Tuesday 31 December 2013

UKCountryRadio.com’s - Greatest Country Hits of all time

UKCountryRadio.com’s - Greatest Country Hits of all time

Click to ENLARGE Graphic

Over many months the presenters of UKCountryRadio.com  talked about their search for the Greatest Country Hits of all time. In conjunction with a country magazine they asked listeners/ readers to send in their all time favourite three country songs to help compile a definitive chart – See separate Blog Post.

The more people that took part then the more accurate their countdown would reflect the UK's top 30 country songs. UKCountryRadio.com got really excited about this as the end of the year approached!
UKCR station head Mr. Allan Watkiss thanked listeners who sent in their top 3 sharing - "many many of you over the last few months sent in your all time 3 country songs to enable us to compile this special countdown"
Just how many voted is at this stage unknown (50, 500, 5000, 50,000)?
The age demographic of those who took to time to vote was most probably from 55 to 80 or from under 55’s brought up on country music by their parents.
It is very much a “looking back” selection rather than widely embracing any new material.
UKCountryRadio.com claim is: "Playing the Hottest Country Music for the UK, 24 hours a day” and previously in their radio adverts they stated they were the "Most Listened to country station across the UK "
Was this the most comprehensive survey ever conducted by a UK country radio station?





















Listen to UKCountryRadio.com's team of "heavy-weight" presenters Richard Edeson, Allan Watkiss, Liz Hill, Alan Potter, Brian Stanley and Simon Large countdown the Top 30. 




Findings:
  • 7 Songs were drawn from the 1950's, 3 songs from the 60's8 songs from 70's, 6 songs from the 80's, 2 songs from the 90's , 2 songs from the 2000's and  2 songs from the 2010 made the cut.
  • Just 5 of the songs choosen were solo female performances. 
  • 23 were males with one duet and one group.

There was no room for the record breaking duo Florida Georgia Line whose single “Cruise” from 2013  has sold 6.2 million downloads, which remained atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart making it 24 non-consecutive No.1 weeks, 3-weeks clear of the pack in the charts entire history. One of the songs it surpassed the 21 week #1 "I'm Moving On," by Hank Snow (1950-51) was the 26th most popular track as voted by UKCountryRadio.com listeners.

He Stopped Loving Her Today” from the late George Jones, nicknamed “Possum[because of his marsupial resemblance] headed the list at #1 as a “runaway winner”.
His signature song recorded in 1980, was a track about love and death. The song, which he said was his favourite, revived a flagging career.
Following his death on Friday April 26, 2013 many in the media and artists proclaimed Jones as the greatest country singer.
One of those who went on record was BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris and another former CMA International Broadcaster of the Year BBC Radio Lancashire’s Joe Fish said Jones was "The greatest country singer of all time"
Others who paid their respects to Jones:
Cowboy Jack Clement [Producer, a 50-year friend of Jones] - “I think George is probably the greatest country singer who ever lived. And I’m not alone in that opinion. All the artists loved him.
Mel Tillis - "I met George when he came to Nashville and we became good friends.  I'm really going to miss him.  The world has lost the greatest singer to have ever lived."
Gretchen Peters - So sad to hear George Jones is no longer with us. My very first cut as a songwriter was by him [“Travellers Prayer”]  I was spoiled for life. The greatest country singer ever. 

One out of the box track and the most recent song chosen by listeners (#25) was Lady Antebellum’s Hello World" from their 2010 album NEED YOU NOW. Strangely more popular than smash hits “American Honey” and the 6-million selling world wide hit “Need You Now”.
Other tracks include many that the average man on the street would recogonize as a stereo-typical country song from a budget all time classics release.

Listen to the Top 30 on this Spotify Playlist: UKCountryRadio.com Greatest Hits
Here are the details of the entire Top 30:   

#1 "He Stopped Loving Her Today" George Jones (1980) : It has been named in several surveys as the greatest country song of all time. 
Released on April 14, 1980 and written Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman it was the lead single from Jones' album I AM WHAT I AM. The song on July 5, 1980 with 1 week at #1) became Jones's first No. 1 single (Billboard Hot Country Songs) in six years. The week after Jones' death the song re-entered the Hot Country Songs chart in May 2013 at No.21. Alan Jackson sang the song during George Jones' funeral service on May 2, 2013.
Download “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (Album Version)

#2 "Crazy" Patsy Cline (1962): Written by Willie Nelson the ballad has been recorded by several artists, most notably by Patsy Cline, whose version was a #2 country hit in 1962. She picked it as a follow up to her previous big hit I Fall to Pieces.

#3 "Ring Of Fire" Johnny Cash (1963): Co-written by June Carter Cash (wife of Johnny Cash) and Merle Kilgore the single appeared on Cash's 1963 album, RING OF FIRE: THE BEST OF JOHNNY CASH. It became the biggest hit of Johnny Cash's career, staying at number one on the charts for seven weeks.

#4 "Always On My Mind" Willie Nelson (1982): Written by Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson it was first recorded first by Brenda Lee in 1972. Recorded by Willie in the spring of 1982 it raced to No.1 on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles chart that May, spending two weeks atop and total of 21 weeks on the chart. It charted at #49 in the UK. Nelson's version would result in three wins at the 25th Grammy Awards in February 1983: Song of the Year and Best Country Song; in addition, Nelson won for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

#5 "Farewell Party" Gene Watson (1979): Written by Charlie Williams, it was released by Capitol in 1979 as the second single from the album REFLECTIONS. The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles.

#6 "Crazy Arms" Ray Price (1956): The song, released in May 1956 by Columbia Records, went on to become a hit that year and a honky-tonk standard. It was Price's first #1 hit. The song was written by Ralph Mooney and Charles Seals.

