Eight country bands remain in the month-long tournament to find country music's best band of all time. March Bandness began with 16 country groups, and after Round 1, only the biggest names of the past 30 years remain. It's a mix of legendary hitmakers and current superstars that are relying on fans to push them into the final four.
The legendary George Jones may be retiring, but not before staging what's shaping up to be one of the most impressive farewell concerts in country music history. The 81-year-old entertainer will be joined by a huge roster of celebrity guests at his final concert, and he's just added Billy Ray Cyrus, 'American Pie' singer Don McLean and (somewhat improbably) pop star Cyndi Lauper to the roster.
It's difficult to argue that either of these country bands do not belong in the field of 16 that make up Taste of Country's March Bandness. Lonestar carried the vocal group tradition into the '00s, while Little Big Town have never sacrificed artistry -- even when a more polished pop sound was in style.
The Zac Brown Band just added a Grammy to justify their position as one of the best country band of all time, but awards mean little in this fan-voted contest to decide which group will win March Bandness. Sixteen bands will be narrowed to just one champion. ZBB will have to get past Texas country stars Reckless Kelly to move on to Round 2.
On paper, this matchup seems to heavily favor Country Music Hall of Famers Alabama. After all, Randy Owen and company do have the hit songs, Platinum albums, and Entertainer of the Year trophies. However, the Josh Abbott Band have fans as passionate as any base in country music, and if the Texas country group can steer them in the right direction, we could have a major upset.
The battle for the best team in American begins today, not next week. Taste of Country's March Bandness is a fan-voted search for the best country band of all time. Sixteen groups from five decades of country music will square off two at a time in this bracket-style tournament. It's a battle of legends versus modern superstars, outlaws versus pop-country herores and trios versus quartets, quintets or more-tets.
'A' is for Alabama ... or is it for Aldean, Allan or Autry? 'B' could be for Brooks, but what about Brooks and Dunn, Black or the Bellamy Brothers? This list of 26 country superstars decides who the king or queen of each letter of the alphabet is. A few are easy (can anyone name two 'Q' artists?), but others like the letter 'C' ... that's a debate that is only beginning.
Why: On the surface it seems that, much like Quebe Sisters, the Zac Brown Band simply benefit from being one of very few artists who fall under their letter in the alphabet. But two Platinum albums and over 10 Top 5 hits make the 'Chicken Fried' hitm
