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2002 in country music

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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2002.

Events

  • January 13 - CMT premieres CMT Crossroads, which features country music artists being paired with artists from other genres. The show has since become one of the channel's most successful programs; the first episode featured Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello.

  • May 27 - Toby Keith releases "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)"; written in response to the death of Keith's father and the September 11, 2001 attacks, the song stirs up controversy for the line "We'll put a boot in your ass/It's the American way". Canadian-born newsman Peter Jennings and Dixie Chicks frontwoman Natalie Maines both express criticism of the song, with a feud with the latter lasting for a year.

  • October 7 - Toby Keith begins airing in television spots as the spokesman for Ford, with his original composition, "Ford Truck Man", during that night's broadcast of Monday Night Football.

  • November 19 – Shania Twain returned with her fourth album, Up!. It opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 874,000 copies; the album remained atop the chart until the new year.

  • The Statler Brothers retire from touring and singing together at their Farewell Concert in Salem, Virginia. Jimmy Fortune continued his career as a solo artist.

  • Kitty Wells celebrates her 50th Grand Ole Opry anniversary

Top hits of the year

The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs charts in 2002:

USSingleArtistReference
18All Over MeBlake Shelton
5American ChildPhil Vassar
1Beautiful MessDiamond Rio
15Before I Knew BetterBrad Martin
1BlessedMartina McBride
1Bring On the RainJo Dee Messina
with Tim McGraw
1Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue(The Angry American)Toby Keith
1The Cowboy in MeTim McGraw
12CryFaith Hill
1Drive (For Daddy Gene)Alan Jackson
12Every RiverBrooks & Dunn
12ForgiveRebecca Lynn Howard
1Good Morning BeautifulSteve Holy
1The Good StuffKenny Chesney
17Help Me UnderstandTrace Adkins
1I Breathe In, I Breathe OutChris Cagle
18I CryTammy Cochran
2I Don't Have to Be Me ('til Monday)Steve Azar
7I Don't Want You to GoCarolyn Dawn Johnson
5I Keep LookingSara Evans
1I Miss My FriendDarryl Worley
4I Should Be SleepingEmerson Drive
7I'm Gonna Getcha Good!Shania Twain
1I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)Brad Paisley
4I'm Movin' OnRascal Flatts
3The ImpossibleJoe Nichols
10In Another WorldJoe Diffie
9Just Let Me Be in LoveTracy Byrd
13Just What I DoTrick Pony
2LandslideDixie Chicks
20Life HappenedTammy Cochran
1Living and Living WellGeorge Strait
1The Long GoodbyeBrooks & Dunn
2Long Time GoneDixie Chicks
8Modern Day Bonnie and ClydeTravis Tritt
5My Heart Is Lost to YouBrooks & Dunn
1My ListToby Keith
5My TownMontgomery Gentry
3Not a Day Goes ByLonestar
14Ol' RedBlake Shelton
3The OneGary Allan
5Red RagtopTim McGraw
16Saints & AngelsSara Evans
11She WasMark Chesnutt
1She'll Leave You with a SmileGeorge Strait
7Some Days You Gotta DanceDixie Chicks
1Somebody Like YouKeith Urban
20Something Worth Leaving BehindLee Ann Womack
16Squeeze Me InGarth Brooks
duet with Trisha Yearwood
13Strong Enough to Be Your ManTravis Tritt
1Ten Rounds with Jose CuervoTracy Byrd
16That's Just JessieKevin Denney
3That's When I Love YouPhil Vassar
1These DaysRascal Flatts
18Thicker Than BloodGarth Brooks
19'Til Nothing Comes Between UsJohn Michael Montgomery
7Tonight I Wanna Be Your ManAndy Griggs
1UnbrokenTim McGraw
2What If She's an AngelTommy Shane Steiner
8When You Lie Next to MeKellie Coffey
2Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle FlyAaron Tippin
3Where Would You BeMartina McBride
1Who's Your Daddy?Toby Keith
3Work in ProgressAlan Jackson
2Wrapped AroundBrad Paisley
5Wrapped Up in YouGarth Brooks
2YoungKenny Chesney

