Country Billboard Chart News May 23, 2013

Country Billboard Chart News May 23, 2013

In Brief:  Billboard Country Charts

Country Album Chart ** No. 1 (1 week) ** “Love Is Everything” - George Strait

Hot Country Songs ** No. 1 (12 weeks) ** “Cruise”  Florida Georgia Line

Country Airplay ** No. 1 (1 week) ** "Wagon Wheel” Darius Rucker

Country Digital Songs ** No. 1 **  “Cruise”  Florida Georgia Line

RIAA Certifications

Taylor Swift "Mean" ( 2X Platinum)

Taylor Swift "22"  (Platinum)

Florida Georgia Line "Cruise" ( 3X Platinum)

Darius Rucker "Wagon Wheel" (Platinum)

#Note: Digital Streaming figures were incorporated into RIAA certifications earlier this month.

RIAA created the formula of 100 streams being equivalent to one download.  This includes streams from on-demand services like MOG, Muve Music, Rdio, Rhapsody, Slacker, Spotify, Xbox Music and others, plus video streaming services like MTV.com, VEVO, Yahoo! Music, YouTube and more. 

Billboard Top 20o / Country Album Chart News

American rock band Vampire Weekend notches its second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as "Modern Vampires of the City" (XL Recordings) debuts atop the list this week. It is the 19th independently-distributed album to reach No. 1 since the Billboard 200 chart began using SoundScan sales data in 1991. The set sold 134,498 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, which is a record high sales week for the act.

The group's last album, "Contra," previously held the act's one-week sales record when it started at No. 1 in January of 2010 with 124,000.

LOVE IS EVERYTHING, the new album from MCA Nashville recording artist George Strait, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart this week, selling 119,598 units in its first week (87,527 Physical Albums + 32,071 Digital albums).

That also earned Strait the No. 2 position on the Billboard Top 200. The album contains the hit single “Give It All We Got Tonight,” which launched a campaign to score his 60th No. 1 single to coincide with his 60th birthday, which Mediabase named as the most played song on country radio this week, earning Strait an unprecedented 60th No. 1 song. Love Is Everything is Strait’s 40th studio album. “This has been a fantastic birthday week,” said Strait, who turned 61 last Saturday (May 18). “I’m thankful that my fans are excited about the new album and enjoying the music.”

The album was released on May 14, 2013 on long-time label home MCA. Dubbed “The King of Country music”, Strait rejoined veteran producer Tony Brown to co-produce the album, which features 13 new tracks, including the lead single. Strait co-wrote three songs alongside his son Bubba Strait and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon on Love Is Everything including “That’s What Breaking Hearts Do,” “The Night Is Young,” and “I Believe,” in addition to a self-penned track “I Just Can’t Go On Dying Like This.”

Factfile

• "Love Is Everything" is Strait's 18th top 10 album on the Billboard 200, which puts him in the top five among male solo artists since 1955. It now ties him with Paul McCartney (18) for the fourth-most top 10’s among male artists in history. Only Frank Sinatra (34), Elvis Presley (27) and Bob Dylan (20) have logged more top 10’s among the gents. (Sinatra’s total includes collaboration with Count Basie. Dylan’s tally includes three collabos with The Band. McCartney’s total includes an album with his late wife Linda McCartney and eight albums with his band Wings.)
• Strait  secures his 25th No.1 album with "Love Is Everything," extending his record for the most No.1s on the Country Albums chart in history. In a distant second place are Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, who each have 15 No.1’s.
• In February 1984, RIGHT OR WRONG became his first #1 album on Top Country Albums.
• Strait’s #1 country albums span more than 29 years. The all-time leader in this regard, Johnny Cash, whose #1 albums span more than 42 years, from Ring Of Fire (The Best Of Johnny Cash), which was #1 on the first country album chart in January 1964, to American V: A Hundred Highways in July 2006.
• George Strait has sold more than 68.5 million records and counting. With 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, he’s earned the second most certifications of any artist in any genre, following only Elvis Presley. He has more No. 1 songs than any other artist in history (including Elvis).
• Since May 1991, when Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales for Billboard, Strait has amassed more top 10 albums than any other artist—male or female. Mariah Carey is in second place with 16. (Carey’s tally includes her debut album, which appeared in the top 10 both before and after the start of the Nielsen SoundScan era.) Tim McGraw and Dave Matthews are in third place with 15.
• Strait has sold 44,251,000 albums since 1991, which puts him in sixth place among all artists in the Nielsen SoundScan era. Among male solo artists (and also among country artists), he’s #2, behind Garth Brooks. Brooks is also the overall leader with sales of 68,630,000.

