 McEntire signed with MCA Nashville Records in 1984 and released her seventh studio album , Just a Little Love . Harold Shedd was originally the album 's producer ; however , McEntire rejected his suggestions towards country pop arrangements . It was instead produced by Norro Wilson , although the album still had a distinguishable country pop sound . Dissatisfied with the album 's sound , she went to MCA president , Jimmy Bowen , who told McEntire to find material that was best @-@ suited to her liking . Instead of finding new material , she found previously recorded country hits from her own record collection , which was then recorded for the album . The album 's material included songs originally released as singles by Ray Price ( " Don 't You Believe Her " , " I Want to Hear It from You " ) , Carl Smith ( " Before I Met You " ) , Faron Young ( " He 's Only Everything " ) and Connie Smith ( " You 've Got Me [ Right Where You Want Me " ] ) . The album spawned two number @-@ one singles : " How Blue " and " Somebody Should Leave " . It was given positive reviews from critics , with Billboard praising McEntire as " the finest woman country singer since Kitty Wells " and Rolling Stone critics honoring her as one of their Top 5 favorite country artists . Upon its release , My Kind of Country became her highest @-@ peaking album on the Top Country Albums chart , reaching No. 13 . The album also included instruments such as a fiddle and pedal steel guitar , and was aimed more towards a traditional country sound . McEntire was later praised as a " new traditionalist " , along with Ricky Skaggs , George Strait , and Randy Travis . That year , she won the Country Music Association Awards ' Female Vocalist of the Year , her first major industry award . The album was certified Gold . 
