Country
Billboard Chart News July 25, 2013
In Brief: Billboard Country Charts
Country
Album Chart ** No. 1 (5 weeks) ** “Here’s To The Good
Times” Florida
Georgia Line
Hot
Country Songs ** No. 1 (21 weeks) ** “Cruise”
Florida Georgia Line
Country
Airplay ** No. 1 (1 week) ** "DONE." The Band Perry
Country
Digital Songs ** No. 1 ** (22 weeks) “Cruise”
Florida Georgia Line
Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Chart
News
Jay Z's "Magna Carta .. . Holy
Grail" held the No. 1 for a second week on the Billboard 200 (BB200),
selling 129,453 copies, according to
Nielsen SoundScan (down 76% on last weeks 528,471 debut week) for a 2-week haul of 657,927.
Florida Georgia Line's HERE'S TO THE GOOD TIMES slipped 4-5 on
the BB200 with 31,440 sales (down
5%). This is its eighth week in the top 10. It held the No.1 slot on Top
Country Albums for the fifth week.
It’s the first album by a duo to log five or
more weeks at #1 on the country chart since Sugarland’s LOVE ON THE INSIDE,
which spent six weeks on top in the summer of 2008. It’s the first debut album
to log five or more weeks at #1 on the country chart since Scotty McCreery’s
CLEAR AS DAY, which spent six weeks on top in 2011.
The top 4 places remained the same with
Taylor Swift’s RED moving back to the
top 5. Her sales of 9,266 were up 4% to reach almost 3 ¾ -million sales in 39
chart weeks in America.
Average Joes Entertainment’s JJ Lawhorn was the highest placed debut at No.20 on the Country chart (No.91
on the BB200) selling 4,135 copies
of his ORIGINAL GOOD OL’ BOY album.
“My life took a turn when I put a video of me singing a
cover song on YouTube and one of my favourite country singer’s producer saw it
and contacted me," said Lawhorn. His debut release
contains 13 tracks produced by Jeremy Stover (Justin Moore).
Critical Reception for “Original Good
Ol’ Boy”
- 13 tracks Time: 43:37
Roughstock (Rating; 4 STARS)
- In late 2011 JJ Lawhorn quietly signed
a record deal with Average Joes Entertainment. Now 19 years old Lawhorn has
finally released his debut album Original Good Ol' Boy.....produced by Jeremy
Stover and like he has done with Justin Moore, the production of the album is
clearly Country music (no alternative rock or Country/pop herE) and firmly
plants JJ Lawhorn as an artist well worth seeking out. He's not quite where I
think he can go yet but Original Good Ol' Boy definitely puts him on the right
track.
Fans of Moore, Blake Shelton, JB & The Moonshine Band, Randy
Houser, Aaron Watson, and Craig Campbell should give the album a shot.
Focus on the 615 (Rating: 1
out of 5 Stars) It comes across as unnatural and forced in his singing
throughout the album, and he doesn’t have a strong voice to fall back on. In the choruses of the songs when he’s not so
focused on trying too hard to sound country, it comes across as more natural,
but the rest of it is entirely too forced.
Not an album that I would recommend.
“Original Good Ol’ Boy” is available
at:
Outside the Top 25 Country placings saw
Joey+Rory debut their inspirational album titled INSPIRED: SONGS OF FAITH & FAMILY at No.166 on the BB200 and at
No.31 on the Country album chart
selling around 2,500 copies of the Gospel of the Gaither Series release. It also
logged a No.6 slot of the Billboard Christian Album chart.
Critical Reception for “Inspired”
My Kind Of Country (Rating:
B+) Their first release for gospel label
Gaither Music Group contains less familiar fare than one often encounters on
religious albums, not all of it overtly spiritual, although they rely less on
Rory as a songwriter than on their previous work.
You can always rely on Joey +
Rory for tasteful production, and this time Rory takes the chair, with the help
of guitarist Joe West. The record was recorded in a friend’s home studio, with
mainly unknown musicians plus a few starry guests, and there is a quiet
homespun feel which works well....There is a gentle positive mood to this
record. It should appeal to existing fans of Joey + Rory, and to those who like
their religious music understatedly reverent but non-preachy.
Got Country Online (Rating 4.5
Stars) If you are looking for an album
that can both evoke memories and create new ones, then listen to Joey + Rory’s
Inspired: Songs of Faith & Family.
