| Wide Open Spaces | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 27, 1998 (1998-01-27)[1] | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 43:39 | |||
| Label | Monument | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Dixie Chicks chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Wide Open Spaces | ||||
| ||||
Wide Open Spaces is the fourth studio album and the major label debut of Americancountry music bandDixie Chicks. It was their first record with newlead vocalistNatalie Maines, and became their breakthrough commercial success. It received diamond status by theRIAA on February 20, 2003, in the United States, having shipped 13 million units worldwide,[2] while spending more than six years in the AustralianARIA music charts Country Top 20.
"Once You've Loved Somebody" had previously been recorded byJohn & Audrey Wiggins on their 1996 album,The Dream.
Wide Open Spaces, as well as their next albumsFly (1999) andHome (2002), were released in theHDCD format.
In 2024, the album was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Recording Registry by theLibrary of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [4] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide |  [5] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [6] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [7] |
Upon its release,Wide Open Spaces received favorable reviews from critics. Music criticRobert Christgau gave the album a two-star honorable mention, simply stating that the "blonds have more brains (than they get credit for)."[5]Los Angeles Times wrote that "this tradition-rootedTexas trio knows its way aroundcountry,western,honky-tonk,bluegrass,folk andcountry-rock." Concluding the review, it deemed that the "range, plus their sweet, assured three-part harmonies, Natalie Maines' attractively steely lead vocals, and savvy song selection have propelled this major-label debut into the Top 10."[6]
In a retrospective review byStephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic, he stated that it hit a "sweet spot" and described the album as "appealing to many different audiences" and "eclectic without being elitist." He described Natalie Maines' voice as "powerful" and "bluesy" to "give these songs a compelling center" and "versatile" to "[negotiate] the twists and turns of these songs without a hitch, easily moving from the vulnerability of "You Were Mine" to the snarl of "Give It Up or Let Me Go." Concluding his review, he praised the "remarkably wide range" as "effortlessly eclectic" and the group for "bringing [the album] all together with their attitude and understated musicality."[4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Can Love You Better" |
| 3:53 |
| 2. | "Wide Open Spaces" | Susan Gibson | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Loving Arms" | Tom Jans | 3:37 |
| 4. | "There's Your Trouble" | 3:10 | |
| 5. | "You Were Mine" | 3:37 | |
| 6. | "Never Say Die" | 3:56 | |
| 7. | "Tonight the Heartache's on Me" |
| 3:25 |
| 8. | "Let 'Er Rip" |
| 2:49 |
| 9. | "Once You've Loved Somebody" |
| 3:28 |
| 10. | "I'll Take Care of You" | JD Souther | 3:40 |
| 11. | "Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)" | Maria McKee | 3:25 |
| 12. | "Give It Up or Let Me Go" | Bonnie Raitt | 4:55 |
| Total length: | 43:39 | ||
Compiled from liner notes.[8]
The Dixie Chicks
Additional personnel
| Technical
|
At the41st Grammy Awards, the album was awarded twoGrammy Awards out of three nominations.[9] It was awardedBest Country Album (the first of what would be four trophies in this category: they would later win forFly in 2000,Home in 2003, andTaking the Long Way in 2007) and forBest Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the song "There's Your Trouble". This is an award the Chicks would win five times: in 2000 for "Ready to Run", in 2003 for "Long Time Gone", in 2005 for "Top of the World" and 2007 for "Not Ready to Make Nice", a feat only matched byThe Judds. In addition, the Chicks were nominated forBest New Artist in 1999.
| Organization | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Country Music Awards | Wide Open Spaces | Album of the Year | Won | [10] |
| Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Duo or Group - Country | Won | [11] | |
| Canadian Country Music Association | Top Selling Album of the Year | Won | [12] | |
| Country Music Association Awards | "Wide Open Spaces" | Single of the Year | Won | [13] |
| Music Video of the Year | Won | |||
| CMT Music Awards | Wide Open Spaces | Album of the Year | Nominated | [citation needed] |
| Grammy Awards | Best Country Album | Won | [14] | |
| "There's Your Trouble" | Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Won | ||
| Radio Music Awards | "Wide Open Spaces" | Country Song of the Year | Won | [citation needed] |
| TNN/Music City Awards | Wide Open Spaces | Album of the Year | Nominated | [15][16] |
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
|
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN Country | ||
| 1997 | "I Can Love You Better" | 7 | 77 | 3 |
| 1998 | "There's Your Trouble" | 1 | 36 | 3 |
| "Wide Open Spaces" | 1 | 41 | 1 | |
| 1999 | "You Were Mine" | 1 | 34 | 1 |
| "Tonight the Heartache's on Me" | 6 | 46 | 4 | |
| Year | Single | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| 1999 | "Let 'Er Rip" | 64 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[33] | 3× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[34] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[35] | Gold | 7,500‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[36] | Gold | 100,000* |
| United States (RIAA)[37] | 13× Platinum | 13,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
| |
| Studio albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Singles |
|
| Live recordings | |
| Tours | |
| Related articles | |
| Collaborators | |
