- Taylor Swift Won #1 Country Album of 2009 - Picasa Web User s, CC Attrib. License
Few country music fans will be surprised that country-pop phenomenon Taylor Swift’s album, Fearless, ranked #1 on the 2009 country music album charts. Fearless also won the Album of the Year award at the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
In a record-breaking year, Swift was also named Billboard’s 2009 Artist of the Year. Her debut album, Taylor Swift, ranked #6 on the 2009 country music album charts. Swift's singles from Fearless, Love Story and Forever and Always, were the first country singles ever to reach #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Top 40 chart.
While Swift’s achievements were the year’s biggest news, the 2009 country album chart also included a number of other promising young acts like the Zac Brown Band, Sugarland, and Lady Antebellum, along with a strong showing by veteran stars like Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, and George Strait. Even Elvis Presley managed to chart this year, taking the #22 spot with an album of Christmas duets.
Billboard’s Top 25 Country Music Albums for 2009
Here is the list of the year’s 25 best-selling albums:
- Taylor Swift, Fearless
- Zac Brown Band, The Foundation
- Hanna Montana: The Movie, Soundtrack album
- Rascal Flatts, Unstoppable
- Sugarland, Love on the Inside
- Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift
- Darius Rucker, Learn to Live
- Jason Aldean, Wide Open
- Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum
- Keith Urban, Defying Gravity
- Rascal Flatts, Greatest Hits Volume 1
- Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride
- Jamey Johnson, That Lonesome Song
- Kenny Chesney, Greatest Hits II
- Carrie Underwood, Play On
- George Strait, Twang
- Faith Hill, Joy to the World
- Kenny Chesney, Lucky Old Sun
- Brad Paisley, American Saturday Night
- George Strait, Troubadour
- Alan Jackson, Good Time
- Elvis Presley, Christmas Duets
- Billy Currington, Little Bit of Everything
- Reba McEntire, Keep on Loving You
- Toby Keith, That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy
Rascal Flatts and George Strait Both Have Double Wins on 2009 Top Albums List
In addition to Taylor Swift, two other country acts made the top albums list twice. Rascal Flatts reached #5 with the aptly named Unstoppable, while their Greatest Hits Volume 1 took the #11 spot. George Strait came in both at #16 with Twang and #20 with Troubadour.
How Billboard Tracks the Top Country Albums
Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart uses sales data tracked by Nielsen Music. Nielsen SoundScan compiles sales of physical and digital products, and radio airplay and digital streams are measured by Nielsen BDS.
Other Billboard Country Music Charts
Country music lovers may be interested in a number of other Billboard charts, including a list of the Hot 100 all-time top 10 country songs and Top 25 hot country songs for 2008.
Readers might also be interested in the Rock Stars Cross over to Country Music Charts article. Darius Rucker, Kid Rock, The Eagles, Robert Plant, Jewel, and Jon Bon Jovi are the latest in a long line of rock and pop stars to find success with country music.
Christine Mann - Christine Mann writes about quilting, home decor sewing, and creativity in daily life.
