Monday 1/23/23 10am ET: Feature Greatest Hits LP: Alabama – Greatest Hits Volume II (1991)

Greatest Hits Vol. II is the second greatest hits package released by the American country music band Alabama. The album was released by RCA Records October 8, 1991, and has since been certified platinum for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America.

As with Alabama’s first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits Vol. II includes many of the band’s biggest hits of the 1980s, a decade in which they sold millions of albums, had 26 No. 1 singles on Billboard magazine’s Hot Country Singles chart and won the “Entertainer of the Decade” honor from the Academy of Country Music. Seven of the album’s 10 songs went to No. 1 between 1982–1989; three of them – “Take Me Down”, “Dixieland Delight” and “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)” – are presented here in their original album-length versions, while “The Closer You Get” is presented in its single-edit form.

Two of the album’s three new tracks were released as singles, “Then Again” and “Born Country”, both of which were top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

1. “Born Country 3:19
2. “Then Again 3:43
3. “Dixieland Delight” 5:22
4. “Lady Down on Love” 3:57
5. “The Closer You Get)” 3:38
6. “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)” 4:20
7. “Fallin’ Again” 7:40
8. “Song of the South” 3:15
9. “High Cotton” 3:00
10. “Take Me Down” 4:53
11. “Hats Off 3:55

Jeff Cook – background vocals
Teddy Gentry – bass guitar, background vocals
Randy Owen – lead vocals
Sam Bush – fiddle, mandolin
John Catchings – cello
Bill Cuomo – keyboards
Connie Ellisor – violin
Jim Grosjean – viola
Craig Krampf – drums, percussion
Josh Leo – electric guitar
Carl Marsh – keyboards, string arrangements
Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
John Willis – electric guitar

Saturday 1/21/23 3pm ET: MaxCountry Saturday

Wednesday 1/18/23 12pm ET: Sounds of The 2000s

Featuring music from 2000 – 2009.

Tuesday 1/17/23 8am ET: Feature Artist – Steve Earle

Stephen Fain Earle (born January 17, 1955) is an American rock, country and folk singer-songwriter, record producer, author and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982.

His breakthrough album was the 1986 album Guitar Town. Since then Earle has released 15 studio albums and received three Grammy awards. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Levon Helm, The Highwaymen (country supergroup), Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Shawn Colvin, Bob Seger, and Emmylou Harris. He has appeared in film and television, and has written a novel, a play, and a book of short stories.

Saturday 1/14/23 2pm ET: MaxCountry Saturday with Ron Kovacs

Friday 1/13/23 12pm ET: Sounds of The 2000s

Featuring music from 2000 – 2009.

Thursday 1/12/23 11am ET: Feature Greatest Hits LP: Ricky Van Shelton – Greatest Hits Plus (1992)

Greatest Hits Plus is the first Greatest Hits compilation by country music artist Ricky Van Shelton. It contains the hit singles from his first four studio albums, not including his gospel and holiday album. Released August 11, 1992. Three new tracks on the album, including a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” originally featured on the Honeymoon in Vegas soundtrack, were released as singles and had some chart success.

“Just as I Am” 3:08
“Wild Man” 3:17
“Somebody Lied” 3:21
“I’ve Cried My Last Tear for You” 2:29
“I’ll Leave This World Loving You” 3:06
“Statue of a Fool” 3:04
“I Am a Simple Man” 3:26
“Life Turned Her That Way” 3:23
“Keep It Between the Lines” 3:49
“Rockin’ Years” 3:25
“From a Jack to a King” 2:21
“Living Proof” 3:22
“Don’t We All Have the Right” 2:36
“Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” 2:11

