Second Album Success

I've noticed a pattern throughout the years in country music - A singer gets a record deal, releases a debut album which makes some noise, but the real splash happens when the lead single is released from their second album.

Three examples come to mind, and the timespan encompasses almost 25 years. In 1981, George Strait released his first album, "Strait Country" which contained three singles - two top ten songs ("Unwound" and "If You're Thinking You Want A Stranger") but none of the three reached the top of the charts. The first single off of his second album was "Fool Hearted Memory," the first of his 53 number one songs.

Fast forward to 1997, a young female artist named Sara Evans releases a critically-acclaimed album "Three Cords and the Truth," which produces no Top 40 songs. In 1998, "No Place That Far" is sent out to radio as the title track for her next album, and Sara's got her first #1 song.

Now in 2006, Rodney Atkins keeps the trend going. His first album called "Honesty" contained one top ten song, but that's it. His name wasn't on the top of country fans' minds until his sophomore album's first single "If You're Going Through Hell" top the charts.

So in keeping with this pattern, watch out for Miranda Lambert. Her first album "Kerosene" has put her on the map. Out of her first three singles, the title track got the most recognition - peaking at #16 on the Billboard charts. She has displayed flashes of a superstar in the making, (remember last year's CMA Awards?) but has yet to have that killer song. "New Strings" was nice, "Me and Charlie Talking" was cute, but neither showed off the talents Lambert has.

However, if history has taught us anything, the success of her next single will go a long way to determining how fast she climbed the ladder of country music stardom.

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