Country Billboard Chart News November 22, 2012
Taylor Swift's RED surrenders the No. 1 slot after UK boy band One Direction crashed in at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart this week with its second album, TAKE ME HOME. The SYCO/Columbia set sold 539,665 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, marking the third largest sales frame of the year. Only the debuts of Taylor Swift's "Red" (1.2 million in its bow) and Mumford & Sons' "Babel" (a 600,000-unit start) were larger.
One Direction this week became the first boy band in chart history to land two #1 albums in a calendar year. The album sold more than three times as many copies as One Direction's debut album, UP ALL NIGHT, did when it bowed at #1 in March with first-week sales of 176K. New Kids On The Block, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC and Jonas Brothers also had two #1 albums each, but in different calendar years. TAKE ME HOME also entered The Official U.K. album chart at #1. It's the first album by a boy band to top the charts in both the U.S. and the U.K. since New Kids' Step By Step in 1990 or unless you count a duo as a boy band Wham!'s Make It Big.
Taylor Swift who is rumoured to be now seeing One Direction “hunk” Harry Styles saw her album RED drop from the No. 1 slot after a three-week run, to No.2 with sales this week of 144,534 (down 26% on the previous week). She comfortably holds the #1 Billboard Country album for a fourth week outpacing the #2 Country album Jason Aldean’s NIGHT TRAIN by 104,000 copies. In its fifth week Aldean sold 40,209 copies (down 17% on last week)
Released less than a month ago, Taylor Swift's fourth studio album, RED, has now sold 1,893,606 copies in America. It was reported on Monday (Nov 19th) that RED, released on Big Machine Records, has topped the sales charts in 42 countries worldwide, with international sales topping 920,000 albums with a worldwide career record sales in excess of 26 million albums and 75 million song downloads.
Comparing sales to her last album SPEAK NOW reveals:
RED first 4 weeks sales
1 Week :: 1,208,290
2 Week :: 344,249 (-72%)
3 Week :: 196,225 (-43%) 1,749,072
4 Week :: 144,534 (-26%) ------- Total 1,893,606
SPEAK NOW first 4 weeks sales
1 Week :: 1,044,477
2 Week :: 327,493 (-69%)
3 Week :: 209,512 (-36%)
4 Week :: 149,537 (-29%) -------- Total 1,731,019
2 Week :: 327,493 (-69%)
3 Week :: 209,512 (-36%)
4 Week :: 149,537 (-29%) -------- Total 1,731,019
With 34,146 copies sold (up 7,233, 27% sales gain) Lady Antebellum’s ON THIS WINTER’S NIGHT (Capitol Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville) earns the Greatest Gainer cup on Top Billboard Country Albums at No. 3 (#17 Top 200), while the percentage-based Pacesetter award is handed to the late John Denver’s The Classic Christmas Album (RCA/Legacy), which improves 63% over the prior week (54-39).
Lady A’s seasonal offering passes the 100K mark in its fourth week at retail having sold 106,617 copies so far.
Scotty McCreery’s Christmas album “CHRISTMAS WITH SCOTTY McCREERY” still has the best country Christmas album sales in 2012. It sold 23,476 copies this week (up 16%) and has amassed sales of 118,512.
Blake Shelton’s “CHEERS, IT’S CHRISTMAS” is up to #4 on the Country Chart (#21 Top 200) and has moved 97,055 date. All three of these albums are expected to be big sellers for the next month as the Christmas shopping season begins in earnest this week with the Thanks Giving Weekend.
The state of commercial country music’s union is begging for closer scrutiny when virtually all of the fresh-faced country boys are making rock records that pass as country, while a full-grown, heavily tattooed lead singer of a veteran rock band turns in the most authentically country solo album of the year.
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| Aaron Lewis Album artwork (Amazon) |
With 20,680 copies sold, Staind frontman Aaron Lewis (photo) posts his second top 10 start on Billboard’s Top Country Albums with THE ROAD (Blaster Records). It made it bow at #30 on the Billboard Top 200 and checks in with Hot Shot Debut honors at No. 7 Country.
The new set is Lewis’ first full-length solo project, and follows Town Line, a five-song EP that opened at No. 1 on the March 19, 2011, Top Country Albums chart.