Critical reception for “Love Is Everything”  -  13 Tracks Time: 48:03

Carefully rendered and unabashed in its optimism, it's as personal as anything Strait has ever recorded. And it's completely devastating. (Rating: 3 STARS) – Los Angeles Times

“His voice is in superb form and … the album sparkles.... ‘Blue Melodies’ is a reminder of how effectively a heart can be broken by a voice, an acoustic guitar, and lyrics that succinctly summarize when a sentiment is ‘too sad to sing.’” - Boston Globe

Allmusic (Rating: 3 STARS) -... there's no suggestion that Love Is Everything, his 28th studio album, just as the farewell tour began, will be his final recording. .... he's not so concerned in exercising that swing muscle all that often. He'd rather lay back and sings songs of love won and lost, and even if that means Love Is Everything isn't necessarily ambitious, it is remarkably satisfying.

GAC - Playing like a classic Strait record through and through, Love Is Everything makes its mark by being earnest, thoughtful and very country..... Parting on such an encouraging thought, Love Is Everything adds an insightful and sentimental chapter to George’s continuing legacy.

George Strait sits down with Storme Warren, host of GAC's headline Country show, for an in-depth discussion about his upcoming album >> YouTube
“Love Is Everything” is available at :

Amazon UK CD - Amazon UK MP3 - Amazon.com CD - Amazon.com MP3

Further down the Country Chart making a bow at No.54 was George Straits SIXTY NUMBER ONES compilation set. It was released on May 14, 2013 by MCA Nashville who must have been confident enough to make “Give It All We Got Tonight” the 60th track weeks ahead of its official Mediabase No.1!

See US iTunes for details.

With “Love Is Everything” entering the Billboard Top Country Albums at #1, it displaced Lady Antebellum’s GOLDEN which drops to No.2 (No.5 BB200) selling 55,735 copies (40,375 Physical + 15,360 Digital) , down 67%, in their second week at retail.
Other second week sets included Pistol Annies' ANNIE UP, which moved 2-3 (5-9 BB200) selling 29,865 copies (19,476 Physical + 10,389 Digital), Various Artists MUSIC OF NASHVILLE SOUNDTRACK (S1, VOL. 2) moved 5-9 (No.13 - No.26 BB200) which sold 14,429 units (down 47%; 5,060 Digital copies), Various Artists NOW COUNTRY PARTY fell 10-19 (31-53 BB200) selling 7,692, down 41%.

Natalie Maines’ solo album MOTHER sold 11,124 units, down 51%, falling 17-34 on the Billboard 200B  and 2 NWSW 36 95 Patty Griffin’s AMERICAN KID sold 4,296, down 64% falling 59 places on the Top 200, moving 36-95.

Blake Shelton's BASED ON A TRUE STORY held at No.4 on the Country chart (9-10 BB200) selling 28,033 albums, down  26%, for an 8 week tally of 521,683 and thus scans GOLD at retail passing the ½-million mark. 

Trace Adkins landed his sixth top 20 album as LOVE WILL debuted at #14 on the Billboard 200. Adkins has climbed as high as #3 twice, with 2006’s DANGEROUS MAN and 2011’s PROUD TO BE HERE.

“Love Will..” made a No.6 bow on the Country chart selling 24,769 units (17,683 Physical + 7,086 Digital)

The May 19, 2013 US Celebrity Apprentice winner saw pretty strong sales with his third Show Dog-Universal album with no single at country radio ahead of the May 14th album drop.
Now making its debut at No. 58 on Billboard Airplay this week is Trace Adkins new single "Watch The World End" which features Colbie Caillat.