Top new album releases

The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2002:

USAlbumArtistRecord labelReference
820th Century Masters: The Millennium CollectionGeorge StraitMCA Nashville
9The Almeria Club RecordingsHank Williams, Jr.Curb
4American ChildPhil VassarArista Nashville
2American IV: The Man Comes AroundJohnny CashLost Highway
3CompletelyDiamond RioArista Nashville
1CryFaith HillWarner Bros.
1DriveAlan JacksonArista Nashville
1Elv1s: 30 #1 HitsElvis PresleyRCA
5ForgiveRebecca Lynn HowardMCA Nashville
7FreedomAndy GriggsRCA Nashville
2Golden RoadKeith UrbanCapitol Nashville
5The Great DivideWillie NelsonLost Highway
4Halos & HornsDolly PartonBlue Eye
1HomeDixie ChicksOpen Wide
1I Miss My FriendDarryl WorleyDreamWorks Nashville
7JerusalemSteve EarleE-Squared
3Knock on the SkySHeDAISYLyric Street
6Let It Be ChristmasAlan JacksonArista Nashville
9LiveAlison Krauss & Union StationRounder
9Man with a MemoryJoe NicholsUniversal South
1MeltRascal FlattsLyric Street
3My TownMontgomery GentryColumbia
1No Shoes, No Shirt, No ProblemsKenny ChesneyBNA
8Rise and ShineRandy TravisWord/Curb
7Sharp Dressed Men: A Tribute to ZZ TopVarious ArtistsRCA Nashville
9Side TracksSteve EarleE-Squared
2Something Worth Leaving BehindLee Ann WomackMCA Nashville
10Stars & StripesAaron TippinLyric Street
4Strong EnoughTravis TrittColumbia
6Then Came the NightTommy Shane SteinerRCA Nashville
2This SideNickel CreekSugar Hill
2Tim McGraw and the Dancehall DoctorsTim McGrawCurb
2Totally CountryVarious ArtistsBNA
5Totally Country Vol. 2Various ArtistsEpic
3Twisted AngelLeAnn RimesCurb
1UnleashedToby KeithDreamWorks Nashville
1Up!Shania TwainMercury Nashville
5When You Lie Next to MeKellie CoffeyBNA

