Country Billboard Chart News February 6, 2014

Country Billboard Chart News February 6, 2014

In Brief:  Billboard Country Charts

Country Album Chart ** No. 1 (2 weeks non-consecutive) ** "Same Trailer, Different Park” Kacey Musgraves

Hot Country Songs ** No.1 (4 weeks) ** “Drink A Beer“ Luke Bryan

Country Airplay ** No.1 (1 week) **   ** “Drink A Beer“ Luke Bryan

Country Digital Songs ** No.1 (1 week) ** “Invisible” Hunter Hayes

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Chart News

The soundtrack to "Frozen" held steady at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart (BB200) for a fourth non-consecutive week, fending off the surging "2014 Grammy Nominees" album at No. 2.

"Frozen" sold another 93,669 copies in the week ending Feb. 2 (for a gain of 1%; 863,067 copies sold in 10 weeks), while the "Grammy Nominees" compilation album with nominated tracks from Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves and Keith Urban sold another 87,171 (up 47%; 146,732 copies sold in 2 weeks). A week ago, it debuted at No. 2 with 59,000. The latest chart week's tracking frame was the first full week after the Grammy Awards, which were held in LA on Sunday, Jan. 26.

Congratulations to Mercury Nashville’s Kacey Musgraves and the entire UMG Nashville team on Kacey's return to the top of the Billboard Country Albums chart with SAME TRAILER, DIFFERENT PARK.

Her debut effort on the Mercury label sold more than 27,000 copies, an increase of 177% from the previous week. The latest tally lifts total sales of the album to more than 342,000, according to Nielsen Soundscan data.  

Her appearance on The Grammys, where she performed her most recent single, “Follow Your Arrow,” aired on CBS-TV Sun January 26th certainly helped fuel renewed interest in the 46-week old set, as did her two Grammy wins that night.

“Same Trailer, Different Park” originally topped the Country album charts back on the published chart of April 6, 2013 with a debut week haul of 43,496 copies landing at #2 on the BB200.

Musgraves, the winner of the Best Country Album award for "Trailer," (which beat Taylor Swift's "Red") saw that album fly 28-12 on the BB200 and a 5-1 country hop.

In her third chart week last weeks No.1 Jennifer Nettles with THAT GIRL fell 12-20 on the BB200 (1-2 Country)

Rounding out the Country Top 5 is Taylor Swift’s RED, which shifted another 8,000 copies moving 36-42 on the BB200 could possibly surpass 4 million albums scanned at retail next week.

Vince Gill and Paul Franklin returned to the chart with the re-issued BAKERSFIELD (an exclusive deluxe version at Cracker Barrel), their special tribute to Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Sales were up 625% than the previous week and it has sold some 50,000 copies to date. This Deluxe version contains four additional songs (for a total of 14): “Your Tender Loving Care” (Written by Buck Owens), “Buckin’ Merle”  Instrumental (Written by Vince Gill), “I Threw Away the Rose” (Written by Merle Haggard) and “High on a Hilltop” (Written by Tommy Collins). Vince and Paul were due on ABC’s “The View” on Thursday, Feb. 6, and on FOX Business Network’s “Imus in the Morning” on Friday, Feb. 7, in support of this edition.  

Outside the Top 25 Country Albums saw Rhonda Vincent with her new album, ONLY ME, debut at #1 on Billboard Bluegrass Album chart, ending a 4-month reign by Alan Jackson. In addition, the critically acclaimed album, debuts on four other Billboard charts including: #10 Heatseekers, #36 Top Current Country Albums, and #60 Indie Albums. 

At the 2014 awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass of America announced on Feb 2 in Nashville, at their 31st Annual National Convention, that Vincent had won Entertainer of the Year!

“The New Queen of Bluegrass” as dubbed by the Wall Street Journal now takes her thrown at the top of the weekly Bluegrass chart!               

"It's a dream come true!” said Rhonda.  “I was hoping for a #1 CD with Only Me, but never expecting it after only 2 days of sales. This is unbelievable! "

 Country Weekly exclaimed that her fans “appreciate the honest and true music Rhonda Vincent continues to crank out after all these years.” In addition to and endorsement by country superstar Dolly Parton, the media is calling this “the perfect mix of country and bluegrass” (ParcBench).

