Country Billboard Chart News December 5, 2012

Country Billboard Chart News December 5, 2012

Alicia Keys crowned the Billboard Top 200 Album chart for the fifth time in her career, as her latest album "Girl On Fire" debuts atop the list with 158,646 sold according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Keys previously led the list with her first four albums (three studio sets and a live release). Her last album, 2009's "The Element of Freedom," launched at No. 2 with 417,000. Its hefty sales were buoyed by its week-before Christmas release date (Dec. 15).

"Girl On Fire's" launch is the smallest of any Keys album -- falling lower than that of her 2005 "Unplugged" set (196,000).

As the December 5th Billboard 200 reflected the week after the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend, the bulk of the titles on the chart see steep declines. (Sales are always down the week after what's generally one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year. This week, album volume fell by 23%.)

Nineteen of the Top 200 albums gained a top 25 placement on the Billboard Country Album (excluding Catalog albums such as Jason Aldean’s MY KINDA PARTY and Taylor Swift’s FEARLESS and SPEAK NOW sets)

Taylor Swift’s RED held steady at No. 2 for the third straight week on the Top 200 and remained at #1 on the Country Chart for a 6^th week. It sold 136,545 copies, down 26% to take her 6-week tally to 2,215,542 .

Comparing sales history with her previous album SPEAK NOW, which sold 8,434 this week reveals:

RED first 6 weeks sales

1 Week :: 1,208,290

2 Week :: 344,249 (-72%)

3 Week :: 196,225 (-43%)

4 Week :: 144,534  (-26%)

5 Week :: 185,391 (+28%)

6 Week :: 136,545 (-26%)  ----- Total 2,215,542

SPEAK NOW first 6 weeks sales

1 Week :: 1,044,477
2 Week :: 327,493 (-69%)
3 Week :: 209,512 (-36%)
4 Week :: 149,537 (-29%)
5 Week :: 255,991 (+71%)  

6 Week :: 177,011 (-31%)  --------  Total 2,164,021

There are four Christmas albums in this week's top 10 on the Top 200. It's the first time that has happened in 20 years. The last time four holiday albums appeared in the top 10 at the same time was in December 1992. Amy Grant's Home For Christmas was #7, A Very Special Christmas 2 was #8, Neil Diamond's The Christmas Album was #9 and Garth Brooks' Beyond The Season was #10.

Rod Stewart's Merry Christmas and Michael Buble's Christmas joined the No. 2 Country album Lady Antebellum's ON THIS WINTER'S NIGHT (The Greatest Gainer) rebounds from #19 to #8 (a new peak, 58,606 copies sold; up 13%, 216,946 total) and Blake Shelton's CHEERS, IT'S CHRISTMAS jumps from #18 to #9 (breaking into the top 10 for the first time). Blake’s seasonal fans took home 52,812 copies (up 1%) to reach total sales of 202,366 and it’s this weeking No.3 Country album slot.

Scott McCreery's "CHRISTMAS WITH SCOTTY MCCREERY" leaps 21-12 (#4 Country), despite an 18% decline. In its 7th week at retail week it sold 40,507 copies to reach 205,239 which means Lady A now have the best-selling Country Christmas collection of the year.

After the Thankgiving discounted sales rush Jason Aldean’s NIGHT TRAIN, at #5,  sold 37,455 copies (down 64%, 825,859 total), Carrie Underwood’s BLOWN AWAY, at #6 Country, sold 26,442 (down 64%)  and Eric Church’s CHIEF, at #10 Country, sold 14,313 copies (down 39%)

The percentage-based Pacesetter is Willie Nelson’s THE CLASSIC CHRISTMAS ALBUM (Columbia/Legacy), at #31 on the Country Chart, which sells 3,000 with a 122% improvement. While Nelson’s HEROES COLLECTION, at #27, features “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” and has now sold over 83,000 copies without any radio airplay but some TV exposure courtesy of the David Letterman Show.

Expect to see a hefty debut on next week’s Top Country Albums by Florida Georgia Line’s first full-length album, HERE’S TO THE GOOD TIMES.

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Dec. 2) totaled 7.52 million units, down 23% compared with the sum last week (9.74 million) and down 7% compared with the comparable sales week of 2011 (8.06 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 275.31 million, down 4% compared with the same total at this point last year (286.78 million).

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 nineth week on its 16th chart/retail week.

It sold another 40,208 copies (down -37% and last weeks 63,789 download count).

It has now sold 2,689,713 digital downloads.

Over on the Billboard Hot 100 Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” (which is not on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart) leapt from #47 to #32 in its 7th week (according to Hot Digital Songs data it sold 81,065 copies, a 7% drop this week and held the #11 chart slot)

“WANEGBT” Factfile:

• Two months after Billboard revised its Hot Country Songs ranking method from core Nielsen BDS-monitored country radio audience to a digital, streaming and expanded radio hybrid, Taylor Swift’s ninth week atop the chart with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (Big Machine) sets an all-time record for the most weeks at No. 1 by a solo female, surpassing Country Music Hall of Fame honouree Connie Smith’s eight weeks with “Once a Day” in 1964.
• Her ninth week is the result of a photo finish ahead of Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” (Republic Nashville), which bullets in its fifth week at No. 2.
• Taylor’s run is the longest for any artist since the late David Houston ruled with “Almost Persuaded” for nine weeks in 1966. When Smith and Houston accomplished their feats, the chart was called Hot Country Singles and was tabulated by blending reported radio playlists and singles sales data from retail store reports.
• No artist has spent more than nine weeks at No. 1 since Buck Owens led for 16 weeks in 1963-64 with “Love’s Gonna Live Here.”