Trace Adkins enthusiasts will have one more reason to cherish his new Love Will album when they hear him chime in with the band Exile on the group’s 1978  classic, “Kiss You All Over”. There’s more lyrical testosterone in this 5-minute seduction smoothie than can be absorbed in a single listening. Adkins is such

an Exile fan that he’s also included in Love Will the song “Come See Me,” which Exilers J. P. Pennington and Sonny Lemaire co-wrote with Kenny Beard. Now celebrating its 50th year of performing, Exile was recently inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.

Critical reception for “Love Will”  -  11 Tracks /  Time: 41:40

GAC - As if working to craft a response to the open ended title, Trace Adkins reaches deep on his 11th studio album to explore life’s most passionate emotion....captures scenes and feelings as different as desperation and security over the course of 11 songs looking to offer some insight on a very complicated subject...Trace has always had fantastic range, but Love Will… features many dynamic performances where simple inflections and nuances add whole new dimensions..

Roughstock (Rating: 4.5 STARS) - With Love Will… Trace Adkins has crafted a "concept" record that is wrapped around Love, from various points of love. If you're thinking this means the album is going to be 100% love songs, well, then you don't know Trace Adkins. As gifted a vocalist as any artist in Country Music, Trace Adkins has created an album that is well worth repeated listenings and the concept of singing just about matters of the heart, well it's no so 'left-field' after all....Love Will…is among his best work and here's hoping it finds multiple radio hits for Trace and his label Show Dog Universal, the album certainly deserves it.

All Music (Rating: 3.5 STARS) - This is a romantic album, as the title Love Will... suggests: sweet, soulful, and slow, almost entirely ignoring the honky tonk that was once Trace Adkins' stock in trade....Perhaps Love Will... doesn't make itself known the way earlier Adkins records did, but this is charmingly low-key and suggests a nice mature second act as a crooner for the singer. 

“Love Will...” is available at:

Amazon UK CD - Amazon UK MP3 - Amazon.com CD - Amazon.com MP3

Amy Grant with HOW MERCY LOOKS FROM HERE made a No.12 Billboard 200 bow selling 26,266 copies.

The Christian and pop singer scored her highest-charting album since 1997's "Behind the Eyes" reached No. 8, as her latest release debuts at No. 12 with 26,000. The new title gives Grant her best sales frame since 2003's "Simple Things" launched with 41,000. On the Billboard Christian Albums chart, the set starts at No. 1, giving Grant a record-extending 16th No. 1.

The Target Edition  of the album includes track 14 "Threaten Me with Heaven" which she co-wrote with husband Vince Gill.

Professional ratings (4.5 STARS) - How Mercy Looks From Here finds Amy Grant collaborating with other songwriters and producer Marshall Altman crafting a collection of songs that mine the depths of both heart and soul as only Amy can....This is easily one of the best albums of the year. This entire album is loaded with relatable lyrics, incredible singing and prayerful themes about what it means to be a parent, spouse and child of God.

At No.25 on the Billboard Country album chart and a No.89 bow on the BB200 is the debut of the May 14th release from  Jason Boland & The Stragglers titled DARK & DIRTY MILE (Proud Souls Entertainment). It sold 4,663 copies in its first week (1,679 Physical + 2,984 Digital). “Dark & Dirty Mile” is the seventh studio album by the Red Dirt/Texas Country band co-produced by Shooter Jennings.

Critical reception for “Dark & Dirty Mile” - 11 Tracks/ Time: 45:16

Austin Chronicle  (Rating 4 STARS)  Jason Boland's come a long way since his Red Dirt-kicking, Pearl Snaps days. 2008's Comal County Blue proved the Okie native and decadelong Austinite worthy of the top tier of emerging Texas songwriters, its poignant tunes crafted through their songwriter's blistered heartbreak and alcoholism recovery.... Boland's most important offering yet.

Billboard by Chuck Dauphin - Listening to their music, I personally am taken back in time to the great Country sounds coming off of stations like WSM-AM in the early 1980s. The first two cuts – the title and “Electric Bill” really cook – thanks to Boland’s hard driving vocal and the instrumental work of Roger Ray’s steel work and the crisp fiddle work of Nick Worley....I don’t know how you define what “Red Dirt Music” is, but on this, their seventh disc, Boland sounds like he is in a zone all his own. Whether it be on “Blue Diamond,” the Waylon-ish “Spend All Your Time,” and the closing “See You When I See You.” this CD is pretty dang good – from start to finish. Regardless of how you want to classify it!

