I can name a few reasons why Beyoncé’s self-titled December 2013 release belongs on this list.
First is the industry-rattling manner in which it was released — as a complete surprise, with no advance publicity and no online leaks (of its very existence, let alone the music). Nobody imagined such a thing was possible in this era of transparency, let alone by the most visible star in the musical universe.
I don’t know where John Mayer will end up when the history of pop music in the 21st century is written.
Will he be remembered more for his frat-boy antics and failed relationships or for his guitar chops that regularly put him onstage alongside idols such as B.B. King and Eric Clapton — legends who nod to his musical skills as very much in league with their own.
Here’s a cute song from Brad Paisley’s second album, 2001’s Part II. It contains all of the signature qualities that would define his music through the following decade-plus.
It’s short, sweet, funny and features a guitar part or two that sound delightfully out of place in a honkytonk country song.
There’s a rich history of lead singers leaving their bands and forging successful solo careers. Morrissey, Sting, Beyoncé, Lionel Richie… the list goes on. Hell, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins did it while fleeing the same band at different times.
Still, I wasn’t very confident that Steven Page’s departure from Barenaked Ladies would serve either of them very well. I figured the band would be weaker and I’d never hear from Page again.
My affection for country music blossomed toward the end of the 00s and really took hold during the first half of this decade.
A quarter of this top twenty list (even more depending on how you categorize some artists) is dedicated to country performers.
