LoveMyCountryMusic.com

The Best Country Songs of 2010

Let's start with five songs you may have never heard because they weren't released as singles (but should have been) or never made it very high up the charts.

5. "Blossom in the Dust" Mallary Hope

This is a song Dolly Parton would have made a hit from during the '70s. A beautifully told story about love and the human spirit, with simple, swelling music and Hope's clear, strong voice, it's just a shame country radio has lost its taste for this kind of song. More people should here and be touched by its power and promise.

4. "Ain't Much Left of Lovin' You" Randy Montana

I love the story of heartbreak that is so visually painted with these lyrics: "That old porch swing, those songs we sang and the cold and bitter truth... the heaven we had, the hell that I'm going through, other than that, there ain't much left of lovin' you." Great guitar and drums drive the song along like a man falling head-first into a bottle.

3. "Tell Me" Jake Owen

This little-noticed single (it peaked at 35) shows Owen is a vocal powerhouse and I have no idea why it wasn't embraced by radio. Too cowboy-sounding? I loved the old Western sound of it. Is Owen's country hottie/bad boy image coming back to haunt him? Did the video's '70s porn vibe turn people off? Possibly. Let's hope the new CD promised in 2011 will get Owen the attention his singing and songwriting deserves, and the bad boy persona is laid to rest. With his talent, he doesn't need it. Don't believe me? See him live and you'll be a believer.

2. "Delilah" and "Draggin' the River" Blake Shelton

A sad and beautiful little cut from the otherwise goofy fun "Hillbilly Bone" CD -- I mean six-pack (let's leave that idea behind in 2010!) -- "Delilah" highlights Shelton's vocal and songwriting prowess. This song really should have been a single.

I'm hoping there still might be a chance we'll get "Draggin' the River" -- Blake's upbeat, twangy, funny duet with finance Miranda Lambert on the radio. I've heard that it won't be released because Blake and Miranda are on different labels. Come on, country radio -- you got Brad Paisley to release "This is Country Music" early. Why not use your muscle to get "Draggin' the River" released. Think of it as a wedding present!

1. "Strangers on a Train" David Nail

Probably my favorite song on the excellent "I'm About to Come Alive" CD, the bluesy music, fascinating storyline and outstanding vocals (with help from Miranda Lambert) leave me feeling like I just watched a great old movie that I want to see again and again. Every note, perfection! Why wasn't this a single in 2010?! Can we hope for it in 2011?

And now the songs you did hear...

5. "The Boys of Fall" Kenny Chesney

This song sounds beautiful, tells a compelling story and touches the heart with its earnestness and passion. I knew it would be a hit the first time I heard it, and I never change the station when it's on. (I'll leave others to speculate as to why one of they year's most heart-felt love songs is about football players.)

4. "She Won't Be Lonely Long" Clay Walker and "Love Like Crazy" Lee Brice (tie)

I put these two together because they remind me of the classic country of my youth. Simple stories, strong (but not show-stopping or overwhelming) vocals, and charming music that just lets the story play out. Refreshing, both of them. I'm not surprised neither made it to number one because they're kind of old fashioned. But I do love them both.

2. "Highway 20 Ride" Zac Brown Band

This song is so sad, sweet and beautiful, it makes me cry every damn time I hear it. Awesome songwriting, understated music, great harmonies. It tells a story that touches the heart. ("As She's Walking Away" is also great.)

1. "The Truth" Jason Aldean

Go away, you haters. Say what you will about Jason Aldean's brand of rockin' country (which I happen to love), you can't deny that this haunting ballad of a broken man is pure country worthy of Waylon or Cash. Or at least Crazy Heart's Bad Blake.

Other songs I loved in 2010: "Suffocating" by Blake Shelton; "From a Table Away" by Sunny Sweeney; "Hell on the Heart" and "Smoke a Little "Smoke" by Eric Church; "Way Out Here" and "Won't Be Lonely Long" by Josh Thompson; "The Call" by Matt Kennon; "Little White Church" by Little Big Town, "Mine" by Taylor Swift; "Lies" by Martina McBride; "Up on the Ridge" and "Draw Me a Map" by Dierks Bentley; "Hello World" by Lady Antebellum; "The Man I Want to Be" and "Rainy Night in Georgia" by Chris Young.

Dierks Gets to Share "My Last Name" Again

Congratulations to Dierks and Cassidy Bentley, whose household will be growing again this Christmas. Dierks and Cassidy are expecting a baby around the holiday, Dierks tells PEOPLE magazine.