Listen to "Dark and Dirty Mile" - soundcloud.com

Available at  Amazon UK CD - Amazon UK MP3

Next week should see Darius Rucker, Jessta James, Restless Heart and Angie Johnson’s EP  impact on the chart. 

Billboard Top 200  Placings / Top 25 Country Albums

(Issue dated Chart week of May 25, 2013)

(Country Album positions #1 - #25)

(TW) This Week, (LW) Last Week, Co (Country Album Chart placing / Movement)

George Jones’ 1987 compilation SUPER HITS drops from #68 to #70 in its fourth week on the Billboard Top 200 chart. It sold 5,721 copies, down 21% and holds at #1 for the second week on Top Billboard Catalog Albums. Right before that, Jones’ 1998 compilation 16 BIGGEST HITS was on top for two weeks. This week it sold 4,570 units, up 8% to reach a new total of 1,196,722.

Jones is the first artist to top the catalog chart in each of the first four weeks after his or her death since Whitney Houston did it in each of the first five weeks after her death in February 2011.

Eagles’ History Of The Eagles, a three-disk documentary/concert video, is #1 on Top Music Videos for the third week. It sold 5K copies this week, bringing its three-week total to 38K. A small total for one of the biggest groups in music history.

Top 25 Hot Country Songs (week of June 1, 2013)

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 results in:

With a 12th cumulative week at No. 1, “Cruise” (Republic Nashville) by rookie twosome Florida Georgia Line posts the most chart-topping weeks for a track by a duo in the 69-year history of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs. In addition, the song extends the chart’s longest reign by any act since Buck Owens held for 16 weeks with “Love’s Gonna Live Here” in 1963-64.

In the duo category, “Cruise” surpasses Carl Butler & Pearl’s 11 weeks with “Don’t Let Me Cross Over” in 1962-63.

Owing mostly to a pop crossover remix featuring rapper Nelly, “Cruise” is named Streaming Gainer (3 million streams, up 41%) and Digital Gainer (189,000 sold, up 25%) on Hot Country Songs, and reaches new peaks on Mainstream Top 40 (15-12) and Adult Top 40 (21-20). The original album version ruled the Country Airplay tally for three weeks last December.

Since Hot Country Songs adopted a hybrid methodology last fall, the two longest chart-topping runs are “Cruise” and Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” which reigned for 10 cumulative weeks from October to January. “Cruise” also leads the Country Digital Songs list for a 13th cumulative week.

Moving 10-7, George Strait’s “Give It All We Got Tonight,” the first single from his new album, is his 86th top 10 hit on Hot Country Songs. He landed his first, “Unwound,” in August 1981. He’s second only to Eddy Arnold, who amassed 92 top 10 country hits from 1945 to 1980.

Performances on Fox’s “American idol” and NBC’s “The Voice” push several songs onto Hot Country Songs. “Idol” judge Keith Urban’s “Little Bit of Everything” (Capitol Nashville) grabs the Hot Shot Debut at No. 24, while runner-up Kree Harrison’s “All Cried Out” (19) opens at No. 34.

Concurrently, three “Voice” contestants bow: the Swon Brothers’ “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” at No. 32, Danielle Bradbery’s “Wasted” at No. 35 and Amber Carrington’s “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” at No. 48. All three songs are on Republic.

Top 25 Hot Country Songs:

Florida Georgia Line with “Cruise” stays Top The Chart #1

Blake Shelton with “Boys ‘Round Here”is up one slot, #3 - #2

Darius Rucker  with former No.1 “Wagon Wheel” is down one, #2 - #3

Tim McGraw & Taylor Swift with “Highway Don’t Care” stays at #4

Florida Georgia Line with “Get Your Shine On” stays at #5

Miranda Lambert with “Mama’s Broken Heart” stays at #6

George Strait with “Give It All We Got Tonight” is up three, #10 - #7

Luke Bryan with “Crash My Party” moves up one, #9 - #8

Lady Antebellum with “Downtown” is down one slot, #8 -#9

Hunter Hayes with “I Want Crazy” is up one place, #11 - #10

The Band Perry with “Done” is up one,  #12 - #11

Kenny Chesney with “Pirate Flag” drops five slots, #7 - #12

Jake Owen with “Anywhere With You” jumps up four, #17 - #13

Brad Paisley with “Beat This Summer” is up two notchs, #16 - #14

Eric Church with “Like Jesus Does” moves up one slot, #14 - #15

Blake Shelton with former No.1 “Sure Be Cool If You Did” drops, #15 - #16

Kip Moore with “Hey Pretty Girl” is up two, #19 - #17

Randy Houser with “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” is up six, #24 - #18

