MUST HAVES. MUSIC EDITION. CARRIE UNDERWOOD.

BACKGROUND HISTORY

Active2000s - 2020s

BornMarch 10, 1983 in Muskogee, OK

Genre

Country

Pop/Rock

Styles

Contemporary Country

Pop Idol

Adult Contemporary

HITS

Before He Cheats, Blown Away, Hallelujah feat. John Legend

ALBUMS

Some Hearts (2005)

Carnival Ride (2007)

Play On (2009)

Blown Away (2012)

StoryTeller (2015)

Cry Pretty (2018)

My Gift (2020)

My Savior (2021)

Denim and Rhinestones (2022)

CULTURAL IMPACT

Carrie Underwood may be the biggest star manufactured by the American Idol behemoth in terms of sheer sales and fame in the 2000s. She won American Idol in its first season and initially appealed primarily to the show's broad pop audience: her coronation song "Inside Your Heaven" reached number one on Billboard's Top 40 but did not crack the country Top 40. While Underwood maintained a stylish showbiz appeal and was never far from the top of the charts, she made her mark in country music. Her 2005 debut, Some Hearts, produced two number one hits that became contemporary classics and helped set the tone for her career.

Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel" was a sentimental ballad delivered sensitively, while "Before He Cheats" demonstrated her country toughness. She remained at the top of the country charts for the next decade, thanks to number one singles like "All-American Girl," "Cowboy Casanova," and "Good Girl," and she maintained a significant presence on country radio even as she incorporated pop moves on albums like Blown Away (2012), Cry Pretty (2018), and Denim & Rhinestones (2017). (2022).