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 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 later was 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.