Wide Open Spaces

Wide Open Spaces is the major label debut of American country music band the Dixie Chicks, and the first studio album with Natalie Maines. released in 1998 (see 1998 in music). It was their first record with new lead vocalist Natalie Maines, and became their breakthrough commercial success. It received diamond status by the RIAA on February 20, 2003 in the United States, having shipped 12 million units, while spending more than six years in the Australian ARIA music charts Country Top 20. The album has sold 8,655,000 copies in the United States up to November 2008.

At the 41st Grammy Awards, the album was awarded 2 Grammy Awards out of 3 nominations. It was awarded Best Country Album (the first of what would be 4 trophies in this category: they would later win for Fly in 2001, Home in 2003, and Taking the Long Way in 2007.) and for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the song There's Your Trouble. (an award the Chicks would win 5 times: in 2000 for Ready to Run, in 2003 for Long Time Gone, in 2005 for Top of the World and 2007 for Not Ready to Make Nice, a feat only matched by The Judds.) In addition, the Chicks were nominated for Best New Artist.

The CD, next to their next albums Fly and Home were released in the HDCD format.