greatest Hits Collection, Vol. 1 and American Man: Greatest Hits Volume II are certified Platinum
American country music singer Miranda Lambert has released ten studio albums, one extended play, one video album, and has made 23 other album appearances. She has released 39 singles, nine promotional singles, and 37 music videos. Lambert has sold 7 million albums in the United States, with her first seven studio albums being certified platinum. In 2001, Lambert released a self-titled and self-financed independent album. After gaining exposure as the third-place winner of the television competition Nashville Star, Lambert signed with Epic Nashville in 2004.
American country music singer Blake Shelton has released 12 studio albums, four extended plays, five compilation albums, and 54 singles. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Shelton has sold 52 million singles and 13 million albums in the United States. He also has achieved 14 No. 1 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Billboard ranked him as the 31st Top Artist of the 2010s decade.
Joey + Rory was an American country and bluegrass duo composed of singer-songwriters Rory Feek and Joey Feek, who were husband and wife. Both members of the duo were vocalists and songwriters, with Rory also playing acoustic guitar. Rory Lee Feek had written singles for other artists prior to the duo's foundation. The duo was the third-place finalist on CMT's competition Can You Duet in 2008. The duo recorded eight studio albums for Vanguard Records and Gaither Music Group and charted three singles on Hot Country Songs.
American country music group Little Big Town has released ten studio albums and 27 singles.
Pistol Annies are an American country music group composed of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley. The trio gave its debut performance on April 4, 2011, on the CBS special Academy of Country Music's Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country. The trio have released four studio albums for Sony Music Nashville.
Racheal Lynn Woodward, better known as RaeLynn, is an American singer and songwriter who was a contestant on The Voice in season two (2012). She was eliminated in the quarterfinals.