#7 "Sunday Morning Coming Down" Kris Kristofferson (1970): Written by Kristofferson it was first recorded by Ray Stevens in 1969; it became Stevens' first country chart hit. Kristofferson released his own version the following year, on his debut album, Kristofferson. Johnny Cash also released a version of the song that year, on his live album The Johnny Cash Show. Cash's recording won the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year in 1970 and hit number one on the country charts Oct 10, 1970

#8 "Help Me Make It Through The Night" Kris Kristofferson (1970): Composed by Kristofferson it was released on his 1970 album Kristofferson. Sammi Smith's recording would reach number-one on the U.S. country charts. On February 20, 1971, it reached #8 on Billboard's U.S. pop singles chart, and also enjoyed success in Canada, Great Britain, and Germany.

#9 "I Will Always Love You" Dolly Parton (1974): Written by Parton it was released on June 6, 1974 as the second single from Parton's thirteenth solo studio album, JOLENE (1974). The singer wrote the song for her one-time partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, from whom she was professionally splitting at the time. Parton became the first artist ever to earn a number one record twice with the same song as a singer, and three times as a writer. Whitney Houston recorded a version of the song for the 1992 film The Bodyguard which became one of the best selling singles of all time.

#10 "You're My Best Friend" Don Williams (1975): Written by Wayland Holyfield it was released in April 1975 as the first single and title track from the album YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND. The song became Williams' second No.1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in June 21, 1975. It has since become one of Williams' signature songs.

#11 "Your Cheatin' Heart" Hank Williams (1952):  Written by Hank Williams it's regarded as one of country's most important standards. He was inspired to write the song while driving with his fianceĆ© from Nashville, Tennessee to Shreveport, Louisiana. After describing his first wife Audrey Sheppard as a "Cheatin' Heart", he dictated in minutes the lyrics to Billie Jean Jones. Williams recorded the song on his last session at Castle Records in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 23. "Your Cheatin' Heart" was released in January 1953. Propelled by Williams' recent death during a trip to a New Year's concert in Canton, Ohio, the song became an instant success. It topped Billboard's Country & Western chart for six weeks, while over a million units were sold. he song ranked at 217 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and was ranked number 5 on Country Music Television's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music.

#12 "Stand By Your Man" Tammy Wynette (1968): Co-written by Tammy Wynette and Billy Sherrill it was released by Epic in September 1968 and proved to be the most successful record of Wynette's career and is one of the most covered songs in the history of country music. The song was placed at number one on CMT's list of the Top 100 Country Music Songs. It reached #1 on the U.S. country charts in late 1968 for three weeks. It reached number one in the UK when the record was finally released in Britain in 1975.

#13 "Jolene" Dolly Parton (1973): Written and performed by Parton it was released by RCA in October 1973 as the first single and title track from her album JOLENE. It is ranked #219 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It topped The Hot Country Sings chart for just one week on February 2, 1974 and got to No.7 on the UK Singles Chart.

#14 "Rhinestone Cowboy" Glen Campbell (1975):  Written by Larry Weiss it was released by Capitol on May 26, 1975. The song spent that summer climbing both the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles and Billboard Hot 100 charts before peaking at No. 1 by season's end - three non-consecutive weeks on the country chart, two weeks on the Hot 100. It made #4 on the U.K. Singles Chart.

#15 "The Gambler" Kenny Rogers (1978): Written by Don Schlitz it was released on November 15, 1978 as the title track from Rogers' album THE GAMBLER which won him the Grammy award for best male country vocal performance in 1980. It was one of five consecutive songs by Rogers to hit #1 on the Billboard country music charts. On the pop chart, the song made #16 in early 1979. It peaked at #22 on the U.K. Singles Chart. 

#16 "On The Road Again" Willie Nelson (1980): The self penned song was part of the soundtrack to the 1980 movie Honeysuckle Rose. It became Nelson's 9th Country & Western No. 1 hit overall in November 1980, and became one of his most recognizable tunes. In addition, the song reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. It won him a Grammy Award for Best Country Song a year later.

#17 "Islands In The Stream" Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers (1983): Written by The Bee Gees it's title is named after the Ernest Hemingway novel and was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers' album EYES THAT SEE IN THE DARK and the second pop number-one for both Rogers and Parton
It spent two weeks as the number one country song and in the year's final countdown was the number one song of the year of 1983. In December of that year it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping two million physical copies in the US. It reached #7 on the U.K. Singles Chart.

#18 "Diggin' Up Bones" Randy Travis (1986): Written by Al Gore, Paul Overstreet and Nat Stuckey it was released by Warner Bros. in July 1986 as the third single from Travis' album Storms of Life. It peaked at number-one on Hot Country Singles on November 8, 1986.

#19 "All My Ex's Live In Texas" George Strait (1987): Written by Sanger D. Shafer and Linda J. Shafer it was released on April 1987 as the second single from Strait's album OCEAN FRONT PROPERTY. It peaked at number-one on Hot Country Singles on July 11, 1987 (>> Video)


#20 "Ain't Goin Down Till The Sun Comes Up" Garth Brooks (1993): The song was written by Brooks, Kent Blazy and Kim Williams. Trisha Yearwood sings harmony vocals. It was released by Liberty on July 26, 1993 as the lead single from his album, IN PIECES. The song reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of September 18, 1993 and peaked at #13 on the U.K. Singles Chart.

#21 "Buy Me A Rose" Kenny Rogers (1999): Written by Jim Funk and Erik Hickenlooper it was released on October 13, 1999 by for his personal label, Dreamcatcher Records.as the third single from his album SHE RIDES WILD HORSES. It reached number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in May 2000 making Kenny (who was 61 years old at the time) the oldest country singer to have a Number One hit.

#22 "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett (2003): Written by Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins and  performed by Alan Jackson with Jimmy Buffett, it was released on June 2, 2003 as the lead single from Jackson's 2003 compilation album GREATEST HITS VOLUME II. It spent eight non-consecutive weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in summer of 2003. On November 5, 2003, it also won the Country Music Association (CMA) Award for Vocal Event of the Year.

