Country Billboard Chart News October 17, 2013

Country Billboard Chart News October 17, 2013

In Brief:  Billboard Country Charts

Country Album Chart ** No. 1 (1  week) ** FRAME BY FRAME Cassadee Pope

Hot Country Songs ** No. 1 (9 weeks) **  “That’s My Kind of Night” Luke Bryan

Country Airplay **  No. 1 (1 week) ** “It Goes Like This” Thomas Rhett

Country Digital Songs ** No. 1 ** (9 weeks)  “That’s My Kind of Night” Luke Bryan

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Chart News

Miley Cyrus' critically acclaimed new POP album BANGERZ (RCA Records) debuts at #1 on both the Billboard Top 200 Album chart (BB200) and the Digital Album Charts selling 270,417 album copies. 

Additionally, during release week, Bangerz hit #1 on iTunes in over 70 countries. This marks Miley's second #1 album and biggest sales week (outside of Hannah Montana properties) since 2008. Bangerz also debuted at #1 in Canada, Australia, Ireland and the UK (30,759 copies sold) where Miley currently has a double #1 with "Wrecking Ball" hitting the top slot on the UK Official singles charts selling 107,362 copies, 16.23% fewer than the 128,159 copies that "We Can't Stop" sold on its debut.

Bangerz has been getting rave reviews including Entertainment Weekly calling it "...utterly fresh, a pop blitz from a hip-hop blueprint, and proof that Miley won't settle for just shocking us." US Weekly declared it "the year's most titillating pop explosion." And gave the album "4 stars (out of 4)"

Both singles, "Wrecking Ball" and "We Can't Stop", off Bangerz have already sold 4.3 million copies in the US alone.

"Wrecking Ball" also hit #1 on Spotify where it reached the highest streams ever for any track in the US beating the next highest week by nearly 500 thousand plays.

Miley becomes the first female artist to land five #1 albums on The Billboard 200 before the age of 21. (The big day is Nov. 23.)

Bangerz follows Hannah Montana, Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus, Breakout and Hannah Montana: The Movie.

CD - MP3 - Amazon.com - UK iTunes

Cassadee Pope became the first former contestant on The Voice to land a top 10 album. The 23-year old achieves the feat as FRAME BY FRAME debuts at No.9 on the BB200 selling 43,196 copies. Of the 11 tracks, five were co-written by Pope. Fans have been able to preview individual tracks on iTunes since mid-August.

Pope was the Season 3 winner (Team Blake) on the NBC series. The album enters Billboard Top Country Albums at #1, moving aside and crashing Mr. Luke Bryan's CRASH MY PARTY which dropped from #4 to #13 (1-2 Country) It's the first debut album by a female solo artist to rank #1 since Taylor Swift's eponymous debut album wrapped a 24-week run at #1 in July 2008. (Note: Kacey Musgraves' Same Trailer Different Park was her fourth album, following three independent releases.)

Cassadee becomes the second rookie female to debut at No. 1 on Top Country Albums this year. After almost five years with no new solo women opening atop the chart, Kacey Musgraves ended the drought in April with Same Trailer Different Park (Mercury/Universal Music Group Nashville), the first such bow since Julianne Hough’s self-titled debut (June 7, 2008).

Pope easily surpasses the peak position of the only other “Voice” winner to have released an album thus far, first-season champ Javier Colon. Fourth-season winner Danielle Bradbery will release her self-titled debut country album on November 19th. Her first radio single, “The Heart of Dixie” (Republic/Big Machine), entered the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 16 in August.

Critical reception for Cassadee Pope’s “Frame By Frame”:

Tracks / Time: 41:08  CD - Amazon.com - US iTunes 

Frame by Frame (Deluxe) - Only at Target

Allmusic (Rating: 3 STARS) Cassadee Pope co-founded emo-pop-punk band Hey Monday along with guitarist Mike Gentile in 2008, and the band released a full-length album as well as several EPs before Pope left to pursue a solo career, a career that took off 21st century style when she auditioned for NBC's The Voice, passed it, and then became the first woman to win it all in the show's third season. 

