3 Crossover Hit Country Albums That Laid the Framework for the Industry’s Current State

The current mainstream setting of country music is truly unprecedented. While bits and pieces of today’s industry did have some predecessors, no phase of the genre has been as pop-oriented as it is today. You can love it or hate it, but it’s here, and it’s here to stay so long as the masses keep listening to it play after play. It is an artistic business model that works, and for that, labels will keep utilizing it.

Like every phase of music, this too did not just come out of thin air. Rather, it was built by years and years of influence and inspiration from the past. That being said, here are three crossover hit country albums that laid the framework for the industry’s current state.

‘Fearless’ by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has waltzed far away from the country music genre. However, her footprint on the genre is still incredibly definable and deep, and the album that made it so was her 2008 pop country album, Fearless. Which, as we all know, was an enormous success.

Following the release of the album, this body of work did not just peak at No. 1; it debuted at No. 1 and remained at the top spot for 11 consecutive weeks. Frankly, one could argue that this Swift album was the changing of the tide. A tide that is still rolling steadily to this day.

‘Come On Over’ by Shania Twain

There is a reason Shania Twain‘s 1997 album Come On Over still floods the streets of downtown Nashville on a daily basis—It’s dangerously catchy, nearly to a fault. Nevertheless, this is one of the first commercially successful albums in country music history to prove the multi-faceted appeal of the genre.

Twain’s album never peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, but it did peak at No. 2. Furthermore, it is the best-selling country album of all time, and why is that, do you think? Well, clearly, it’s because it sonically resonates with not merely country fans. If not for Shania Twain’s album, the careers of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, and more would likely look completely different.

‘No Fences’ by Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks’ 1990 album, No Fences, set an expectation for country music albums. An expectation that has now become a norm, as country albums and singles now perform very well on the charts, seemingly by following a loose outline of Brooks’ method.

Brooks’ album was not No. 1 nor No. 2 on the Billboard 200, but it did peak at No. 3, which, at the time, was an enormous feat for country music. Impressively, Brooks’ album remained in the top 40 for a total of 126 weeks. Needless to say, he changed the game and shaped the industry we know today.

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