Music City in 2020: We salute great Nashville music that rose out of the pandemic

Even in February, we thought we had a good hunch about what would make our annual list of Nashville's best musical moments, some 10 months later.

Concerts, album rollouts and awards shows, of course, are typically planned out well in advance. We were looking forward to seeing the Rolling Stones return to rock Nissan Stadium, new venues opening their doors and one of the most exciting Bonnaroo lineups in years.

But one month later, everything changed.

The coronavirus pandemic has sidelined the concert industry, threatened the livelihood of millions who work in music, and claimed the lives of Charley Pride, John Prine and Joe Diffie, among more than 300,000 Americans.

Nothing will replace what we've lost, or the storms that so many individuals and institutions are continuing to weather. Still, we believe it's worth celebrating what rose out of Nashville in a difficult year: singular music and empowering moments that would have never emerged had life carried on as normal.

Jack White on 'SNL'

Morgan Wallen went on a pandemic partying spree in Alabama, unintentionally treating "SNL" fans to an overflowing shot of rock 'n' roll.

The popular sketch program cut Wallen from an October performance after a bar-hopping weekend in Tuscaloosa went viral on video app TikTok. Enter: Jack White, who swooped in for a performance worthy of a last-minute rock superhero.

In a moment that felt as close to a concert as this year could offer, White fronted a power trio for roaring renditions of solo number "Lazaretto" and White Stripes staple "Ball and Biscuit." If that wasn't enough, he sprinkled the appearance with a nod to his 2016 Beyoncé collaboration, paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen and conjured lines from "Jesus Is Coming Soon," a century-old blues number about the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.

And Wallen, one of the fastest rising stars in Nashville, got a second chance on "SNL." After an apology and brief retreat from the limelight, the singer performed on the show — and spoofed his partyin' bungle — in December.

'BIG Night At the Museum'

For months, the vast space inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum sat in silence, eventually reopening to the public in September.

But like the great songwriters they celebrate, the museum staff took a look at their desolate surroundings during that time — and found inspiration.

In their digital concert film "BIG Night at the Museum," some of the most legendary instruments in the museum collection were taken out from behind glass and placed in the hands of today's country stars. It produced numerous powerful moments — Keb' Mo' picking the guitar of country pioneer Jimmie Rodgers, and Tim McGraw tearing up as he held the acoustic owned by his late idol, Keith Whitley — and also raised more than $700,000 for the museum's Coronavirus Relief Fund.

Cuttin' grass with Sturgill Simpson

2020: The year of "Stugrass."

Earlier this year, Sturgill Simpson promised that if his listeners raised enough money for local charity, he'd cut a new album.

Fans responded so swiftly — raising nearly $250,000 in a week — that Simpson guaranteed two records. He delivered before the new year with "Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1" and "Vol. 2," a collection of 30 reimagined and two previously-unreleased bluegrass tracks.

He enlisted an ace Nashville bluegrass band, dubbed the "Hillbilly Avengers," and producer David Ferguson for the sessions, recorded respectively at the Butcher Shoppe and Cowboy Jack Clement's Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa.

Simpson outlined his path to bluegrass In an audience-free livestream at the Ryman Auditorium last June.

"These are how these songs were originally written and I decided — after climbing the ropes of country music stardom and completely destroying that career to make a rock 'n' roll record — I have great ambitions of a life of gravel lots and Porta Potties. I'm gonna be a bluegrass musician," Simpson said.

He continued, "That's the music in my heart and soul. That's the music I was raised on."

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'Folklore' and 'Evermore'

Whatever you did during weeks of self-isolation, you probably weren't as busy as Taylor Swift.

The once-in-a-generation pop star penned two records — last summer's "Folklore" and December follow-up "Evermore" — during the pandemic-induced quarantine. The "sister" albums offer a stylistic departure from the powerhouse pop production of previous releases, instead showcasing Swift's lauded storytelling.

Joined by co-writer Aaron Dessner (of indie rock group The National), producer Jack Antonoff and singer-songwriter Justin Vernon (AKA Bon Iver), Swift teamed her lyrical world-building with a subtle indie soundscape — a fitting soundtrack to the quiet musing many likely experienced during isolating weeks at home.

