Rucker's success, largely predicated on the clear gift he developed back with the Blowfish for writing pop hooks that sound pretty good even when warbled off-key by a dude in a polo shirt at someone's backyard barbecue, has been attempted by a handful of other artists seeking a second act to a stalled career, often to unprecedented degrees of success. Jon Bon Jovi scored a number one country hit in 2006 with "Who Says You Can't Go Home", and Jewel, whose post-"Standing Still" pop/rock sets 0304 and Goodbye Alice In Wonderland were part of a series of critical, commercial, and creative diminishing returns, debuted at the top of the country charts with her 2008 release Perfectly Clear. Hot on the heels of Jewel's unlikely crossover, Jessica Simpson, while still occupying her role as the scourge of the Dallas Cowboys, managed nonetheless to achieve similar chart success with her country debut, Do You Know.

With the wide-open arms of country music providing a welcoming environment for middle-of-the-road '90s rockers and pop stars, MadeLoud.com took a look at three artists who've fallen on some hard times lately, and who could use the boost of a country crossover.

Chris Cornell

Why it Makes Sense: After the critical thumping Cornell received for his attempted club-music crossover, the atrocious - yet strangely addictive - Scream, which featured production from Timbaland and guest vocals from collaborators like Justin Timberlake, the former Audioslave and Soundgarden frontman could clearly use a quick pick-me-up. Like Bon Jovi, his wouldn't have to be a long-term settlement into a new home: A quick dabble with the form would allow him to chart big, reach a new audience, and still do something else ridiculous and embarrassing in the rock world before the end of the year. He's also no stranger to trying on new stylistic skins. Soundgarden, his first major band, rode the transition from a groove-oriented stoner-metal band to catch the rising grunge wave, and upon its dissolution, he released the Jeff Buckley-esque singer/songwriter set Euphoria Morning. He parlayed that into a gig fronting the former Rage Against the Machine instrumentalists with the early-00's supergroup Audioslave, whose live sets featured some of the worst rapping to ever be heard on a giant stage, and eventually transitioned to the glitchy R&B of Scream. With all of those genres dotting his resume, it seems downright unlikely that he hasn't already tried the country crossover.

What it Might Sound Like: Cornell's perfunctory, oblique lyrics would have to be ghost-written by someone who had a knack for puns and pick-up truck references, but otherwise, any number of Euphoria Morning tracks could be re-worked with some additional twang, a little bit of steel guitar, and a toned-down level of bombast to score a hit on the country charts.

Courtney Love

Why it Makes Sense: Love's Nobody's Daughter is her Chinese Democracy - years in the making, countless whispered-about song titles, a fired band, and various threats of lawsuit swirling around it...but with the added wrinkle that nobody really cares. The songs were largely written in sessions with former 4 Non Blondes frontwoman-turned-superproducer Linda Perry, who's previously written hits for Faith Hill and the aforementioned crossover queen Jewel. She could certainly benefit from the boost she'd be likely to see as a novelty act country star, and artistic integrity has never been a major part of the equation for Love, who auctioned off the rights to 25% of the Nirvana catalog for a cool $50 million in 2006. Country music has also long been noted as a home for artists seeking redemption, with artists going back as far as Jerry Lee Lewis finding sanctuary on its charts after major personal scandals, and the rehab-prone Love certainly fits the bill in that regard. Furthermore, if she eventually gives up on music all together, Love could still find success in the genre by following the example of Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, and hustle the now-teenaged Frances Bean Cobain into tight jeans and a pair of boots in a bid to become the anti-Hannah Montana.

What it Might Sound Like: Love's something of a chameleon herself, having gone from abrasive punk bands to the more radio-friendly Hole, and then the dated grunge of her solo debut, America's Sweetheart. Given some real serious auto-tuning and a more upbeat vibe, Love could relax her way into something as catchy as some of the better Hole songs, with lyrical themes about motherhood and surviving a dead husband fitting easily into the country mold. It might be a little on-the-nose, but add some strings to a track like the live standout "A Letter To God", and you could have an easy winter hit.

Jesse Valenzuela

Why it Makes Sense: Valenzuela's career path followed a similar trajectory to Rucker's - he was the frontman and primary songwriter for the Gin Blossoms. Valenzuela' tunes demonstrated many of the same qualities that led to success for Hootie and the Blowfish and Jewel, with all three acts enjoying a good amount of MTV and chart success in the mid-90s. Hits like "Found Out About You" and "Hey Jealousy" would require very little in the way of reinterpretation to make fresh appearances on the country charts, and with the genre's A&R men almost certainly looking to cash in on Rucker's success, the '90s rock discard pile has few acts with more potential than Valenzuela. With the 2006 Gin Blossoms reunion garnering less attention than Rucker's Snoop Dogg-guested first solo album, it's likely Valenzuela is getting tired of working at Radio Shack and could use the opportunity.

What it Might Sound Like: It wouldn't take a whole lot of effort to turn the guy who wrote pop hooks like the ones that appear in "Till I Hear It From You" and "Allison Road" into a country star - mostly he'd just need a haircut, some style tips, and a cowboy hat. Apparently he's even got a bit of affection for the genre, as the band's ill-fated 2007 reunion tour featured the occasional idiosyncratic cover of "Folsom Prison Blues". What might it sound like? How about like printing money.