Other top albums

USAlbumArtistRecord label
4720th Century Masters: The Millennium CollectionJohnny CashMercury Nashville
14After the StormChris LeDouxCapitol Nashville
39Another Way to GoRadney FosterDualtone
13Barricades & BrickwallsKasey ChambersWarner Bros.
46The Best of AmericaVarious ArtistsCurb
20Bluegrass & White Snow: A Mountain ChristmasPatty LovelessEpic
47Bramble RoseTift MerrittLost Highway
39Can You Hear Me NowSawyer BrownCurb
39Can't Back DownCollin RayeEpic
35Chase the SunShannon LawsonMCA Nashville
37Cheap Drunk: An AutobiographyBill EngvallWarner Bros.
28Classic Country: Great Story SongsVarious ArtistsTime Life
19Cledus EnvyCledus T. JuddMonument
39Cledus NavidadCledus T. JuddMonument
37The Color of RosesLorrie MorganImage
13Country Croonin'Anne MurrayStraightWay
46The DarkGuy ClarkSugar Hill
21Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville SessionsThe ChieftainsRCA
29EasyKelly WillisRykodisc
34ElectricJack IngramColumbia
13Emerson DriveEmerson DriveDreamWorks Nashville
16The Essential Johnny CashJohnny CashLegacy
35The Family AlbumRoy D. MercerCapitol Nashville
18Forever CountryVarious ArtistsRazor & Tie
16Greatest HitsMark WillsMercury Nashville
49The Heart of a LegendJohnny CashMadacy
39A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain LoveHayseed DixieDualtone
40How Sweet the Sound: 25 Favorite Hymns and Gospel GreatsCharlie DanielsSparrow
26If That Ain't CountryAnthony SmithMercury Nashville
48Inside Traxx 2002Various ArtistsCurb
12It Won't Be Christmas Without YouBrooks & DunnArista Nashville
39Johnny Cash at Madison Square GardenJohnny CashLegacy
18A Joyful NoiseJo Dee MessinaCurb
14Kevin DenneyKevin DenneyLyric Street
17Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny CashVarious ArtistsColumbia
11Life HappenedTammy CochranEpic
40Little Big TownLittle Big TownMonument
27Love SongsJohn Michael MontgomeryWarner Bros.
17Lovesick, Broke and Driftin'Hank Williams IIICurb
48The Lovin' SideTravis TrittRhino
23Mark ChesnuttMark ChesnuttColumbia
50Midnight and LonesomeBuddy MillerHightone
29Mindy McCreadyMindy McCreadyCapitol Nashville
35Miss FortuneAllison MoorerUniversal South
19Now AgainThe FlatlandersNew West
13On a MissionTrick PonyWarner Bros.
29Osama-Yo' Mama, The AlbumRay StevensCurb
28Outside the LinesCory MorrowWrite On
17PinmonkeyPinmonkeyBNA
13PicturesJohn Michael MontgomeryWarner Bros.
22Ralph StanleyRalph StanleyColumbia
40Redneck Fiddlin' ManCharlie DanielsBlue Hat
36Ricky Skaggs and Friends Sing the Songs of Bill MonroeRicky SkaggsLyric Street
12Room to BreatheDelbert McClintonNew West
38RosesKathy MatteaNarada
19The Season for RomanceLee Ann WomackMCA Nashville
38SixwireSixwireWarner Bros.
37Spirit DancerBlackHawkColumbia
18Stars & GuitarsWillie NelsonLost Highway
39TanyaTanya TuckerTuckertime
32This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest HitsTy HerndonEpic
27Time-Life's Treasury of BluegrassVarious ArtistsTime Life
21Today, Tomorrow & ForeverElvis PresleyRCA
32The Ultimate CollectionHank WilliamsMercury Nashville
23Up! (Country Mixes)Shania TwainMercury Nashville
19The Very Best of Linda RonstadtLinda RonstadtElektra
29Waitin' on JoeSteve AzarMercury Nashville
14We Were Soldiers SoundtrackVarious ArtistsColumbia
42White Trash ChristmasBob RiversAtlantic
18Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Volume IIINitty Gritty Dirt BandCapitol Nashville
34Wings of a Honky-Tonk AngelBrad MartinEpic
45Winter MarqueeNanci GriffithRounder

Deaths

  • February 13 – Waylon Jennings, 64, singer and guitarist (diabetic complications)
  • March 3 – Harlan Howard, 74, songwriter
  • May 26 – Orville Couch, 67, singer-songwriter (acute lymphoblastic leukemia)

Hall of Fame inductees

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees

  • The Lilly Brothers & Don Stover
  • David Freeman

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

  • Bill Carlisle (1908–2003)
  • Porter Wagoner (1927–2007)

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

  • Anne Murray
  • Art Snider
  • Bev Munro
  • D'Arcy Scott
  • Elmer Tippe

Major awards

ARIA Awards

  • Best Country AlbumBarricades & Brickwalls (Kasey Chambers)
  • ARIA Hall of Fame – Olivia Newton-John

Grammy Awards

  • Best Female Country Vocal Performance – "Cry" (Faith Hill)
  • Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Give My Love to Rose" (Johnny Cash)
  • Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – "Long Time Gone" (Dixie Chicks)
  • Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "Mendocino County Line" (Willie Nelson featuring Lee Ann Womack)
  • Best Country Instrumental Performance – "Lil' Jack Slade" (Dixie Chicks)
  • Best Country Song – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" (Alan Jackson)
  • Best Country AlbumHome (Dixie Chicks)
  • Best Bluegrass AlbumLost in the Lonesome Pines (Jim Lauderdale, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys)

