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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:
<!--Don't add anything below Top 20, don't link artists' names more than once-->
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!width=45|<small>US</small>
!width=auto|Single
!width=auto|Artist
!width=auto|Reference
|-
|align="center"|18
|All Over Me
|Blake Shelton
|
|-
|align="center"|5
|American Child
|Phil Vassar
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Beautiful Mess
|Diamond Rio
|
|-
|align="center"|15
|Before I Knew Better
|Brad Martin
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Blessed
|Martina McBride
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Bring On the Rain
|Jo Dee Messina<br />with Tim McGraw
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue<BR>(The Angry American)
|Toby Keith
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|The Cowboy in Me
|Tim McGraw
|
|-
|align="center"|12
|Cry
|Faith Hill
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Drive (For Daddy Gene)
|Alan Jackson
|
|-
|align="center"|12
|Every River
|Brooks & Dunn
|
|-
|align="center"|12
|Forgive
|Rebecca Lynn Howard
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Good Morning Beautiful
|Steve Holy
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|The Good Stuff
|Kenny Chesney
|
|-
|align="center"|17
|Help Me Understand
|Trace Adkins
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|I Breathe In, I Breathe Out
|Chris Cagle
|
|-
|align="center"|18
|I Cry
|Tammy Cochran
|
|-
|align="center"|2
|I Don't Have to Be Me ('til Monday)
|Steve Azar
|
|-
|align="center"|7
|I Don't Want You to Go
|Carolyn Dawn Johnson
|
|-
|align="center"|5
|I Keep Looking
|Sara Evans
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|I Miss My Friend
|Darryl Worley
|
|-
|align="center"|4
|I Should Be Sleeping
|Emerson Drive
|
|-
|align="center"|7
|I'm Gonna Getcha Good!
|Shania Twain
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)
|Brad Paisley
|
|-
|align="center"|4
|I'm Movin' On
|Rascal Flatts
|
|-
|align="center"|3
|The Impossible
|Joe Nichols
|
|-
|align="center"|10
|In Another World
|Joe Diffie
|
|-
|align="center"|9
|Just Let Me Be in Love
|Tracy Byrd
|
|-
|align="center"|13
|Just What I Do
|Trick Pony
|
|-
|align="center"|2
|Landslide
|Dixie Chicks
|
|-
|align="center"|20
|Life Happened
|Tammy Cochran
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Living and Living Well
|George Strait
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|The Long Goodbye
|Brooks & Dunn
|
|-
|align="center"|2
|Long Time Gone
|Dixie Chicks
|
|-
|align="center"|8
|Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde
|Travis Tritt
|
|-
|align="center"|5
|My Heart Is Lost to You
|Brooks & Dunn
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|My List
|Toby Keith
|
|-
|align="center"|5
|My Town
|Montgomery Gentry
|
|-
|align="center"|3
|Not a Day Goes By
|Lonestar
|
|-
|align="center"|14
|Ol' Red
|Blake Shelton
|
|-
|align="center"|3
|The One
|Gary Allan
|
|-
|align="center"|5
|Red Ragtop
|Tim McGraw
|
|-
|align="center"|16
|Saints & Angels
|Sara Evans
|
|-
|align="center"|11
|She Was
|Mark Chesnutt
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|She'll Leave You with a Smile
|George Strait
|
|-
|align="center"|7
|Some Days You Gotta Dance
|Dixie Chicks
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Somebody Like You
|Keith Urban
|
|-
|align="center"|20
|Something Worth Leaving Behind
|Lee Ann Womack
|
|-
|align="center"|16
|Squeeze Me In
|Garth Brooks<br />duet with Trisha Yearwood
|
|-
|align="center"|13
|Strong Enough to Be Your Man
|Travis Tritt
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo
|Tracy Byrd
|
|-
|align="center"|16
|That's Just Jessie
|Kevin Denney
|
|-
|align="center"|3
|That's When I Love You
|Phil Vassar
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|These Days
|Rascal Flatts
|
|-
|align="center"|18
|Thicker Than Blood
|Garth Brooks
|
|-
|align="center"|19
|'Til Nothing Comes Between Us
|John Michael Montgomery
|
|-
|align="center"|7
|Tonight I Wanna Be Your Man
|Andy Griggs
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Unbroken
|Tim McGraw
|
|-
|align="center"|2
|What If She's an Angel
|Tommy Shane Steiner
|
|-
|align="center"|8
|When You Lie Next to Me
|Kellie Coffey
|
|-
|align="center"|2
|Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
|Aaron Tippin
|
|-
|align="center"|3
|Where Would You Be
|Martina McBride
|
|-
|align="center"|1
|Who's Your Daddy?
