Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler Rock the 2011 ACM Awards

Carrie Underwood burst onto the music scene as the winner of “American Idol” in 2005, and she hasn’t looked back since. Her debut single, “Inside Your Heaven,” made her the only solo country artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 in the 2000s, setting the stage for a career filled with record-breaking achievements.

With over 85 million records sold worldwide, Underwood is a monumental figure in music. She ranks as the 10th highest female artist on the Recording Academy’s Top Artists (Digital Singles) list, showcasing her widespread appeal and influence.

In the country music arena, Carrie Underwood has secured the most number one hits on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, underscoring her dominance in the genre. Her accolades include eight Grammy Awards and an induction into the Grand Ole Opry, highlighting her exceptional talent and contribution to music.

Billboard named her the best female country artist of the 2000s and 2010s, while Rolling Stone praised her as “the female vocalist of her generation in any genre.” Carrie Underwood’s impact on the music industry is both profound and enduring.

One of the keys to Underwood’s success is that she often hits the sweet spot between pop and country – and she can rock. Here, she rocks out with Steven Tyler at the ACM Awards 2011.

Knxcholx approves, writing, “My god! What an icon Steven Tyler is! Damn near 70 years old and killing it! And Carrie just rocks! Her voice is amazing! Two amazing people!” Fairie Idol gushes, “They burned that stage up with their collaboration. I love, love, love Steven Tyler so much. Carrie rocked too. Love them both.” McKinley observes, “You know you’re watching one of the hottest performances of all time when all the stars in the Country Music Awards audience are acting like paying fans.”

In the video, you can see the audience standing up after Steven Tyler’s appearance. No wonder. Tyler’s entrance from the center back evokes one of the most iconic images in late-20th-century popular culture – the moment Steven Tyler breaks through the wall between the rock studio and Run DMC’s rap recording session in the video for the seminal, Rick-Rubin-produced “Walk This Way.”

How about we listen to the song that kicked off Carrie Underwood’s career, “Inside Your Heaven” (2007)? Let’s go:

Interestingly, the two finalists of American Idol 2005 both released versions of “Inside Your Heaven” a week apart. Underwood went to #1 on the Hot Hundred, while Bo Bice went to #2. Not bad for a song that Chuck Taylor of Billboard called “dauntingly shallow”!