OKOM Albums:

1. Waylon Payne-The Drifter-the best album of any genre that I encountered this decade. There is not a month that goes by where I don't listen to this album all the way through at least once.

2. Randy Rogers Band-Rollercoaster-the defining album of Texas music in the aughts. RRB were joined by Radney Foster at the recording console, and Foster brings out the best in Rogers road weary, lovelorn tales.

3. Ryan Adams-Gold-while Heartbreaker is amazing too, it sounds like a 90's album to me when I listen to it now. This album was released two weeks after 9/11 and found Adams singing about "New York, New York" with American flag cover art. Zeitgeist captured.

4. Jack Ingram-Electric-perhaps the most experimental album any major Texas/Red Dirt artist attempted this decade. Ingram followed up the landmark Hey You album by putting Frank Liddell in the producers chair and pushing himself to the limits of creativity.

5. Drew Kennedy-Dollar Theatre Movie-Kennedy's writing was begging for production values to meet it and Gerald Boyd hits a homerun.

6. Mike McClure-12 Pieces-the most confessional collection on this list. McClure steps back from the Great Divide and trio's guitar rock leanings to give you a peek at his soul.

7. Brandon Rhyder-Conviction-Rhyder went all-in with this Walt Wilkins' produced effort that finds Rhyder powerfully emoting self-penned lyrics about his life.

8. Wade Bowen-Lost Hotel-Bowen expands from his earlier efforts and builds on the buzz surrounding his burgeoning live show to deliver one of the best pieces of music to hit Texas/Red Dirt music.

9. Hayes Carll-Little Rock-a critical darling upon the release of his first album, Carll followed it up with a more commercial sounding effort that lost none of his wry humor and honesty.

10. Jason Boland & The Stragglers-Live at Billy Bob's-this album is what I consider the preeminent live album of this decade. Others have tried, but nobody else this decade captured the passion of a live Red Dirt show quite as well as the Stragglers did on this release.

11. Charlie Robison-Good Times-Robison returns from Nashville to lick his wounds with a brilliantly paced and smartly crafted disc.

12. Peter Dawson-Live at Coupland-a fine live effort that featured a terrific cast of musicians including Brady Black (Randy Rogers Band) on fiddle, Brooks Robinson (Wade Bowen) drums, and Amanda Brown on vocals. Dawson always had one of the most powerful voices in Texas and it is on full display here.

13. Lost Trailers-Welcome to the Woods-the guys from Georgia showed a ton of promise and depth that gained them many fans before they chose to holler back for dollars.

14. Reckless Kelly-Bulletproof-Willy Braun attacks more than liquor and relationships on this blistering release that is Reckless Kelly's finest since Millican.

15. Ryan Bingham-Mescalito-after bumming around couches and rodeos, Bingham tempts fate and becomes one of the most improbable success stories of the 2000s.

16. Slaid Cleaves-Brokedown-the most literate and ghostly album of the decade. It came at the very start of the decade and its poetic nature has yet to be touched by anyone.

17. Chris Knight-A Pretty Good Guy-Knight returns with another gritty Americana classic.

18. Bruce Robison-Country Sunshine-the country songsmith known for writing hits for others saves and produces his finest output for himself.

19. Stoney LaRue-Red Dirt Album-LaRue hasn't found himself in a studio very often this decade, but when he has made it there the results are pretty good as evidenced here.

20. Bleu Edmondson-Lost Boy-Edmondson picks himself up off the mat after several years of standing still to deliver a Springsteen-infused blast of originality to a staid Texas/Red Dirt market.


OKOM Songs:

1. Cross Canadian Ragweed-"17"-the hook says it all..."you're always seventeen in your hometown." This song opened up doors for a lot of things in this scene and has since been copied relentlessly. Kudos to Cody and Jason for writing something that everyone identifies with. Great song.

2. Josh Grider-"Crazy Like You"-perhaps the best love song to spring out of Texas this decade. A song about finding someone who puts up with your faults and craziness just as well as you put up with theirs.

3. Stoney LaRue-"One Chord Song"-simple, effective, catchy. It gets stuck in your head and won't leave.

4. Jason Boland-"Proud Souls"-melancholy, aching, yet entirely romantic. Boland is a poet in a cowboy hat blessed with golden vocals...shines brightest here.

5. Ryan Bingham-"Bread and Water"-a pounding rock track full of slide guitar and throat busted vocals.

6. Bart Crow-"Wear My Ring"-based on thread titles asking, "Who sings this song"...this is the most popular song of the decade. That angel and her bottle are very infectious.