Top 25 Hot Country Songs

Taylor Swift with ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” stays at #1!

Florida Georgia Line with “Cruise” stays at #2

Hunter Hayes with former number one “Wanted” is up two, #5 - #3

The Band Perry with “Better Dig Two” jumps up from #13 - #4

Carrie Underwood with “Blown Away” is up one, #6 - #5

Luke Bryan with “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” is down two, #4 - #6

Zac Brown Band with “Goodbye In Her Eyes” moves up five, #12 - #7

Justin Moore with “Til My Last Day”is up one, #9 -#8

Jake Owen with “The One That Got Away” drops two, #7 - #9

Gary Allan with “Every Storm” (Runs Out Of Rain) moves up, #15 - #10

Kip Moore with “Beer Money” is up 3 slots, #14 - #11

Eric Church with “Creepin” is up four places, #16 - #12

Rascal Flatts with “Come Wake Me Up”drops five places, #8 - #13

Randy Houser with “How Country Feels” is up, #17 - #14

Jason Aldean (w Luke Bryan & Eric Church) and “The Only Way I Know” is up #19 -#15

Lee Brice with “Hard To Love” drops six notches, #10 - #16

Greg Bates with “Did It For The Girl” is up one, #18 - 17

Brad Paisley with “Southern Comfort Zone” is up, #20 - #18

Kenny Chesney with “El Cerrito Place” is up two, #21 - #19

Taylor Swift with “Begin Again” is up two, #22 - #20

Little Big Town with “Tornado” is up, #23 - #21

Miranda Lambert with “Fastest Girl In Town” falls,  #11 - #22

Jason Aldean with former #1 “Take A Little Ride” moves, #24 - #23

Hunter Hayes with “Somebody’s Heartbreak” is up two, #26 - #24

Dierks Bentley with “Tip It On Back” is up 2 slots, #27 - #25

Country Songs

*** No. 1 *** (9 weeks) "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” Taylor Swift

** Greatest Gainer/Digital & Streaming ** No.4  “Better Dig Two” The Band Perry

** Greatest Gainer/ Airplay **  “No.32 “Two Black Cadillacs” Carrie Underwood

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.46 “Moonshine Road” Kix Brooks

New No.48 “Hope On The Rocks” Toby Keith

Billboard Country Airplay Charts

Rookie duo Florida Georgia Line becomes the first new act in exactly one year to reach No. 1 with its first charted title, as “Cruise” (Republic Nashville) gains 2 million audience impressions and steps 2-1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

• There’s been only one such song in each of the last three years. Brantley Gilbert’s “Country Must Be Country Wide” pulled it off on the Dec. 11, 2011, chart, preceded by Easton Corbin’s “A Little More Country Than That,” which topped the April 3, 2010, list. The pair’s song rings the top bell in its 19th chart week, marking the fastest No. 1 climb for a new act’s debut single since Heartland’s “I Loved Her First” needed 17 weeks to peak in 2006.
• Florida Georgia Line is the first duo/group to reach No. 1 with a debut single since Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” led for two weeks in December 2008.
• Top local audience contributors during the Nov. 26-Dec. 2 tracking week are WUSN Chicago (1.4 million impressions), KKGO Los Angeles (1.3 million), WYCD Detroit (868,000), WKLB Boston (798,000) and WIL St. Louis (788,000).

The Country duo scoring their first No. 1 Country airplay single with 'Cruise' which has been certified PLATINUM by the RIAA for selling over 1 million copies. On Dec 4th they released their aptly-titled debut album, HERE’S TO THE GOOD TIMES, on Republic Nashville.

“We’ve been completely amazed by what ‘Cruise’ has done. To have our debut single sell over a million and be #1 on the week our debut album is out. … we are so thankful. We can’t wait to meet all of you out on the road,” said FGL’s Tyler Hubbard of Monroe, Georgia.

FGL’s Brian Kelley from Ormond Beach, Florida agreed, “I remember jokingly telling Tyler when we were recording that ‘Cruise’ was going to sell a million copies and I can’t believe it’s actually a reality. We’ve been working so hard to give our fans something they can bob their heads along to and a way for them to get to know us a little more. We think this album accomplishes that and has something for everyone.”

Producer Joey Moi (Jake Owen, Nickelback) showcases FGL’s fresh and exciting sound, which is drawn from an eclectic mix of influences ranging from country to hip-hop, on the 11-track project. The duo penned six of the songs on the standard release as well as the two bonus tracks on the Target exclusive.

