Top 15 Best Designed Country Music Artist Home Pages
After plowing through a plethora of country music artists’ websites, I’ve come up with the undisputed Top 15 Best Designed Country Music Artist Home Pages. Actually, it’s probably disputable since it’s all subjective, but the following were worthy of what I deemed as the best of the best. I focused mainly on home pages, since quality secondary pages seem to be a rarity among the majority of music sites.
15. Halfway to Hazard
There’s not much to the Halfway to Hazard website aside from a few pictures, a short bio, and some song samples. There’s not even a single secondary page, but the strong color choice gives the homepage an undeniable aesthetic appeal; which is more than I can say for a lot of the other sites I visited.
There’s not much to the Halfway to Hazard website aside from a few pictures, a short bio, and some song samples. There’s not even a single secondary page, but the strong color choice gives the homepage an undeniable aesthetic appeal; which is more than I can say for a lot of the other sites I visited.
14. Trent Summar And The New Row Mob
Trent Summar’s website contains two eye blisters on the right side of the page, but the stellar header design more than makes up for that and garners it a spot among this list. Also, in an age when splash pages are heading the way of the dinosaur, Summar’s still comes off as classy.
Trent Summar’s website contains two eye blisters on the right side of the page, but the stellar header design more than makes up for that and garners it a spot among this list. Also, in an age when splash pages are heading the way of the dinosaur, Summar’s still comes off as classy.
13. Trace Adkins
The design definitely gives off the Dangerous Man vibe with the cop lights flashing in the background and smoke drifting off to the side. Someone paid close attention to the details until you get halfway down the page where it looks like “Dates” and “News” were just tacked on to the bottom. With both sections in the navigation the page might have been stronger without them at the bottom.
The design definitely gives off the Dangerous Man vibe with the cop lights flashing in the background and smoke drifting off to the side. Someone paid close attention to the details until you get halfway down the page where it looks like “Dates” and “News” were just tacked on to the bottom. With both sections in the navigation the page might have been stronger without them at the bottom.
12. Jo Dee Messina
Simple enough to avoid confusion yet detailed enough to keep it interesting. Jo Dee Messina’s website sports easy to find navigation, easily distinguishable call to actions, and a neat flashlight effect when you rollover her face.
Simple enough to avoid confusion yet detailed enough to keep it interesting. Jo Dee Messina’s website sports easy to find navigation, easily distinguishable call to actions, and a neat flashlight effect when you rollover her face.
11. Drew Kennedy
I’ve seen polaroids used as elements in a design, but never as the full frame for a website. The home page has links to all the basic things you’d be looking for and even pimps his newest album (which I highly recommend) in a tasteful manner. However, using solid images makes the website a little slower when navigating between pages.
I’ve seen polaroids used as elements in a design, but never as the full frame for a website. The home page has links to all the basic things you’d be looking for and even pimps his newest album (which I highly recommend) in a tasteful manner. However, using solid images makes the website a little slower when navigating between pages.
10. Jim Lauderdale
There’s nothing overly complex about Lauderdale’s website, but that’s exactly the way it should be. Information is conveniently compartmentalized in widget like boxes with a simple horizontal navigation across the top. The colors give it an earthy, almost boutique feeling. All around nice job.
There’s nothing overly complex about Lauderdale’s website, but that’s exactly the way it should be. Information is conveniently compartmentalized in widget like boxes with a simple horizontal navigation across the top. The colors give it an earthy, almost boutique feeling. All around nice job.
9. Dierks Bentley
The blackletter font and city skyline portray urban music more than they do country music, but with Bentley’s mug peering over the boxes it’d be hard to mistake him as a rapper. Like Lauderdale’s site, Bentley’s has information conveniently organized and seems to be fostering more of a community of fans than a lot of the other sites.
The blackletter font and city skyline portray urban music more than they do country music, but with Bentley’s mug peering over the boxes it’d be hard to mistake him as a rapper. Like Lauderdale’s site, Bentley’s has information conveniently organized and seems to be fostering more of a community of fans than a lot of the other sites.
8. Tim McGraw
McGraw’s website seems to have two contrasting styles at play, one is the roughed up grunge look and the other has a sleek, classy feel to it. The site possess strong call to actions and where other sites clearly have banners that don’t fit, everything on McGraw’s site feels like it was designed specifically to fit. I do have to question the practice of asking people to fork over money to be a “McGRAWFAN.” I consider myself a fan, but there’s no way I’d cough up the dough they’re asking.
McGraw’s website seems to have two contrasting styles at play, one is the roughed up grunge look and the other has a sleek, classy feel to it. The site possess strong call to actions and where other sites clearly have banners that don’t fit, everything on McGraw’s site feels like it was designed specifically to fit. I do have to question the practice of asking people to fork over money to be a “McGRAWFAN.” I consider myself a fan, but there’s no way I’d cough up the dough they’re asking.