#23 "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" Rodney Atkins (2006): Written by Dave Berg, Sam Tate and Annie Tate it was released by Curb Records on January 9, 2006 as the lead-off single to his album IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL. The song became a number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, spending four weeks at the top.

#24 "The House That Built Me" Miranda Lambert (2010): Written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin it was released in March 8, 2010 as the third single from her third studio album, REVOLUTION. For the chart week of June 12, 2010, the song became Lambert's first Number One hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and held its place at the top for four consecutive weeks. At the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011, she won a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The song won Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards in 2010.

#25 "Hello World" Lady Antebellum (2010):  It was written by Tom Douglas, Tony Lane and David Lee and was released in October 2010 as the fourth single from their album NEED YOU NOW. "Hello World" which received mixed reviews from critics was performed at the 2010 CMA Awards. Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe calling it "a running narration of the most boring drive through town ever. It peaked at #6 on US Hot Country Songs.

#26 "I'm Moving On" Hank Snow (1950):  Written by Hank Snow it was recorded on March 28, 1950 and reached #1 on the Billboard country singles chart and stayed there for 21 weeks. Until August 2013, the jointly held the record for most weeks at No. 1 on the country chart, until being surpassed by "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line.

#27 "Hey, Good Lookin'" Hank Williams (1951):  The song was created and recorded by as a variation of a song of the same name, similar lyrics, and similar melody written by Cole Porter in 1942.  Williams' version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001 and it topped the Hot Country Songs chart.

#28 "There Stands The Glass"  Webb Pierce (1953): Written by Russ Hull, Mary Jean Shurtz and Audrey Greisham it was Pierce's fifth release to hit number one on the country charts. Pierce's recording spent 27 weeks on the country charts, and was at #1 for 12 weeks

#29 "I Walk The Line" Johnny Cash (1956):  Written by Johnny Cash it was recorded on April 2, and became the first number one Billboard hit for Cash. The single remained on the record charts for over 43 weeks, and sold over 2 million copies. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song at #30 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

#30 "El Paso" Marty Robbins (1959):  The country and western ballad was first released on “Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs” in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching number one in both at the start of 1960. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961, and remains Robbins' best-known song.

Saturday 28 December 2013

Country Billboard Chart News December 26, 2013

Country Billboard Chart News December 26, 2013

In Brief:  Billboard Country Charts

Country Album Chart ** No. 1 (4 weeks) ** Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences Garth Brooks
Hot Country Songs ** No.1 (4 weeks) **  “Stay”  Florida Georgia Line
Country Airplay **  No.1 (1 week) **  “Stay”  Florida Georgia Line
Country Digital Songs ** No.1 (1 week) ** "Bottoms Up” Brantley Gilbert

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Chart News

This chart week on the Billboard 200 albums chart (BB200), Beyonce's new self-titled album ruled at No. 1 for a second week, as it sold 373,803 copies (After 2 weeks – 991,122) according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's down 39% from its debut frame, when it arrived on the chart with 617,000 from just three days of sales (in the week ending Dec. 15).

Garth Brooks spent another week at #1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart with his box set BLAME IT ALL ON MY ROOTS
According to Nielsen SoundScan, the Walmart-only release sold another 199,168 copies in the past week for a 4-week grand total of 680,547 copies total. Like all of Garth's albums, Blame It All on My Roots is not available for digital download.
On the overall Billboard 200 Albums chart, Garth sits at #2 behind BeyoncƩ's self-titled album.
The eight-disk set (six CDs, two DVDs) is the second box set to spend four weeks at #1 on the country chart. The first was Brooks' six-CD "The Limited Series" in 1998. "Blame It All On My Roots" has sold a robust 681K copies.

Despite the controversy surrounding Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson's anti-gay comments and African Americans in GQ, the Robertson family's holiday album, "DUCK THE HALLS: A ROBERTSON FAMILY CHRISTMAS, saw a 22% increase last week with 132,000 copies sold. That's good enough for a #2 finish on the Country Albums chart and a 6-4 hop on the BB200 overall tally.
Kelly Clarkson's WRAPPED IN RED (Sales down 9%) dropped from #3 to #5 on the BB200.  
The two albums are locked in a fierce battle to become this year's top-selling Christmas album. With one week to go in the chart year, "Wrapped" has a razor-thin lead. "Wrapped" has sold 702K copies, compared to 700K for "Duck."
Both albums are in a position to make history should they come out on top:
  • Clarkson is vying to become the first American female artist to have the year's #1 holiday album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking music sales in 1991. Four American females had the year's #2 holiday album: Amy Grant (1992), Mariah Carey (1994), Christina Aguilera (2000) and Jackie Evancho (2010).
  • The Robertsons' album would be the first country album to emerge as the year's top holiday album since Garth Brooks' "Beyond The Season" in 1992.
Billboard Holiday Albums
TW/ LW/ Weeks on Chart/ Title / Artist   
1  2 8 Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas The Robertsons
2 1 8 Wrapped In Red Kelly Clarkson
3 4 34 Christmas Michael Buble
4 3 10 A Mary Christmas Mary J. Blige
5  5 8 Home For Christmas Susan Boyle

TV "Voice" finale performers saw big gains this week. Blake Shelton's BASED ON A TRUE STORY climbs 32-30 on the BB200 (25,000; up 39%) and lands a No.5 slot on the Country Chart

Toby Keith tops the 30-million mark in career album sales this week. His latest album DRINKS AFTER WORK moved 23-20 on the Billboard Country Album chart in his 8th week.
He's the fifth male country solo artist to reach that plateau since 1991, following Garth Brooks (69,333,000), George Strait (44,757,000), Tim McGraw (41,829,000) and Alan Jackson (40,343,000).

Toby’s daughter Krystal Keith has failed to trouble the Top 50 Country Albums the last 2 weeks. Her album WHISKEY & LACE (Show Dog-Universal) however appears on the Billboard Heatseekers chart where it fell 12-39. Her father, co-produced the album and wrote four of the 10 tracks. He even lent his background singer Mica Roberts to the project – she's on seven songs; Toby sings background on one. 
The collection includes single "Get Your Redneck On" and the song that spawned a viral wedding video "Daddy Dance With Me.

