It’s been another great year in country music…and as we get ready for 2010, we’re looking back at some of the highlights of 2009.

IN JANUARY…
• Brad Paisley and Keith Urban hit number-one with their song “Start a Band,” from his Play CD. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Alan Jackson hit number-one with his song, “Country Boy,” from his Good Time CD. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Martina McBride sang the national anthem at Heinz Field before the NFL AFC Championship game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. (The Steelers won the game 23 to 14 and would go on to win the Super Bowl. This also helped Martina improve to 27 and 5 when it comes to her anthem performances setting the stage for an NFL home-team victory!)

009 HIGHLIGHTS: January" width="16" height="14" />  Brad Paisley feels great about how things turned out with the collaborations on his album, Play. (:22)
“I’ve often heard collaborations that I thought, ‘Wow, that doesn’t work.’ I luckily don’t feel that way about anything on this record, but I have heard, certainly heard those before, and I am really proud of these collaborations because they do add up to something greater than either party in some way. I’m glad that these things add up to be greater than the sum. I mean, it’s really cool.”

009 HIGHLIGHTS: January" width="16" height="14" />  Alan Jackson talks about his single, “Country Boy.” (:24)
“It’s just kind of a lite, youthful song, but I remember drivin’ up in the bus, one concert, and the crowd and all their cars out there, and I bet you ninety percent of it was four-wheel-drive pick-up trucks out there, you know? I don’t know, it’s just a big part of my audience, and my history, too, and I just wanted to write somethin’ they could connect with and appreciate. So it’s just a very simple song about a guy ridin’ down a road and givin’ this girl a ride.”