7. Ray Wylie Hubbard-"Screw You, We're From Texas"-a tongue-in-cheek ode to Texas attitude.

8. Drew Kennedy-"Can't Slow Down"-powerful song in both lyric and melody that combines the lyrics of Townes Van Zandt with the melody of Rob Thomas.

9. Randy Rogers Band-"Can't Slow Down"-same title, way different song. Rogers drains the troubadour lifestyle of all romanticism on this road weary tale that personifies this era of Texas Music better than just about anything else.

10. Jason Eady-"Cry Pretty"-breaking up has never sounded so good.

11. Eli Young Band-"When It Rains"-got the EYB boys their first big break and continues to be one of the most requested and played songs on Texas radio.

12. Wade Bowen-"God Bless This Town"-Bowen takes small-town gossipers and a few anonymous Waco residents to task with a witty tale about rumors.

13. Stoney LaRue/Brandon Jenkins/Modern Day Drifters-"Down in Flames"-the most covered song of the decade.

14. Brandon Rhyder-"Freeze Frame Time"-a passionate plea to see the world for all it's beauty...whether that's admiring your son or tasting the first sip of coffee in the morning.

15. Adam Hood-"Tuesday Night"-Hood has stronger songs and arguably more well-known songs, however it is this semi-autobiographical tune about playing the same bar each Tuesday evening and returning home to his favorite girl that gets him and us through bad days.

16. Charlie Robison-"El Cerrito Place"-This beautifully haunting song came from the pen, mind and soul of Keith Gattis; but Robison delivers it with such conviction and emotion that by the song's end you're hoping he finds his "baby" very soon.

17. Phil Pritchett-"Doesn't Make a Difference"-a playful take on how country's gone to rock and rock's gone to crap.

18. Johnny Cooper-"Texas To You"-paint by numbers song that got a ton of radio play for a then still developing and green Cooper.

19. Hayes Carll-"Wish I Hadn't Stayed So Long"-a depressed songwriter's best friend is sometimes a whiskey bottle and their imagination. Here, Carll teams those two up and gives a descriptive take on his chosen vocation.

20. Brian Burns-"I've Been Everywhere (In Texas)"-a Texas take on the old Hank Snow/Johnny Cash tune about traveling everywhere.


COUNTRY ALBUMS:

1. Jamey Johnson-That Lonesome Song-cut independently, but too good to be denied, the majors picked it up and we are all eternally grateful for them spreading the gospel that country music can still be successful.

2. LeeAnn Womack-There's More Where That Came From-Womack lives up to the album's title by delivering the strongest album of her career.

3. Gary Allan-Tough All Over-Allan overcomes a personal hell to produce his best album.

4. Dixie Chicks-Home-built around harmonies, musicianship and songwriting, this album is a reminder of what was and could of been had political rancor not influenced art.

5. Johnny Cash-The Man Comes Around IV-another Rick Rubin produced gem that found Cash hitting on all cylinders with smart song choices and some of the most committed vocals of his legendary career.

6. Ashton Shepherd-Sounds So Good-a country album from a female when all other females in her field were making thinly veiled pop records causes this album to shine.

7. Dierks Bentley-Long Trip Alone-Bentley and Bret Beavers grow up a little bit and produce an artistically relevant, yet commercially reliable album.

8. Miranda Lambert-Crazy Ex-Girlfriend-Lambert's second album sends a powerful message that she has something to say and is here to stay.

9. Dwight Yoakam-Dwight Sings Buck-they may have met on the streets of Bakersfield, but it is here where their relationship is most rewarding as Dwight reminds us all how good Buck Owens really was.

10. Keith Urban-Golden Road-the Aussie guitar slinger smooths his rough edges enough without losing his credibility.

11. Alison Krauss & Robert Plant-Raising Sand-an experiment that could've gone incredibly awry ends up a thing of beauty.

12. George Strait-It Just Comes Natural-Strait doing what he does best...making solid country albums.

13. Kenny Chesney-When the Sun Goes Down-the most complete Chesney album of the decade.

14. Brooks and Dunn-Red Dirt Road-mixing personal emotions into this album proves to be a wise move.

15. Little Big Town-The Road To Here-country's answer to Fleetwood Mac.

16. Gretchen Wilson-Here for the Party-John Rich has his hands all over this rollicking and unvarnished collection of redneck female empowerment.

17. Big and Rich-Horse of a Different Color-they made a mockery of the country music establishment, and while I found their songs hideous...their motivation is admirable.

18. George Strait-Troubadour-Strait consistently picks stellar material and this album is the latest evidence of that.

19. Alan Jackson-Drive-Jackson sounds at home here, and as with several other albums on this list...it was perhaps his most personal country album to date.

