This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2011.
Events January 1 – Shania Twain marries Swiss businessman Frédéric Thiébaud in Puerto Rico, less than two weeks after announcing the two were engaged. Also on the same day, Kellie Pickler and songwriter Kyle Jacobs marry in the Caribbean. January 11 – Jewel confirms to People Magazine that she and her husband, Ty Murray, are expecting their first child together. On March 11, Jewel and her unborn baby were unharmed after a collision with a firetruck near her current hometown of Stephenville, Texas. Jewel would give birth to a son, Kase Townes Murray, on July 11. February 15 – Glen Campbell announces that he will release his final studio album in 2011 with a farewell concert tour to follow. He also plans an acoustic-style greatest-hits album before officially retiring. March 18 – Billy Ray Cyrus confirms on The View that he has dropped his divorce and has begun to reconcile his family. March 27 – Shania Twain is inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the Juno Awards. In a backstage interview, Twain confirms she is recording new music and preparing to go back on tour. April 19 – CMT and several other news sources confirm that actor Jeff Bridges has signed a recording contract with jazz music label Blue Note Records. He will collaborate with producer T-Bone Burnett and would release his debut album in 2011. Bridges previously won an Oscar for his portrayal of a country music singer-songwriter. May 14 – Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert are married at Don Strange Ranch in Boerne, Texas, after five years of dating. May 23 – John Rich is selected as the winner of the fourth season of the Celebrity Apprentice over actress Marlee Matlin. May 25 – Scotty McCreery wins the tenth-season competition of American Idol, becoming the second country music-focused artist (behind Carrie Underwood) to win. Runner-up Lauren Alaina is also rooted in country music. Days later, both sign lucrative contracts with Mercury Nashville Records. June 4 – A house fire destroys the home of Trace Adkins and his family; his three youngest daughters and a dog, who were home when the fire started, escape safely. June 22 – Glen Campbell announces that he has Alzheimer's disease, having been diagnosed with the illness about six months prior. This news comes four months after Campbell announces his retirement from the music business. July 11 – Gloriana, a mixed quartet, announces the departure of Cheyenne Kimball. The group is reduced to a trio at this point. July 15 – Bill Anderson celebrates his 50th Grand Ole Opry Anniversary August 4 – Jimmy C. Newman celebrates his 55th Grand Ole Opry anniversary August 12 – Miranda Lambert quest Carrie Underwood at the Capital Hoedown in Ottawa, Canada. August 13 – Seven people are killed and more than 45 people are injured when an outdoor stage collapses at the Indiana State Fair due to high winds at a concert featuring Sugarland. Neither the duo nor their opening act, Sara Bareilles, were on stage at the time of the collapse. August 25 – George Jones Celebrates his 55th Grand Ole Opry Anniversary October 3 – Hank Williams Jr.'s opening theme for Monday Night Football, "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night", with its famous line, "Are you ready for some football?", is pulled from that night's program on ESPN, after Williams compared President Obama to Adolf Hitler on Fox & Friends. The song had been used in the show's opening broadcasts since 1989. The song would eventually return in 2017, with a remix featuring Florida Georgia Line and Jason Derulo. October 10 – Toby Keith releases "Red Solo Cup". The song becomes a major viral and crossover hit, with the music video acquiring more than 600,000 views on YouTube before the release of Keith's album Clancy's Tavern, and reaching #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Hot Country Songs chart, as well as being covered in the Glee episode "Hold On to Sixteen" two months later. November 3 – Keith Urban announces that he will undergo throat surgery to remove a polyp in his vocal cords. He subsequently cancels or postpones all public appearances until 2012. November 29 – Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney at the CMT Artists of the Year.
Top hits of the year The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs or Canada Country charts in 2011:
