Anthology

Jody Miller, Jan Howard, and Jeannie Seely were a few of the women who pioneered pop-oriented country music in the '60s, and their sound has since come to dominate the field. Miller's clear, professional-sounding voice has more in common with Vikki Carr than Loretta Lynn, and it lacks any of the rural or working-class character that typified earlier country singers. Miller's first hit was "Queen of the House," an answer to Roger Miller's "King of the Road," followed by the pop hit "Home of the Brave," a patriotic defense of non-conformity. Anthology includes those two songs and most of Miller's other early hits for Capitol and later hits for Epic, including a surprising 1972 duet with Johnny Paycheck, and "There's a Party Goin' On," her biggest country hit. Miller followed Sonny James' lead throughout the '70s by making country-pop updates of pop and R&B oldies, particularly girl group hits in Miller's case, but was usually even less identifiably country than James. The strong performance of Miller's crossover hits on the adult contemporary chart attests to broad appeal of her MOR pop style.