Mary J. Blige was happy like she just came out of the baptism tank. AMEN

It just kept going up after the Police. 10-4!

Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts weren’t equally comfortable doing the Eagles, but they had fun in the fast lane.

When was the last time you saw Jerry Moss or knew he ws still alive? AMEN and M

The Grammys were about everybody and it was one of the best I’ve ever seen.

I’m not worried about the Dixie Chicks. Somebody obviously cares.

You may have liked a lot of artists who didn’t starve not being on a station in Boise, Idaho. These days I think YOU are supposed to do the bookwork, not the stations and with so many outlets, maybe that’s better.

CHICAGO XXX didn’t get a shred of airplay here and Morph The Cat lasted a couple weeks. I heard the first single from XXX some time later and it was very good, even playing in Scandinavia I seem to remember. It has been awesome that those guys have found the sound and kept the spirit alive for about 41 years without truly becoming just a legacy tour band.

The Grammys are a celebration of ALL music, and this year was a very joyous one to celebrate.

On the flip side, there are plenty of country acts selling 2-million CD’s these days. Keith Urban…Faith Hill…Shania Twain…Toby Keith…Kenny Chesney — and there ARE more, check it if you don’t believe me. Even so, 2-million CD’s is nothing to joke about. That is a LOT of records and any record exec would be thrilled to have ANY of their artists sell even HALF that much.

I also believe that the Grammys are really nothing more than the Recording Artists patting themselves on the back, and winning one has absolutely NOTHING to do with sales — although receiving one usually results in a boost in sales. So to be honest, winning a boatload of Grammys does NOT redeem the Chicks in the eyes of the people. Personally I find the Chicks to be amazingly talented, producing some genuinely great music–which I would most definitely consider to be Country, whether the Chicks like that label or not…b-u-u-u-t I am no fan of their mixing politics with music. Nor am I happy for a whole slew of performers for doing the same thing. I once heard Alice Cooper of all people say that people like the Chicks and Bruce Springsteen ought to keep performing and leave the soapbox political preaching OUT of the concert venue. While I support that 100%, I don’t see it happening in the real world. Most performers have little to no political experience, so why should their opinion matter any more than anyone elses? Still, we DO have the right to free speech and I guess that even the Chicks have the right to say whatever they want…and if you personally do not like what they are saying, you are perfectly free to ignore it or stop buying their music. It’s a two-way street. The Chicks really ARE free to say whatever they want…but along with that means they are not necessarily free to alter the consequences their fans choose to impose upon them because of what they say. It’s a bit childish, but unfortunately it is also a fact of life…especially among the Country fans.

First, what “news reports” said this? That has been alleged here before and no one has come up with any proof of it. How would a news reporter determine that, anyway? Did he or she interview TWO MILLION people?

Second, even if it was true (which I doubt), how many other country acts (or ANY acts) are selling that many units these days, for ANY reason?

I understand your question.. It doesn’t make their opinion any less important peer-to-peer. I guess I’m just commenting on the idea that there’s a correlation between Grammy and commercial success. In my opinion, there isn’t.
I may be thinking more “popularity”..
It’s early! (*yawn*)

CHICKS CLICKING ONLINE: Speaking of the Dixie Chicks’ sales explosion, as we were immediately below, Record/Song of the Year “Not Ready to Make Nice” and Taking the Long Way album have both climbed to #1 on their respective charts. Niiiiiiice….. (2/13a)

GRAMMY SALES SPIKES: The Grammy Awards, fresh off a ratings triumph, are spiking sales on selected product, highlighted by a massive run on the Dixie Chicks, up a whopping 830%, revitalizing the project. Others feeling the show’s love from retailers around the country include the Chicks’ fellow Sony BMG winners John Mayer, Tony Bennett, John Legend, Justin Timberlake and Carrie Underwood, along with UMG’s Mary J. Blige and WMG’s Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gnarls Barkley and James Blunt, results which will be reflected on next week’s chart. (2/13a)

Fly sold over 10 million

Home sold over 6 million and was top 10 until Natalie opened her mouth. It fell out of the top 100 before the end of the year, something no other Chicks album had ever done.

The Grammy vote was a total finger at country radio and it’s core listener. It was a finger at the Republican party. Face it when you have rockers and rappers voting for country, it can’t be for the music or it’s popularity with its listeners.

According to many news reports from when the Chicks latest cd came out, half of the sales were for political reasons and the owners have never even cracked the case.

So in reality the Dixie Chicks have sold one million albums to their true fans. losing 90 percent of your audience would kill any other act. It makes the Chicks a B or even C act now.

They also had plenty of publicity for their other concerts, the bottom line is aside from real liberal areas the Chicks aren’t a draw anymore.

Yes, the Grammy awards are an industry circle jerk, just like the Oscars, but the “industry” didn’t buy the two million copies of the album.

How many OTHER double-platinum-selling artists is radio ignoring? That isn’t sarcastic, it’s a legitimate question. Is there a better way for a medium to self-destruct than to ignore some of the most popular acts?