The lead single from the new album is “Forever,” which opens with 7,000 downloads at No. 48 on Country Digital Songs and simmers just below the chart threshold on Country Airplay, where Nielsen BDS logs 615,000 audience impressions at 23 of the 126 stations monitored for the chart. THE ROAD also includes “Endless Summer,” which also appeared on Town Line and peaked at No. 39 in September during a 23-week run on the Country Airplay chart. Lewis’ gold-certified “Country Boy” (featuring George Jones & Charlie Daniels) peaked on opening week at No. 9 two years ago on Country Digital Songs. SoundScan reports more than 693,000 downloads sold to date.
Blurb: The album was co-produced by Lewis and Nashville hit-maker James Stroud. The Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum singer, songwriter, and guitarist tells one story after another on The Road. Echoing traditional country, some of those tales are hilarious and heartwarming, while others are pensive and personal. Nevertheless, they're all equally powerful, vibrant, and unforgettable. For Lewis, The Road continues to wind and surprise like it always has.
Featuring ten songs, with all but one (“Granddaddy’s Gun”) written by the Lewis, The Road unfolds with a classic grit and an invigorating energy all directly from Lewis's heart and soul. The new album has resonated with:
The Boston Herald, who went as far as proclaiming Lewis “the state’s first country king”
The Chicago Tribune says, “The Road is one of the best and most cohesive country releases of the year,"
GAC notes Aaron Lewis and The Road “creates a work that honors country tradition while injecting his own soul and experience."
"Forever," the current single just released to radio November 12, is a true product of the road itself. The new song captures the longing and loneliness of life on the tour bus, while reflecting the immortality of true love. It's touching and thought-provoking all at once. Fans can visit AOL’s The Boot to view exclusive behind-the-scenes video with Lewis explaining much of his inspiration while writing for the new album. (Webster & Associates PR)
The album is available at:
Also making their bow on the Country Album chart at #19 ( #133 Top 200) is the debut of The Departed’s “ADVENTUS.” The self-released album sold 4,328 copies.
Adventus is the Latin word for arrival. And so Cody Canada and the Departed emerge with their first original album. Upon the disbanding of Cross Canadian Ragweed, The Departed took root; Cody Canada and his long time Ragweed band mate, Jeremy Plato on bass and vocals, with Seth James on guitar and vocals (Seth James Band, Ray Wylie Hubbard), Steven Littleton on B3 organ and keys (Live Oak Decline, Stoney LaRue and the Arsenals, Medicine Show) and Chris Doege on drums (Seth James Band, Nashville touring acts). [Source Amazon]
“Your Brother and You" (250,000 Things) Cody Canada on the Music Fog stage at Threadgill's during SXSW 2012. A song that Cody wrote for his son, Willy >> YouTube
The album is available at:
The Zac Brown Band with UNCAGED sold another 11,385 copies this week (#13 Country) and passed the 600K sales mark whilst Blake Shelton’s RED RIVER BLUE (#21 Country) passed the 800K mark with another 4,037 albums getting into the hands of fans.
Apart from the Christmas Country releases which gained a sales boost most of the rest either took a sales dip or just held their own.
Overall all genre album sales in this past chart week (ending Nov. 18) totaled 6.76 million units, up 24% compared with the sum last week (5.45 million) and down 4% compared with the comparable sales week of 2011 (7.04 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 258.05 million, down 4% compared with the same total at this point last year (268.94 million).
Overally Digital track sales this past week totaled 22.03 million downloads, up 3% compared with last week (21.32 million) and up 1% stacked next to the comparable week of 2011 (21.73 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 1.162 billion, up 6% compared with the same total at this point last year (1.100 billion).
With Black Friday and the holiday shopping season here, will see a sales hike for many next week.
Happy Thanksgiving to those in the USA!
Black Friday Deals
Amazon.com have a full listing of discounted albums
UMG Nashville artists Lionel Richie "Tuskeegee", Kip Moore "UP ALL NIGHT", Easton Corbin "All Over The Road" , Josh Turner "Punching Bag" and Jamey Johnson "Living For A Song: A Tribute To Hank Cochran" are at $6.99 or less at Amazon.com.
