George Strait at rehearsals for the 43rd Annual ACM Awards Show in Las Vegas. Photo provided by the Academy of Country Music.
July 30, 2008 — One of the most successful compilation series in the history of pop music has been revised for country fans.
Certified hits by George Strait, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood are featured among 20 tracks by different artists on NOW That’s What I Call Country. Set for release Aug. 26, the package comes as the pop series, NOW That’s What I Call Music!, observes a decade since its original release in 1998. Since that time, that series has served up 28 standard discs, plus three additional Christmas releases, and most of them have gone platinum or better.
A number of country acts have been sprinkled among the previous compilations, introducing pop fans to the Dixie Chicks, Trace Adkins and Keith Urban, among others. But now the country genre has an entire package featuring its own hits, and it includes a bonus feature. The CD will allow buyers to download additional tracks by six new artists: Eric Church, Jamey Johnson, the Lost Trailers, Ashton Shepherd, Emily West and Chuck Wicks.
The entire track listing for NOW That’s What I Call Country follows:
• Carrie Underwood — "All-American Girl"
• Rascal Flatts — "Winner At A Losing Game"
• Gary Allan — "Watching Airplanes"
• Reba McEntire duet with Kelly Clarkson — "Because Of You"
• Keith Urban — "Everybody"
• Sugarland — "Stay"
• Lady Antebellum — "Love Don’t Live Here"
• Taylor Swift — "Picture To Burn"
• Dierks Bentley — "Trying To Stop Your Leaving"
• Luke Bryan — "All My Friends Say"
• Brad Paisley — "Letter To Me"
• George Strait — "I Saw God Today"
• Julianne Hough — "That Song In My Head"
• Sara Evans — "As If"
• Kenny Chesney — "Don’t Blink"
• Trace Adkins — "You’re Gonna Miss This"
• Chris Cagle — "What Kinda Gone"
• Kellie Pickler — "Things That Never Cross A Man’s Mind"
• Josh Turner featuring Trisha Yearwood — "Another Try"
• Jason Michael Carroll — "Alyssa Lies"