By now being presented as a country singer, she signed with Republic Nashville, released a handful of digital singles, several of which hit the top of various download charts, and began recording a debut album. 

But this is the 21st century, remember, so the making of her album became a six-part docuseries starring, well, Pope, and well, in a sense, the album itself. Now Frame by Frame is out and it's time to see what's there. It isn't really country, at least not in the old sense, instead being that kind of thinly veneered pop that passes for country these days, and it isn't particularly memorable either, although the recorded sound is very good, wide and defined. A few of the tracks rise above the generic, including the bouncy opener, "Good Times," the going-out-on-the-town-it's-Friday-night anthem "Everybody Sings," a narrative about family dissolution called "11," and "This Car," which name-checks Tom Petty, but most of what is here evaporates into thin air, however brightly......This is the 21st century, so it's about how long Pope can hold the public's attention across multiple media. She can definitely sing and she's photogenic, so that should help, and this album won't hurt her, which is really the point, docuseries and all. It's the 21st century.

Roughstock (Rating: 4 STARS) In many ways Frame By Frame positions Cassadee Pope right between Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood and there are times when the songs on the record remind me of each.... Every song on Frame By Frame has the potential to be a radio single after breakout single "Wasting All These Tears" which is a girl power anthem in the same vein of Miranda Lambert's string of strong-woman songs. "11" is a special, song-of-the-year type of song, a song that feels like it could be her big star-making single, the one that announces the true arrival of a powerful, singer/songwriter, something which Cassadee Pope clearly is.

U Musicians (Rating: 4/5) Cassadee’s full length album has literally made me a fan of her, if I wasn’t one before. She has proved herself to the country music fans with her great tone. Her album is one of the best of the year in country music and I have no doubt it will succeed.

headlineplanet.com Identity Issues Plague Cassadee Pope’s “Frame by Frame” Album ......Fueled by memorable performances like “Over You,” Pope cruised to victory on season three of “The Voice,” simultaneously becoming its most country and most commercially-appealing winner.

But despite its musical justification, the transformation did not win the approval of all onlookers. To a segment of country fans, whose genre values nothing as intently as it does authenticity, Pope’s rebranding seemed unappealingly calculated. To a segment of pop-punk fans, Pope’s shift represented an opportunistic abandonment of a genre she cherished enough to still call poster girl Avril Lavigne a key influence.

An undeniably fun, catchy set of songs, “Frame by Frame” is sadly without any sense of uniqueness or meaning. Coincidental commonalities in lyrics and compositional structure occasionally emerge, but they never speak to a consistent heart or soul. The songs never provide an underlying, unifying reason for their shared existence on this album....In addition to the uniquely-crafted “Wasting All My Tears,” “Frame by Frame” also reaches a high point with “I Wish I Could Break Your Heart.” .....She is not perfect. The natural “cry” in her voice, which is superb for conveying heartbreak, prevents truly coming across as fun or happy on the uptempos. Her lower register still leaves something to be desired. But she is a real talent. And she deserves a better debut than this. She deserves an album with more sincere and introspective lyrics, more original and tailor-made song concepts and, most importantly, more identity.

Joe Nichols’ debut album with RedBow Records (also the label’s debut), CRICKETS, sold 15,105 copies to enter the BB200 at No.17 (#3 Country) .

The album apparently leaked early the week previous to log a No.41 Country slot so combined 2 week totals represent some 16, 000 copies.

Named for the country setting of the album and the frequent mention of crickets in several tracks, this 16-song collection includes his single "Sunny And 75" as well as a cover of Merle Haggard's "Footlights" in honor of his late father. Nichols says the album reflects the changes in his life in recent years and the bright spot he's in now, and is "a record full of energy and full of life”.

Joe Nichols began a new phase in his career with this his eighth studio album. Nearing the one-year anniversary of signing with

Red Bow Records, Nichols says it marks a fresh start on his musical journey - "It's a different mentality, it's a different family," Nichols told CMT Hot 20 Countdown about his new label home. "I can start page one and tell my story all over again and in a completely different way. And so, musically, I think we've hit a home run. I think this is the best album I've ever done, and I'm not shy of saying it."