Deana Carter’s SOUTHERN WAY OF LIFE is also something of a commercial flop failing to make the Top 50 Country Albums.
Regarding the album, Billboard reviewer Chuck Dauphin wrote: Much has changed in the life of Deana Carter since “Strawberry Wine” catapulted her to the fast lane in 1996. She has become a mother, and has endured the loss of her father – in addition to her own health worries. That has given her a lot to write about over the past couple of years – much of which can be heard in the material on this album......One aspect of this album that scores very high is the romantic songs....One can question whether this album would fit in at Country Radio, but then again, Deana Carter has never been about landing in that neat little box. And, that’s what makes her return to form all the more enchanting!

In their second week at retail Nashville: The Music Of Nashville: Season 2 / Volume 1 Soundtrack held up best on the Country Chart falling back 7-10, Parmalee with FEELS LIKE CAROLINA slipped back 11 places (21-10) whilst Zac Brown Band with The Grohl Sessions: Vol. I (EP) slumped with a mighty 5-35 decline.

Top Selling Country Albums during 2013
3 Country Albums in sold over 1-million copies (Physical + digital sales) and just 2 were released in 2013.
12 Country Albums made the Top 50 best selling albums in America during 2013. 
The highest ranked at #3 is CRASH MY PARTY by Luke Bryan.
10 Country Albums sold over 500, 0000 units or better

Rank  Estimated Sales TITLE                            Artist   Release date
#1       2,407,000           The 20/20 Experience   Justin Timberlake       

#3      1,468,000            Crash My Party Luke Bryan  (August 13, 2013)           
#6      1,301,000            Here's To The Good Times   Florida Georgia Line (Dec 2012)
#8      1,092,000            Based On A True Story   Blake Shelton (March 26, 2013)
#17       840,000            Red  Taylor Swift  (Oct 2012)
#23       700,000            Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas (Oct 28, 2013)           
#25       681,000            Blame It All On My Roots  Garth Brooks  (Nov 28, 2013)          
#35       545,000            Hunter Hayes  Hunter Hayes  (Oct 11, 2011)   
#38       539,000            Spring Break: Here To Party  Luke Bryan  (March 5, 2013)       
#41        531,000           Golden  Lady Antebellum  (May 7, 2013) 
#43        510,000           Night Train Jason Aldean  (Oct 2012)
#49        469,000           Tailgates And Tanlines    Luke Bryan (Catalog Album)     
#50       460,000            Two Lanes Of Freedom   Tim Mcgraw  (Feb 5, 2013)         
           
Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Placings

(Issue dated Chart week of January 4, 2014)
(Country Album positions #1 - #25)

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

































Billboard Holiday 100  (all genre)
TW/ LW / Weeks on Chart/ Title / Artist  
1 1 14 All I Want For Christmas Is YouMariah Carey
2 4 14 The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) Nat King Cole
Country interest:
3 3 14 Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree Brenda Lee
10 10 4 Underneath The Tree Kelly Clarkson
30 29 14 Please Come Home For Christmas Eagles
45 31 8 White Christmas Michael Buble Duet With Shania Twain
50 65 4 Do You Hear What I Hear Carrie Underwood
64 59 6 Winter Wonderland Amy Grant
66 72 6 It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year Amy Grant
81 90 4 Silver Bells Martina McBride
89 86 3 Silent Night Kelly Clarkson Featuring Reba McEntire & Trisha Yearwood
93 New 1 Christmas In Dixie Alabama


Top 25 Hot Country Songs (week of January 4, 2014)

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:

Florida Georgia Line claimed a fourth week at No.1 on Hot Country Songs with “Stay” (Republic Nashville) in their 14th chart week.

Brantley Gilbert made a career-best start on the sales/airplay/streaming-based Hot Country Songs chart, where "Bottoms Up" pops on with Hot Shot Debut honors at No. 11. He registered his previous best debut on the list with "You Don't Know Her Like I Do," which entered at No. 41 (Dec. 24, 2011), eventually reaching No. 3. ("Country Wide" became his first and, so far, lone leader on the list.)

Top 25 Hot Country Songs:

Florida Georgia Line with “Stay” remains Top The Chart
Luke Bryan with “Drink A Beer” is up one, #3 - #2 p  
David Nail with “Whatever She’s Got” is up two, #5 - #3 p
Eli Young Band with “Drunk Last Night” stays at #4
Cassadee Pope with “Wasting All These Tears” is up one, #6 -5 p
Parmalee with “Carolina” falls four, #2 - #6 q
Zac Brown Band with “Sweet Annie” stays at #7
Cole Swindell with “Chillin’ It” stays at #8
Luke Bryan with former #1 “That’s My Kind Of Night” stays at #9
Jason Aldean with “When She Says Baby” is up two, #12 - #10 p
Brantley Gilbert with “Bottoms Up” debuts at #11 NEW
The Band Perry with “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” is down one, #11 - #12 q
Eric Paslay with “Friday Night” stays at #13
John Pardi with “Up All Night” moves up one, #15 - #14 p
Darius Rucker with “Radio” is down, #14 - #15 q
Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert with former No.1, falls six, #10- #16 q  
Lady Antebellum with “Compass” is down one slot, #16 - #17 q
Blake Shelton with “Mine Would Be You” is down one, #17 - #18 q
Frankie Ballard with “Helluva Life” moves up one, #20 - #19 p
Scotty McCreery with “See You Tonight” is down one, #19 - #20 q
Hunter Hayes featuring Jason Mraz with “Everybody's Got Somebody But Me”, is down, #18 - #21 q
Dierks Bentley with “Hold On” is up two, #24 - #22 p
Danielle Bradbery with “The Heart Of Dixie” is down two, #21 - #23 q
Jerrod Niemann with “Drink To That All Night” is up two, #26 - #24 p
Tim McGraw with “Southern Girl” falls, #22 - #25 q

