This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2010.
Events January 31 – Taylor Swift becomes the youngest person to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for her sophomore country album Fearless (2008). Fearless additionally wins the award for Best Country Album, while Swift's "White Horse" is awarded Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song. February 1 – Loretta Lynn marks 50 years since she signed her first recording contract. February 6 – Wynonna Judd announces that she will reunite with her mother, Naomi Judd, to tour and record a studio album for the final time as The Judds by the end of 2010.Judds Reuniting for One More Tour — CBS News George Hamilton IV celebrates his 50th Grand Ole Opry Anniversary February 13 – Two men in a small pickup truck die from injuries they sustained after colliding with one of Trace Adkins's tour buses. The truck was believed to have crossed the "no passing" line in the center of the road which resulted in the crash. Several members of Adkins' band were aboard the bus, but did not suffer any major injuries. Adkins himself was not on board the bus at the time. April 14 – Disney Music Group announces the closure of Lyric Street Records. The label's flagship act, Rascal Flatts, along with Bucky Covington, Kevin Fowler and Tyler Dickerson follow them within the label's parent company. Three other artists on the roster – Sarah Buxton, Love and Theft and The Parks – are released from the label.Covington, Fowler, Dickerson Follow Rascal Flatts to Disney Music Group April 18 – Carrie Underwood becomes the first woman in history to win the Entertainer of the Year award at the Academy of Country Music Awards twice.Carrie Underwood wins ACM Entertainer of the Year Underwood previously won the award at the 2009 ceremony. May 3 – Chely Wright becomes the first major country artist to come out as homosexual.Chely Wright Acknowledges Her Homosexuality, CMT News, May 3, 2010. Accessed March 5, 2010 May 4 – Flooding on the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee, causes damage to the Grand Ole Opry House and Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, with several feet of water. Grand Ole Opry performances are moved to the Ryman Auditorium, War Memorial Auditorium and the Two Rivers Baptist Church; all of which were unaffected by the floods. The common areas of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel were destroyed, and parts of the hotel are under 10 feet of water."Nashville landmarks underwater", The Tennessean, online edition, May 4, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2010. May 11 – Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert become engaged after five years of dating. May 26 – Country music legend Willie Nelson cuts his "trademark, waist-length braids." May 29 – The Lost Trailers announce that they will disband in September after the final date of their 2010 concert tour. June 23 – Kellie Pickler and songwriter Kyle Jacobs become engaged after two and a half years of dating. July 10 – Carrie Underwood and Ottawa Senators player Mike Fisher marry in a private ceremony in Georgia. October 12 – Martina McBride and Gretchen Wilson at The Recording Academy. October 26 – Billy Ray Cyrus and wife Tish file for divorce in Nashville. According to People magazine, the couple filed for divorce documents on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, citing irreconcilable differences Less than a year later, on March 18, 2011, Cyrus announces on The View that he has dropped the divorce. October 30 – Randy Travis and wife Elizabeth file for divorce. According to the Associated Press, Randy filed a petition for dissolution of marriage in Albuquerque, N.M. on Thursday, October 28, citing that a "state of incompatibility exists between the parties". November 10 – Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler at the 2010 CMA Awards. November 11 – The Nashville Scene publishes a report from representatives of British progressive rock band The Alan Parsons Project, alleging that the chorus of Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" – which during 2010 became a major crossover smash hit in the U.S. and worldwide – has the same melody as the chorus of Parsons' "Eye in the Sky", a 1982 hit single that peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. December 5 – The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors Merle Haggard for his lifetime contributions to the arts. December – The song "Love Like Crazy" by Lee Brice, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in September, is named the No. 1 country song of 2010, and in doing so becomes the first non-No. 1 song in the chart's 66-year history to earn such an honor. Earlier in the year, "Love Like Crazy" broke the chart's longevity record, spending 55 weeks on the chart and surpassing (by one week) a 62-year-old record, established by Eddy Arnold's "Bouquet of Roses."