Critical reception for Joe Nichols’ Crickets:

16 Tracks Time: 54:43  CD -  Amazon.com - US iTunes

GAC  A new record label and a new production team seem to have re-energized Joe Nichols as he prepares to release his eighth studio album. Led by a team consisting of producers Mickey Jack Cones (Trace Adkins, Act of Valor Soundtrack) and Derek George (Randy Houser), Joe showcases his optimistic and happy-go-lucky persona on Crickets while also demonstrating a clear love for classic country....Crickets is packed tight with 16 songs. With so many cuts on the album, there’s a danger of falling into a repetitive trap. However, Joe manages a richly diverse collection that plays to his everyman strengths....There’s a sense that Joe is quite literally smiling while he sings many of the songs on Crickets... The pedal steel and fiddle “Old School Country Song” is an insightful take on current times fitting classic country emotions.... he shines on the album’s more traditional works like the piano-based “Billy Graham’s Bible” to expose a song’s true feeling....The result is ample reason to be excited by Joe’s own fresh start, with a new label and creative team as Crickets is easily one of the singer’s best projects to date.

Billboard (Chuck Dauphin) ....there will be some that hit the panic button upon first listen to Joe Nichols’ CD. This is – in spots – a little different sound. On cuts like “Love Has A Way,” “Yeah,” and the current single “Sunny and 75,” there is a very contemporary sheen, akin to

Aldean and Bryan. But, when Nichols opens his mouth, all doubts fly out the door.....There are a few Twitty-like moments of evolution on Crickets that work as well as anything he has ever cut. “Just Let Me Fall In Love With You” and “Baby, You’re In Love With Me” are smashes-in-waiting, especially the former, and Nichols puts his George Strait hat on with the mid-tempo romantic number “Better Than Beautiful,”  which is also a highlight. The title cut is a laid back winner, and “Old School Country Song” is proof that, even with all the changes we have in our culture today, the emotions that people feel in 2013 are the same as 1983 or 1953, for that matter....Throw in a few party songs for the stage, and you’ve got a disc that showcases the fact that Joe Nichols is one of the finest voices the Country format has known the past two decades. That has not – or will not, change! You’ve got to shake things up every now and then – to avoid going stale. After all, it worked for Conway Twitty, and one would be hard pressed to find a better example of a career to pattern one’s career after, right?

Peter Cooper on Music: Joe Nichols is back with a new sound and a new perspective .....My last couple of years on Show Dog were filled with animosity and bad decisions…On this album; I lost all that junk and went about it in a better mindset. I felt like I needed to do something different. …I’d felt stagnant, and I didn’t want to feel stagnant anymore. I didn’t want to do the same thing, because the same thing wasn’t working....

Kenny Rogers  logged his 24th top 10 on Top Country Albums with YOU CAN'T MAKE OLD FRIENDS (SKH/Warner Music Nashville), debuted at No.43 on the BB200 (#9 Country Album) selling over 8,000 copies.

Rogers first cracked the top 50 on The Billboard 200 in November 1969 with Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town, on which he fronted The First Edition. The title song of the new album is a duet with Dolly Parton, with whom Rogers has recorded three Hot 100 hits, including the #1 "Islands In The Stream."

He last reached the top 10 with THE LOVE OF GOD, which peaked at No. 7 two years ago when it opened with sales of 12,590.  With a chart history that includes 11 leaders (1976-85), Rogers is slated for Country Music Hall of Fame induction on Oct. 27.

Kenny Rogers' first country album in seven years paired him with his old friend Dolly Parton for the title track, released in honour of the 30-year anniversary of their first duet, "Islands In The Stream." Rogers calls it the most diverse album he's ever recorded, saying, "It goes from songs I would normally sing, to songs I would normally never even listen to”.

Having Dolly sing with him on "You Can't Make Old Friends" made Kenny step up his game in the vocal department, too. He says. "I've always been convinced that duets are better than singles because you sing a song as best you think it can, and then someone comes in and sings it better, and you go, 'Oops, I need to change my part.'  So, she just killed it.  So, I went back and kind of did some things on mine."