Hot Country Songs
** No.1 (4 weeks) **  “StayFlorida Georgia Line


Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of January 4, 2014

Up 3-1 in their 15th chart week twosome Florida Georgia Line scored its landmark fourth career-opening No.1 promoted single on Country Airplay with latest single "Stay" (It ranks at No. 30 on the Hot 100.)
With its Country Airplay coronation, FGL ties fellow twosome Brooks & Dunn (1991-92) as the only acts to begin with four leaders in the chart's nearly 24-year history. (The latter pair peaked at No. 6 with its fifth entry, "Lost & Found," so FGL could break the record with another No. 1 on its next try.) "Stay" follows the Country Airplay toppers "Cruise," "Get Your Shine On" and "Round Here."
>> Watch the video for “Stay

Last week’s No.1 Eli Young Band with “Drunk Last Night” (Republic Nashville) fell 1-2.
Zac Brown Band with “Sweet Annie” moved up 2 places 5-3 in their 19th week and likewise The Band Perry made a 6-4 hop with “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely”.
Darius Rucker’sRadio” dropped one notch to round out The Top 5.
Former leader “Carolina” from Parmalee and last week’s No.2  took a 6 place drop 2-8.

A No. 41 start with "Bottoms Up" earned Brantley Gilbert another best bow, passing his No. 44 start with "Country Wide" (April 23, 2011).

Country Airplay
*** No. 1 (1 week)*** "Stay” Florida Georgia Line


Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of January 4, 2014

After the digital track and its accompanying ( >> video clip) were released simultaneously on Dec. 16, Brantley Gilbert’s "Bottoms Up" (Valory Music) begins at No.1 on Country Digital Songs with 63,000 downloads sold (#20 on all genre Digital Songs Chart), according to Nielsen SoundScan. 
The song becomes Gilbert's first leader on Country Digital Songs, where his previous peak was No.13 with "You Don't Know Her Like I Do" two years ago. The Georgia native achieved his previous best digital sales week when his breakthrough hit "Country Must Be Country Wide" sold 29,000 (Jan. 14, 2012).

No title or release date has been announced for Gilbert's new album set, but it's reportedly expected in the first few months of 2014. His last album, 2010's "Halfway to Heaven," reached No. 2 on Top Country Albums in a whopping 171-week chart run.
Roughstock Bottoms Up (Single Review)….. So, for his fans, it’s very good that he’s finally back with all-new stuff. But does it stack-up to the rocking mid-tempos fans have come to expect from the self-made ‘rebel?’ In a word? Maybe. This will ALL depend on what one thinks about the current sounds and lyrical tropes in mainstream Country music. If you like the sound of the stuff from Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett, you’ll certainly enjoy “Bottoms Up.” If you wanted the more ‘edgy’ rockin’ side to Brantley, this one certainly isn’t gonna be your kind of song. It’s certainly no “Hell On Wheels” or “Kick It In The Sticks” but it’s also not far removed vocally from “More Than Miles.” …Quite simply, “Bottoms Up” is a youthful party song where I hear parts of what’s popular in the mainstream mixed with a GnR-like guitar solo and Mat Kearney-like elements and pop/rock vocal and production techniques. …..As far as party tunes go, “Bottoms Up” is strongly-written and easily likable and should make for a good debut single from his upcoming third album.
Download “Bottom’s Up” from US iTunes

Top 20 Digital Singles in Country Music (published December 27, 2013)

 (LW) Last Week  (TW) This Week
*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000th


Monday 23 December 2013

Country Billboard Chart News December 19, 2013

Country Billboard Chart News December 19, 2013

In Brief:  Billboard Country Charts

Country Album Chart ** No. 1 (3 weeks) ** Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences Garth Brooks
Hot Country Songs ** No.1 (3 weeks) **  “Stay”  Florida Georgia Line
Country Airplay **  No.1 (1 week) **  “Drunk Last Night” Eli Young Band
Country Digital Songs ** No.1 (2 weeks) ** “Drink A Beer”  Luke Bryan

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Chart News

After only three days on sale, Beyonce's new self-titled album has broken the U.S. iTunes Store's record for the largest sales week for an album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (BB200). It sold 617,319 downloads through the close of business on Sunday, Dec. 15. The 14-song set additionally comes with 18 videos. Fourteen of those are for each of the album's songs.
"Beyonce" breaks the previous one-week iTunes record, set by Taylor Swift's "Red" when it sold 465,000 (seven days of sales in its first tracking week) in the week ending Oct. 28, 2012. (The digital version of "Red" was exclusively sold through iTunes for its first week.

Beyonce displaced last week's No.1 album, Garth Brooks' Walmart-exclusive box set "Blame It All On My Roots: Five Decades of Influences," which slipped to No. 2 with 171,508 copies sold (up 17%) and held at #1 on Billboard Top Country Albums for the third week. It's Brooks' longest-running #1 album on the country chart since "Scarecrow" held tight for seven weeks in 2001-2002.This marks the first time the top two albums in the US are both exclusive to just one retailer.
At No. 3 this week on the BB200 is Kelly Clarkson's holiday album WRAPPED IN RED  holds firm with 136,016 sales (up 21%,  7 weeks total 577,769) The singer's NBC TV special, "Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale," aired during the tracking week (Dec. 11), and earned 5.3 million viewers..

"Wrapped In Red" has a narrow lead over The Robertsons' "Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas" , 5-6 BB200 (#2 Country) as the best-selling holiday album of 2013. "Wrapped" has sold 9,000 more than "Duck."

Zac Brown Band's The Grohl Sessions, Vol. 1 debuted at #25 on the BB200 (#5 Country) with sales of 26,707 copies. 
Dave Grohl produced the EP…Neil Young's "Live At The Cellar Door" also debuted at #28. The new 4 track set, exclusive to iTunes, was released independently (unlike their previous titles, which were sold through Atlantic Records).