Jason Aldean with “1994” falls six slots, #13 - #19

Carrie Underwood with “See You Again” is up one, #21 - #20

Brantley Gilbert with “More Than Miles” is up one, #22 - #21

Thompson Square with “If I Didn’t Have You” fall four slots,  #18 - #22

Zac Brown Band with “Jump Right In” moves up three, #26 - #23

Keith Urban with “Little Bit Of Everything” debuts at #24

Easton Corbin with “All Over The Road” is up two, #27 - #25

Hot Country Songs

*** No.1 (   12 weeks) / Digital & Streaming Gainer ***  “Cruise”  Florida Georgia Line

** Airplay Gainer ** No.13 “Anywhere With You” Jake Owen

** Hot Shot Debut **  No.24 “Little Bit Of Everything”  Keith Urban

Debut No.28 “It Goes Like This”  Thomas Rhett

Debut No.32 “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes”  The Swon Brothers

Debut No.34 “All Cried Out” Kree Harrison

Debut No.35 “Wasted” Danielle Bradberry

Debut No.36 “Goodbye Town”  Lady Antebellum

Debut No.48  “I’m Gonna Love You Through It”

Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of June 1, 2013

Seven weeks after Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” (Capitol Nashville) dominated Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, the sing-along anthem becomes his sixth leader, his first in more than two years on the BDS-driven Country Airplay tally (2-1).

Propelled by a broad-based radio panel, digital downloads and streaming data, Rucker’s song topped the Hot Country Songs list dated April 13 in its 12th chart week and maintained impressive momentum with bullets every week and a No. 2 rank on five of the six published charts thereafter.

The song written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor was first released by Old Crow Medicine Show back in February 24, 2004 and like Rucker gained them a Platinum single. Capitol Records released the Frank Rogers produced single on January 7, 2013 as the second from Darius’ TRUE BELIEVERS album which dropped May 21st  

”Wagon Wheels” lowest rank following its No. 1 peak on the hybrid scorecard was No. 4, where it bulleted on the April 27 chart. In this chart week it drew a 39.446 million audience (+1.476); receiving 6,077 plays (+242).

Top local audience contributors during the May 13-19 BDS tracking week are WUSN Chicago (1.3 million impressions), WNSH New York (784,000), KKGO Los Angeles (780,000), KEEY Minneapolis (767,000) and WYCD Detroit (726,000).

The new Country Airplay leader is Rucker’s first since “This” topped the April 30, 2011, chart, followed by a pair of No. 17 peaks with “I Got Nothin’” (2011) and “True Believers” (2012). He first led the country radio chart with “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” in 2008, followed by “It Won’t Be Like This for Long” and “Alright” (both 2009), and “Come Back Song” (2010). “Wagon Wheel” is also Ruckers’ third-longest run to date on Country Digital Songs (18 weeks), where it spent the first two weeks in April at No. 1. Nielsen SoundScan reports approximately 1.1 million downloads sold so far. Its biggest weekly sum was 102,000 sold during the April 29-May 5 tracking week (chart dated May 18).

Darius Rucker’s TRUE BELIEVERS (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) will likely be the most prominient bow on Top Country Albums next week. The title track peaked at No. 17 in December 2012.

With George Straits “60 for 60” label campaign push in full flow in the week before his 61st birthday won the “King of Country” the Most Increased Audience cup as "Give It All We Got Tonight" registered a 38.200 million audience thanks to a +6.847 million spike from his 6,338 plays (+1230). It moved 6-2 and was blocked for a Billboard No.1 by “Wagon Wheel” and instead had to settle for a contrived Mediabase chart topper.

After a performance on the May 16 “American Idol” finale and pent-up demand for new music from the show’s lone country music celebrity judge helps Keith Urban rope the “Hot Shot Debut” at No. 30 on Country Airplay.