20. Taylor Swift-Fearless-like it or not, and it's well-documented which camp I'm in...but Miss Swift has had a big cultural impact at decade's end.



COUNTRY SINGLES:

1. Johnny Cash-"Hurt"-Rick Rubin's decision to have Cash cover a Nine Inch Nails song turns out to be genius. The man comes around indeed...an entire life's worth of trials and tribulations tremble out of Cash's voice as he conveys the Reznor-penned lyrics.

2. Jamey Johnson-"In Color"-Johnson vividly paints images that don't leave your brain with this song about looking at old photos with your grandfather.

3. Brooks and Dunn-"Believe"-Ronnie Dunn sings the devil out of this song about tolerance and life that has heavy doses of southern gospel roots firmly in the mix.

4. Gary Allan-"Best I Ever Had"-Allan channels the tragedy of his wife's suicide into a moving cover of this Vertical Horizon song.

5. Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow-"Picture"-harkening back to the days when George and Tammy or Conway and Loretta would sing about drinking and cheating, this song became a surprise hit.

6. Alan Jackson-"Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning"-nobody summed up the immediate post 9/11 world better than Jackson with this song.

7. Gretchen Wilson-"Redneck Woman"-this unpolished anthem gave opened the door just a little for females to write their own songs and play guitar...thus partly paving the way for acts like Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert.

8. George Strait-"Desperately"-Strait takes this Bruce Robison gem and crafts a playful Strait classic.

9. Sugarland-"Stay"-the song that launched many a bad karaoke cover is actually a very raw take on being the other woman.

10. Dierks Bentley-"What Was I Thinkin'"-Bentley burst onto the scene with this upbeat song about falling for the wrong girl and utilizing a hook that featured a Bo Duke reference.

11. Kenny Chesney-"Young"-Chesney was already a superstar in the making, this ode to youthful transgressions and lessons sped up the process.

12. Miranda Lambert-"Gunpowder and Lead"-portraying her firecracker image to the hilt, Lambert unleashes the fury usually reserved for rock artists on this tale of domestic violence revenge.

13. Dixie Chicks-"Cowboy Take Me Away"-Martie Maguire wrote this powerful love song after watching her sister Emily fall for Charlie Robison.

14. Toby Keith-"How Do You Like Me Now?"-Keith took a chance on this Bobby Braddock oddity of a song and took a rapping chorus to the top of the charts.

15. Brooks and Dunn-"Red Dirt Road"-one of the few modern country songs to address similar themes to OKOM, this tale of self-discovery probably owes it's authenticity to the fact that Kix and Ronnie co-wrote it themselves.

16. George Strait-"Run"-Strait always says he picks songs based on the melody first...and that is never more evident than here.

17. Mark Wills-"!980-something"-Wills capitalized on Generation X's growing nostalgia at the perfect time with this ode to their youth.

18. Tim McGraw-"Real Good Man"-McGraw lays down a song heavy on the macho and kick drum that laid a template out that many other artists would copy over the following years.

19. Jason Aldean-"Relentless"-the country poser drops the bravado long enough to show some vulnerability, which when paired with a cool melody make this song undeniable.

20. Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett-"Five O' Clock Somewhere"-they turned the type of cliche catchphrase you'd find on a bumpersticker into a hit song...not an easy feat.


POP/ROCK/HIP-HOP ALBUMS:

1. Jet-Get Born-From beer commercials to football stadiums and Randy Rogers Band stage introductions, these Brit rockers produced the decades most solid rock album.

2. Outkast-Speakerboxxx/Love Below-an ambitious effort that built upon what they had done with Stankonia and proved that rap doesn't have to be dumb and blingy to be successful.

3. White Stripes-Elephant-brought garage rock back into the fold with stadium size anthems.

4. Kanye West-The College Dropout-West created a smart, egotistical persona as he stepped to the forefront from the producer's role. Over time, his schtick began to outweigh his output...but this first effort was remarkable.

5. Ray LaMontagne-Trouble-along with a couple other guys, Ray made being the sensitive singer/songwriter cool in the pop music realm for the first time since the 70's.

6. John Mayer-Continuum-Mayer took more creative control on this effort and it lead to a heavier blues influence while remaining commercially viable.

7. Green Day-American Idiot-given up for dead at the beginning of the decade, Billy Joe Armstrong and crew returned with the best album of their career. A modern day London Calling for Americans.

8. Norah Jones-Come Away With Me-Jones managed to make jazzy coffee house ethos sound cool many years past it's expiration date. Her smooth vocals and arrangements are still like a campfire for the soul.

