10 Best Country Albums 2010

Here are the 10 best country albums of 2010. 2010 was a great year in country music, with some of the best country albums coming from some of the hottest new artists in the genre. It was a great year for women in country music, as four of the ten best albums came from three country sweethearts and another celebrated the career of one of country music's legendary women.

1. "Fearless" - Taylor Swift. Originally released in 2008, this album had staying power, topping the charts for the first few weeks of 2010.
2. "Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum. The trio's sophomore album was released early in 2010 and is on of the top selling albums of 2010 in any genre.
3. "You Get What You Give" - Zac Brown Band. The popular band's second major-label release featured the hit single "As She's Walking Away," performed with country music legend Alan Jackson.
4. "All About Tonight" - Blake Shelton. Shelton came into his own in 2010, winning Male Vocalist of the Year from the Country Music Association.
5. "Revolution" - Miranda Lambert. Thanks to hit songs "The House That Built Me" and "Only Prettier," the 2009 release remained popular for the new darling of country music.
6. "Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn" - various artists. With artists hand-picked by Lynn herself, an eclectic group of both country and non-country artists-the White Stripes, Sheryl Crow and Lambert among them-cover Lynn's country music standards.
7. "Up On The Ridge" - Dierks Bentley. The new release from this popular singer stripped it down with back-to-basics bluegrass-tinged country music.
8. "Play On" - Carrie Underwood. The American Idol winner's third album achieved both country and crossover success with tunes like "Cowboy Casanova" and "Undo It."
9. "Hemingway's Whiskey" - Kenny Chesney. The long-awaited return from Chesney featured his ode to the gridiron, "The Boys of Fall."
10. "Speak Now" - Taylor Swift. Another long-awaited follow-up country album, Swift's third album was released in late 2010 and quickly climbed the country and pop album charts on the strength of the hit song "Mine."