Joey has one overriding requirement before a song will appear on one of
their records, “It has to be able to move us first, if it’s ever going to move
other people… and it has to be honest and sincere.” The album, released in partnership with
Gaither Music Group, was recorded in a friend’s barn studio in Franklin, TN,
with mostly acoustical instrumentation (fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar and
stand-up bass). Joey and Rory’s vocals are filled with a raw passion that will
have listeners recalling Sunday mornings with family and friends...
“Our faith is the most important part of our marriage and
our lives. And we’ve always recorded a song about our faith on each album we’ve
made. Church has always been a part of my life, and I remember my mom singing
those old hymns when I was a little girl. I’ve always wanted to do a gospel
album…our fans have been asking for a long time when we were going to record an
album filled with songs about faith. Now is the time.”
Also included on the album are the
gospel classics In the Garden, Amazing Grace, Are You Washed in the Blood
featuring The Issacs, and Leave It There. The duo’s covers of Long Line of Love
and The Preacher and the Stranger have been arranged to spotlight their
harmonious sound. Long-time friend Bill Gaither joins them on Turning to the
Light. Coming this fall, the Inspired, Songs of Faith and Family DVD will
include extra tunes such as That’s Important to Me and A Bible & A Belt....
The couple is about to begin the third
season of their hit RFD-TV series, “The Joey+Rory Show” (one of the highest
rated shows on the cable channel), filmed on the soundstage in their now famous
barn on their farm.
Of note, two thirds
of the Dixie Chicks (Emily Robison and Martie Maguire), aka Court Yard Hounds,
released their new album, AMELITA on July 16th via Columbia Records.
Promoting the new album they performed
"Phoebe" on the David Letterman show, watch it here.
Critical Reception for “Amelita” – 11 tracks / Time: 46:00
ALLMUSIC (Rating 4
STARS)..... writing a set of 11 new songs
-- many penned with Martin Strayer -- and working once again with producer Jim
Scott on Amelita, their 2013 sequel to their 2010 debut. Things have changed in
Court Yard Hounds' inner world -- notably, Robinson divorced between the two
CYH records -- and that's reflected within the very sound of Amelita, which is
lighter and livelier than the carefully considered debut......Amelita is, at
its heart, an adult pop album and it's a gorgeous one at that: it glides by
easily but it digs deep.
Los Angeles Times (3 STARS) Amelita"
might be the most buoyant album of 2013, a lighter-than-air set of summery
folk-pop tunes with titles like "Sunshine" and "The World
Smiles."
The Observer by Hermione
Hoby (Rating: 3 STARS) Sisters Martie
Maguire and Emily Robison are now on their second post-Dixie Chicks album (the
Texan trio have been "on hiatus" since 2008) and have moved away from
that band's kitschy, country charms and into a more folk-inflected sound. It's
more tasteful, maybe, whatever that means, but it's also a little boring and
lacking in bite. This record is so blandly agreeable and sunny that it seems
almost like self-parody that its first track should be called Sunshine. There's
a brisker, more persuasive earworm in Amelita but otherwise little here that
really sticks.
Taste Of Country (Rating:
3.5 STARS) - The 11 songs are
tremendously personal, and while they’re laden with tragically beautiful
lyrics, many are difficult to access. The two long-time Dixie Chicks band mates
co-wrote 10 of the 11 songs, and Robison handles most of the singing. Dark
clouds dominate the project, although there are a few moments of optimism and
sunshine..... After awhile, there’s a sameness in delivery that causes one to
miss the finer particulars on ‘Amelita.’
Pop Matters (6 out of 10)
...Two Out of Three Ain't Bad ...So,
chances of you liking Court Yard Hounds boils down to how much you like the
Dixie Chicks, as Court Yard Hounds is essentially the Dixie Chicks save for
lead singer Natalie Maines: it’s the product of sisters Martie Maguire and
Emily Robison....If the Eagles approached country music from the rock side of
the fence, then Court Yard Hounds approach rock music from the country-pop side
of the tracks....... Amelita, their second album, is full of hooky crossover tracks
that are bound to be pleasing to those who enjoy good, solid pop music, and
does nothing else to light a fire in terms of innovation. Amelita is, thus, one
of those “pleasant” albums that don’t shock, but allow the listener to ease
into a mode of relaxation....Amelita is pretty straightforward. And you just
might like that, which is nothing to be ashamed of.