Eddie Bayers – drums
Steve Buckingham – acoustic guitar
Gary Burr – background vocals
Larry Byrom – acoustic guitar
Richard Dennison – background vocals
Paul Franklin – steel guitar, pedabro
Sonny Garrish – steel guitar
Steve Gibson – bass guitar, electric guitar, mandolin
Rob Hajacos – fiddle
Tommy Hannum – steel guitar
Hoot Hester – fiddle
Roy Husky Jr. – upright bass
Carl Jackson – background vocals
Bill Lloyd – electric guitar
Patty Loveless – background vocals
Randy McCormick – piano
Terry McMillan – harmonica
Jimmy Mattingly – fiddle
Joey Miskulin – accordion
Farrell Morris – percussion, vibraphone
Louis Dean Nunley – background vocals
Jennifer O’Brien – background vocals
Mark O’Connor – fiddle
Dolly Parton – duet vocals on “Rockin’ Years”
Don Potter – acoustic guitar
Tom Robb – bass guitar
Matt Rollings – piano
John Wesley Ryles – background vocals
Ricky Van Shelton – acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Gary Smith – piano
Howard Smith – background vocals
Harry Stinson – background vocals
Steve Turner – drums
Paul Uhrig – bass guitar
Bruce Watkins – acoustic guitar
Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
Tommy Wells – drums
Bergen White – background vocals
Dennis Wilson – background vocals
Curtis Young – background vocals

Wednesday 1/11/23 10am ET: Feature Greatest Hits LP: Judds – Greatest Hits (1988)

Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits collection released August 2, 1988 by the American country music duo The Judds. It features the singles “Give a Little Love” and “Change of Heart.”

“Why Not Me” 3:31
“Rockin’ with the Rhythm of the Rain” 2:41
“Mama He’s Crazy” 3:14
“Give a Little Love” 3:51
“Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Ol’ Days)” 4:15
“I Know Where I’m Going” 3:39
“Don’t Be Cruel” 2:29
“John Deere Tractor” 3:31
“Have Mercy” 3:22
“Change of Heart” 3:35
“Girls’ Night Out” 2:54
“Cry Myself to Sleep” 3:42
“Love Is Alive” 4:01
“Maybe Your Baby’s Got the Blues” 3:32
“Had a Dream (For the Heart)” 3:12
“Turn It Loose” 3:44

Naomi Judd – vocals
Wynonna Judd – vocals
Eddie Bayers – drums
Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar
Sonny Garrish – dobro, pedal steel guitar
John Barlow Jarvis – piano
Kirk “Jelly Roll” Johnson – harmonica
Brent Maher – background vocals
Bobby Ogdin – piano
Don Potter – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals
Gene Sisk – piano
Larry Strickland – background vocals
Jack Williams – bass guitar

Monday 1/9/23 11:15am ET: Feature Artist: Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle (born Brenda Gail Webb; January 9, 1951) is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”. Initially, Gayle’s management and record label were the same as that of her oldest sister, Loretta Lynn. Not finding success with the arrangement after several years, and with Lynn’s encouragement, Gayle decided to try a different approach. She signed a new record contract and began recording with Nashville producer Allen Reynolds. Gayle’s new sound was sometimes referred to as middle-of-the-road (MOR) or country pop, and was part of a bigger musical trend by many country artists of the 1970s to appeal to a wider audience. Subsequently, Gayle became one of the most successful crossover artists of the 1970s and 80s. Her floor-length hair has become synonymous with her name.

Gayle is said to have begun her career in the 1960s performing as a background singer in Lynn’s band (although Gayle says this technically never happened). Lynn helped her sign a recording contract with Decca Records in 1970. Having minor success, she was encouraged to develop her own musical identity. Under the direction of producer Reynolds at United Artists Records, Gayle shifted towards a country pop style that was more successful. In 1975, “Wrong Road Again” became Gayle’s first major hit. However, it was in 1977 when Gayle achieved her biggest success with “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” The single topped the Billboard country chart, crossed over to the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and became a major international hit.

Gayle continued having success from the late 1970s and through late 1980s. Her biggest hits included “Ready for the Times to Get Better” (1977), “Talking in Your Sleep” (1978), “Half the Way” (1979) and “You and I” (1982). In the 1990s, Gayle shifted artistic directions by recording various genres of music. This included an album of inspirational music titled Someday (1995) and an album of standards called Crystal Gayle Sings the Heart and Soul of Hoagy Carmichael (1999). During the decade she also owned and operated a fine arts shop called “Crystal’s Fine Gifts and Jewelry”. Her most recent studio release was in 2019 and Gayle has since continued to tour throughout the world.

Gayle has won one Grammy Award and has been nominated for several others since the 1970s. She has also won five Academy of Country Music awards; those awards include receiving the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award in 2016. In addition, she has won two Country Music Association awards and three American Music Awards. Rolling Stone ranked her among the 100 greatest country artists of all time and CMT ranked her within their list of the 40 greatest women of country music. Gayle has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2017.

