Billy Dukes

Country superstars like Carrie Underwood, George Strait and Keith Urban had some of the top news stories of 2012, but not for reasons one may have predicted at the beginning of the year. Of these 10, only two are related to things that happen onstage or in a recording studio. The rest are moments we'll always remember... and that some artists wish they could forget. 

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In light of the December 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, a number of country music radio stations have taken a second look at certain songs that receive regular airplay. Two songs by the Band Perry have been temporarily removed from many playlists due to concerns from listeners and program directors. 

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Fans have been hungry for new music from two country artists and with the new country music releases for January 2013, the starvation will subside. Darius Rucker and Gary Allan will both release new albums early in the new year. In fact, both will release their long-awaited albums on the same day. 

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Dark and volatile are this year's black in country music, and Miranda Lambert reminds fans she is still the lead diva of danger with a new single called 'Mama's Broken Heart.' Her performance is every bit as enjoyably unstable as previous hits like 'Kerosene' and 'Gunpowder and Lead.' When she's mercurial, she's magic. 

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In 1965, Dolly Parton hadn't yet adopted the elaborate wigs she proudly sports today, but her hair was still 10 feet tall and perhaps bulletproof. The famous singer is beautiful now, but at age 19 she was more of a natural beauty who relied less on makeup. 

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Lennon and Maisy might be the most famous actresses to have never appeared in a film or on a TV show. The Stella sisters were YouTube sensations before they debuted as Maddie and Daphne Conrad (daughters of Rayna James and Teddy Conrad) on 'Nashville.' They proved during season one of the show and on the soundtrack to the ABC drama's first season that they were cast for much more than their adorable smiles.

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Mumford and Sons' honest and revealing lyrics give their hit song 'I Will Wait' a shot with a genre that is typically nervous around outsiders. The folk-rockers from England have offered their gold single to country radio four months after releasing it as the lead single from their Grammy-nominated 'Babel' album. 

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Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland gave birth to a baby boy on Thursday (Dec. 6). The singer and her husband, Justin Miller, announced the arrival of Magnus Hamilton Miller in a statement to the media on Friday morning. The couple have been married for one year, and this is the first baby for both of them.

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While details about Friday morning's school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut are still trickling in, it's clear that innocent lives were taken when a gunman stormed Sandy Hook Elementary School and began firing. The small town in the state's southwest corner will be in the hearts of every American this weekend, including country music's biggest stars. 

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Without the expressions and the palpable tension between characters, songs from 'Nashville' lose their edge. Flaws otherwise hidden by the drama step forward to dilute your favorite moments from the ABC drama.

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It didn't take much -- maybe just a pinch or a skosh -- but the spice added to Easton Corbin's new song 'All Over the Road' will leave fans and followers looking at him a bit differently. It's wholesome enough to be mother-approved, but saucy enough to leave daughters interested.

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Country stars were very, very productive in 2012. Jake Owen, Jay DeMarcus, Randy Houser and Jo Dee Messina were just a few of the singers who brought home new babies this year. There are almost two dozen sweet faces to adore as you click through this list of Country Babies Born in 2012. 

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