Billy Dukes

Never has a single better represented an artist's album than 'Cruise' does for Florida Georgia Line's 'Here's to the Good Times.' Thick production, heavy guitarwork and big fat hooks define the 11 songs -- six of which were written by Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard. 

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Country duos Love and Theft and Florida Georgia Line pranked Jake Owen in a way he's sure not to soon forget. During a recent stop on the CMT tour, the four men showed up onstage in just boots and underwear -- or 'adult diapers' -- with pacifiers in their mouths and 'bottles' of beer, meant to celebrate Owen's new baby.

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Country music took center stage on CBS Wednesday night (Dec. 5), where the 2013 Grammy nominees were announced during a fun-filled hour of music. Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson picked up early nominations, and Swift joined rapper LL Cool J as host of the Grammy nominations concert. After just a few minutes of the broadcast, Dierks Bentley and the Band Perry were performing Johnny Cash songs for viewers.

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Little Big Town's Kimberly Schlapman has confirmed that her brother-in-law, Thomas Allen Schlapman, was killed in a motorcycle accident the night before Thanksgiving. The singer took to Facebook to thank fans for the support, and to explain more about a story first reported by numerous Nashville and Lynchburg, Va. area news outlets.

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The year has ended with a flourish of high-profile collaborations from top country music stars. Jason Aldean pulled two of the hottest males artists in Nashville into the same room to record 'The Only Way I Know' in 2012, while Kelly Clarkson convinced Vince Gill to lend his voice and guitar to 'Don't Rush.' These are the most recent, but hardly the only collaborations from the banner year. What was the best musical match-up from 2012?

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For the second straight year, the country music industry tossed their razors and shaving cream in the garbage in an effort to help the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. No Shave November raised almost $30,000 in 2011. This year, country stars like Casey James and Thompson Square's Keifer Thompson are helping the industry surpass $100,000. So, which artist has the best face fur?

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'Changed,' the new single from Rascal Flatts, feels more personal than anything the trio has released up to this point in their decade-plus long career. The song, the title track from their 2012 album, was co-written by Gary LeVox, who talks about his relationship with God instead of just using his name conversationally as he's done in songs before.

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Next Christmas season, Carrie Underwood will bring us the gift of music. The 'Blown Away' superstar will play the role of Maria von Trapp in a live broadcast of the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musical 'The Sound of Music.' The singer takes on a role made famous first by Mary Martin on Broadway, then by Julie Andrews in the 1965 Oscar-winning movie of the same name.

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Trace Adkins upset some viewers during his performance of 'We Three Kings' and 'The Christmas Song' at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting Wednesday night, which was broadcast nationwide on NBC. The actual performance was stirring and elegant, however, Adkins' Confederate flag earpiece is what people have been talking about since.

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Tim McGraw could make a pretty strong Christmas album if he chose to do so. His new release 'Mary and Joseph' is a creative -- but not too creative -- interpretation of the story of Jesus' birth. McGraw tells it like he's told the best stories of his two decade-long career, with a sweet reverence for the struggles his characters are living through.

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Platinum certification for one million albums sold didn't begin until 1976, so while other recordings may have soared past this sales mark, 'Wanted: The Outlaws' became the first official platinum album that year. The project featured Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter and it would eventually go on to be certified double platinum.

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Shania Twain proved she was still the most popular country music singer in the world when she released 'Up!' in 2002. The album features hit singles like the titletrack, 'I'm Gonna Getcha Good' and 'Forever and for Always.' The sad news related to this anniversary is that it also means it's been an entire decade since Twain has released a new album. 

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