Country Crossover Groups, Vol. 2 Quiz

Answer: The Charlie Daniels Band

The Charlie Daniels Band released "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" as a single from their album "Million Mile Reflections". It was written by the band - Charlie Daniels, Tom Crain, "Taz" DiGregorio, Fred Edwards, Charles Hayward, and James W. Marshall. The song was a mega crossover and international hit in 1979.

Chart performance:
Number/chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (Aug. 25, 1979)
1 - Canadian RPM Country Tracks (Sept. 8-15, 1979)
3 - US Billboard Hot 100
5 - Canadian Hot 100
13 - New Zealand Singles
14 - UK Singles
14 - Irish Singles
30 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
34 - Dutch Top 40
Of note are several references in the song to other songs, including "Fire On The Mountain" and "The House of the Rising Sun".

Answer: Lonestar

Lonestar released "Amazed" as a single from their album "Lonely Grill". It was written by Marv Green, Aimee Mayo and Chris Lindsey. It topped three charts and was number two on three others. At the time, it set a record on the US Country chart by remaining at the top for eight consecutive weeks. The record was tied by Alan Jackson's song "It's Five O'clock Somewhere" but it was eight non-consecutive weeks.

Chart performance:
Number/chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (8 weeks: July 17-Sept. 4, 1999)
1 - Canadian RPM Country Tracks (4 non-consecutive weeks 1999)
1 - US Billboard Hot 100 (remix) (March 4-11, 2000)
2 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks (remix)
2 - Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks(remix)
2 - Ireland (IRMA) (remix)
7 - US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 (remix)
7 - US Billboard Adult Top 40 (remix)
7 - Canada RPM Top Singles (remix)
10 - Norway (VG-lista) (remix)
11 - New Zealand (RIANZ) (remix)
19 - Australia (ARIA) (remix)
21 - UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) (remix)
The song was named the 1999 Song of the Year for both the US Billboard Hot

Country Singles & Tracks chart and the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It also finished in the Top Ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 for 2000, finishing at number eight. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA.

Answer: Dixie Chicks

The lyrical references are to Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams Jr. and Sr.

The Dixie Chicks released "Long Time Gone" as a single from their album "Home". It was originally written and released by Darrell Scott with no radio airplay success. The Dixie Chicks covered it and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. They then crossed-over to reach number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it a Top Ten hit on both charts. Interestingly, the song criticizes contemporary Country music for not sounding enough like traditional Country music, but within a year or so the Chicks would abandon Country radio for more Mainstream radio, which is clearly less Country in sound. The choice was not theirs alone but rather a reaction to their feud with Toby Keith and the fact Country audiences turned on them because of it. Once the darlings of Country music, they became the pariah of the genre.

Answer: Alabama

Alabama released "Love in the First Degree" as a single from their album "Feels So Right". It was written by Tim DuBois and Jim Hurt. It was the group's biggest crossover success and fifth Number One in a row on the US Country chart.

Chart performance:
Number/chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (Dec. 26, 1981 - Jan. 2, 1982)
1 - Canadian RPM Country Tracks (Jan. 16, 1982)
1 - Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks
5 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
15 - US Billboard Hot 100
On the US Country chart it was preceded by Steve Wariner's "All Roads Lead to You" and succeeded by Gene Watson's "Fourteen Carat Mind". On the Canadian Country chart it was preceded by David Thompson's "I Never Figured on This" and succeeded by Ronnie Milsap's "I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World".

Answer: Zac Brown Band

The Zac Brown Band released "Whatever It Is" as a single from their album "The Foundation". It was written by Zac Brown and Wyatt Durette. Although the song never reached Number One on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, it did reach number two and finished number two on the year-end chart for 2009.

It also became a Top 40 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 26, and finished at number 94 on the year-end chart. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA.

Answer: Diamond Rio

Diamond Rio released "One More Day" as the title single from the album of the same name. It was written by Bobby Tomberlin and Steven Dale Jones. The song was released on Oct. 30, 2000 but began to gain popularity after the accidental death of Dale Earnhardt on Feb. 18, 2001.

This led it to become Number One on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart on March 10, 2001 and then again on March 31. It also crossed-over onto the US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, becoming a Top Ten on that chart by reaching number six.

It also became a Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 29. After the attacks of Sept. 11, the song gained more airplay as a tribute to the fallen.

Answer: Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum released "American Honey" as a single from their album "Need You Now". It was written by Cary Barlowe, Hillary Lindsey, and Shane Stevens. It reached Number One on the US Country Hot Country Songs chart on Apr. 24, 2010 and stayed there for two weeks.

It also became a Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 25. It also reached number 50 on the Canadian Hot 100. It was the group's third Number One on the US Country chart. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA. It was preceded by the Zac Brown Band's "Highway 20 Ride" and succeeded by Joe Nichols' "Gimmie That Girl".

Answer: Heartland

Heartland released "I Loved Her First" as the title single from their album of the same name. It was written by Walt Aldridge and Elliott Park. It reached Number One on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart on Oct. 28, 2006. It crossed-over and became a Top 40 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 34.

It also charted on the US Billboard Pop 100, reaching number 56. It was preceded by Josh Turner's "Would You Go with Me" and succeeded by Dierks Bentley's "Every Mile a Memory".

Answer: Alabama

Alabama released "When We Make Love" as a single from their album "Roll On". It was written by Troy Seals and Mentor Williams. The song appeared on five charts, topping two and becoming a Top Ten on two others.

Chart performance:
Number/chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (June 23, 1984)
1 - Canadian RPM Country Tracks (July 14, 1984)
3 - Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks
8 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
72 - US Billboard Hot 100

The song was the 13th Number One out of 21 straight Number Ones for the group on the US Country chart. They had 32 Number Ones overall. It was preceded on the US chart by Eddy Raven's "I Got Mexico" and on the Canadian chart by Merle Haggard's "Someday When Things Are Good". It was succeeded on both charts by Vern Gosdin's "I Can Tell By the Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight)".

Answer: The Oak Ridge Boys

The Oak Ridge Boys released "(I'm Settin') Fancy Free" as a single from their album "Fancy Free". It was written by Don August and Jimbeau Hinson. It reached Number One on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart on Nov. 7, 1981. It also reached number two on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

It crossed-over onto the US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and became a Top Twenty hit, reaching number 17. It was preceded by Charley Pride's "Never Been So Loved (In All My Life)" and succeeded by Rosanne Cash's "My Baby Thinks He's a Train".