With 40 station ADDS  gaining 5.524 million audience impressions, receiving 718 plays (+718) at 79 of the 129 stations monitored for the chart, Urban debuts with “Little Bit of Everything” (Capitol Nashville), which opens at his highest perch since “Put You in a Song” arrived at No. 29 on the Oct. 2, 2010, chart. Urban has previously bowed at No. 30 or higher four times, and set his best mark when “Once in a Lifetime” popped on at No. 17 in September 2006. He debuted at No. 30 with “Sweet Thing” two years later and at No. 29 with “Kiss a Girl” in 2009. Urban’s previous radio chart history includes 14 No. 1s and 14 other top 10 achievements.

The new song also picks up Breaker honors (at least one play at 60% of the reporting panel for the first time) and introduces Urban’s seventh solo studio album, which is expected later this year.

With 40 airplay commitments from Country Airplay chart reporters during the BDS tracking week, “Everything” is outpaced only by labelmate Lady Antebellum in the “Most Added” column. With 54 adds (at least seven first-time spins during a Monday-Sunday tracking week), the trio also carries the Breaker flag with “Goodbye Town,” which shoots 46-32 in its second chart week.

They gained a 5.368  million audience (+4.016); with 970 plays (+710)

Also noteworthy on Country Airplay: Jake Owen claims his sixth top 10 with “Anywhere With You” (RCA Nashville), which gains 3 million impressions and jumps 11-9. He’s topped the chart three times, most recently with “The One That Got Away” last December.

Country Airplay

*** No. 1 (1 weeks) *** "Wagon Wheel” Darius Rucker

** Most Increased Audience ** No.2 "Give It All We Got Tonight" George Strait  

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.30 "Little Bit Of Everything” Keith Urban

** Most Added ** No.32 "Goodbye Town" Lady Antebellum  

Debut No.54 "Round Here” (Republic Nashville) Florida Georgia Line

Debut No.58 "Watch The World End” (Show Dog-Universal) Trace Adkins feat. Colbie Caillat

Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of June 1, 2013

The top 5 places remained the same with Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" holding at No. 1 with sales of 189,090 downloads, up 25%. Both the original version and remix with Nelly are gaining airplay attention on the Pop and Hot Adult Contemporary Radio Charts.

At No.7 FGL’s “Get Your Shine On” sold 51,489 downloads, down 8%, which with a new tally of 1,007,942 means it past the 1-million RIAA Platinum certification

Blake Shelton’s “Boys ‘Round Here” at No.2 shifted another 108,776 units and Darius Rucker with this weeks Airplay No.1 “Wagon Wheel” which stays at No.3 selling 87,886 copies; down 8%.

George Strait with “Give It All We Got Tonight” moved 13-8 into the Top 10 with the lead off single selling 49,098 which was up by 39% to reach a new total of 754,062.

Randy Houser jumped up from 20-13 “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” its sales of 34,056 were up 29%.

Thomas Rhett debuted at No.18 with “It Goes Like This” (29,408 sales)

US TV The Voice acts The Swon Brothers and Danielle Bradbery debuted in Top 30 with new singles. The show has 4 country music contestants left in the Top 8. The Swon Brothers’ take of George Jones’ classic “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” sold 29,957 copies and Danielle Bradbery posted a follow up track with “Wasted” logging 23,020 sales adding to her cover last week of  “Maybe It Was Memphis” which fell #9 to #43.

American Idol judge Keith Urban debuts at No.12 on the chart selling 37,679 copies of his brand new single “Little Bit of Everything”, which he showcased on the Season 12 show finale.

American Idol’s finalist Kree Harrison made her country bow at No.22 with her debut single “All Cried Out” with sales of just 24,325.

(L) Candice Glover (C) Kree Harrison



American Idol winner Candice Glover’s Pop/R&B coronation song “I Am Beautiful” (19 Recordings) sold only 48,291 copies in the week following the show’s finale. That represents the lowest first-week sales tally for the coronation song by an Idol winner since Taylor Hicks’ “Do I Make You Proud” started with sales of 38K back in 2006 (overall digital sales were much lower 5 years ago)

Phillip Phillips’ “Home” started with sales of 278K copies last year, which set a new record for the fastest start for an Idol winner’s coronation song. Lee DeWyze’s cover of U2’s classic “Beautiful Day” got off to a faster start than “I Am Beautiful” when it opened with sales of 95K in 2010. One year on Philips “Home” stands at No.86 on Digital Songs selling 24,324 copies (With a 52 week total of 4,489,265) which is almost the identical number as Kree Harrison debut at No.85.