Billboard Top 200 Placings / Top 25 Country Albums
(Issue dated
Chart week of August 3, 2013)
(Country
Album positions #1 - #25)
Top 25 Hot Country Songs (week of August 3, 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, (tracked by Nielsen BDS from such services as Spotify, Muve, Slacker,
Rhapsody, Rdio and Xbox Music, among others) according to BDS it
results in:
Duo Florida Georgia Line enjoy a 21st week at the summit in 52 chart
weeks, matching the mark for the longest command since the chart premiered, in
its earliest form, in 1944
Florida Georgia Line matches the all-time record for the most
weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, as the duo's debut
single "Cruise" notches a 21st cumulative week at the summit. With
its latest week on top, the song enters a four-way tie for the longest
chart-topping run in the chart's 69-year history.
The protracted No. 1 stay for "Cruise" stems, in part, from the
Hot Country Songs chart's change in
methodology last Autumnl.
Ranked solely by jukebox play at
the time, the chart's first such 21-week No. 1 belonged to a handsome then-29-year-old
crooner named Eddy Arnold, whose
sentimental post-World War II ballad "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I
Can Hold You in My Arms)" hugged the chart's summit for 21 weeks in
1947-48.
Of a record 92 Hot Country Songs top
10s, 28 of which reached No. 1, "Heart" remains Arnold's
longest-leading topper.
Arnold's feat was matched by 21-week
command that began in the summer of 1950 by Canadian Hank Snow, whose breakthrough stateside hit "I'm Moving
On" dominated the country Best Sellers chart. (Based of tallies from: Juke
Box, Best Sellers and the radio-based Jockeys chart.)
Arnold and Snow were still major forces
on those three charts when honky-tonk star Webb
Pierce covered Jimmie Rodgers' 1928 novelty yodel "In the Jailhouse
Now," which locked up the top spot on Juke Box for 21 weeks beginning in
February 1955.
Having spent three weeks at No. 1 last
December on the BDS-driven Country Airplay chart, "Cruise" was remixed featuring Nelly, renewing its
sales and adding pop and adult crossover airplay, which has led to the song's
record-tying Hot Country Songs reign. "Cruise" reached No. 7 on
Mainstream Top 40 (and ranks at No. 12 in its 17th week on the list this week).
"Cruise" has sold 5.24
million downloads to date, becoming the third-best-selling country digital
track ever. Lady Antebellum leads with "Need You Now" (6.2 million),
followed by Taylor Swift's "Love Story" (5.6 million). Apart from the
Nelly remix, the original version of "Cruise" accounts for 61%
of the song's total sales.
"Cruise" spent five non-consecutive
weeks at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs in December/January before slipping to as
low as No. 13 in March. Following the release of the Nelly edit and its push to
pop and adult radio formats, it's ranked at No. 1 for the last 16 weeks dating
to April 20.
"Cruise" looks to claim the
longevity mark all to itself next week!
Titles to spend the most weeks atop
Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, dating to its Jan. 8, 1944, launch:
21 weeks
"Cruise," Florida Georgia
Line (2012-13)
"In the Jailhouse Now," Webb
Pierce (1955)
"I'm Moving On," Hank Snow
(1950-51)
"I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I
Can Hold You in My Arms)," Eddy Arnold (1947-48)
20 weeks
"Crazy Arms," Ray Price
(1956)
"I Don't Hurt Anymore," Hank
Snow (1954-55)
19 weeks
"Walk On By," Leroy Van Dyke
(1961-62)
"Bouquet of Roses," Eddy
Arnold (1948-49)
17 weeks
"Heartbreak Hotel," Elvis
Presley (1956)
"Slowly," Webb Pierce (1954)
"Slipping Around," Jimmy
Wakely & Margaret Whiting (1949-50)
16 weeks
"Love's Gonna Live Here,"
Buck Owens (1963-64)
"Lovesick Blues," Hank
Williams (1949-50)
"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That
Cigarette)," Tex Williams (1947-48)
"New Spanish Two Step," Bob
Wills (1946-47)
"Guitar Polka," Al Dexter
(1946-47)
Although FGL’s edgy, hip-hop-tinged country rock is a relatively
new type of country music, fans seem to be embracing it wholeheartedly. “I think people are looking for something fresh and new,”
Kelley points out. “Our fans seem to spread the music like wildfire. That
doesn’t always happen, and it’s special to us, and we’re blessed to be a part
of it.”