Regarding her prolific output, Swift said in December: "To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs."

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'I SO Lounging'

Doors to venues closed this year as artists instead opened virtual windows into living rooms, studios, garages and — for wife-husband songwriters Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell — a picturesque barn.

For weeks, Shires led "I SO Lounging," a dinnertime livestream escape from the year's ongoing uncertainty. Episodes played like a socially-distanced cousin to the campfire jam: Shires, Isbell and a rotating crew of friends told stories, covered classics and paid tributes to late legends.

Listen: Amanda Shires, Jason Isbell take up abortion on 'The Problem'

Of course, they wouldn't be the only Nashville couple to livestream songs from home this year (it'd be harder to find an artist that didn't join the virtual party at one point). Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood notably delivered an hour of jukebox charm on CBS in April and, in the early hours of the pandemic, Keith Urban played a one-band show in Instagram with an assist from wife Nicole Kidman.

Avenue Beat's 'F2020'

The pandemic threw a wrench into everyone's plans. The difference between the rest of us and Avenue Beat is that the Nashville trio made a song about it — one that gave them their biggest break yet.

"Lowkey f*** 2020," they sang. "Still sad, still ain't got no money...I don't know about everybody else/ but I think that I am kinda done/ Can we just get to 2021?"

The group first posted a clip of the song on TikTok, where it caught fire. A full version quickly followed, and has racked up more than 30 million streams on Spotify.

Family bands

In-demand Nashville songwriters Daniel Tashian and Luke Laird were among the local music makers who turned lockdown into a chance to make albums with their kids: the charming "Mr. Moonlight" and playful preschool pop collection "The Cool Chips."

Postponed concerts also allowed Christian music family band We The Kingdom the chance to focus on their debut album, which recently earned two Grammy nominations.

Stuck at home: These Nashville songwriters made albums with their kids

'Six Feet Apart' and other songs of hope

One month into lockdown, Luke Combs laid out all of the longing, uncertainty and hope he felt into a new song. "Six Feet Apart," written with Brent Cobb and Rob Snyder; the song became the first country hit born out of the pandemic, and other musical messages of hope would soon follow.

On "When Life Is Good Again," Dolly Parton vowed to be a better person when things return to normal — and urged listeners to do the same.

"Let's open up our hearts/ and let the whole world in," she sings, as a melancholy verse makes way to an uplifting chorus.

"Let's try to make amends/ When life is good again....And it's gonna be good again."

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Daddy's Dogs drive-in

Yes, a DIY hot dog stand kicked off summer music in Nashville.

Before music giant Live Nation hosted country stars in the Nissan Stadium parking lot or the Stardust Drive-In in neighboring Watertown, Tennessee, became a go-to spot for summer Christian tours, Daddy Dog's brought live music back to Nashville with an initial take on pandemic-era carside concerts.

Daddy' Dogs' weeklong series gave a sneak peek into what live music faithful could expect from summer 2020: Concerts in parking lots, empty fields and outdoor cinemas. The shows became a westside ritual, with artists performing regularly into the fall.

The 'Opry' endures on the airwaves

Though it's been one of Nashville's premier live attractions for more than half a century, the legend of the "Grand Ole Opry" was built on the airwaves. From nearly the earliest days of the 95-year-old radio show, WSM's powerful signal carried it into more than 30 surrounding states.

In the digital age, we take that kind of reach for granted. But as the pandemic forced country fans to hole up at home, the Opry's signal once again wielded remarkable power. Though it was in front of 4,000 empty seats at the Grand Ole Opry House, the show went on — and a global audience was able to watch it live from home.

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“Let me tell you, every time I walk out on this stage to perform, I’m not just performing to those in the building with us," Opry member Jeannie Seely said at the first audience-free broadcast on March 14.

"I’m talking and singing to every one of you I know are listening out there, all around the world. And we appreciate you so much.”

Six months later, the Opry was able to welcome back a small, socially distanced audience — but its broadcast is stronger than ever.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Great Nashville music that rose out of the pandemic