Taylor Swift's Fearless and Darius Rucker's "It Won't Be Like This for Long" once more reign on Billboard's country albums and country songs charts, respectively. It's Rucker's second consecutive week at No. 1 and Swift's 19th.
The highest-debuting album is I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis, which pops in at No. 3, right behind Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride. Underwood can (and should) take credit for introducing Travis to a new generation of fans via her respectful cover of his unmatchable 1988 hit, "I Told You So."
And, wonder of wonders, the stoic North Carolinian bows yet a second new album this week, Three Wooden Crosses: The Inspirational Hits of Randy Travis. It arrives at No. 31.
Your next assignment, Miss Underwood, is to resurrect Earl Thomas Conley. It's been too long since we've heard that smoke-laced voice and those sculpted lyrics.
The other new albums are Willie Nelson's Naked Willie (No. 29) and Ambition by the memorably monikered Zack Walther and the Cronkites (No. 51).
There are but two returning albums: Jewel's Perfectly Clear, which encores at No. 67, and the various artists CD, Songs 4 Worship: Country (No. 69).
Brad Paisley boasts the highest-charting new song, "Then" (No. 26). Then come Jack Ingram's "Barefoot and Crazy" (No. 56), Pat Green's "What I'm For" (No. 58) and Jonathan Singleton and the Grove's "Livin' in Paradise" (No. 60).
Albums No. 4 and No. 5 are the Zac Brown Band's The Foundation and Rucker's Learn to Live.
Rounding out the Top 5 songs are Swift's "White Horse," George Strait's "River of Love," Jake Owen's "Don't Think I Can't Love You" and Rodney Atkins' "It's America."
Can life hold more treasures than these?
source: www.cmt.com/news/country-music
