Some Hearts (2005) US peak - 2 US sales - 7,114,000 (7x Platinum)
Carnival Ride (2007) US peak - 1 US sales - 3,000,000< (3x Platinum)
Play On (2009) US peak - 1 US sales - 2,000,000< (2x Platinum) UK peak - 93 Australia peak - 14
Singles:
Inside Your Heaven (2005) US Hot 100 - 1 Country Songs - 52 Sales - 851,000
Carrie's debut single, released after she triumphed in Season 4 of American Idol in 2005. It quickly reached number 1 on the Hot 100 and 52 on the Country Songs chart. It was the 71st biggest song of 2005 in the US.
Jesus Take The Wheel (2005) US Hot 100 - 20 Country Songs - 1 Christian Songs - 4 Sales - 1,852,000 (Platinum)
The lead single for Carrie's debut album Some Hearts, this ballad about a woman crying out for help from Jesus in a crisis was a massive crossover hit, hitting the top 20 on the pop chart, number 1 in the country chart and even 4 in the Christian chart. It went on to be certified platinum, and was at 78 in 2006's year end chart. The music video depicts Carrie singing in front of various backgrounds along with different couples' struggles to get through life. The song won Carrie 2 Grammys for 'Best Female Country Vocal Performance' and 'Best Country Song'.
Don't Forget To Remember Me (2005) US Hot 100 - 49 Country Songs - 2 Sales - ?
Another ballad now, the 2nd single from Some Hearts. This is about a young woman leaving home and the struggles she faces prior to leaving. The music video shows Carrie adapting to a fictious new life of fame, including flashbacks to when she left her home. It wasn't as big as her previous single Jesus Take The Wheel, missing the pop top 40 but it did manage to peak at a respectable number 2 on the Country Songs chart.
Before He Cheats (2006) US Hot 100 - 8 Country Songs - 1 Adult Contemporay - 6 Sales - 3,275,000 (3x Platinum)
Before He Cheats is an uptempo country-rock song about a woman's revenge on her cheating boyfriend, and was Carrie's first top 10 pop hit in the US - but it took until May 2007 to reach it's peak, 38 weeks after it's August 2006 release, and remains her biggest hit thus far in her career. It also peaked at 1 on the Country Songs chart, her 2nd hit to do so, and also crossed over to Adult Contemporary radio, where it peaked at 6. The music video is well renowned as one of the best country videos of all time, and portrays Carrie as a crazy girlfriend who will do anything to get revenge on her boyfriend, who has cheated on her. Throughout the video, Carrie is shown singing in a warehouse as well as making her way to her cheating boyfriend. She eventually gets there and meets his eye, before walking away. While she walks away, chaos ensues around her and at the very end her boyfriend's truck is shown as totally destroyed. The music video was voted the best diva video of all time in a VH1 poll. Also, the song gave Carrie a second year of winning the 'Best Female Country Vocal Performance' and 'Best Country Song' Grammys.
Wasted (2007) US Hot 100 - 37 Country Songs - 1 Sales - 652,000
Wasted was the final single from Some Hearts. It is based around the theme of addiction, one point of view is an alcoholic and one point is from someone who's 'addicted' to a realationship. The music video shows Carrie singing in different, simple locations as well an actor portraying each character of the song. It is entirely in black and white. Chartswise, Wasted was a moderate sucsess for Carrie in the pop charts, where it reached 37. It was also the 3rd track from Some Hearts to reach number 1 in the country charts, after Jesus Take The Wheel and Before He Cheats.
I'll Stand By You (2007) US Hot 100 - 6 Country Songs - 41 Sales - 300,000< (Silver)
(no single cover)
I'll Stand By You, a cover of a song originally by The Pretenders and notably covered by Girls Aloud, was a non-album single recorded for Idol Gives Back 2007. From strong digital sales, it managed to debut and peak at 6 but it was removed from iTunes so a sharp fall followed. It also peaked at 41 on Country Songs due to unsolicited airplay from country radio stations. The music video shows Carrie with underpriveleged people in Africa. At one point, Carrie is shown in tears as she helps an ill person. The video ties in with the work Idol Gives Back does, and all proceeds from the song went to charity.
So Small (2007)US Hot 100 - 17 Country Songs - 1 Sales - 908,000 (Gold)
So Small was the first single to be taken from Carrie's second album Carnival Ride. It is about devoting too much to the little things and not realising what really matters. The music video shows three different stories. A teenage girl who argues with her mum and runs away, then in a moment of feeling suicidal, steps in front of a car. The woman in the car swerves to avoid her but collides with another car. Then, the video freezes and flashes back, where both people in the car are revealed to have argued with their partners. Then time reverses to before the girl stepped in front of the car and she decides to go home. She is shown hugging her mum at the end. Throughout, Carrie is shown singing on the street of the crash. In the charts, So Small was a sucsessful start to the era, becoming Carrie's 4th top 20 pop hit and 4th country number 1, and it was certified Gold, selling close to 1 million copies.
All American Girl (2007) US Hot 100 - 27 Country Songs - 1 Sales - 1,398,000 (Platinum)
All American Girl was the 2nd single from Carnival Ride. It's an mid-tempo country track about a dad who wanted who wanted a baby boy, but after he got a girl he was happy. Then the girl grows up and a boy falls for her. Later in the song, the girl is pregnant and the boy speaks of her desire for a baby girl. The video shows Carrie in different outfits that could be a typical 'All American Girl' such as a swimmer, a cowgirl, a ballerina and a beauty queen. It was her 5th number 1 on the country and reached the top 30 of the pop charts, preceeding to be certified platinum.