Other first week Idol sales include Scotty McCreery’s “I Love You This Big” (171,000), Lauren Alaina’s “Like My Mother Does” (122,000) and Carrie Underwood with “Inside Your Heaven” (171,000).

Candice Glover’s “I Am Beautiful”, co-written by Joleen Belle and Jaden Michaels, debuts at No.39 on Hot Digital Songs and enters the Hot 100 at No.94. That’s the lowest chart debut ever for a coronation song by an Idol winner.

Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson debut RCA single, "A Moment Like This," has made the biggest single-week leap to No. 1 in the history of Billboard's Hot 100. It sold 236,000 copies in the U.S. during its initial week at retail and the track rocketed 52-1 on the Hot 100.

Ratings for the American Idol finale this year plunged to a record low for the 12-year-old show. According to Nielsen Co. figures Candice Glover's victory over Kree Harrison was watched by 14.3 million viewers. That's a 33% dip compared to 2012 when 21.5 million viewers saw Phillip Phillips claim the Idol crown.

In effect 0.3% of the TV audience purchased Candice’s single and 0.17% bought Kree’s in their first week.

The lack of interest in the winner of this year's contest parallels the show's declining ratings for the season. Fox is scrambling to revive the singing contest that once dominated TV, revamping the judges' panel and making yet-to-be detailed format changes.

See the Daily Mail article with all the Idol Finale photos.

Regarding current Idol related tracks Carrie Underwood’s latest single “See You Again” sold 21,000; down 11% and sits at No.26 on the Country Digital chart selling 145,000 in 4 chart weeks. Lauren Alaina’s “Barefoot and Buckwild” sold 9,000 units which were down 54% and falls out the Top 50.

Kellie Pickler who on the fifth season of American Idol finished in sixth place and is this years Dancing With The Stars Winner debuted her new single at No.53 with “Someone Somewhere Tonight” gaining sales of 9,000.

USA 2012 X Factor Winner Tate Stevens isn’t faring too well either, as after 4 weeks his self titled debut drops out of the Billboard 200 and lands at No.36 on the Country Album placings with sales of around 2,000 copies (Physical sales 1,874; down 41%, 4 week total 22,794). His latest country single “Power Of A Love Song” after 10 weeks is No.55 on Country Airplay (#49 peak) selling just 225 units; down 33% with a 7,772 total.

At No.30, up three slots on the Digital chart, saw Tyler Farr with “Redneck Crazy” (Columbia Nashville) make the Top 30 for the first time selling 16,348 units, up 20% for a 5-week total of 142,380.

Top 30 Digital Singles in Country Music (May 23, 2013)

 (LW) Last Week  (TW) This Week 

*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000^th

Billboard Boxscores (Selective Country concerts)

Rank Artist: #58

Event Venue City/State:

Eric Church, Colt Ford General Motors Centre Oshawa, Ontario

Dates: Feb. 15, 2013   Gross Sales: $306,448   Attend: 5,715 / 5,715

Capacity Shows:  1/1   Sellouts Prices: $64.91, $34.95

Promoters: Live Nation/Global Spectrum

Rank Artist: #81

Event Venue City/State:

CMT Hitlist Tour: Emerson Drive, Doc Walker, Aaron Pritchett General Motors Centre Oshawa, Ontario

Dates: March 21, 2013   Gross Sales: $92,313  Attend: 1,914 / 2,914   

Capacity Shows: 1/0       Sellouts Prices: $48

Rank Artist: #85

Event Venue City/State:

Kris Kristofferson Ryman Auditorium Nashville, Tenn

Dates: May 15, 2013   Gross Sales:  $87,929   Attend: 2,233 /2,233

Capacity Shows: 1/1    Sellouts Prices: $44.50, $34.50

Promoters: The Messina Group/AEG Live