Editing Alabama (band) (section)

===1987–2004: Decline in popularity and Farewell tour===
By the late 1980s, Alabama's sales slowed down considerably, with only their major albums going gold.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=6}} The group's popularity was mostly eclipsed by more traditional-sounding artists such as [[Alan Jackson]], [[Randy Travis]], [[George Strait]], and [[Dwight Yoakam]].<ref name=creating>Peterson, Richard A. (1997). ''Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 320 pp. First edition, 1997.</ref> Despite this, they continued to be a popular touring act, and the band issued their first live album, ''[[Alabama Live]]'', in 1988.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=6}} For 1989's ''[[Southern Star (Alabama album)|Southern Star]]'', the band decided to part ways with longtime producer Shedd, instead splitting production duties between [[Josh Leo]] and Larry Lee, and the other half with [[Barry Beckett]].{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} "[[Song of the South (song)|Song of the South]]" was another number one, and the album's remaining singles—"[[If I Had You (Alabama song)|If I Had You]]", "[[High Cotton (song)|High Cotton]]", and "[[Southern Star (song)|Southern Star]]"—were number ones in both the U.S. and Canada.<ref name="chart"/> That year, Alabama was named by ''Billboard'' the Country Artist of the 1980s and the ACA voted the band the Artist of the Decade.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=6}}

Although their popularity continued to decline during the 1990s, their studio albums still achieved gold and platinum status.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}}{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=6}} The 1990 album ''[[Pass It On Down (Alabama album)|Pass It on Down]]'' featured three number one singles: "[[Jukebox in My Mind]]", "[[Forever's as Far as I'll Go]]", and "[[Down Home (Alabama song)|Down Home]]".<ref name="chart3"/> According to [[AllMusic]], by the time the band released 1992's ''[[American Pride (album)|American Pride]]'', "they were among the genre's aging veterans."{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=5}} Richard Carlin of ''Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary'', suggested that the group's harmonies sounded dated to the new audience.<ref name="BiographicalDictionary"/> "[[I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)]]" became the album's biggest hit, reaching number one; the album's other singles still fared very well, with "[[Take a Little Trip]]", "[[Once Upon a Lifetime]]", and "[[Hometown Honeymoon]]" peaking within the top three.<ref name="chart3"/><ref name=chart1>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1993/hot-country-songs| title=Best of 1993: Country Songs| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]| access-date=August 5, 2013| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211063508/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=Hot+Country+Songs&g=Year-end+Singles&year=1993| archive-date=December 11, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Cheap Seats (album)|Cheap Seats]]'' followed in 1993, with "[[Reckless (Alabama song)|Reckless]]" becoming Alabama's final number one, although most of the band's singles afterward peaked within the top 10.<ref name="chart3"/><ref name="chart1"/> The band's 1995 album, ''[[In Pictures]]'', represented their 18th gold album, more than the total for any other country act to that point.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=7}} In 1996, the group remained finalists in the Vocal Group of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.{{sfn|Stambler| Landon|2000|p=7}} The band released ''[[Dancin' on the Boulevard]]'' in 1997, exploring [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] and [[beach music]].{{sfn|Kingsbury|2004|p=8}} Singles "[[Sad Lookin' Moon]]" and "[[Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard]]" were top five hits in the U.S. and Canada.<ref name="chart1"/> The following year, the group released ''[[For the Record (Alabama album)|For the Record]]'', a two-disc greatest hits compilation that contained two new singles — "How Do You Fall in Love" and "Keepin' Up". Both new tracks were hits on the [[Hot Country Songs|Hot Country Singles & Tracks]] chart, peaking at number two and 14, respectively.<ref name="chart3"/>