Monday 1/9/23 9am ET: Feature Greatest Hits LP: Big & Rich – Greatest Hits (2009)

Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album from country music duo Big & Rich. The album was released on September 29, 2009. The standard album features fifteen songs, including all of the duo’s charting singles from their first three studio albums: 2004’s Horse of a Different Color, 2005’s Comin’ to Your City and 2007’s Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace. A previously unreleased track, titled “The Man I Am Right Now,” was also included. The DVD, which was released separately, features all of the duo’s music videos, with the exception of the video for “Never Mind Me.”

BigAndRich.com, the duo’s official site, sold an exclusive limited edition version of the album which included the CD and DVD in a single package as well as bonus tracks on the CD.

1. “Rollin’ (The Ballad of Big & Rich)” (featuring Cowboy Troy) 4:31
2. “Wild West Show” 4:00
3. “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” 3:20
4. “Holy Water” 4:16
5. “Big Time” 3:57
6. “Comin’ to Your City” 3:28
7. “Never Mind Me” 3:25
8. “8th of November” 3:29
9. “Lost in This Moment” 3:32
10. “Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace” 3:43
11. “Loud” 3:02
12. “Jalapeño” 2:57
13. “The Man I Am Right Now” 3:25
14. “Everybody’s Rockin” 3:19
15. “Kick My Ass” 4:58

Saturday 1/7/23 2pm ET: Classic Countdown with Ron Kovacs – Top 50 Country Hits of 1995

Featuring the Top 15 Country Albums of 1995

Wednesday 1/4/23 11am ET: Feature Artist: Deana Carter

Deana Kay Carter (born January 4, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter who broke through in 1996 with the release of her debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This?, which was certified 5× Multi-Platinum in the United States for sales of over 5 million. It was followed by 1998’s Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, 2003’s I’m Just a Girl, 2005’s The Story of My Life, and 2007’s The Chain. Overall, Carter’s albums have accounted for 14 singles, including three which reached Number One on the Billboard country charts: “Strawberry Wine”, “We Danced Anyway”, and “How Do I Get There”.

Carter was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of singer Fred Carter, Jr. Despite her famous father, she did not have a smooth path to a recording deal. After an initial lack of success at age 17, she entered the University of Tennessee, majoring in rehabilitation therapy and becoming a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and a Sigma Alpha Epsilon Little Sister, also known as a “Little Sister of Minerva.” During college, she sang at various campus locations, performing for the enjoyment of singing, rather than with the intent of pursuing a musical career. She was also a local bartender at the Back Door Tavern (BDT) on Kingston Pike. After she graduated, she worked with recovering stroke and head injury patients. Although she found the work rewarding and worthwhile, she eventually realized that her first love was music, and decided to pursue the music career she had left.

Wednesday 1/4/23 10am ET: Classic Greatest Hits LP: Patty Loveless – Classics (1999)

Classics is a 1999 compilation album by American country music singer Patty Loveless, released March 23, 1999.

The album includes two new tracks: “Can’t Get Enough,” which was a #21 Billboard Top Country Single, and “I Just Wanna Be Loved by You.” Also included is a duet with Vince Gill, “My Kind of Woman, My Kind of Man,” a #27 hit, which first appeared on Gill’s 1998 album The Key. The rest of the album features her Epic Records hits: three songs from Only What I Feel, three songs from When Fallen Angels Fly, two songs from The Trouble with the Truth, and one from Long Stretch of Lonesome, the George Jones-backed “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me.” The album went on to be certified Gold for shipments of over 500,000 copies in the US and was Loveless’ last album to receive a certification.

1. “Can’t Get Enough” 2:55
2. “You Can Feel Bad” 3:20
3. “Lonely Too Long” 4:38
4. “I Just Wanna Be Loved by You” 3:38
5. “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am” 3:59
6. “Here I Am” 2:59
7. “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me” 4:00
8. “Nothin’ but the Wheel” 3:57
9. “My Kind of Woman, My Kind of Man” 3:54
10. “Blame It on Your Heart” 3:34
11. “I Try to Think About Elvis” 2:50
12. “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye” 5:01