The album features duets with both Willie Nelson and Daryle Singletary. Nelson said “Rhonda’s voice is beautiful. I am thankful for her letting me be a part of it all,” while Singletary said that he loves singing with Rhonda “cause she makes you bring your A game!!”  (Source: Press Release)

This two-disc set offers a selection of both styles, with six bluegrass songs on disc 1, and six country ones on number 2. The bluegrass disc was recorded with Rhonda’s road band, The Rage. Read more at bluegrasstoday

The six songs on disc two have a vibe that will appeal to fans who hanker for the kind of traditional country songs that are heard less often these days where country/pop is to the fore.  There’s even a nod to Western Swing in the final track, “Drivin’ Nails,” a version that Ernest Tubb would approve of.  If there’s any justice, radio programmers will listen to this album and find room on their playlists for at least one Rhonda Vincent cut.  Read more Music News Nashville Review

The 12 track 2-CD album (Time: 40:21) album is available on Amazon UK and Amazon.com

2014 Country Album sales Year-To Date:

2,490,000 (Physical sales 1,579,000 (down 9%) + Digital sales 911,000 (down 16.8%)) which is 19.9% down at the same point in  2013 (3,109,000 sales)

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Placings

(Issue dated Chart week of February 15, 2014)

(Country Album positions #1 - #25)

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

Top 25 Hot Country Songs (week of February 15, 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:

• Luke Bryan logged a fourth straight week at No. 1 with “Drink a Beer” (Capitol Nashville) on Hot Country Songs.
• Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow” (which she performed on CBS’ Grammy telecast) becomes her first top 10 moving 26-10. The lead single, “Merry Go ’Round” (which peaked at No. 14 on Hot Country Songs a year ago) from her Grammy winning album, Same Trailer Different Park earned the best country song nod
• With Digital Gainer honours Hunter Hayes’ “Invisible” surged 23-4, marking his best rank on the list since “I Want Crazy” peaked at No. 2 last summer. “Invisible” (Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville) surged 7-1 on Country Digital Songs (92,000 sales, up 164%).
• Eric Church registered his highest unaccompanied debut as “A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young” (EMI Nashville) made a bow at No.24.
• Scotty McCreery’s “See You Tonight” (19/Interscope/Mercury) re-enters at No.14 due to renewed momentum following its removal under the chart’s recurrent rules four weeks ago. The song previously spent 32 weeks on the chart, peaking at No.18 the week of Jan. 11.

Top 25 Hot Country Songs:

Luke Bryan with “Drink A Beer” stays at the TOP the Chart! #1

David Nail with “Whatever She’s Got” stays at #2

Cole Swindell with “Chillin’ It” stays at #3

Hunter Hayes with “Invisible” jumps up 19 slots, #23 - #4 p

Jason Aldean with “When She Says Baby” is down one, #4 - #5 q

Eric Paslay with “Friday Night” stays at #6

Lady Antebellum with “Compass” stays at #7

Florida Georgia Line with former No.1 “Stay” drops three, #5 - #8 q

Brantley Gilbert with “Bottoms Up” stays at #9

Kacey Musgraves with “Follow Your Arrow” jumps up sixteen, #26 - #10 p

Eric Church with “Give Me Back My Hometown” is up two, #13 - #11 p

Blake Shelton with “Doin’ What She Likes” stays at #12

Dierks Bentley with “Hold On” is up three, #16 - #13 p

Scotty McCreery with “See You Tonight” re-enters at #14  RE

Frankie Ballard with “Helluva Life” is up three, #18 - #15 p

Keith Urban with “Cop Car” leaps up eleven slots, #27 - #16 p

Jerrod Niemann with “Drink To That All Night” stays at #17

Thomas Rhett with “Get Me Some Of That” climbs two, #20 - #18 p

Randy Houser with “Goodnight Kiss” is up three, #22 - #19 p

Dan + Shay with “19 You + Me” is down one, #19 - #20 q

Rascal Flatts with “Rewind” falls #8 - #21 q

Zac Brown Band with “Sweet Annie” falls eleven, #11 - #22 q

Thompson Square with “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About” is up, #24 - #23 p

Eric Church with “A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young” debuts at #24 NEW