Juno Awards

  • Country Recording of the Year – "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!", Shania Twain

CMT Flameworthy Video Music Awards

  • Video of the Year – "Young", Kenny Chesney
  • Male Video of the Year – "Young", Kenny Chesney
  • Female Video of the Year – "Blessed", Martina McBride
  • Group / Duo Video of the Year – "Only in America", Brooks & Dunn
  • Breakthrough Video of the Year – "I Breathe In, I Breathe Out", Chris Cagle
  • Video Collaboration of the Year – "Mendocino County Line", Willie Nelson Featuring Lee Ann Womack
  • Hottest Video of the Year – "The Cowboy in Me", Tim McGraw
  • Concept Video of the Year – "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)", Brad Paisley
  • Fashion Plate Video of the Year – "Jezebel", Chely Wright
  • "LOL" (Laugh Out Loud) Video of the Year – "I Wanna Talk About Me", Toby Keith
  • Love Your Country Video of the Year – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)", Alan Jackson
  • Video Director of the Year – "I Wanna Talk About Me", Toby Keith (Director: Michael Salomon)
  • Video Visionary Award – Dixie Chicks

Americana Music Honors & Awards

  • Album of the Year – Buddy & Julie Miller
  • Artist of the Year – Jim Lauderdale
  • Song of the Year – "She's Looking At Me" (Jim Lauderdale)
  • Instrumentalist of the Year – Jerry Douglas
  • Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award – Johnny Cash
  • Lifetime Achievement: Songwriting – Billie Joe Shaver
  • Lifetime Achievement: Performance – Emmylou Harris
  • Lifetime Achievement: Executive – T Bone Burnett

Academy of Country Music

  • Entertainer of the Year – Toby Keith
  • Song of the Year – "I'm Movin' On", Rascal Flatts
  • Single of the Year – "The Good Stuff," Kenny Chesney
  • Album of the YearDrive, Alan Jackson
  • Top Male Vocalist – Kenny Chesney
  • Top Female Vocalist – Martina McBride
  • Top Vocal Duo – Brooks & Dunn
  • Top Vocal Group – Rascal Flatts
  • Top New Male Vocalist – Joe Nichols
  • Top New Female Vocalist – Kellie Coffey
  • Top New Vocal Duo or Group – Emerson Drive
  • Video of the Year – "Drive (For Daddy Gene)", Alan Jackson (Director: Steven Goldmann)
  • Vocal Event of the Year – "Mendocino County Line", Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack

Canadian Country Music Association

  • Fans' Choice Award – Terri Clark
  • Male Artist of the Year – Paul Brandt
  • Female Artist of the Year – Carolyn Dawn Johnson
  • Group or Duo of the Year – Emerson Drive
  • SOCAN Song of the Year – "Ten Million Teardrops", Jason McCoy, Tim Taylor
  • Single of the Year – "I Don't Want You to Go", Carolyn Dawn Johnson
  • Album of the YearSmall Towns and Big Dreams, Paul Brandt
  • Top Selling AlbumScarecrow, Garth Brooks
  • CMT Video of the Year – "I Don't Want You to Go", Carolyn Dawn Johnson
  • Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award – Emerson Drive
  • Roots Artist or Group of the Year – Jimmy Rankin

Country Music Association

  • Entertainer of the Year – Alan Jackson
  • Song of the Year – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," Alan Jackson
  • Single of the Year – "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," Alan Jackson
  • Album of the YearDrive, Alan Jackson
  • Male Vocalist of the Year – Alan Jackson
  • Female Vocalist of the Year – Martina McBride
  • Vocal Duo of the Year – Brooks & Dunn
  • Vocal Group of the Year – Dixie Chicks
  • Musician of the Year – Jerry Douglas
  • Horizon Award – Rascal Flatts
  • Music Video of the Year – "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)," Brad Paisley (Director: Peter Zavadil)
  • Vocal Event of the Year – "Mendocino County Line", Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack
  • Musician of the Year – Jerry Douglas
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