Sony Artists
Kenny Chesney’s Welcome To The Fishbowl" $6.99 US iTunes (22 Nov - 26 Nov)
Miranda Lambert "Four The Record" $6.99 US iTunes (22 Nov - 26 Nov),
Sugar Hill Records is having a sale from Thursday night till Friday at midnight. The home of Marty Stuart, Don Williams, Wanda Jackson and many more has every CD at $7.99, plus package deals, and deals on vinyl.
Bloodshot Records has their annual holiday sale with hundreds of CD’s on sale, dozens priced at $5, 20+ vinyl selections discounted, package deals, and free shipping on orders over $50.
Record Store Day are offering many special releases for Black Friday at local record stores which has previously-unreleased country projects
Billboard Top 200 (Country Album positions #1 - #25)
(TW) This Week, (LW) Last Week, Co (Country Album Chart placing / Movement)
Top 25 Billboard Hot Country Songs
On Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart - which blends:
a) All-format airplay, as monitored by BDS b) Sales, as tracked by Nielsen SoundScan and c) Streaming, according to BDS it see’s:
Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" holding onto number one for a seventh week on its 14th retail week.
"We Are Never Ever…" is the first song to spend seven weeks at #1 on that chart since Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" in the summer of 2004.
Note: It's becoming clear that songs are going to have longer runs at #1 on the country and R&B charts now that those charts simply reflect how "genre songs" are doing on the Hot 100. One more week and "We Are Never Ever…" will have the longest run at #1 on the country chart since "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" by
Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett, which had eight weeks on top in the summer of 2003.
Over on the Billboard Hot 100 "WANEGBT" drops from #7 to #9. This ties the mark set in 2009 by Swift's "Love Story." Only one Swift song, "You Belong With Me," has had a longer run in the top 10 (16 weeks in 2009).
Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" (which holds its third week at #2 on the country chart) has outsold "We Are Never Ever…" in each of the last two weeks, but Taylor wins through thanks to her overall airplay stats.
Jason Aldean’s “The Only Way I Know” (Broken Bow Records) with the heftiest audience and digital spikes during the tracking week, draws double Greatest Gainer nods on Hot Country Songs, where it leaps 25-21 in its fifth chart week.
Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two” at No.13 (Republic Nashville)—it debuted three weeks ago—which registers the biggest overall streaming increase for a second straight week. The song ranks at No. 3 with 46,000 downloads on Country Digital Songs and runs 24-20 on Country Airplay.
Taylor Swift with ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” stays at #1!
Florida Georgia Line with “Cruise” stays at #2
Luke Bryan with “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” is up one, #4 - #3
Hunter Hayes with former number one “Wanted” is up, #5 - #4
Carrie Underwood with “Blown Away” drops two slos, #3 - #5
Lee Brice with “Hard To Love” stays at #6
Jake Owen with “The One That Got Away” stays at #7
Rascal Flatts with “Come Wake Me Up” is up one, #9- #8
Miranda Lambert with “Fastest Girl In Town” is down one spot, #8 - #9
Justin Moore with “Til My Last Day” stays at #10
Kip Moore with “Beer Money” is up one place, #12 - #11
Gary Allan with “Every Storm” (Runs Out Of Rain) is up two, #14 - #12
The Band Perry with “Better Dig Two” stay at #13
Zac Brown Band with “Goodbye In Her Eyes” drop three, #11 - #14
Eric Church with “Creepin” is up one slot, #16 - #15
Randy Houser with “How Country Feels” is up four, #20 - #16
Brad Paisley with “Southern Comfort Zone” stays at #17
Taylor Swift with “Begin Again” moves up one, #19 - #18
Greg Bates with “Did It For The Girl” is up two, #21 - 19
Jason Aldean with former #1 “Take A Little Ride” falls, #15 - #20
Jason Aldean (w Luke Bryan & Eric Church) and “The Only Way I Know” is up #25 -#21
Kenny Chesney with “El Cerrito Place” stays at #22
Easton Corbin with “Lovin’ You Is Fun” drops five, #18 - #23
Little Big Town with “Tornado” is up two, #26 - #24
Dierks Bentley with “Tip On Back” is up , #27 - #25
Country Songs
*** No. 1 *** (7 weeks) "We Are Never....” Taylor Swift
** Greatest Gainer/Streaming ** No.13 “Better Dig Two” The Band Perry
** Greatest Gainer/Digital+Airplay ** “No.21 “The Only way I Know” Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan & Eric Church
** Hot Shot Debut ** No.48 “I Can Take It From Here” Chris Young
Debut No.49 “Two Black Cadillacs” Carrie Underwood