FGL has sold-out multiple headlining shows and is opening for Jake Owen on the “CMT On Tour,” giving fans a preview of the new music in recent months. In January 2013, they’ve been selected to open on Luke Bryan’s “Dirt Road Diaries Tour.”

Related Posts:

Green Bay Backers Cruise to #1 on the Billboard Country Charts Via Artist Revolution

Artist Revolution (AR), the publishing and artist development company headed by Green Bay native Sam Brooker, found firm pavement for their current success with the Florida Georgia Line (FGL) single Cruise rooted in hometown connections. Cruise, co-written by AR flagship writer Jesse Rice, plants a mile marker in the three year journey serving as the first cut by a major label client when it was released on Republic Nashville.

New Artist Spotlight On: Florida Georgia Line (By Bob Doerschuk, Used by Permission © 2012 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.)

You don’t need to know that Tyler Hubbard comes from Monroe, Ga., or that his partner in Florida Georgia Line, Brian Kelley, comes from Ormond Beach, Fla. It’s the music that lets you know these two guys know how to kick it in the studio and onstage, Dixie style. Scheduled to release Dec. 4 on the Republic Nashville imprint, Here’s to the Good Times is a pastiche of prickling banjo, walloping backbeats and muscle guitar, run through a blender of Country, Southern rock and a hint of hip-hop. Full Article

At #10 Randy Houser achieves his second top 10 more than three years after his first, noted as “How Country Feels” improves 2.5 million impressions and steps 11-10 in its 32nd chart week. Houser’s track is one of seven this year that needed more than 30 weeks to reach the upper tier.

British folk/rock band Mumford & Sons debuts at No. 58 on Country Airplay with “I Will Wait” (Gentleman of the Road/RED/Glassnote), a track pulled from its No. 1 Billboard 200 chart-topping BABEL album.

Country Airplay

*** No. 1  (1 week) *** "Cruise" Florida Georgia Line

**  Most Increased Audience/Most Added ** No.27 “Two Black Cadillacs” Carrie Underwood (+3.45 Million / 57 ADDS)

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.53 “I Drive Your Truck” Lee Brice

Debut No.54 “A Holly Jolly Christmas” Lady Antebellum

Debut No.57 “Moonshine Road” Kix Brooks

Debut No. 58 “I Will Wait” Mumford & Sons

Debut No. 60 “Home To Me” Sarah Darling

TOP DIGITAL SINGLES in Country Music (5 December 2012)

Republic Nashville becomes the third label to simultaneously control the top two slots on the almost 3-year-old Country Digital Songs tally with titles by two acts.

Florida Georgia Line logs a third cumulative week at No. 1 with “Cruise,” selling 67,217 copies (down 14%) and has a total of 1,208,211.   

While The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two” returns for a second week to the No. 2 peak it set during its opening week in November. The single sold 67,217 this week (-14% on last week)  with a current haul of  1,208,211 copies sold.

Hunter Hayes has a Top 40 pop hit now with “Wanted” which is helping the former #1 country single inch closer to Double Platinum as it picks up fans at pop radio. The single sold 39,361 copies this week ( -8%) and has a tally of 1,904,709 downloads

Cassadee Pope’s cover of “Over You” fell out of the Top 25 on Hot Country Songs after its No.3 Debut but rounds out the Top 5 this week on the Country Digital Chart. It sold 38,891, down 74%, with 191,019 singles sold in two weeks for the US Voice contestant.  Miranda Lambert’s own version which last week thanks to Cassadee, received a TV bounce sold 13,245, down 67% on last weeks 40,223 figure and fell #7-#36 to reach 1,095,445 copies sold so far in 2012.  

Tim McGraw’s “One Of Those Nights” starts to catch on and returns to the Top 30. With 12,574 copies sold up 39% on last week (76,961 total) it makes this week’s “Riser of the Week.”

The biggest gainers on the digital list are a pair of Nashville-produced 1957 Christmas classics: Elvis Presley’s cover of Ernest Tubb’s 1949 standard “Blue Christmas” (RCA) re-enters at No. 30 with 11,263 copies sold (+87% on last weeks 6,033) and has sold 476,149, while Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Decca) jumps 41-24 with an increase of 4,000 downloads selling 13,628 copies, up 48% and a 717,222 Christmas haul.

Just outside the Top 30 at #31, moving up from #50, is “Where are you Christmas?” by Faith Hill .

The song was co-written by James Horner and Will Jennings for the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000. In the movie, it is first sung by Taylor Momsen, who played Cindy Lou Who.

The song was originally recorded by Mariah Carey, but because of a legal case with her then-husband Tommy Mottola, it could not be released, so it was re-recorded and released by Faith Hill who at the time was the obvious choice, as few singers were hotter in 2000 than she was! It cracked the Top 30 on the country charts and reached No. 10 on the AC charts.

A video was released featuring Hill singing from the Grinch's mountaintop home, interspersed with clips from the film and a cameo appearance by Taylor Momsen >>  YouTube

New singles likely to debut on the chart next week are:

Tracks from “Here’s To The Good Times” Florida Georgia Line and Craig Campbell’s “Outta My Head” EP

Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Top 30

(LW) Last Week  (TW) This Week 

*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000th.