Dixie Chicks

And so the award for Most Significant Political Protest Band of 2006 went to… Dixie Chicks. Take a moment to consider what that means. And maybe another. It’s confusing, yes, but not all bad: They deserve lots of credit for sticking by their lashings-out against George W. Bush, even if they’re by far the most interesting facet of the whole Dixie Chicks phenomenon. The music is shiny and approachable, distant but still haunted by the ghosts of the country-music scene they’ve scared away. Although country radio unofficially boycotted 2006's Taking The Long Way (produced by Rick Rubin, of all people), the Chicks compensated for losing old fans by finding new ones in blue states, as well as taking the martyr route in the somewhat pedantic documentary Shut Up & Sing.

Updated 10/23/2009