Top hits of the year The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs or Canada Country charts in 2010:
USCANSingleArtistReference32Ain't Back YetKenny Chesney13All About TonightBlake Shelton115All Over MeJosh Turner11American HoneyLady Antebellum21American Saturday NightBrad Paisley11Anything Like MeBrad Paisley11As She's Walking AwayZac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson630BackwoodsJustin Moore1744Beer on the TableJosh Thompson11The Boys of FallKenny Chesney18Come Back SongDarius Rucker11Consider Me GoneReba23Crazy TownJason Aldean611Cryin' for Me (Wayman's Song)Toby Keith1449Didn't You Know How Much I Loved YouKellie Pickler156Every Dog Has Its DayToby Keith525Farmer's DaughterRodney Atkins107FearlessTaylor Swift14FreeZac Brown Band1850Get Off on the PainGary Allan11Gimmie That GirlJoe Nichols1711Hard Hat and a HammerAlan Jackson1020Hell on the HeartEric Church13Highway 20 RideZac Brown Band18Hillbilly BoneBlake Sheltonfeaturing Trace Adkins20—Hip to My HeartThe Band Perry33History in the MakingDarius Rucker12The House That Built MeMiranda Lambert1742How I Got to Be This WayJustin Moore14—Hurry HomeJason Michael Carroll34I Gotta Get to YouGeorge Strait76I Keep On Loving YouReba212I Wanna Make You Close Your EyesDierks Bentley21I'm InKeith Urban18If I Die YoungThe Band Perry1617It's Just That WayAlan Jackson429Keep On Lovin' YouSteel Magnolia12A Little More Country Than ThatEaston Corbin638Little White ChurchLittle Big Town311Love Like CrazyLee Brice12Lover, LoverJerrod Niemann13The Man I Want to BeChris Young27MineTaylor Swift1231Only PrettierMiranda Lambert11Our Kind of LoveLady Antebellum1312Pray for YouJaron and the Long Road to Love11Pretty Good at Drinkin' BeerBilly Currington13Rain Is a Good ThingLuke Bryan11Roll with ItEaston Corbin413She Won't Be Lonely LongClay Walker613SmileUncle Kracker11Southern VoiceTim McGraw1611StillTim McGraw23Stuck Like GlueSugarland12Temporary HomeCarrie Underwood11That's How Country Boys RollBilly Currington1544This Ain't No Love SongTrace Adkins1344This Ain't Nothin'Craig Morgan31'Til Summer Comes AroundKeith Urban18—TodayGary Allan1935TrailerhoodToby Keith11The TruthJason Aldean20—Turning HomeDavid Nail1413TwangGeorge Strait12Undo ItCarrie Underwood722UnstoppableRascal Flatts11WaterBrad Paisley1550Way Out HereJosh Thompson22White LiarMiranda Lambert11Why Don't We Just DanceJosh Turner12Why WaitRascal Flatts1831Work Hard, Play HarderGretchen Wilson1118Wrong Baby WrongMartina McBride
Top new album releases The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2010:
US Album Artist Record label Release date Reference 7 34 Number Ones Alan Jackson Arista Nashville November 23 5 Achin' and Shakin' Laura Bell Bundy Mercury Nashville April 13 6 The Age of Miracles Mary Chapin Carpenter Zoë April 27 9 Album Number Two Joey + Rory Vanguard/Sugar Hill September 14 1 All About Tonight (EP) Blake Shelton Reprise Nashville August 10 3 All the Women I Am Reba McEntire Starstruck/Valory November 9 2 American VI: Ain't No Grave Johnny Cash Lost Highway February 23 2 The Band Perry The Band Perry Republic Nashville October 12 1 Bullets in the Gun Toby Keith Show Dog-Universal Music October 5 2 Burning the Day Randy Rogers Band MCA Nashville August 24 1 Charleston, SC 1966 Darius Rucker Capitol Nashville October 12 8 Chicken & Biscuits Colt Ford Average Joes April 20 4 Country Music Willie Nelson Rounder April 20 2 Country Strong Soundtrack Various Artists RCA Nashville October 26 5 Country Strong: More Music from the Motion Picture Various Artists Screen Gems December 21 1 Cowboy's Back in Town Trace Adkins Show Dog-Universal Music August 17 6 Crazy Heart Soundtrack Various Artists New West January 19 4 Easton Corbin Easton Corbin Mercury Nashville March 22 Enjoy Yourself Billy Currington Mercury Nashville September 21 2 Freight Train Alan Jackson Arista Nashville March 30 2 Get Closer Keith Urban Capitol Nashville November 16 2 Get Off on the Pain Gary Allan MCA Nashville March 9 2 Getting Dressed in the Dark Jaron and the Long Road to Love Jaronwood Music/UniversalRepublic/Big Machine June 22 1 The Guitar Song Jamey Johnson Mercury Nashville September 14 2 Halfway to Heaven Brantley Gilbert Average Joes March 16 9 Happy Hour: The South River Road Sessions (EP) Uncle Kracker Atlantic June 22 2 Haywire Josh Turner MCA Nashville February 9 1 Hemingway's Whiskey Kenny Chesney Blue Chair/BNA Records September 28 2 Hillbilly Bone (EP) Blake Shelton Reprise Nashville March 2 4 Hits Alive Brad Paisley Arista Nashville November 2 6 I Got Your Country Right Here Gretchen Wilson Redneck Records March 30 1 The Incredible Machine Sugarland Mercury Nashville October 19 3 iTunes Session (EP) Lady Antebellum Capitol Nashville August 17 1 Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury Jerrod Niemann Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville July 13 2 Junky Star Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses Lost Highway August 31 4 Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton Blake Shelton Reprise Nashville November 9 6 Love Heals Wynonna Cracker Barrel May 24 9 Love Like Crazy Lee Brice Curb June 8 4 A Merry Little Christmas Lady Antebellum Capitol Nashville October 12 3 My Best Days Danny Gokey RCA Nashville/19 March 2 1 My Kinda Party Jason Aldean Broken Bow November 2 1 Need You Now Lady Antebellum Capitol Nashville January 26 1 Nothing Like This Rascal Flatts Big Machine November 16 3 Now That's What I Call Country Volume 3 Various Artists Capitol September 14 7 Now That's What I Call the USA: The Patriotic Country Collection Various Artists Sony June 15 6 Number One Hits Tim McGraw Curb November 30 2 Pass the Jar Zac Brown Band Atlantic May 41 The Reason Why Little Big Town Capitol Nashville August 24 4 Rebel Within Hank Williams III Curb May 25 10 Shake What God Gave Ya James Otto Warner Bros. Nashville September 14 5 She Won't Be Lonely Long Clay Walker Curb June 8 1 Speak Now Taylor Swift Big Machine October 25 3 Sweet and Wild Jewel Valory Music Group June 8 8 They Call Me Cadillac Randy Houser Show Dog-Universal Music September 21 2 Up on the Ridge Dierks Bentley Capitol Nashville June 8 9 Way Out Here Josh Thompson Columbia Nashville February 23 1 You Get What You Give Zac Brown Band Atlantic September 21
Other top albums