Jamey Johnson Jamey Johnson's "The Guitar Song" was the runaway best country album of 2010, according to a poll of 77 North American critics conducted by the Nashville Scene, an alternatively weekly. Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me" was named best single. She was named best female vocalist and runnerup to Johnson for artist of the year. Johnson also was voted best songwriter and male vocalist. His album received twice as many votes as the runnerup, Dierks Bentley's acoustic bluegrassy "Up on the Ridge." Elizabeth Cook's "Welder," Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" and Marty Stuart's "Ghost Train" round out the top 5. Johnson similarly dominated this poll in 2008 with his "Lonesome Song" project. He will make his Twin Cities debut on Feb. 27 at the Fine Line Music Café. Following Lambert on the top singles list are Little Big Town's "Little White Church," Sunny Sweeney's "From a Table Away," the Band Perry's "If I Die Young" and Zac Brown Band's collaboration with Alan Jackson, "As She's Walking Away." Zac Brown Band was voted best live act and Easton Corbin best new act. This is the 11th annual poll of North American country music critics.Voters came from a variety of media outlets, including the New York Times, NPR's "All Things Considered," Entertainment Weekly, Barnes & Noble Review and the Journal of Texas Music History. I was one of the voters. For complete results, click here.