Beyond the title cut, Kenny explores country, pop and even Cajun-influenced zydeco sounds on the new album.  Tackling those different musical styles was a creative challenge for Kenny, but it also made appealed to him from a business perspective too.

In celebration of the album release, Rogers did a blitz of media appearances that kicked off with an interview and performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! On October 2nd. Rogers was also featured on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, Extra!, GAC’s Backstory, CBS This Morning and Fox & Friends. Read the Press Release

Critical reception for Kenny Rogers’ “You Can't Make Old Friends”:

11 Tracks / Time: 44:38 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes Amazon.com

“His voice is still an instrument to be reckoned with.” – JSOnline - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Intense displays of love, hope, anger and patriotism keep the listener pulled forward to hear what will come next.” – Taste of Country

Country Weekly notes “you have to give Kenny a ton of credit for being willing to spread his wings in new directions—and even more for pulling it off.” 

Allmusic (Rating: 3 STARS) A big-budget Kenny Rogers album is a rare thing in the new millennium. Live albums, Christian records, Cracker Barrel exclusives, and seasonal specials piled up with regularity, but only 2006's Water & Bridges -- a reflective country album released on Capitol Nashville -- qualified as an album with real chart aspirations and 2013's You Can’t Make Old Friends acts as its unofficial sequel, a heavily produced, heavily promoted record designed not to woo back country fans but his crossover audience. To that end, the centerpiece arrives first thing: a sticky, sentimental duet with Dolly Parton on "You Can't Make Old Friends,".... but Kenny feels more comfortable when he's cruising down the middle of the road, singing songs that are as appealing for their feel as their form. Maybe the individual songs aren't so memorable but the overall experience is one smooth ride.

Associated Press  Rogers always made the huskiness of his voice work for him, and that holds true through most of these 11 new songs. Impressively, he hits high, forceful notes when required, matching long-time duet partner Dolly Parton on the soaring passages of the wistfully sentimental title tune, which would have fit on any of his solo albums from decades past....He occasionally reaches too far, as in "'Merica," certainly the first patriotic tune to reference a spanked child and a drunken uncle. For the most part, though, Rogers proves he can still deliver the romantic ballads and dramatic narratives on which his reputation rests.

Outside of the Billboard Top 200 and Top 40 Country placings saw Joey+Rory’s latest album MADE TO LAST land at No.44 on The Country Album Chart.

Their self-released album sold around 1,600 copies (300 to ‘pre-sale’ fans and 1,300 on release week) for the expecting parent’s new Farmhouse Records release.

They have entered a wholly independent phase of their career (after releasing a handful of albums with Sugar Hill/Vanguard Records). It's the husband and wife duo's fourth full-length album of Country Music and sixth overall, with 2013's inspirational album  Inspired: Songs of Faith & Family (via Gaither Music Group) and their 2011 Christmas album A Farmhouse Christmas.

The new album (available on CD and Vinyl) features a dozen tracks, most of them featured on their RFD Network television show The Joey+Rory Show. “This album is the most personal project we’ve ever worked on,” explained Feek. “With this record, we had the freedom to record anything we wanted. We chose these songs solely because we loved them and wanted to sing them. I know the fans will be able to feel that intimacy when they listen to these tracks." It contains a handful of covers on the album with Towns Van Zant's "If I Needed You," George Jones' "50,000 Names" and Alan Jackson's "To Do What I Do," a song written by the duo's close friend Tim Johnson, who passed away after battling cancer last year. In fact, every track comes complete with its own personal back-story about why it was included on the record, providing listeners with a glimpse into the heart and soul of the tender duo.

12 Tracks / Time 37:56 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com - US iTunes

Of note Amos Lee's MOUNTAINS OF SORROW, RIVERS OF SONG debuted at No.16 on the Billboard Top 200 (#1 Folk Album) selling 18,425 copies. – Amazon UK

Lee's fifth studio album was recorded in Nashville with acclaimed producer Jay Joyce. The convenient location allowed several remarkable guests to participate in the sessions - Alison Krauss joins Lee on "Chill In The Air" and Patty Griffin sings harmony on "Mountains of Sorrow."

