In snagging best vocal group honors at the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards last year, Rascal Flatts put itself in elite company by taking each of those awards for the fourth straight year.

Alabama is the only other group to have won vocal group awards for three straight years, and even that great band may not have rivaled the popularity Rascal Flatts currently enjoys.

"We're in great company, I'd have to say," Rascal Flatts guitarist/singer Joe Don Rooney said. "That's one of our heroes, Alabama, wow, what an incredible run they've had. ... I hope one day we can look back 25, 30 years, like them, and say, 'Wow, look at all the stuff we've accomplished. This is wonderful.' "

Rooney is probably getting ahead of himself to think so long-term. But based on the success Rascal Flatts has had over the course of its first four CDs -- the latest of which is the recently released "Me and My Gang" -- the band could well reach those heights as long as the band members stay together.

At this point, the group members seem to be motivated to be in the country music game for the long haul. In a recent phone interview, it was clear Rooney and his bandmates, Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus, plan to keep pushing to build on what has already been an impressive out-of-the-box run of success.

The group -- appearing tonight at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City -- formed in the late 1990s after DeMarcus, who had played with Rooney in Chely Wright's road band, convinced LeVox (his second cousin) to come to Nashville to attempt a music career.

The band's 2000 self-titled debut made a strong first impression, selling 2 million copies on the strength of two No. 1 hits, "Prayin' For Daylight" and "I'm Movin' On,"

The second CD, "Melt," did even better, selling 2.5 million copies and spawning another pair of No. 1 hits ("These Days" and "Mayberry") before the group really created a stir.

The video for the single "I Melt" featured a provocative love scene between Rooney and model Christina Auria that included a glimpse of Rooney's bare rump. The video generated plenty of controversy -- and a wave of publicity.

"We didn't think a little left side of a behind shot was going to be that big of a deal," Rooney said. "But I think it really did, it opened up another avenue of sorts for us to springboard and grow our career from."

The huge popularity Rascal Flatts had gained became particularly apparent when "Me and My Gang," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard magazine album chart last April, with staggering first-week sales of more than 721,000. The CD has since been certified triple platinum with sales of more than 3 million copies and is still in the top 20 on the Billboard album chart. "Feels Like Today," by comparison, sold 200,000 copies in its first week, although its sales now stand at more than 4 million copies.

With these successes, Rascal Flatts has clearly arrived as one of country's top acts, and this winter and spring the group continues a headlining tour of arenas.

Looking back, Rooney said the group consciously sought to have steady, but not explosive, growth in its career.

A key decision was to seek out opening slots on several high-profile country tours (including outings with Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Brooks & Dunn). This allowed Rascal Flatts to build a live following and ease into a position where the group could be a headlining act.

"Early on we knew we needed to get in front of a lot of people," Rooney explained. "Those artists really opened up a huge opportunity for us."

The group also crafted a sound that would appeal to the all-important female audience, while not turning off men. The group focused its sound around LeVox's soulful lead vocals and the harmonies provided by DeMarcus and Rooney, and used edgy, acoustic-based instrumentation to drive the songs. Thematically, Rascal Flatts have emphasized sensitive, romantic fare, while building in just enough Average Joe personality to avoid sounding wimpy.

"Me and My Gang" sticks mainly to the same musical territory that has won Rascal Flatts so much popularity. Songs like "Stand" and "Yes I Do" are easy-going, highly melodic rockers that neatly mix acoustic and electric instrumentation. The band's command of heartfelt balladry shows again on tunes like "What Hurts the Most" and "My Wish," both of which became No. 1 singles. A main departure is the hyper-fast rocker, "Backwards," which is also one of the CD's best tracks.

Though plenty familiar, the new CD may also capture more of the musical personality of the group. Studio musicians were used for all of the instrumental parts on the first two CDs before DeMarcus and Rooney were allowed to contribute parts on "Feels Like Today." "Me and My Gang" features even more playing by the trio, with DeMarcus handling bass and keyboards, and Rooney playing some of the guitar parts on every track.

"This is what we do live," Rooney said. "You're going to hear our musicianship on stage. ...And we brought our road band in on a couple of days and had them record a few songs, and they sound great. So when people buy our album and they listen to it and they come to hear us live, they're going to hear a lot of the same stuff. I think that's important."

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.