|Toby Keith
|
|-
|align="center"|3
|Work in Progress
|Alan Jackson
|
|-
|align="center"|2
|Wrapped Around
|Brad Paisley
|
|-
|align="center"|5
|Wrapped Up in You
|Garth Brooks
|
|-
|align="center"|2
|Young
|Kenny Chesney
|
|}
Top new album releases
The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2002:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! width=45|<small>US</small>
! Album
! Artist
! Record label
! Reference
|-
| align="center"| 8
| 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection
| George Strait
| MCA Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 9
| The Almeria Club Recordings
| Hank Williams, Jr.
| Curb
|-
| align="center"| 4
| American Child
| Phil Vassar
| Arista Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 2
| American IV: The Man Comes Around
| Johnny Cash
| Lost Highway
|-
| align="center"| 3
| Completely
| Diamond Rio
| Arista Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 1
| Cry
| Faith Hill
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 1
| Drive
| Alan Jackson
| Arista Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 1
| Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits
| Elvis Presley
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 5
| Forgive
| Rebecca Lynn Howard
| MCA Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 7
| Freedom
| Andy Griggs
| RCA Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 2
| Golden Road
| Keith Urban
| Capitol Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 5
| The Great Divide
| Willie Nelson
| Lost Highway
|-
| align="center"| 4
| Halos & Horns
| Dolly Parton
| Blue Eye
|-
| align="center"| 1
| Home
| Dixie Chicks
| Open Wide
|-
| align="center"| 1
| I Miss My Friend
| Darryl Worley
| DreamWorks Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 7
| Jerusalem
| Steve Earle
| E-Squared
|-
| align="center"| 3
| Knock on the Sky
| SHeDAISY
| Lyric Street
|-
| align="center"| 6
| Let It Be Christmas
| Alan Jackson
| Arista Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 9
| Live
| Alison Krauss & Union Station
| Rounder
|-
| align="center"| 9
| Man with a Memory
| Joe Nichols
| Universal South
|-
| align="center"| 1
| Melt
| Rascal Flatts
| Lyric Street
|-
| align="center"| 3
| My Town
| Montgomery Gentry
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 1
| No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
| Kenny Chesney
| BNA
|-
| align="center"| 8
| Rise and Shine
| Randy Travis
| Word/Curb
|-
| align="center"| 7
| Sharp Dressed Men: A Tribute to ZZ Top
| Various Artists
| RCA Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 9
| Side Tracks
| Steve Earle
| E-Squared
|-
| align="center"| 2
| Something Worth Leaving Behind
| Lee Ann Womack
| MCA Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 10
| Stars & Stripes
| Aaron Tippin
| Lyric Street
|-
| align="center"| 4
| Strong Enough
| Travis Tritt
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 6
| Then Came the Night
| Tommy Shane Steiner
| RCA Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 2
| This Side
| Nickel Creek
| Sugar Hill
|-
| align="center"| 2
| Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors
| Tim McGraw
| Curb
|-
| align="center"| 2
| Totally Country
| Various Artists
| BNA
|-
| align="center"| 5
| Totally Country Vol. 2
| Various Artists
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 3
| Twisted Angel
| LeAnn Rimes
| Curb
|-
| align="center"| 1
| Unleashed
| Toby Keith
| DreamWorks Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 1
| Up!
| Shania Twain
| Mercury Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 5
| When You Lie Next to Me
| Kellie Coffey
| BNA
|}
Other top albums
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! width=45|<small>US</small>
! Album
! Artist
! Record label
|-
| align="center"| 47
| 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection
| Johnny Cash
| Mercury Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 14
| After the Storm
| Chris LeDoux
| Capitol Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 39
| Another Way to Go
| Radney Foster
| Dualtone
|-
| align="center"| 13
| Barricades & Brickwalls
| Kasey Chambers
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 46
| The Best of America
| Various Artists
| Curb
|-
| align="center"| 20
| Bluegrass & White Snow: A Mountain Christmas
| Patty Loveless
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 47
| Bramble Rose
| Tift Merritt
| Lost Highway
|-
| align="center"| 39
| Can You Hear Me Now
| Sawyer Brown
| Curb
|-
| align="center"| 39
| Can't Back Down
| Collin Raye
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 35
| Chase the Sun
| Shannon Lawson
| MCA Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 37
| Cheap Drunk: An Autobiography
| Bill Engvall
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 28
| Classic Country: Great Story Songs
| Various Artists
| Time Life
|-
| align="center"| 19
| Cledus Envy
| Cledus T. Judd
| Monument
|-
| align="center"| 39
| Cledus Navidad
| Cledus T. Judd
| Monument
|-
| align="center"| 37
| The Color of Roses
| Lorrie Morgan
| Image
|-
| align="center"| 13
| Country Croonin
| Anne Murray
| StraightWay
|-
| align="center"| 46
| The Dark
| Guy Clark
| Sugar Hill
|-
| align="center"| 21
| Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions
| The Chieftains
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 29
| Easy
| Kelly Willis