This album finds Lee in new sonic territory, working with a broader palette of textures and instrumentation yet retaining the trenchant impact of the scenes, characters and stories that he is renowned for. Lee, who has toured with such artists as Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, Elvis Costello, Adele and Dave Matthews Band, will celebrate the release of his new album with an extensive tour including London's Royal Festival Hall on May 9th 2014. See press release to win tickets.

New at #64 on the Billboard 200 (#22 Rock Album/ #5 Folk Album) saw Patty Griffin debut with SILVER BELL. 

It was recorded in 2000 but got lost in the shuffle of a record company ownership change. Coming off two very critically acclaimed yet commercially unspectacular albums, Patty Griffin recorded her third album in 1999 at Daniel Lanois’ New Orleans studio, with the understanding that A&M Records would release it just as it had released her 1996 debut, Living with Ghosts, and her 1998 follow-up, Flaming Red. However, the label had recently been purchased by Universal Music, which shuffled the imprints and upended the hierarchy. A&M cancelled the release and shelved the album indefinitely.

Critical reception for Patty Griffin’s “Silver Bell”:

14 Tracks/ Time: 58:58  CD - Vinyl - MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com 

Allmusic (Rating: 4 STARS) If the Chicks' covers suggest that the album has a strong country flavor, that's not necessarily wrong, but there’s a roiling rock undertow tempered by a smoky, late-night soulfulness that gives this album its emotional resonance....It is simultaneously inward and explosive, a record that demands close listening and certainly rewards the attention.....it's hard to hear Silver Bell and not think of it as a compelling transitional LP that's the missing piece of the puzzle, the moment when Patty Griffin inadvertently learned that the hard road not only resulted in a rewarding journey, but it was the road she was destined to take.

American Songwriter (Rating: 4 out of 5 stars)....After all, Griffin is riding high off the success of American Kid, her outstanding disc from earlier this year. Having this long-awaited album come down the pike is like an embarrassment of riches for her fans. The most famous songs on Silver Bell are “Truth #2” and “Top Of The World,” which were included by The Dixie Chicks on their mega-selling 2002 album Home. Griffin’s versions feature her unique vocal stylings, which often erupt from low, slurred mumbles into piercing notes that soar above everything. On “Truth #2,” she gets help on harmonies from Emmylou Harris, while on the staggeringly great “Top Of The World,” her performance exposes every wound of the regret-wracked souls who populate the song. Griffin gets lumped in with alt-country and Americana and the like, but she’s always been a bit too prickly and restless an artist to be easily contained by any one genre. That’s evident on Silver Bell, where the title track, “Sorry And Sad,” and “Boston” thrash and slash with abandon, while “Perfect White Girls” rides a distorted, grinding rhythm into a thick funk. Opening track “Little God,” with its eerie guitar riffs and Griffin’s wild screams at the end, calls to mind “The End” by The Doors....So don’t be deceived by the lack of drama surrounding the initial shelving of Patty Griffin’s Silver Bell. It may not have a story of a lost classic, but it has the music of a freshly discovered treasure.

Paste Magazine  (Rating: 7.5) ...Silver Bell is generally best when it’s quietest, when Griffin’s vocals don’t have to compete with a denser sound.....this delayed release is an artifact from an era when the industry was only beginning to stumble and when Griffin had not quite reached her stride.

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Placings

(Issue dated Chart week of October 26, 2013)

(Country Album positions #1 - #25)

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

Top 25 Hot Country Songs (week of October 26, 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:

Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night” enjoyed a ninth week atop Hot Country Songs.

Thomas Rhett has now logged two weeks at No. 2 peak so far with “It Goes Like This”. Should the track top the chart Rhett would become the sixth second-generation solo artist preceded at No. 1 by a solo-artist parent in the chart’s almost-70-year history. That feat has been accomplished by Hank Williams Jr. (son of Hank Williams), Rosanne Cash (daughter of Johnny Cash), Shelly West (daughter of Dottie West), Pam Tillis (daughter of Mel Tillis) and Lorrie Morgan (daughter of George Morgan).

Cassadee Pope’s current single “Wasting All These Tears” returned to the top 10 (17-10) for the first time since it debuted at No. 7 (June 22).