Dan Dugmore – pedal steel guitar
Stuart Duncan – fiddle
Paul Franklin – pedal steel guitar
Steve Gibson – electric guitar
Emory Gordy Jr. – bass guitar
Owen Hale – drums
John Barlow Jarvis – organ
Kostas – background vocals
Patty Loveless – lead vocals
Carmella Ramsey – background vocals
Biff Watson – acoustic guitar

Tuesday 1/3/23 10am ET: Classic Greatest Hits LP: Emerson Drive – Decade of Drive (2011)

Decade of Drive is a greatest hits album by Canadian country music group Emerson Drive. The album was released in Canada on February 8, 2011 via Open Road Recordings. The album features 13 of the band’s hits and three new songs. The album’s first single, “When I See You Again”, was written in memory of the group’s former bassist, Patrick Bourque, who committed suicide in September 2007. It was released to Canadian radio in late 2010. The album’s second single “Let Your Love Speak” was released to U.S. country radio in 2011. The album’s third single “Sleep It Off” was released to Canadian country radio on August 1, 2011.

1. “I Should Be Sleeping” 2:58
2. “Fall into Me” 2:50
3. “Countrified Soul” 2:59
4. “Moments” 4:57
5. “The Extra Mile” 4:04
6. “Believe” 3:56
7. “A Good Man” 2:58
8. “Everyday Woman” 3:21
9. “I Love This Road” 3:47
10. “That Kind of Beautiful” 3:08
11. “When I See You Again” 3:13
12. “Sleep It Off” 3:10
13. “Let Your Love Speak” 4:07
14. “November” (acoustic version) 4:26
15. “Belongs to You” (acoustic version) 3:50
16. “Last One Standing” (acoustic version) 3:37

Monday 1/2/23 7pm ET: Feature LP: Kenny Rogers – Eyes That See In The Dark (1983)

Eyes That See in the Dark is the 15th studio album by Kenny Rogers, first released by RCA Nashville in August 1983.

Eyes That See in the Dark marks Barry Gibb’s third production project of the 1980s outside of the Bee Gees. Gibb wrote most of the songs that were more reminiscent of Rogers’s days with the First Edition.

Just after Barry Gibb contributed producing Dionne Warwick’s Heartbreaker album, he and Rogers met later in the year and it was then that Rogers asked about some songs, and one of those songs was the title track. The other songs in this album were written in late 1982 and recorded in early 1983. Gibb recorded demos for Rogers while working with the Bee Gees for the 1983 film Staying Alive until April 1983, as Rogers started to record this album in May the same year.

The album, Rogers’s first for RCA Nashville, was issued while his previous effort on Liberty Records We’ve Got Tonight was still in the charts and had to compete with singles from that still being issued by his previous label.

1. “This Woman” 3:58
2. “You and I” 4:37
3. “Buried Treasure” 4:12
4. “Islands in the Stream” 4:10
5. “Living with You” 3:10
6. “Evening Star” 3:40
7. “Hold Me” 4:15
8. “Midsummer Nights” 3:50
9. “I Will Always Love You” 4:22
10. “Eyes That See in the Dark” 3:42

Kenny Rogers – lead vocals
Albhy Galuten – acoustic piano, electric piano, synthesizers, arrangements, conductor
George Bitzer – acoustic piano, electric piano, synthesizers
John Hobbs – acoustic piano (6)
Maurice Gibb – synthesizers, guitar, bass, backing vocals
Barry Gibb – guitar, backing vocals, arrangements
Tim Renwick – guitar
George Terry – guitar
Larry McNeely – banjo
Mitch Holder – guitar (6)
Fred Tackett – guitar (6)
Ron Ziegler – drums
Paul Leim – drums (6)
Joe Lala – percussion
Neal Bonsanti – saxophones (2, 4)
Whit Sidener – saxophones (2, 4)
Peter Graves – trombone (2, 4)
Ken Faulk – trumpet (2, 4)
Jimmie Haskell – string arrangements (7)
Sid Sharp – concertmaster
Denise Decaro – backing vocals (1, 4, 7, 9, 10)
Myrna Mathews – backing vocals (1, 4, 7, 9, 10)
Marti McCall – backing vocals (1, 4, 7, 9, 10)
Larry Gatlin – backing vocals (3, 6)
Rudy Gatlin – backing vocals (3, 6)
Steve Gatlin – backing vocals (3, 6)
Dolly Parton – lead and harmony vocals (4)
Robin Gibb – backing vocals (5)