Top 25 Hot Country Songs:
Florida Georgia Line with “Cruise” stays Top The Chart
#1
Hunter
Hayes with “I Want Crazy” stays at #2
Randy Houser with “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” is
up two, #5 - #3 p
Luke Bryan with “Crash My Party” is down one
slot, #3 - #4 q
Blake
Shelton with “Boys ‘Round Here” is down one, #4 - #5 q
Darius Rucker with former No.1 “Wagon Wheel” stays at #6
Florida Georgia Line with “Round Here” is up one, #8 -
#7 p
Kip Moore with “Hey Pretty Girl” is up one,
#9 - #8 p
Brett Eldredge with “Don’t Ya” is down two, #7 -
#9 q
Carrie Underwood with “See You Again” is up one, #11 - #10 p
The Band Perry with “Done” is down one, #10 - #11
q
Tyler Farr with “Redneck Crazy” stays
at #12
Zac Brown Band with “Jump Right In” stays at #13
Keith Urban with “Little Bit Of Everything” is
up two, #16 - #14 p
Easton Corbin with “All Over The Road” stays at
#15
Danielle Bradbery with “The Heart Of Dixie” debuts
at #16 NEW
Billy Currington with “Hey Girl” stays at #17
Tim McGraw & Taylor
Swift with
“Highway Don’t Care” falls, #14 - #18 q
Thomas Rhett with “It Goes Like This” is up
three, #22 - 19 p
Florida
Georgia Line with “Get Your Shine On” is down two, #18 - #20 q
Jake Owen with “Anywhere With You” is down
one, #20 - #21 q
Lee Brice with “Parking Lot Party” is down
three slots, #19 - #22 q
Jason Aldean with “Night Train” is up two, #25
- #23 p
Justin Moore with “Point at You” stays at #24
Brad Paisley with “Beat This Summer” falls
four, #21 - #25 q
Hot Country Songs
** No.1 (21 weeks) **
“Cruise” Florida Georgia Line
** Hot Shot Debut ** No. 16 “The Heart Of Dixie” Danielle
Bradbery
Billboard History
Billboard Top Ten For Week Ending July
26, 1986:
1. “On The Other Hand” (Warner Bros.) Randy Travis
2. “Nobody In His Right Mind Would've
Left Her” (MCA) George
Strait
3. “ Wish That I Could Hurt That Way
Again” (Capitol) -T. Graham Brown
4. “Rockin' With The Rhythm Of The Rain”
(RCA) - The Judds
5. “You're The Last Thing I Needed
Tonight” (MCA) - John Schneider
6. “All Tied Up” (MCA) – Ronnie McDowell
7. “Savin' My Love For You” (RCA) - Pake McEntire
8. “Love At The Five And Dime” (Mercury)
- Kathy Mattea
9. “Strong Heart” (Columbia) - T.G. Sheppard
10. “Will The Wolf Survive” (MCA) - Waylon
Jennings
Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of August 3, 2013
The Band Perry claims its first pair of two
straight leaders on Billboard’s Country Airplay tally, as “DONE.” (Republic Nashville) gains 1.4 million audience impressions
and steps 2-1 in its 21st chart
week. It’s the act’s fourth No. 1
overall. That’s the trio’s second-quickest chart-topping climb, outpaced only
by previous leader “Better Dig Two,” which needed 15 weeks to spend the first
of two weeks at No. 1 on the Feb. 23 chart. “DONE.” (written by Neil Perry, Reid
Perry, John Davidson & Jacob Bryant) was released on March 11, 2013 and debuted
at No.37 for the week of March 16, 2013.
Neil and Reid Perry have scored their first
#1 hit as songwriters - "We've worked a long time to get here," Reid said of their songwriting success. "Celebrating 15 years since our
first family band show -- it’s accomplishments like this that make all the hard
work count for something. We still have a long way to go, but for today we are
relishing the moment."
In this chart week “DONE.” drew 44.305 million audience impressions
(+1.433) and received 6,628 radio plays
(+148) from the tracking stations.
They posted on Facebook: We write for the people. Thank
you to YOU - our precious fans - and to our family at Country radio for DONE.'s
#1. All together now: Ugh!!!
The sibling threesome first topped the
Nielsen BDS-driven chart with “If I Die Young,” which reigned in its 29th chart
week (Dec. 11, 2010), followed by “All Your Life,” which peaked in its 28th
chart week and spent the second of two weeks at No. 1 on the Feb. 25, 2012,
chart.
While the trio dominates Country
Airplay, Zac Brown
Band’s “Jump Right In”
(Atlantic/Southern Ground) steps 3-2,
marking the first time in more than a year that a pair of groups occupy the top
two positions. The last time that happened was on the May 12, 2012, chart, when
Rascal Flatts’ “Banjo” and Lady Antebellum’s “Dancin’ Away With My
Heart” ranked at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. On Country Digital Songs,
“DONE.” has risen as high as No. 7 (April 20) and has sold 650,000 downloads,
according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Randy Houser retained the “Most Increased Audience” trophy on Country Airplay (up 4.432 million impressions) with “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” (Stoney
Creek), which bullets at No. 5. It received 6,066 radio spins (+442) reaching 41.910 million audience impressions.