Singer/songwriter Chase Rice nabs the Hot Shot Debut at No. 27 with “Ready Set Roll,” (Dack Janiels/Artist Revolution), which also made a No. 2 bow on Country Digital Songs (42,000 downloads sold). Rice co-wrote Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise,” which spent an unprecedented 24 weeks atop Hot Country Songs and still remains in the Top 10 at No. 6 this week. Rice also gained exposure as the runner-up on CBS’ “Survivor: Nicaragua” in the show’s 21st season (2010). Ready” is the title track from Rice’s new EP, released Oct. 15.

Top 25 Hot Country Songs:

Luke Bryan with “That’s My Kind Of Night” stays Top The Chart! #1

Thomas Rhett with “It Goes Like This” stays at #2

Jason Aldean with “Night Train” is up one, #4 - #3 p

Blake Shelton with “Mine Would Be You” is up two, #6 - #4 p

Billy Currington with “Hey Girl” stays at #5

Florida Georgia Line with former #1 “Cruise” is up,  #7 - #6 p

Tyler Farr with “Redneck Crazy” falls, #3 - #7 q

Chris Young  with “Aw Naw” stays at #8

Tim McGraw with “Southern Girl” stays at #9

Cassadee Pope with “Wasting All These Tears” jumps up, #17 - #10 p

Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert with “We Were Us” is up, #13 - #11 p

Joe Nichols with “Sunny And 75” stays at #12  

Florida Georgia Line with “Round Here” is down three, #10 - #13 q

Lee Brice with “Parking Lot Party” is down three, #11 - #14 q

Parmalee with “Carolina” is up three, #18 - #15 p

Taylor Swift with “Red” is down two slots, #14 - #16 q

Eli Young Band with “Drunk Last Night” is down, #15 - #17 q

Luke Bryan with “Crash My Party” is down two, #16 - #18 q

Darius Rucker  with former No.1 “Wagon Wheel” is up, #21 - #19 p

David Nail with “Whatever She’s Got” hops up, #24 - #20 p

Randy Houser with “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” is down one, #20 - #21 q

Blake Shelton with “Boys ‘Round Here”  is down three, #19 - #22 q

Hunter Hayes with “I Want Crazy” stays at #23

Jake Owen with “Days Of Gold” is up three slots, #27 - #24 p

Craig Campbell with “Outta My Head” is up one, #26 - #25  p

Hot Country Songs

** No.1 (9 weeks) **  “That’s My Kind Of Night” Luke Bryan

** Streaming Gainer  ** No.10 “Wasting All These Tears” Cassadee Pope

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.27  “Ready Set Roll” Chase Rice

** Digital & Airplay Gainer ** No.28 “Stay” Florida Georgia Line

Debut No.50 “Goodnight Kiss” Randy Houser

Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of October 26, 2013

Singer songwriter Thomas Rhett with “It Goes Like This” (Valory) shot 4-1, his first-ever #1 single as an artist, after 25 weeks on the Billboard’s Nielsen BDS-based Country Airplay chart. 

The Georgia native previously celebrated topping the Country charts as a songwriter, penning Florida Georgia Line’s two-week #1 “Round Here.”

Thomas becomes the first solo artist in the list’s history (which dates to January 1990) with a parent that previously scored a No. 1 as a soloist. Rhett’s father, Rhett Akins, reached the summit with “Don’t Get Me Started” the week of Aug. 3, 1996 (marking his lone No. 1 on the tally).

The new No. 1 is the younger artist’s third Country Airplay entry. He peaked at No. 15 with “Something to Do With My Hands” in August 2012 and followed with “Beer with Jesus,” which reached No. 19 in January. Akins’ Country Airplay chart history as a recording artist includes 12 charted songs.  

In recent years, Rhet Akins appeared on the chart as a co-writer of hits by Blake Shelton (“Honey Bee,” “All About Tonight,” “Boys ’Round Here”), Justin Moore (“Point at You”), Chris Young (“I Can Take It From There”) and others. In various co-writing arrangements, the father and/or son appear on this week’s chart with “This,” Billy Currington’s “Hey Girl” (No. 2), Lee Brice’s “Parking Lot Party” (No.7), Dustin Lynch’s “Wild in Your Smile” (No. 31) and Aaron Lewis’ “Granddaddy's Gun" (No.47).

