After Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson is the most popular male country singer to emerge from the ’90s. Jackson’s hallmark is consistency – he writes many of his hits, and his way with a hook was part of the reason he has never hit a commercial dry spell, even into the new millennium. He also projects a modest, wholesome, down-to-earth image that made him one of the best-liked stars in country. The total package has resulted in an astounding 20 number one singles and 20 more Top Ten hits, all in the first 12 years of his career. The year 2001 brought an enormous hit in “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” a poignant attempt to make sense of the aftermath of September 11. It was followed by the full-length Drive in 2002, which spawned another number one in “Drive (For Daddy Gene).” The album was Jackson’s seventh to top the country charts, and it also became his first to top the pop charts. Jackson’s 17th studio album, Thirty Miles West, was released in 2012, followed by Angels and Alcohol in 2015. Alan Jackson performs live every chance he gets.