Critical reception for “The Grohl Sessions, Vol 1” –  4 songs

Roughstock (Rating: 4.5 STARS) With The Grohl Sessions, Vol 1 Zac Brown Band offer fans a unique musical partnership with Foo Fighers frontman Dave Grohl, who coincidently also was the drummer for iconic band Nirvana.... The Grohl Sessions, Vol 1 features four tracks written and produced with Dave Grohl. The songs fit well within the recent Zac Brown Band albums likeUncaged and You Get What You Give and showcase the ever growing ban’s musicality. “All Alright” could be a massive soul/country hit for the group if it were to be released to radio while “The Muse” has both great melodies and strong storytelling. The tune people will notice the most here is CMA Awards performed “Day For The Dead,” a song which features some stunning virtuosic performances from the band, Dave Grohl (on drums) and an a cappella vocal break-down worth of “The Sing Off” or bands like Pentatonix. This EP is the first in a series of EPs with Grohl and is well worth your time and a fantastic addition to the group’s catalog.

Country Weekly (Rating: A) With no disrespect to Zac Brown or his group’s regular producer, Keith Stegall, but maybe the Zac Brown Band should have grunge pioneer and modern-rock warrior Dave Grohl produce all of their albums. The Foo Fighters’ leader stepped behind the console to oversee this four-song EP and the results are breathtaking. ZBB has never sounded as energized or as fierce. Not that the band’s past efforts and hit singles are dull—it’s simply that the songs on The Grohl Sessions are so full of life, especially “Day for the Dead,” which Zac and his mates performed with Dave Grohl at this year’s CMA Awards.
The group’s signature harmonies feel especially elevated on the track, and its creepy breakdown, with Zac bassist John Driskell Hopkins intoning Who says you can’t go back?, is a bit of voodoo magic. Grohl, the onetime drummer for Nirvana, mans the kit on “Let It Rain,” adding a little extra oomph to a cascading anthem, but otherwise his work is in pulling the strings behind the scenes, which, in this case, is right where he belongs.

Soundtrack, "Nashville: The Music of Nashville: Season 2, Volume 1 made a debut at No.34 with sales of 17,621.
It's the third "Nashville" TV soundtrack to chart. It follows two volumes from the first season, released in 2012 and 2013. The first, "Season 1: Volume 1," debuted and peaked at No. 14 (from a 59,000 start), while the "Season 1: Volume 2" set bowed and peaked at No. 13 (27,000 in its first week).
Music of Nashville: Season 2, Vol. 1 was released on Dec. 10 with a Feb 14, 2014 date drop for the UK. Produced by Buddy Miller, who also serves as Nashville's executive music producer, it spotlights the voices of cast members Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, Clare Bowen, Sam Palladio, Chris Carmack, sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella, Aubrey Peeples, Chaley Rose and Will Chase.
Target's exclusive version adds four bonus tracks. See Press Release/ Track listing:

Critical reception for “Nashville: The Music of Nashville: Season 2, Volume 1” –
13 Tracks/ Time: 42:03 Amazon.comUS iTunes

Allmusic (Rating: 3.5 STARS) Buddy Miller took over the role of executive music producer for the musical ABC drama Nashville from T-Bone Burnett for season two, and is the in-studio producer for much of what's included on this first volume. Burnett's not missed. Arguably, Miller's song choices are stronger because most of these performances reflect the show better than Burnett's idiosyncratic choices. As a whole, this set is more diverse than either of its predecessors and at least as consistent. The highlights from the series' veterans include Lennon & Maisy Stella's "Life Is Good," and "Share with You," which are redolent of historical country music tunes; though they're presented in a contemporary setting, their harmonies are timeless. The other nod to county's storied past is in Charley Rose's excellent a cappella version of "Wayfaring Stranger." Jonathan Jackson's youthful reading of Mary Gauthier's and Gretchen Peters' "How You Learn to Live Alone" is one of the finest ballads on the set,
equaled only perhaps by Clare Bowen's and Sam Palladio's version of Kim Richey's and Angelo Petraglia's "Why Can't I Say Goodnight?" Speaking of Palladio, his reading of Matthew Perryman Jones' and Lily Costner's "Just Can't Get It Right" reflects the teeming, talented Nashville underground, with its swirling, minor-key melody adorned by accordion, banjo, mandolin, and slithering electric guitar by Colin Linden -- Costner delivers the harmony vocal to boot. There are a number of solid rockers in the contemporary country vein, too: Connie Britton's and Luke Chase's swaggering "Ball and Chain" could be a single on country radio, as could Chris Carmack's stomping set-opener "What If I Was Willing?" Hayden Panettiere's "Trouble Is," a sheeny bit of contemporary country, is more in keeping with the music from the beginning of season one, though her duet with Carmack on set-closer "Can't Say No to You" is much tougher. Charles Esten steps out a with a bumping modern rockabilly number on "Playin' Tricks" (with smoking electric guitar from Linden). The only complaint here is that there isn't enough Britton (but to be fair on this point, her character spent half the season without her singing voice). As evidenced by this first volume from season two, Nashville is a series that keeps on giving, both on and off the screen.

Associated Press - Like the rare, maybe mythical man who only reads Playboy for the articles, some must surely claim to watch "Nashville" solely for the music. That's no crime — those who aren't much for sudsy nighttime soaps would do well to check out the ABC show's songs on "The Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 2, Volume 1." While the storylines strain credulity, these sonic underpinnings hold the show together — as should be the case with a series set and filmed in Music City.
The actors sing their own parts, and the leads, Hayden Panettiere and Connie Britton, do fine jobs at the mic. Yet the true revelations are found in the musical chops of others, such as Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio. "The Music of Nashville" runs the gamut from the slick and sassy ("Can't Say No to You," ''Trouble Is") to tender, deeper cuts ("Why Can't I Say Goodnight," ''This Town"). Still, less can be more: The acoustic, demo-like take of "Ball and Chain" sung by Palladio and Bowen on the show is preferable to the Stetson and rhinestone-laden version on the soundtrack by Britton and Will Chase.
Overall, this collection has many hooks worth a listen — and could hook a few more viewers who might typically forgo froth on TV.