The GOLD-certified “It Goes Like This” is the title track to Thomas’ debut album, which is slated for release 10/29. It was first released back on May 6, 2013 and was written by his Dad Rhett Akins along with Ben Hayslip and Jimmy Robbins.

During the tracking week the song logged 47.706 million audience impressions (+2.002), and received 7,112 plays (+356). Top local audience contributors for “This” were: WUSN Chicago (1.5 million impressions), KEEY Minneapolis (1 million), KMNB Minneapolis (1 million), KKBQ Houston (944,000) and WKLB Boston (908,000).

“I am so humbled and honored to have a #1 at country radio with this song. The response from fans and radio has been overwhelming,” said Thomas Rhett. “This is just one of those very special songs the moment I heard it I knew it would be a gamechanger.  It has been incredible to hear people singing the words back to me from the audience every night.”

The success comes as Thomas Rhett wraps a coveted opening slot on Jason Aldean’s NIGHT TRAIN TOUR.

>> Watch the video for “It Goes Like This”

EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Rhettneck Music, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Tar-Cam-Knox Music, ASCAP/Get A Load Of This Music, ASCAP/Universal Music Corporation, ASCAP/Extraordinary Alien Publishing, ASCAP (R.Akins, B.Hayslip, J.Robbins)

Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert's “We Were Us” (Hit Red/Capitol Nashville/RCA Nashville) cracked the top 10 (13-10) in its sixth chart week. That’s the quickest top 10 ascent since Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night” (Capitol Nashville) made the trip in five weeks on the Sept.14 chart. “Us” is Urban’s 30th top 10 on Country Airplay and Lambert’s ninth. Dating to Urban’s first week in the top tier (Aug. 12, 2000), he boasts the second-most top 10s, trailing only Kenny Chesney (36 in that span). He was previously tied with Brad Paisley and Tim McGraw, each with 29 in that window. Since the Country Airplay chart launched, Urban and Paisley round out the 10 artists with the most top 10s (30 each); George Strait leads with 61.

Florida Georgia Line at No.30, took home the week’s “Most Increased Audience” and “Most Added” honours for their 5 week latest airplay single “Stay”.  It logged 6.316 million audience impressions, an increase of 3.517 million and received 1,104 plays (+711) thanks to 47 new radio commitments (ADDS) 

Country Airplay

*** No. 1 (1 week) *** "It Goes Like This” Thomas Rhett

** Airpower ** No.19  “Days Of Gold” Jake Owen

 ** Most Increased Audience/ Most Added ** No.30 “Stay” Florida Georgia Line  

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.55 “19 You + Me” Dan + Shay

Debut No.60 “Cut Me Some Slack” (Bigger Picture) Chris Janson

 Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of October 26, 2013

Luke Bryan with “That’s My Kind Of Night” sold 78,000 downloads and remained at No.1 for a ninth week.

Chase Rice made a bow at #2, selling 42,000 copies of his self-released “Ready Set Roll” single.

Thomas Rhett’s Country Airplay #1, “It Goes Like This,” moved 2-3.

Cassadee Pope made a 6-4 climb with “Wasting All These Tears” and she has now sold 447K in 15 weeks.

Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert’s enters the Top 10 with  “We Were Us” in their 5th week.

Florida Georgia Line with their latest hit “Stay” made a 45-19 hop with a sales increase of 135%.

Hunter Hayes with “Wanted” was back on the top 30 moving 48-28 thanks to a iTunes sale with a track that has shifted 3.3 million downloads over 79 chart weeks.

Top 30 Digital Singles in Country Music (published October 16, 2013)

 (LW) Last Week  (TW) This Week

Country Aircheck/ Mediabase chart
Billy Currington 3-1 to head the Country Aircheck/ Mediabase chart for the tracking week Oct 6 – Oct 12.  “Hey Girl” logged  7,267 radio plays (+256) with an audience of 55.707 million impressions.