Wide Open Spaces (album)

Wide Open Spaces
Studio album by
Dixie Chicks
ReleasedJanuary 27, 1998 (1998-01-27)[1]
GenreCountry
Length43:39
LabelMonument
Producer
Dixie Chicks chronology
Shouldn't a Told You That
(1993) 		Wide Open Spaces
(1998) 		Fly
(1999)
Singles from Wide Open Spaces
  1. "I Can Love You Better"
    Released: October 27, 1997
  2. "There's Your Trouble"
    Released: March 30, 1998
  3. "Wide Open Spaces"
    Released: August 17, 1998
  4. "You Were Mine"
    Released: December 7, 1998
  5. "Tonight the Heartache's on Me"
    Released: April 12, 1999

Wide Open Spaces is the fourth studio album and the major label debut of American country music band Dixie Chicks. It was their first record with new lead vocalist Natalie Maines, and became their breakthrough commercial success. It received diamond status by the RIAA on February 20, 2003, in the United States, having shipped 13 million units worldwide,[2] while spending more than six years in the Australian ARIA music charts Country Top 20.

"Once You've Loved Somebody" had previously been recorded by John & Audrey Wiggins on their 1996 album, The Dream.

Wide Open Spaces, as well as their next albums Fly (1999) and Home (2002), were released in the HDCD format.

In 2024, the album was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]

Upon its release, Wide Open Spaces received favorable reviews from critics. Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a two-star honorable mention, simply stating that the "blonds have more brains (than they get credit for)."[5] Los Angeles Times wrote that "this tradition-rooted Texas trio knows its way around country, western, honky-tonk, bluegrass, folk and country-rock." Concluding the review, it deemed that the "range, plus their sweet, assured three-part harmonies, Natalie Maines' attractively steely lead vocals, and savvy song selection have propelled this major-label debut into the Top 10."[6]

In a retrospective review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic, he stated that it hit a "sweet spot" and described the album as "appealing to many different audiences" and "eclectic without being elitist." He described Natalie Maines' voice as "powerful" and "bluesy" to "give these songs a compelling center" and "versatile" to "[negotiate] the twists and turns of these songs without a hitch, easily moving from the vulnerability of "You Were Mine" to the snarl of "Give It Up or Let Me Go." Concluding his review, he praised the "remarkably wide range" as "effortlessly eclectic" and the group for "bringing [the album] all together with their attitude and understated musicality."[4]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Can Love You Better"
3:53
2."Wide Open Spaces"Susan Gibson3:44
3."Loving Arms"Tom Jans3:37
4."There's Your Trouble"
3:10
5."You Were Mine"
3:37
6."Never Say Die"
3:56
7."Tonight the Heartache's on Me"
3:25
8."Let 'Er Rip"
2:49
9."Once You've Loved Somebody"
  • Thom McHugh
  • Bruce Miller
3:28
10."I'll Take Care of You"JD Souther3:40
11."Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)"Maria McKee3:25
12."Give It Up or Let Me Go"Bonnie Raitt4:55
Total length:43:39

Personnel

Compiled from liner notes.[8]

Accolades

At the 41st Grammy Awards, the album was awarded two Grammy Awards out of three nominations.[9] It was awarded Best Country Album (the first of what would be four trophies in this category: they would later win for Fly in 2000, Home in 2003, and Taking the Long Way in 2007) and for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the song "There's Your Trouble". This is an award the Chicks would win five times: in 2000 for "Ready to Run", in 2003 for "Long Time Gone", in 2005 for "Top of the World" and 2007 for "Not Ready to Make Nice", a feat only matched by The Judds. In addition, the Chicks were nominated for Best New Artist in 1999.

Organization Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
Academy of Country Music Awards Wide Open Spaces Album of the Year Won [10]
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favorite Duo or Group - Country Won [11]
Canadian Country Music Association Top Selling Album of the Year Won [12]
Country Music Association Awards "Wide Open Spaces" Single of the Year Won [13]
Music Video of the Year Won
CMT Music Awards Wide Open Spaces Album of the Year Nominated [citation needed]
Grammy Awards Best Country Album Won [14]
"There's Your Trouble" Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Won
Radio Music Awards "Wide Open Spaces" Country Song of the Year Won [citation needed]
TNN/Music City Awards Wide Open Spaces Album of the Year Nominated [15][16]

Charts

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
US Country US CAN Country
1997 "I Can Love You Better" 7 77 3
1998 "There's Your Trouble" 1 36 3
"Wide Open Spaces" 1 41 1
1999 "You Were Mine" 1 34 1
"Tonight the Heartache's on Me" 6 46 4

Other charted songs

Year Single Peak positions
US Country
1999 "Let 'Er Rip" 64

Certifications

Certifications for Wide Open Spaces
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[33] 3× Platinum 210,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[34] 4× Platinum 400,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[35] Gold 7,500‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Gold 100,000*
United States (RIAA)[37] 13× Platinum 13,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ Official Dixie Chicks Site Archived June 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ RIAA Diamond Awards Archived July 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G., The Chicks, Green Day & More Selected for National Recording Registry (Full List)". Billboard. 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  4. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Wide Open Spaces – Dixie Chicks". AllMusic. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (2000). "Dixie Chicks: Wide Open Spaces". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Top Pop Albums". Los Angeles Times. December 3, 1998. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  7. ^ Harris, Keith (2004). "Dixie Chicks". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 245. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  8. ^ Wide Open Spaces (CD booklet). Dixie Chicks. Monument Records. 1997. 68195.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Collins, Roger. "Dixie Chicks". Iomusic News. Archived from the original on 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
  10. ^ "2009 ACM Awards". Academy of Country Music Awards. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  11. ^ Variety Staff (May 9, 2000). "Blockbuster Entertainment Award winners". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  12. ^ "Past Award Winners - Canadian Country Music Association". www.ccma.org. Retrieved June 14, 2017. [dead link‍]
  13. ^ "CMT : CMA Awards : Archive : 1999 : Country Music Association". CMT. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  14. ^ "Rock On The Net: 41st Annual Grammy Awards - 1999". www.rockonthenet.com. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  15. ^ "Nashville Music News - TNN Awards 1999". www.oocities.org. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  16. ^ "TNN Music City News Country Awards Nominees". issues.louisvillemusicnews.net. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  17. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7344". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  18. ^ "RPM Country Albums: Issue 7496" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  19. ^ "Dixie Chicks, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  20. ^ "Dixie Chicks, CLP". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  21. ^ "Dixie Chicks, TLN". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  22. ^ "RPM Country Albums: Issue 7009" (PDF). RPM. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  23. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  24. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  25. ^ "1999 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. YE-45. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  26. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  27. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2000". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  28. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  29. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  30. ^ "Top 100 country albums of 2001 in Canada". Jam!. Archived from the original on July 1, 2002. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  31. ^ "Top 100 country albums of 2002 in Canada". Jam!. Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  32. ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  33. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  34. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces". Music Canada.
  35. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – The Chicks – Wide Open Spaces". Radioscope. Retrieved January 7, 2025. Type Wide Open Spaces in the "Search:" field.
  36. ^ "British album certifications – Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces". British Phonographic Industry.
  37. ^ "American album certifications – The Chicks – Wide Open Spaces". Recording Industry Association of America.