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.