Keith Urban cracks the top 10 for the
first time in almost a year, as “Little
Bit of Everything” (Hit Red/Capitol Nashville) gains 3.1 million
impressions and shoots 11-9.
He most recently crossed the top 10 threshold with
“For You,” which entered the upper tier on the Aug. 11, 2012, chart, on its way
to a No. 6 peak five weeks later. The new song brings Urban’s career top 10
count to 29, which includes 14 No. 1 hits.
He most recently topped the chart with
“You Gonna Fly,” which spent two weeks at the summit in March 2012. It
introduces Urban’s upcoming seventh solo studio album, FUSE, scheduled for
release on Sept. 10. The album will be Urban’s first since GET CLOSER, which
debuted at No. 2 on Top Country Albums (Dec.
4, 2010).
Tim McGraw dominated the “Most Added” race for a second straight week, as “Southern Girl” (Big Machine) picked up new airplay commitments (ADDS)
at 32 BDS-monitored stations during the July 15-21 tracking week and surges
35-25 in its fourth week on Country Airplay. It reached a 8.586 million
audience (+4.056); with 1,406 plays (+535), thanks to the 32 ADDS. The track won the Most
Added race with 59 adds the previous week (July 8-14 tracking week).
Blake Shelton drew “Hot Shot Debut” applause at No. 42 with “Mine
Would Be You” (Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville), which starts with 2.2
million impressions at 43 of the 137 stations monitored for the chart.
Country Airplay
*** No. 1 (1 week) ***
"DONE." The Band Perry
** Most Increased Audience ** No.5 "Runnin' Outta Moonlight"
Randy Houser
** Most Added ** No.25 "Southern Girl" (Big Machine)
Tim McGraw
** Hot Shot Debut ** No.42 "Mine
Would Be You" (Warner Bros./WMN) Blake Shelton
Debut No.50 "Believe" (MCA
Nashville) George Strait
Debut No.54 "Radio" (Capitol
Nashville) Darius Rucker
Debut No.57 "Helluva Life"
(warner Bros./WAR) Frankie Ballard
Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of August 3, 2013
Florida Georgia Line with
“Cruise” held the No.1 position shifting another 138,000 copies (down 13%) for
the now 5x Platinum smash hit.
The Voice 2013 winner Danielle Bradberry, their BMLG label mate, debutted at No.2 with 78,000 copies sold
of her official debut single "The Heart of Dixie".
Hunter Hayes with “I Want Crazy” at No.3 sold 65,000 copies and is Platinum-eligible
having now past the 1-million mark.
Randy Houser moved 7-6 with "Runnin'
Outta Moonlight" and past the 700K mark.
Both Brett Eldredge (“Don’t Ya”) at No.11 and Brad Paisley’s “Beat This Summer,” have now scored Gold Singles both passing the
½-million mark.
Cassadee Pope (last years Team Blake The
Voice winner) has sold over 200k downloads of her new single “Wasting All These
Tears” and moved 49-34 on the chart.
Will Hoge’s “Strong” debuts at No.47 (10K
copies sold in 2-weeks) benefiting from its inclusion on the soundtrack to
Chevy Trucks new ad campaign.
Top 30 Digital Singles
in Country Music (published July 24, 2013)
(LW) Last Week (TW) This Week
*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000th
Billboard Boxscores (Selective Country
concerts)
Rank Artist: #1
Event Venue City/State:
Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Austin Mahone, Joel Crouse Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, Pa.
Dates: July 19-20, 2013 Gross Sales: $8,822,335 Attend: 101,277/101,277
Capacity Shows: 2/2 Sellouts Prices : $99, $69, $47
Promoters: The Messina Group/AEG Live
Rank Artist: #26
Event Venue City/State:
Blake Shelton, Easton Corbin, Jana Kramer Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Wantagh, N.Y.
Dates: July 21, 2013 Gross Sales: $656,772 Attend: 13,985/13,985
Capacity Shows: 1/1 Sellouts Prices: $59, $39
Promoters: Live Nation
Rank Artist: #28
Event Venue City/State:
Brad Paisley, Chris Young, Lee Brice, The Henningsens Darien Lake Performing Arts Center Darien Center, N.Y.
Dates:
July 12, 2013 Gross Sales: $602,446 Attend: 16,690 /21,000
Capacity Shows: 1/0 Sellouts Prices: $69, $25
Promoters: Live Nation
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