USCANSingleArtistReference11Am I the Only OneDierks Bentley18—AmenEdens Edge11Are You Gonna Kiss Me or NotThompson Square35Back to DecemberTaylor Swift32Baggage ClaimMiranda Lambert14Barefoot Blue Jean NightJake Owen105Bleed RedRonnie Dunn610The Breath You TakeGeorge Strait1221Bullets in the GunToby Keith1511CamouflageBrad Paisley11Colder WeatherZac Brown Band1935Cost of Livin'Ronnie Dunn410Country Girl (Shake It for Me)Luke Bryan17Country Must Be Country WideBrantley Gilbert14Crazy GirlEli Young Band14Dirt Road AnthemJason Aldean11Don't You Wanna StayJason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson325EasyRascal Flatts featuring Natasha Bedingfield1446Family ManCraig Campbell11Felt Good on My LipsTim McGraw1029From a Table AwaySunny Sweeney1746Georgia ClayJosh Kelley11God Gave Me YouBlake Shelton12Heart Like MineMiranda Lambert64Hello WorldLady Antebellum22Here for a Good TimeGeorge Strait1334HomeboyEric Church11Honey BeeBlake Shelton1438I Can't Love You BackEaston Corbin1743I Got Nothin'Darius Rucker812I Got YouThompson Square1515I Love You This BigScotty McCreery21I Won't Let GoRascal Flatts18—I Wouldn't Be a ManJosh Turner14If Heaven Wasn't So Far AwayJustin Moore11Just a KissLady Antebellum619Just Fishin'Trace Adkins11Keep Me in MindZac Brown Band 11Knee DeepZac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffett13Let Me Down EasyBilly Currington16A Little Bit StrongerSara Evans1113Little MissSugarland11Live a LittleKenny Chesney11Long Hot SummerKeith Urban1940Look It UpAshton Shepherd 19—Love Don't RunSteve Holy 116Love Done GoneBilly Currington1—Made in AmericaToby Keith210Mama's SongCarrie Underwood22MeanTaylor Swift213My Kinda PartyJason Aldean11Old AlabamaBrad Paisley featuring Alabama1326One More Drinkin' SongJerrod Niemann22Put You in a SongKeith Urban11Remind MeBrad Paisley duet with Carrie Underwood1739The Shape I'm InJoe Nichols1639Smoke a Little SmokeEric Church14Someone Else Calling You BabyLuke Bryan1214Somewhere ElseToby Keith11Somewhere with YouKenny Chesney13Sparks FlyTaylor Swift11Take a Back RoadRodney Atkins21Tattoos on This TownJason Aldean1733Teenage DaughtersMartina McBride14ThisDarius Rucker21This Is Country MusicBrad Paisley113TomorrowChris Young11Turn On the RadioReba16VoicesChris Young11We Owned the NightLady Antebellum 428What Do You WantJerrod Niemann13Who Are You When I'm Not LookingBlake Shelton1523WildflowerThe JaneDear Girls12Without YouKeith Urban35You and TequilaKenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter217You LieThe Band Perry
Top new album releases The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2011:
US Album Artist Record label Release date Reference 9 American Idol Season 10 Lauren Alaina 19/Interscope May 24 3 American Idol Season 10 Scotty McCreery 19/Interscope May 24 6 American Idol Season 10: Highlights (EP) Lauren Alaina 19/Interscope/Mercury Nashville June 28 2 American Idol Season 10: Highlights (EP) Scotty McCreery 19/Interscope/Mercury Nashville June 28 4 Anniversary Celebration Randy Travis Warner Bros. Nashville June 7 1 Barefoot Blue Jean Night Jake Owen RCA Nashville August 30 1 Chief Eric Church EMI Music Nashville July 26 1 Clancy's Tavern Toby Keith Show Dog – Universal Records October 25 1 Clear as Day Scotty McCreery 19/Interscope/Mercury Nashville October 4 7 Concrete Sunny Sweeney Republic Nashville August 23 7 Donny & Marie Donny & Marie MPCA May 3 10 Double-Wide Dream Casey Donahew Band Almost Country October 25 4 Eleven Martina McBride Republic Nashville October 11 3 Every Chance I Get Colt Ford Average Joe's May 3 4 Footloose soundtrack Various Artists Atlantic/Warner Bros. Nashville September 27 1 Four the Record Miranda Lambert RCA Nashville November 1 6 Ghost on the Canvas Glen Campbell Surfdog August 30 4 Guitar Slinger Vince Gill MCA Nashville October 25 3 Hard Bargain Emmylou Harris Nonesuch April 26 1 Hell on Heels Pistol Annies Columbia Nashville August 23 1 Here for a Good Time George Strait MCA Nashville September 6 10 Hillbilly Joker Hank Williams III Curb May 17 1 Hunter Hayes Hunter Hayes Atlantic Nashville October 11 4 I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive Steve Earle New West April 26 10 The JaneDear Girls The JaneDear Girls Warner Bros. Nashville February 1 10 Jeff Bridges Jeff Bridges Blue Note August 16 7 Lady and Gentlemen LeAnn Rimes Asylum-Curb September 27 3 Life at Best Eli Young Band Republic Nashville August 16 7 The Love of God Kenny Rogers Cracker Barrel March 7 2 Neon Chris Young RCA Nashville July 12 3 Now That's What I Call Country Volume 4 Various Artists Universal Music June 14 1 Own the Night Lady Antebellum Capitol Nashville September 13 1 Outlaws Like Me Justin Moore Valory Music Group June 21 1 Paper Airplane Alison Krauss & Union Station Rounder April 12 2 Proud to Be Here Trace Adkins Show Dog-Universal August 2 9 Rebels on the Run Montgomery Gentry Average Joe's October 18 1 Red River Blue Blake Shelton Warner Bros. Nashville July 12 1 Ronnie Dunn Ronnie Dunn Arista Nashville June 7 8 The Sound of a Million Dreams David Nail MCA Nashville November 15 2 Speak Now World Tour – Live Taylor Swift Big Machine November 21 6 Spring Break 3...It's a Shore Thing (EP) Luke Bryan Capitol Nashville March 1 3 Steel Magnolia Steel Magnolia Big Machine January 11 1 Stronger Sara Evans RCA Nashville March 8 1 Tailgates & Tanlines Luke Bryan Capitol Nashville August 9 3 Take a Back Road Rodney Atkins Curb October 4 1 This Is Country Music Brad Paisley Arista Nashville May 23 3 Thompson Square Thompson Square Stoney Creek February 8 1 Town Line Aaron Lewis Stroudavarious March 1 2 Wildflower Lauren Alaina 19/Interscope/Mercury Nashville October 11
Other top albums