Re-Entry No.50 “ I Ain’t You Mama” Maggie Rose
Billboard Country Airplay Charts
Country Airplay
*** No. 1 (2 weeks) *** "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" Luke Bryan
** Most Added” No. 29 "One Of Those Nights” Tim McGraw (+35)
** Most Increased Audience ** No.19 Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan & Eric Church (+3.58 Million)
Luke Bryan claims his second consecutive and third overall single to hold for more than one week atop Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, as “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” (Capitol Nashville) draws 38.7 million audience impressions in its 19th chart week. The artist has taken five titles to the summit, and logged his first multiweek leader when “Rain Is a Good Thing” spent the second of two weeks at No. 1 on the July 31, 2010, chart. His prior single, “Drunk on You,” dominated for two weeks in July. With two platinum-selling titles and three other double-platinum songs, Bryan’s “Goodbye” is next in line for RIAA gold certification, with Nielsen SoundScan reporting roughly 475,000 downloads sold. Bryan is also visible as a featured artist alongside Eric Church on
Jason Aldean’s “The Only Way I Know” (Broken Bow), which earns Most Increased Audience stripes (up 3.6 million impressions) and jumps 23-19. The song sold 21,000 downloads in its fourth week on Country Digital Songs (Nov. 5-11 tracking week), where it ranks at No. 16.
Zac Brown Band achieved its 11th Country Airplay top 10 and first since last spring, as “Goodbye in Her Eyes” (Atlantic/Southern Ground) collects 23 million impressions and hops 12-10 (up 1.2 million). Eleven of the band’s 12 promoted singles have reached the top 10, with the lone exception being “The Wind,” which spent the second of two weeks at its No. 11 peak on the Sept. 8 chart.
Nine of those dozen radio singles have spent time at No. 1, most recently when “Keep Me in Mind” spent the last of four weeks at the summit in January. Brown’s band last appeared in the top 10 with “No Hurry,” which stopped at No. 2 in June. Reaching the Country Airplay top 10 in its 10th chart week, “Goodbye” hits the upper tier slightly faster than the band’s average top 10 climb (12.6 weeks).
The quickest was nine weeks with “Knee Deep” in 2011, and the slowest was 19 weeks with “Whatever It Is” in 2009. Ranking at No. 13 with 27,000 downloads on the Nov. 24 Country Digital Songs tally, “Goodbye” has sold approximately 150,000 downloads. The group’s digital sales history includes two gold certifications, one platinum and one multiplatinum single. With 3.5 million downloads, “Chicken Fried” is its best seller to date.
TOP DIGITAL SINGLES in Country Music (21 November 2012)
Florida Georgia Line now have a Platinum single with “Cruise” and enjoy a second successive week at #1 on the Top 30 Country Digital Singles chart this week with digital sales of 80,000 copies. This takes the duo of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, past 1-million downloads and is two weeks ahead of their official debut album release HERE’S TO THE GOOD TIMES on Republic Nashville.
Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” sits behind them at #2 and appears on chart because of its country radio release. Other songs such as “I Knew You Were Trouble” where disqualified from the Country Digital Singles chart. Her latest country single “Begin Again” at #10 sold 27,000 copies (-16% on last week) and with a 497K tally will go Gold next week!
Gary Allan’s “Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)” moved 8-6 with sales of 40,000 (up 11%) and Lee Brice’s “Hard To Love” sold 38,000 copies and with a 980K tally is now 20K short of Platinum status .
Luke Bryan “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” at #8, sold another 30K copies and passes the ½-million mark and has now gained Gold Certification.
“The Only Way I Know”, the second single from Jason Aldean’s NIGHTTRAIN, which features Luke Bryan and Eric Church, sold 28,000 downloads (up 7,000, +33%) and surges 16-9 on Country Digital Songs. It also jumped 23-19 on the Country Airplay chart.
Aaron Lewis has the first new single of the chart this week, “Forever” released from his now Top 10 Billboard Country debut album THE ROAD sold 7,300 singles and bows at #48.
His 2011 single “Country Boy,” has now achieved sales of 700,000 copies.
Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Top 30
(LW) Last Week (TW) This Week (Chg)
*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000th.
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