Last Name (2008) US - 19 Country Songs - 1 Sales - 1,057,000 (Platinum)
Last Name was the 3rd single from Carnival Ride. A country rock stomper, Last Name tells of a woman who ends up married in Vegas but doesn't remember due to being drunk. The video is a prologue to 'Before He Cheats'. Carrie and meets a guy. She ends up leaving with him in his car and they go to Vegas and are seen doing activities such as roulette. They are later married in a Vegas chapel and drive off in his pick-up truck (which Carrie destroys in Before He Cheats). It was her 5th top 20 pop hit and also her 6th country number 1, and went on to be certified platinum. The song also won Carrie her 3rd consective 'Best Female Country Vocal Performance' Grammy at the 2009 ceremony.
Just A Dream (2008) US Hot 100 - 29 Country Songs - 1 Sales - 979,000 (Gold)
Just A Dream was the 4th single from Carnival Ride. It is a ballad, which is deceptive because initally the listener thinks the centric character of the song, an 18 year old woman, is going to her wedding. However, it transpires she is actually attending her lover's funeral (he was a soldier killed in action) and she wishes the whole thing was 'just a dream'. The music video shows Carrie and her military fiance sitting on a car at the begining and apparently not thinking of when he will go to war. Then a flash forward shows Carrie post-death imagining how the wedding might have been. Afterwards, Carrie is shown in a black dress, in tears as she walks beside the coffin. In the charts, the song gave Carrie yet another pop top 30 hit as an impressive 7th country number 1. It was also certified gold, just falling short of the million sales needed for platinum.
I Told You So (2009) US Hot 100 - 9 US Country Songs - 2
I Told You So originally was recorded by Randy Travis in 1988, and Carrie recorded a cover for Carnival Ride. The song was chosen as the final single from Carnival Ride and a special duet version with Randy was recorded for the single release. The music video is Carrie performing the song at the Grand Ol' Opry. In the charts, an American Idol performance of the song with Randy gave her a 4th pop top 10 but didn't manage number 1 on the Country Songs, breaking her streak. It is one of only three Carrie Underwood singles to peak at 2 in the country chart rather than 1, the other two being Don't Forget To Remember Me (2005) and Mama's Song (2010) - discounting the unsolicited airplay for Home Sweet Home and Inside Your Heaven.
Home Sweet Home (2009) US Hot 100 - 23 Country Songs - 52 Sales - 288,000
Home Sweet Home was originally recorded by Motley Crue in 1985 as a glam metal track, but Carrie recorded a country version as a non-album single. It was also used as the American Idol send-off song. There is no music video for the single, but strong digital sales meant it debuted and peaked at 21 on the Hot 100.
Cowboy Cassanova (2009) US Hot 100 - 11 Country Songs - 1 Sales - 1,628,000 (Platinum)
Cowboy Cassanova was the lead single from Carrie's 3rd album Play On. Musically, it's a country rock song where Carrie advises someone off of a man she knows is bad for them. The music video shows Carrie and some dancers in party gowns. Carrie warns the audience and entourage of 'Cowboy Cassanovas' (smooth talking men who have other intentions). Later, a 'Cowboy Cassanova' comes onto Carrie and she repeatedly spurns his advances, and he walks off, disappointed. This was a return to the top for Carrie in the Country Songs chart, and gave her a 6th top 20 pop hit, eventually being certified platinum.
Temporary Home (2009) US Hot 100 - 41 Country Songs - 1 Sales - 743,000 (Gold)
Temporary Home was the 2nd single from Play On. It's a ballad about people reflecting on time in 'Temporary Homes'. The term is applied to many contexts, such as a foster placement as well as life/death. It is one of Carrie's most serious songs to date. In the music video, Carrie is in a cab. Across town, she witnesses a boy with his new foster mother, and a mother trying to find a job. The cab takes her to a hospital where she visits an elderly man (presumably her grandfather) on his deathbed. Carrie talks to and hugs the man. Also, Carrie is shown singing among trees in winter in a sombre way throughout the video between other shots. On the charts, the song acheived her a 9th Country Songs number 1 but became her 1st single to miss the pop top 40 since Don't Forget To Remember Me, peaking at 41.
Undo It (2010) US Hot 100 - 23 Country Songs - 1
Undo It is an uptempo country-pop track, released as the 3rd single from Play On. Lyrically, it describes regret at a failed relationship. The music video consists of clips of Carrie performing the song on tour, her first video of that kind. In the charts, an American Idol performance gave Carrie a return to the pop top 40, after the song hit number 1 on the Country Songs chart, a 10th for Carrie.
Mama's Song (2010)
Mama's Song was the final single released from Play On. It is a ballad about a woman meeting for first love, and telling her mother not to worry about her. The music video stars Carrie and her husband (hockey star Mike Fisher) as well as her mum Carole. All actors play themselves in the video, which tells the same story as the song it accompanies. In the charts, the song became Carrie's 3rd number 2 Country Songs hit and only peaked at 56 on the Hot 100, thus making it her worst performing single to date on the pop chart.
ALBUM DESCRIPTIONS COMING SOON!
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