Country act Parmalee with FEELS LIKE CAROLINA made their album debut landing at No. 46 (#10 Country) with sales of some 14,000 copies. 
The group recently celebrated its first No. 1 on the Country Airplay and Mediabase charts chart with the album's single "Carolina."
This four-piece band says their 12-song debut was inspired by their lives and journey to Nashville over the last few years, including a 2010 armed robbery that nearly turned fatal for drummer Scott Thomas. "Every experience over the last few years – both positive and negative – has helped to mold the songs on Feels Like Carolina," says vocalist Matt Thomas.

Critical reception for “Feels Like Carolina” :
12 Tracks/ Time: 40:29 CD - Amazon.com - US iTunes

GAC - Country rock group Parmalee’s debut album, Feels Like Carolina, pounds to the blue-collar sound of a young band establishing themselves in a continually diverse format... Like a Southern fried AC/DC, the opener “Musta Had A Good Time” erupts to thick riffs and an infectious hook while a morning-after storyline tries to recollect exactly what happened the night before.... Whether it’s the rhythm and lead guitar interplay of the nostalgic “Back In The Day,” or the steady, locked in beat of the Luke Bryan-tinged love song “Close Your Eyes,” the chemistry of a tight group of musicians comes through with an electric buzz.
With songs like “I’ll Bring The Music,” which then urges others to bring the beer, and the retro-beach highlight “Day Drinkin’,” Feels Like Carolina makes sure the cooler is stocked.... Displaying influences that range from Blake Shelton to ’80s hard rock acts like Mƶtley CrĆ¼e, Parmalee successfully blurs the lines between country and rock. What sets Parmalee apart, however, is that their chemistry as a band and authentic love for both genres comes through with a powerful kick. Feels Like Carolina feels really good as Parmalee holds a torch for a new brand of contemporary country and Southern rock.

Roughstock - The album, which is named after the breakout smash hit “Carolina,” features a dozen tracks which showcase that whole brand of Modern Country Rock that has been gaining steam as of late on Country radio. It’s the kind of album that can be enjoyed by fans of both modern Country music and Modern Rock.... “Musta Had A Good Time” is the record that showcases this new sound’s archetype with the band’s playing accented by production from NV (Jason Aldean’s backing band and RedBow artist David Fanning). Feels Like Carolina showcases a tight band with a strong ear for melodies and lyrics which suit the same part of the genre which is also home to Eric Church and Jason Aldean, among others.

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Placings

(Issue dated Chart week of December 21, 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 December 21, 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:

Florida Georgia Line claimed a third week at No.1 on Hot Country Songs with “Stay” (Republic Nashville)

Top 25 Hot Country Songs:

Florida Georgia Line with “Stay” remains Top The Chart 
Parmalee with “Carolina” is up 3 slots, #5 - #2 p
Luke Bryan with “Drink A Beer” is down one, #2 - #3 q  
Eli Young Band with “Drunk Last Night” is down one, #3 - #4 q  
David Nail with “Whatever She’s Got” is up one, #6 - #5 p
Cassadee Pope with “Wasting All These Tears” is up three, #9 -6 p
Zac Brown Band with “Sweet Annie” jumps up five, #12 - #7 p
Cole Swindell with “Chillin’ It” moves up three, #11 - #8 p
Luke Bryan with former #1 “That’s My Kind Of Night” falls, #8 - #9 q
Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert with former No.1, drops, #4- #10 q  
Joe Nichols with “Sunny And 75” is down three, #4 - #7  q
Taylor Swift with “Red” is down two, #8 - #10 q
The Band Perry with “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” is up four, #15 - #11 p
Jason Aldean with “When She Says Baby” jumps up five, #17 - #12 p
Eric Paslay with “Friday Night” stays at #13
Darius Rucker with “Radio” is up two, #16 - #14 p
John Pardi with “Up All Night” moves up three, #18 - #15 p
Lady Antebellum with “Compass” is up three slots, #19 - #16  p
Blake Shelton with “Mine Would Be You” falls three, #14 - #17 q
Hunter Hayes featuring Jason Mraz with “Everybody's Got Somebody But Me”, is up, #20 - #18 p
Scotty McCreery with “See You Tonight” is up five, #24 - #19 p
Frankie Ballard with “Helluva Life” moves up two, #22 - #20 p
Danielle Bradbery with “The Heart Of Dixie” is up five, #26 - #21 p
Tim McGraw with “Southern Girl” is down one, #21 - #22 q
Eric Church with “The Outsiders" stays at #23
Dierks Bentley with “Hold On” is up one, #25 - #24 p
Dan + Shay with “You + Me” is up 2 places, #27 - #25 p

Hot Country Songs
** No.1 (3 weeks) **  “StayFlorida Georgia Line


Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of December 27, 2013

Up 3-1 in its 27th chart week, Eli Young Band claimed its third leader on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Drunk Last Night” (Republic Nashville), marking the group’s quickest chart-topping ascent. 
The song, written by Josh Osborne and Laura Veltz, was first released by July 1, 2013 and is the GOLD-certified lead single from their forthcoming album with Taste of Country raving, “the chorus and production breathe new life into the band’s sound”.
The GOLD-certified lead single symbolizes a successful introduction to their forthcoming album on Republic Nashville with Taste of Country raving, “the chorus and production breathe new life into the band’s sound.”
EYB’s last project, the critically-acclaimed LIFE AT BEST, scored back-to-back chart-toppers with the Double Platinum smash “Crazy Girl” and PLATINUM hit “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” The former was also named Billboard’s 2011 #1 Country Song of the Year and won the 2012 ACM Award Song of the Year while the latter was nominated for GRAMMY Best Country Song, CMA Single of the Year, Song of the Year as well as ACM Single of the Year and Song of the Year.

