Photos   -  The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music

The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Ray Charles' <I>Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music</I> hit No. 1 on June 23, 1962, broadening the appeal of country music.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Johnny Cash recorded his landmark live album, <I>At Folsom Prison</I>, on Jan. 13, 1968.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music <I>The Johnny Cash Show</I> debuted on ABC on June 7, 1969. Future guests included Bob Dylan and Louis Armstrong.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Released on Jan. 12, 1976, <I>Wanted! The Outlaws</I>, with Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, sold a record-breaking million copies.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Dottie West was among the women holding the top five positions on the country radio chart on April 19, 1980.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Alabama signed their record deal on April 21, 1980, then became the biggest band in country history.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Dwight Yoakam's groundbreaking <I>Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.</I> arrived on March 3, 1986.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Clint Black released <I>Killin' Time</I> on May 2, 1989. Producer James Stroud lost a bet when it sold platinum.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Prior to a farewell tour, Naomi Judd announces the end of the Judds on Oct. 17, 1990.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music "Achy Breaky Heart" hit No. 1 on May 30, 1992, leading to a wild Fan Fair for Billy Ray Cyrus.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Whitney Houston won a Grammy with Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," which debuted on the pop charts on Nov. 14, 1992.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin first met on Feb. 27, 1993. The partnership led to a series of acclaimed albums.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Shania Twain and reclusive producer Mutt Lange met on June 10, 1993, leading to marriage and millions of albums.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Tim McGraw and Faith Hill launched the Spontaneous Combustion tour on March 14, 1996, bringing them together as a couple.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Garth Brooks signed autographs for 23 consecutive hours at Fan Fair on June 11, 1996.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Only 13 years old, LeAnn Rimes released <I>Blue</I> on July 9, 1996, earning the CMA Horizon Award a year later.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music The top-selling album of all time by a female artist, Shania Twain's <I>Come On Over</I>, was released on Nov. 4, 1997.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Released on Jan. 28, 1998, <I>Wide Open Spaces</I> led to several hits and awards for the Dixie Chicks.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Vince Gill won his record-breaking 18th CMA Award on Sept. 22, 1999.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Keith Urban releases his first U.S. solo album on Oct. 19, 1999, building a foundation for country stardom.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music The rootsy <I>O Brother, Where Art Thou?</I> soundtrack, released on Dec. 5, 2000, led to a high-profile Grammy slot in 2002.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Reba McEntire's sitcom debuted on the WB network on Oct. 5, 2001. Future <I>Reba</I> guests included Dolly Parton.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music The MuzikMafia played its first gig at the Pub of Love on Oct. 23, 2001. Alumni include Gretchen Wilson and Big &amp; Rich.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music George Strait captured his 50th No. 1 hit on Dec. 28, 2002, leaving country fans with a smile.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music An anti-Bush comment in London on March 10, 2003, turned the Dixie Chicks' into political activists.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Male nudity (Rascal Flatts' Joe Don Rooney's rear) was shown on CMT for the first time when "I Melt" premiered on June 28, 2003.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Loretta Lynn released the Jack White-produced <I>Van Lear Rose</I> on April 27, 2004. The unlikely collaboration won a Grammy.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Tim McGraw and Nelly united for "Over and Over," which peaked at No. 3 on the <I>Billboard</I> Hot 100 on Dec. 4, 2004.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music Kenny Chesney launched his Somewhere in the Sun tour on March 23, 2005, attracting 1.2 million fans.
The Greatest: 40 Days That Shaped Country Music After weeks of singing on TV, Carrie Underwood won <I>American Idol</I> on May 25, 2005.
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