Each year we see a new class of stars appear on the country music horizon. Sometimes an artist will have a huge hit right off the bat, and other times it may take an album or two. The stars listed as the "Class of 2004" are those that made their first impact on country music in that year.
With an album that has sold over 3 million, Gretchen tops the list of the Class of 2004. She's so successful that her album was re-released with an additional DVD with video footage of the "Redneck Woman" doing her thing live, plus it includes an in-depth interview that was shown on CMT as "In the Moment." Her singles include "Redneck Woman" (#1), "Here for the Party" (#3), "When I Think About Cheatin'" (#4), and her latest, "Homewrecker," (at #31 as this list was made.)
Big & Rich released "Wild West Show" at the end of 2003, & the single peaked at No. 21 four months later. It was their 2nd single, "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" with it's wacky video that really shot them to the top of the charts, helping their album sell like hotcakes. Soon, the album, which debuted at a modest No. 14, was in the Top 5, eventually even taking the No. 1 spot for a week. The album has sold over 1 million copies and Big & Rich, with their "country without prejudice" were stars.
Julie Roberts self-titled album debuted in mid-June at No. 9, bolstered by the sultry lead single, "Break Down Here," which peaked at No. 18. Her second single "The Chance" peaked at No. 47, while her third single "Wake Up Older," just entered the charts a few weeks ago, and is rising.
Blue County debuted at No. 32 with their self-titled album in late April. The first single was the fun "Good Little Girls" which topped out at No. 11. Their second single "That's Cool" peaked at No. 24, and we're sure to hear some more music from them soon. While not selling at an insane pace, the duo has a strong and loyal following, and they put on an energetic live show that's sure to win them even more fans.
Josh Gracin first came to everyone's attention on the 2nd season of "American Idol." He became a top favorite as the "Marine," & ended up in the Top 5 when all was said and done. From this appearance, he got his record deal with Lyric Street, & released his self-titled album in July. The album debuted at No. 2, which is a great start. His first hot single, "I Want To Live," peaked at No. 4, while his current single, "Nothing To Lose" is at No. 3 and rising. (as of 02/05/05 charts).
Rachel released several singles before she got her first Top 20 hit. Her first single was "Days Like This," which was going to be the album title, but it stalled at No. 24, so "Didn't I" was released, which peaked at No. 43. The third time was the charm, when she released the poignant "Me and Emily" which hit No. 18.