9. Coldplay-A Rush of Blood to the Head-after several years of being critic's darlings, the backlash had begun for this group from Great Britain. Yet, this disc finds them at the top of their game.

10. Jay-Z-The Blueprint-in a decade that would see Shawn Carter take his alter ego to the top of the charts several times, retire and unretire several times, and become one of the most powerful men in the music business as a major label president, this album was his most consistently truthful.

11. Queens of the Stone Age-Songs for the Deaf-featuring guest drummer Dave Grohl, these California rockers delivered a modern rock classic.

12. Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-I wasn't sure where to categorize this album. It's got elements of Americana, but it's rock n' roll at it's heart. Jeff Tweedy put his heart on his sleeve and sets it to music in a post 9/11 world.

13. Linkin Park-Hybrid Theory-at the decade's dawn, this odd rap-rock band produced some of the most modern sounding music around.

14. Beck-Sea Change-Beck stretches himself to deliver the most moody record of his diverse career.

15. Gwen Stefani-Love Angel Music Baby-Stefani went solo from her No Doubt roots to unleash a pop watermark of the aughts.

16. Bruce Springsteen-The Rising-The Boss captured the nation's grief and search for redemption in this finely tuned collection of songs.

17. Eminem-The Marshall Mathers LP-Mr. Mathers pushes beyond the sophomoric tendencies of his debut album to become a real artist.

18. Justin Timberlake-FutureSex/LoveSounds-the former boy bander continues to build his reputation as a legitimate musician.

19. The Killers-Sam's Town-the Killers stretch beyond the box they created for themselves with their first effort and prove themselves to be musicians we will be hearing from for many years to come.

20. System of a Down-Toxicity-this metal outfit proves that metal doesn't have to just be heavy noise...it can also be beautiful.


POP/ROCK/HIP-HOP SONGS:

1. MIA-"Paper Planes"-the go-to song for movie soundtracks the past couple years that is a genre-bending trip across the globe.

2. Gorillaz-"Feel Good, Inc."-part rap, part rock, and all smart.

3. Usher-"Yeah!"-the song that kicked off the Lil' Jon as uber-producer bass thumping club song craze.

4. Outkast-"Hey Ya"-Andre 3000 pushes the boundaries of what can be done in the rap game by incorporating acoustic guitars and clever verses like "shake it like a Polaroid picture" which are cliche now but groundbreaking at the time.

5. Amy Winehouse-"Rehab"-before she became a joke and ended up a trainwreck rehabber herself, Winehouse guided this autobiographical tale to worldwide success.

6. Modest Mouse-"Float On"-a rollicking song that's content seems to mirror it's title.

7. Gnarls Barkley-"Crazy"-a side project that turned into a major act on the strength of this undeniable track.

8. Lady Gaga-"Poker Face"-freak show aspects aside, this is a well-written pop song that gets stuck in your head and stays.

9. Finger Eleven-"Paralyzer"-one of the few rock songs this decade to make it at Top 40 radio.

10. Kanye West-"Golddigger"-West uses a smart Ray Charles sample to blast groupies and gold-digging women everywhere.

11. White Stripes-"Seven Nation Army"-the minute the bassline kicks in, you know you're in for a crazy ride...and Jack White doesn't let you off until he's scared you to his liking.

12. Justin Timberlake-"Sexy Back"-silly song that grabbed the reality tv-fame at all costs decade's zeitgeist by the pants and took it for a ride.

13. Kelly Clarkson-"Since U Been Gone"-Clarkson returned from a so-so first album to deliver the hookiest song of the decade.

14. Gavin DeGraw-"I Don't Wanna Be"-billed as a modern day Billy Joel or Elton John by his p.r. reps, DeGraw proved to be a one-hit wonder with a catchy song about individuality.

15. Panic at the Disco-"I Write Sins, Not Tragedies"-it's not often that a song with one of the most offensive swear words in our lexicon becomes a hit, but these guys pulled it off.

16. The Game/50 Cent-"Hate It or Love It (Remix)"-two guys who didn't really get along joined forces and borrowed a sample from The Trampps to make one of the best songs of any genre from the decade.

17. Franz Ferdinand-"Take Me Out"-a driving rock song that went all over the map musically before taking these Scottish rockers to the top of the charts.

18. 50 Cent-"In Da Club"-a fierce party track that still doesn't sound dated.

19. Feist-"1, 2, 3, 4"-a hit song kickstarted from being an IPod commercial. A hint of things to come.

20. Blue October-"Into the Ocean"-Texas indie rock darlings deliver an accessible track that connected with disillusioned folks everywhere.