7. Johnny Bush
You can’t say enough about simplicity. Johnny Bush’s website shows that you don’t have to clutter the homepage to make things look good. I wouldn’t recommend browsing past the homepage though.
You can’t say enough about simplicity. Johnny Bush’s website shows that you don’t have to clutter the homepage to make things look good. I wouldn’t recommend browsing past the homepage though.
6. Ray Scott
I’m generally not a big fan of flash sites, but Ray Scott’s pulls the flash elements off extremely well. Once again, a lot of attention was put into the details and everything feels like it fits in perfectly. Very nice.
I’m generally not a big fan of flash sites, but Ray Scott’s pulls the flash elements off extremely well. Once again, a lot of attention was put into the details and everything feels like it fits in perfectly. Very nice.
5. Kellie Pickler
The simplicity, the grid, the color scheme…I love it all. Even the secondary pages fit in seamlessly with the home page. Get rid of that ridiculous “American Idol/Win a Nintendo Wii” banner and it’d be even better.
The simplicity, the grid, the color scheme…I love it all. Even the secondary pages fit in seamlessly with the home page. Get rid of that ridiculous “American Idol/Win a Nintendo Wii” banner and it’d be even better.
4. Jake Owen
Jake Owen has another sweet color scheme and the subtle use of flash adds a nice touch. It oozes class.
Jake Owen has another sweet color scheme and the subtle use of flash adds a nice touch. It oozes class.
3. Hank III And Assjack
As you’ve probably noticed by now I like simplicity, that doesn’t mean it has to be boring which is illustrated by Hank III’s website. I hate iframes with scroll bars, they’re extremely tacky, but I can overlook it on a well designed site like this.
As you’ve probably noticed by now I like simplicity, that doesn’t mean it has to be boring which is illustrated by Hank III’s website. I hate iframes with scroll bars, they’re extremely tacky, but I can overlook it on a well designed site like this.
2. John Anderson
The awesome background artwork won me over on John Anderson’s website. It has a vintage feel that says “I’m not going anywhere.” It’d be even better if it had an occasionally updated blog.
The awesome background artwork won me over on John Anderson’s website. It has a vintage feel that says “I’m not going anywhere.” It’d be even better if it had an occasionally updated blog.
1. Johnny Cash
The attention to detail is simply amazing.
The attention to detail is simply amazing.
Grand Prize: Robert Earl Keen
There…just…aren’t…any…words. Everything else pales in comparison.
There…just…aren’t…any…words. Everything else pales in comparison.
What are some websites you think I missed or feel deserved to make the list?
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April 24, 2007 at 12:03 pm Permalink
gretchenwilson.com is pretty cool
April 24, 2007 at 12:46 pm Permalink
Patrice Pike has an interesting site as well.
April 24, 2007 at 2:21 pm Permalink
Thanks for the suggestions.
Pixel Peach did the Patrice Pike site. They do amazing flash work, but I wasn’t really feeling her specific site.
April 24, 2007 at 2:29 pm Permalink
Nice feature. The open road meets the information highway.
April 24, 2007 at 8:02 pm Permalink
Dwight Yoakam’s site is pretty cool — though somewhat difficult to navigate. (dwightyoakam.com/main.html)
April 24, 2007 at 11:17 pm Permalink
This was a neat article, Brody.
April 25, 2007 at 6:50 am Permalink
Thanks Baron and Jenna.
HCT - Dwight’s site is kind of cool, but I think since the navigation is so hard to find it’s pretty poorly executed. It shouldn’t take that long to find the information you’re looking for.
April 25, 2007 at 12:16 pm Permalink
Yeah, I agree. It’s a little much, but it looks cool.
April 27, 2007 at 2:24 pm Permalink
We’re the folks (Texas Telecom) who developed Robert Earl Keen’s new website. Thanks for the wonderful honor! Your kind words mean a lot to us.
Back story note: When Robert described the art and operations he wanted, we were wary as hell. The site was already experimental; it’s based entirely on brand new Open Source Content Management Software. (The goal was to make a model for other musicians and artists can have good, inexpensive, and easy to maintain sites.)
And his design ideas were light years from traditional. I had not met him prior, but discovered Robert is truly a great guy. When he described his vision for the site… we just gulped and started building. I’m so happy you like the result.
thanks again,
gene crick
gcrick@txtele.com
May 30, 2007 at 9:22 pm Permalink
Honestly, I know everyone is getting pertty tired of Kenny Chesney but in my opion I think his website deserve to be on this list. He is the biggest star in country music. Another one that deserves to be on the list is Alan Jackson’s.
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