Underwood tops country charts in 2007

By Ken Tucker

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - The last two years have provided a quick ride to the top for 2005 "American Idol" champ Carrie Underwood. And if there were any doubts about how the winner of America's most famous music reality show would fare in the country world, those doubts have long been erased.

Underwood, the Country Music Assn. (CMA) and Academy of Country Music's (ACM) reigning female vocalist, leads Billboard's Top Country Artists recap for 2007. She supplants last year's top act, Rascal Flatts, which falls to No. 2.

For the second straight year, Underwood's "Some Hearts" (Arista/Arista Nashville/RMG) leads the Top Country Albums recap. It places No. 5 on the year-end Top Billboard 200 Albums tally, and she's No. 2 on the big chart's artist recap behind fellow "Idol" alum Chris Daughtry's band.

Meanwhile, Underwood's latest album, "Carnival Ride," released in October, is the No. 9 title of 2007 on the Top Country Albums recap.

Fueled by the singles "Wasted," which spent five weeks at No. 1, and "So Small," Underwood lands at No. 5 on the Hot Country Songs Artist tally.

The Oklahoma native, not surprisingly, is also the chart-topper on the Top Country Artists-Female recap for the second straight year.

SWIFT ASCENT

Rising star Taylor Swift scores at No. 3 on the Top Country Albums recap with her self-titled Big Machine debut and is No. 2 on the country female tally.

Tim McGraw is No. 1 on the Top Country Artists-Male recap, ahead of old pal and last year's topper, Kenny Chesney, who finishes second.

McGraw places three songs in the Hot Country Songs recap, including one, "I Need You," with wife Faith Hill. He is the No. 3 performer on Top Country Album Artists recap, and his album "Let It Go" (Curb) is No. 6 on the year-end Top Country Albums tally.

Chesney, who places three songs in the year-end Hot Country Songs recap, ranks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs Artists chart.

Chesney's song "Never Wanted Nothing More" ends the year at No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs recap. The East Tennessee native and reigning CMA and ACM top entertainer also ended the year at No. 6 on the Top Country Albums tally.

Fellow Tennessean Rodney Atkins nabs the honors atop the Hot Country Songs chart with "Watching You," a song he co-wrote about his young son. Another Atkins tune, "These Are My People," lands at No. 4 on the recap. Atkins' album "If You're Going Through Hell" lands at No. 10 on the Top Country Albums list.

INDIE ACTION

Rascal Flatts is once again the No. 1 act on the Top Country Artists-Duo/Group recap. On the Hot Country Songs tally, "Take Me There" is No. 5, and the trio also places two other songs on the list. "Me and My Gang" (Lyric Street/Hollywood) is the No. 2 release on the Hot Country Albums chart, and "Still Feels Good," the band's latest, which was released in September, is No. 8.

One of the most notably country music business stories of the year is the continued rise of the independent label as a viable model in Nashville, and the success of the indies is evident in the year-end recaps.

Broken Bow is No. 1 on the Top Independent Impri