| Rykodisc
|-
| align="center"| 34
| Electric
| Jack Ingram
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 13
| Emerson Drive
| Emerson Drive
| DreamWorks Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 16
| The Essential Johnny Cash
| Johnny Cash
| Legacy
|-
| align="center"| 35
| The Family Album
| Roy D. Mercer
| Capitol Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 18
| Forever Country
| Various Artists
| Razor & Tie
|-
| align="center"| 16
| Greatest Hits
| Mark Wills
| Mercury Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 49
| The Heart of a Legend
| Johnny Cash
| Madacy
|-
| align="center"| 39
| A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love
| Hayseed Dixie
| Dualtone
|-
| align="center"| 40
| How Sweet the Sound: 25 Favorite Hymns and Gospel Greats
| Charlie Daniels
| Sparrow
|-
| align="center"| 26
| If That Ain't Country
| Anthony Smith
| Mercury Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 48
| Inside Traxx 2002
| Various Artists
| Curb
|-
| align="center"| 12
| It Won't Be Christmas Without You
| Brooks & Dunn
| Arista Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 39
| Johnny Cash at Madison Square Garden
| Johnny Cash
| Legacy
|-
| align="center"| 18
| A Joyful Noise
| Jo Dee Messina
| Curb
|-
| align="center"| 14
| Kevin Denney
| Kevin Denney
| Lyric Street
|-
| align="center"| 17
| Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash
| Various Artists
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 11
| Life Happened
| Tammy Cochran
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 40
| Little Big Town
| Little Big Town
| Monument
|-
| align="center"| 27
| Love Songs
| John Michael Montgomery
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 17
| Lovesick, Broke and Driftin
| Hank Williams III
| Curb
|-
| align="center"| 48
| The Lovin' Side
| Travis Tritt
| Rhino
|-
| align="center"| 23
| Mark Chesnutt
| Mark Chesnutt
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 50
| Midnight and Lonesome
| Buddy Miller
| Hightone
|-
| align="center"| 29
| Mindy McCready
| Mindy McCready
| Capitol Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 35
| Miss Fortune
| Allison Moorer
| Universal South
|-
| align="center"| 19
| Now Again
| The Flatlanders
| New West
|-
| align="center"| 13
| On a Mission
| Trick Pony
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 29
| Osama-Yo' Mama, The Album
| Ray Stevens
| Curb
|-
| align="center"| 28
| Outside the Lines
| Cory Morrow
| Write On
|-
| align="center"| 17
| Pinmonkey
| Pinmonkey
| BNA
|-
| align="center"| 13
| Pictures
| John Michael Montgomery
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 22
| Ralph Stanley
| Ralph Stanley
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 40
| Redneck Fiddlin' Man
| Charlie Daniels
| Blue Hat
|-
| align="center"| 36
| Ricky Skaggs and Friends Sing the Songs of Bill Monroe
| Ricky Skaggs
| Lyric Street
|-
| align="center"| 12
| Room to Breathe
| Delbert McClinton
| New West
|-
| align="center"| 38
| Roses
| Kathy Mattea
| Narada
|-
| align="center"| 19
| The Season for Romance
| Lee Ann Womack
| MCA Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 38
| Sixwire
| Sixwire
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 37
| Spirit Dancer
| BlackHawk
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 18
| Stars & Guitars
| Willie Nelson
| Lost Highway
|-
| align="center"| 39
| Tanya
| Tanya Tucker
| Tuckertime
|-
| align="center"| 32
| This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits
| Ty Herndon
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 27
| Time-Life's Treasury of Bluegrass
| Various Artists
| Time Life
|-
| align="center"| 21
| Today, Tomorrow & Forever
| Elvis Presley
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 32
| The Ultimate Collection
| Hank Williams
| Mercury Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 23
| Up! (Country Mixes)
| Shania Twain
| Mercury Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 19
| The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt
| Linda Ronstadt
| Elektra
|-
| align="center"| 29
| Waitin' on Joe
| Steve Azar
| Mercury Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 14
| We Were Soldiers Soundtrack
| Various Artists
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 42
| White Trash Christmas
| Bob Rivers
| Atlantic
|-
| align="center"| 18
| Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Volume III
| Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
| Capitol Nashville
|-
| align="center"| 34
| Wings of a Honky-Tonk Angel
| Brad Martin
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 45
| Winter Marquee
| Nanci Griffith
| Rounder
|}
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 Album – Barricades & 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 Album – Home (Dixie Chicks)
- Best Bluegrass Album – Lost 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 Year – Drive, 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 Year – Small Towns and Big Dreams, Paul Brandt
- Top Selling Album – Scarecrow, 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 Year – Drive, 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
Further reading
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.
Other links
- Country Music Association
- Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame
External links
- Country Music Hall of Fame