The band first reached the summit in November 2011 with “Crazy Girl,” which needed 38 weeks to peak, followed by “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” which rang the top bell in its 31st week in July 2012.
“Drunk Last Night” logged 41.447 million audience impressions (+1.703) and received 6,277 radio plays (+299). Top local audience contributors during the Nielsen BDS tracking week: KKBQ Houston (1.9 million impressions), KILT Houston (1.3 million), KEEY Minneapolis (1.3 million), KCYY San Antonio (1.1 million) and KAJA San Antonio (1.1 million).

The new leader replaces Parmalee’s “Carolina” (Stoney Creek) at No. 1—that’s the first time in two years that one group (with more than two members) replaced another atop the chart, which hasn’t happened since Zac Brown Band’s “Keep Me in Mind” followed Lady Antebellum’s “We Owned the Night” on the chart dated Dec. 24, 2011.














David Nail landed his third top 10 on Country Airplay with “Whatever She’s Got” (MCA Nashville), which rose 13-10. Nail’s prior top 10s include “Red Light,” which peaked at No.7 four years ago, and “Let It Rain” (featuring Sarah Buxton), which spent one week atop the chart last year.

Jason Aldean with “When She Says Baby” bagged the week’s “Most Increased Audience” honours with a 4.889 million audience gain and received 3,643 radio plays (up by 601) .

Kip Moore’s Young Love” at No.29 took the “Most Added” applause receiving 1,019 radio plays (+473) thanks to 42 new radio commitments (ADDS)

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood made their first appearances in roughly five years as a new duet titled “The Call” (Pearl) made a bow at No.49. That’s the first entry for Brooks since “Midnight Sun” peaked at No.36 in April 2008, and the first for Yearwood since “They Call It Falling for a Reason” stopped at No.54 four months later. The new track is from Brooks’ new boxed set, Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences.

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton open at No.57 with “You Can’t Make Old Friends” (Warner Bros./WMN), marking the first Country Airplay chart appearance for Rogers since “Calling Me” (featuring Don Henley) rose to No.53 in March 2007, and the first for Parton since “Jesus & Gravity” peaked at No.56 in April 2008. The song is the title track from Rogers’ current album.

Country Airplay
*** No. 1 (1 week)*** "Drunk Last Night" Eli Young Band
** Most Increased Audience ** No.13 “When She Says Baby” Jason Aldean 
 ** Most Added ** No.29 “Young Love” Kip Moore 
** Hot Shot Debut **  No.48 “Want Me Too” Charlie Worsham
Debut No.49 “The Call” Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood
Debut No.54 “Keep Them Kisses Comin’” Craig Campbell
Debut No.57 “You Can’t Make Old Friends”  Kenny Rogers duet with Dolly Parton


Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of December 27, 2013

Luke Bryan with “Drink A Beer” remained in the No.1 slot whilst previous hit “That’s My Kind Of Night” dropped 4-5.
Florida Georgia Line’sStay” held at No.2 while Parmalee’s breakout hit “Carolina” made a 18-3 jump and was certified Gold this week after passing the ½ million mark.
David Nail with “Whatever She’s Got” (3-4) also gained Gold-eligible.
Notable tracks from USA The Voice TV show include: Cassadee PopeWasting All These Tears” moved 7-6 as Cole Vosbury’s final track from “The Voice” and duo The Swon Brothers’ debuted singles in The Top 10.

Top 30 Digital Singles in Country Music (published December 18, 2013)

 (LW) Last Week  (TW) This Week
*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000th
































Country Aircheck/ Mediabase chart

Parmalee with “Carolina” After remained at the No. 1 position on the Mediabase/ Country Aircheck chart with "Carolina" for a second consecutive week. For the chart week Dec 8 – Dec 14th it logged 6,636 radio plays (-102) with an audience of 51.709 million impressions (-1.162).
Click to view full size







For a detailed report check out Country Aircheck Weekly Issue 376 - December 16, 2013 [PDF File]

Following are the No.1 entries on each of the country year-end charts. 
Some 23 charts can be found at Billboard.biz. -
  • Country Artists of the Year: Florida Georgia Line
  • Top Country Artists-Duo/Group: Florida Georgia Line
  • Top Country Artists-Female: Taylor Swift
  • Top Country Artists-Male: Luke Bryan
  • Top New Country Artists: Kacey Musgraves
  • Top Country Imprints: Capitol Nashville
  • Top Country Labels: Universal Music Group Nashville
  • Top Hot Country Songs Artists: Florida Georgia Line
  • Top Hot Country Songs: “Cruise,” Florida Georgia Line
  • Top Hot Country Songs Imprints: Republic Nashville
  • Top Hot Country Songs Labels: Republic Nashville
  • Top Hot Country Songs Producers: Joey Moi
  • Top Hot Country Songs Publishing Corporations: Sony/ATV Music
  • Top Hot Country Songs Publishers: EMI Blackwood Music, BMI
  • Top Hot Country Songwriters: Ashley Gorley
  • Top Country Airplay Artists: Florida Georgia Line
  • Top Country Airplay Songs: “Hey Girl,” Billy Currington
  • Top Country Airplay Labels: Capitol Nashville
  • Top Country Airplay Imprints: Capitol Nashville
  • Top Country Digital Songs Artists: Florida Georgia Line
  • Top Country Digital Songs Titles: “Cruise,” Florida Georgia Line
  • Top Country Albums Titles: Red, Taylor Swift
  • Top Country Albums Artists: Luke Bryan
  • Top Country Albums Imprints: Capitol Nashville
  • Top Country Albums Labels: Universal Music Group Nashville
  • Top Country Albums Distributors: Universal
  • Top Country Indicator Songs: “All Over the Road,” Easton Corbin
  • Top Country Streaming Songs: “Cruise,” Florida Georgia Line