For their 15th studio release, ''[[Twentieth Century (Alabama album)|Twentieth Century]]'' (1999), the band recorded a cover of "[[(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You]]" by the [[boy band]] [[NSYNC]] in 1999, in a move that was considered an attempt to "stay relevant."<ref name="BiographicalDictionary"/> The single nonetheless hit number one in Canada, number three on the US country charts, and number 29 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.<ref name=chart2>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/278296/Alabama/chart?f=379| title=Alabama – Chart history – ''Billboard'' Hot 100| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]| access-date=August 5, 2013| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703223720/http://www.billboard.com/artist/278296/Alabama/chart?f=379| archive-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref><ref name="chart1"/> ''[[When It All Goes South]]'' (2001) followed in 2001. "If I never did another CD, this is the one I will always point to as the one that I was happy with the most," said Owen at the time of its release.<ref name=billboard6>{{cite magazine| last =Price| first =Deborah Evans| date =December 9, 2000| title =Alabama's Latest, 'When It All Goes South', Due Jan. 2001 on RCA| magazine =[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| volume =112| issue =50| page =65 | publisher =[[Prometheus Global Media]]| location =[[New York City]]| issn =0006-2510| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=rRAEAAAAMBAJ&q=alabama+billboard&pg=PA65}}</ref> Despite this, the album's singles did not fare well in comparison to past successes, with only the title track becoming a top 15 hit, representing the band's last career peak.<ref name=chart3>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/278296/Alabama/chart?f=357| title=Alabama – Chart history – Hot Country Songs| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]| access-date=August 5, 2013| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709001744/http://www.billboard.com/artist/278296/Alabama/chart?f=357| archive-date=July 9, 2015}}</ref>

Alabama announced the American Farewell tour in May 2002 at the [[Country Music Association Awards]] (CMAs), encompassing 40 tour dates, sponsorships, special events, and a TV special. Owen spoke then on the decision to part ways: "When you get down to it, there are many, many factors involved — some of them very personal. It's really about the integrity of the group, the dignity of the group."<ref name=billboard5>{{cite magazine| last =Waddell| first =Ray| date =June 8, 2002| title =Venue Views: Goodbye Alabama| magazine =[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| volume =114| issue = 23| page =20 | publisher =[[Prometheus Global Media]]| location =[[New York City]]| issn =0006-2510| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=-hAEAAAAMBAJ&q=alabama+billboard&pg=PA20 }}</ref> Owen later admitted the group was exhausted after 20 years of nonstop touring and recording, and "everybody needed some time."<ref name=tenn>{{cite journal| last =Watts| first =Cindy| date =August 23, 2013| title =Alabama is back, and it feels so right| journal =[[The Tennessean]]| url =http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/08/23/alabama-is-back-and-it-feels-so-right/| access-date =July 6, 2014| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://archive.today/20140709091859/http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/08/23/alabama-is-back-and-it-feels-so-right/| archive-date =July 9, 2014}}</ref> The tour collected $15&nbsp;million in box office before it even began, and Alabama performed to packed arenas from June to November 2003.<ref name=billboard7>{{cite magazine| last =Waddell| first =Ray| date =July 19, 2003| title =Alabama Tour Fares Well| magazine =[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| volume =115| issue = 29| page =16 | publisher =[[Prometheus Global Media]]| location =[[New York City]]| issn =0006-2510| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=WhEEAAAAMBAJ&q=alabama+billboard&pg=PA16 }}</ref>{{sfn|McCall|Rumble|Kingsbury|2012|p=7}} Due to "extraordinary fan response and overwhelming ticket demand," the tour was extended for an additional 30 shows, running between February and June 2004.<ref name=cw>{{cite journal| last =Holden| first =Larry| date =December 16, 2003| title =On the Road Again| journal =[[Country Weekly]]| url =http://www.countryweekly.com/vault/road-again| url-status =live| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140714202409/http://www.countryweekly.com/vault/road-again| archive-date =July 14, 2014}}</ref> The group performed their "final" show in October 2004 in [[Bismarck, North Dakota]], with Herndon jokingly declaring "I need a job" as the concert closed.<ref name=cw1>{{cite journal| date =October 20, 2004| title =Farewell, Alabama&nbsp;... For Now| journal =[[Country Weekly]]| url =http://www.countryweekly.com/news/farewell-alabamafor-now| url-status =live| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140714205357/http://www.countryweekly.com/news/farewell-alabamafor-now| archive-date =July 14, 2014}}</ref>