"We're so excited that our daughter Evie is going to get a baby sister or brother for Christmas," says Dierks in the PEOPLE exclusive posted online today.

Dierks said their toddler Evie is looking forward to having a new baby brother or sister. "She's pretty obsessed with a baby doll she carries around now ... We'll see how she does with the real thing!" Bentley says.

No word on how Jake and George, the Bentley family dogs, feel about the new family member. He told talk show host Bonnie Hunt that the boys are very protective of Evie.

"They were very patient," Dierks says of his beloved dogs, adding that they have been very accepting of Evie despite understandable concerns from him and his wife, Cassidy. "Jake thinks his job is to protect me from squirrels," the proud dad explains. "And he thought kids were big squirrels."

It didn't take Jake long to understand that Evie was a member of the family and also someone to be protected, The Boot reported last year. "He's been great, ever since she came along," Bentley praised his pet. "I brought the blanket home [from the hospital] and [let him] sniff it before she arrived. He's funny, we'll go to check on Evie and we'll look into the crib and there's Jake, right there with us. He wants to check on her, too."

Fans Take to Twitter to Promote Their Favorite Country Acts

Country music fans are a resourceful and dedicated group and they've taken to Twitter like a fish to water, starting Twitter accounts to help support the music they love. Every #musicmonday (a tag used by Twitter users to promote their favorite music on Mondays) and #followfriday (posts encouraging you to follow specific Twitter accounts on Friday) brings a slew of fan Twitters. Call it democracy in action or a publicist's dream/nightmare, the fans are getting the word out for the musicians they love!

These accounts are not official or affiliated with the artist or the label. Some do get the objects of their affection to follow them and help promote their account. Blake Shelton follows his fan account http://twitter.com/BSersTweet, and every time he mentions it the account gets more followers. Same for http://twitter.com/cartertwinsorg; Zach Carter follows the account and mentions it regularly.

Ronna has run http://twitter.com/DBCongress for two years and does so with blessing of Dierks Bentley, who supports the account with an occasional tweet, provides signed merchandise for give-aways, and often acknowledges her work to other fans.

Jake Owen has yet to follow his fan account, http://twitter.com/JakeOwenFans, but the organizers are hoping for his blessing so the account will take off. Same with the Luke Bryan fan account http://twitter.com/xweloveLB. Getting a "follow" from the artist and the occasional mention is key to spreading the word and getting more followers, who in turn help promote the artist. It's really a win-win for everyone involved.

Luke Bryan fan Gabs says she started her fan Twitter to tell the world about her favorite artist and share her love of country music, something she doesn't get to do very often in Connecticut, which isn't know as a country music Mecca. "I wanted to get in touch with some other Luke fans. And I wanted to show Luke how much I and the followers of http://twitter.com/xweloveLB appreciate him and his music."

The fan Twitter accounts have been known to scoop the artists' official Tweets, fan club sites and label announcements with news, reviews, gossip and tour dates. http://twitter.com/BSersTweet had news about the new Blake Shelton video before anyone -- organizers found a blog post from an actress who worked on the video.

These Fan Twitters also take very seriously their job of reminding fans to vote in online polls, call radio stations, support artists on message boards, watch television appearances, etc.

Right now http://twitter.com/JakeOwenFans is campaigning to get CMT to put Jake Owen's "8 Second Ride" video back on its weekly countdown poll. And http://twitter.com/BSersTweet is promoting the new Blake Shelton single "Hillbilly Bone" by sending messages to radio stations and the country music press, and providing its Twitter followers with information on how to do the same.

Another particularly active fan Twitter account is http://twitter.com/TheChurchChoir, which gives its followers daily instructions on how to promote Eric Church.

New acts also have their Twitter fans. New on Twitter is the Whitney Duncan fan account http://twitter.com/whitduncanfans; and the Mallary Hope fan account http://twitter.com/mallarysfans. Mallary fan Halley said she started the account to spread the word: “She has such an amazing voice that I wanted to help her make it big.”

Fan accounts are just one of the many ways Twitter is changing the way fans and artists interact. Good luck to all the fan Twitters!

Vicky Dobbin is a country music lover in Falls Church, VA. Read her country music blog at www.lovemycountrymusic.com and follow her at http://twitter.com/vdobbin.

We Love Our Hugs From Country Music Hunks and Honeys Photo Album

My friends and I have been collecting hug photos with our favorite country music stars. Want to join us? Send your photos to lovemycountrymusic@gmail.com

• See the pictures here.