Scansound Vs. The Critics

Some country artists were able to combine commercial success and critical success in 2007, but most weren’t. Brad Paisley (No. 14 in Billboard and No. 3 with the critics) did best, while Rascall Flatts (No. 8 in Billboard and No. 132 with the critics) probably did worst. This chart explains who did what by comparing the numbers from Billboard’s end-of-the-year Top Country Albums list with the Country Music Critics Poll’s best album and best-reissue (R) lists. (Note: We’ve excluded the pre-2007 releases from the Billboard list.):

Name - Album - Charts - Poll

Tim McGraw - Let It Go - No. 6 - No. 27The Eagles - Long Road Out of Eden - No. 7 - No. 65Rascal Flatts - Still Feels Good - No. 8 - No. 132Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride - No. 21Reba McEntire - Reba Duets - No. 11 - No. 26Kenny Chesney - Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates - No. 12 - No. 48Brad Paisley - 5th Gear - No. 14 - No. 3Toby Keith - Big Dog Daddy - No. 19 - No. 49Martina McBride - Waking Up Laughing - No. 21 - No. 70Alison Krauss - A Hundred Miles or More - No. 23 - No. 5 (R)Big & Rich - Between Raising Hell & Amazing Grace - No. 24 - No. 96Jason Aldean - Relentless - No. 26 - No. 72Gary Allan - Greatest Hits - No. 29 - No. 12 (R)Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - No. 41 - No. 1Plant/Krauss - Raising Sand - No. 42 - No. 2Porter Wagoner - Wagonmaster - N/A - No. 4Patty Griffin - Children Running Through - N/A - No. 5Lori McKenna - Unglamorous - N/A - No. 6Lucinda Williams - West - N/A - No. 7Dwight Yoakam - Dwight Sings Buck - N/A - No. 8Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade - N/A - No. 9Trisha Yearwood - Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love - - No. 10