Danielle Bradbery with “The Heart Of Dixie” is down four, #21 - #25 q

Hot Country Songs

** No.1 (4 weeks) ** “Drink A Beer“ Luke Bryan

** Digital Gainer ** No.4 “Invisible” Hunter Hayes

** Airplay Gainer ** No.5 “When She Says Baby” Jason Aldean

** Streaming Gainer ** No.10 “Follow Your Arrow” Kacey Musgraves

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.24 “A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young”  Eric Church

Debut No.26 “Lookin’ For That Girl” Tim McGraw

Debut No.41 “Clockwork”  Easton Corbin

Debut No.48 “Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet” Hayden Panettiere

Billboard Chart History

#1 Hits: These were the chart topping hits in 2009, 2004, 1999, 1994, and 1989:

2009: “She Wouldn't Be Gone” (Warner Bros.) Blake Shelton

2004: “Remember When” (Arista) Alan Jackson 

1999: “Stand Beside Me” (Curb) Jo Dee Messina

1994: “I Swear” (Atlantic) John Michael Montgomery

1989: “What I'd Say” (RCA) Earl Thomas Conley 

Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of February 15, 2014

Luke Bryan scored his eighth No.1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay tally with “Drink a Beer” (Capitol Nashville), which stepped 2-1.

First released on November 11, 2013, the song written by Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton is the third single from his fourth studio album, CRASH MY PARTY. It logged 44.455 million audience impressions (+2.598), receiving 7,041 radio plays (+326).

Top local audience contributors for “Beer” during the tracking week: KKGO Los Angeles (1.4 million impressions), WUSN Chicago (1.3 million) and KPLX Dallas (910,000)

The Georgia native most recently led with “Crash My Party,” which spent three weeks atop the chart last July. He followed with a No.2 peak three months ago for “That’s My Kind of Night.”

The new leader reigns in its 14th chart week, marking Bryan’s second-quickest No.1 ascent; he reached the summit in 12 weeks with “Crash My Party.”

Bryan’s current single replaced David Nail’s “Whatever She’s Got” (MCA Nashville), which fell 1-3.

The Country Airplay top 10 is freshened by three titles, led by Thompson Square’s 12-8 leap with “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About” (Stoney Creek), the husband-and-wife duo’s fourth top 10. The pair last graced the upper tier with “If I Didn’t Have You,” which spent a week atop the chart last spring. At 34 chart weeks, “Everything” marks the slowest of the couple’s top 10 climbs.

Blake Shelton entered the top 10 with “Doin’ What She Likes” (Warner Bros), his 19th career top 10, which improved 14-9 in

its seventh chart week.

Frankie Ballard achieved his first top 10 with “Helluva Life” (Warner Bros./Warner Atlantic Reprise), which sprinted 13-10 in its 29th frame. Ballard’s first single, “Tell Me You Get Lonely,” peaked at No.33 in January 2011. He followed six months later with a No.27 peak for “A Buncha Girls.” His first full-length album, Sunshine & Whiskey, arrives Feb.11.

Hunter Hayes bagged Most Increased Audience, Most Added and Hot Shot Debut trophies as his second-highest debut on Country Airplay as “Invisible” (Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville) checked in at No.26. He logged his highest opening-week rank when “I Want Crazy” bowed at No.24 on the April 27, 2013 chart.

Invisible logged 9.103 million audience impressions, a gain of +8.775 million, receiving 1,271 radio plays (+1,124) thanks to 57 new radio commitments (ADDS)

Women of Country 2014 Watch:

Danielle Bradbery at No.13 (“The Heart Of Dixie”) and Sara Evans at No.29 (“Slow Me Down”) were the only 2 solo female artists in the Top 30 Country Airplay songs. Sheryl Crow #35, Leah Turner #37, Kacey Musgraves #50, Lindsay Ell #51, Lucy Hale #50 and Jamie Lynn Spears at #59 were an additional six females in the remaining 31-60 slots to make it 13%.

Country Airplay

*** No. 1 (1 week) *** "Drink A Beer" Luke Bryan

** Most Increased Audience/ Most Added / Hot Shot Debut **  No.26 "Invisible” Hunter Hayes

Debut No. 53 "Dust" Eli Young Band

Debut No. 54 "Clockwork" Easton Corbin

Debut No. 56 "Why God Made Love Songs" Joel Crouse

Debut No. 58 "You Sound Good To Me" Lucy Hale

Debut No. 60 "Smile That Smile" Weston Burt

Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of February 15, 2014

With a full seven days of tracking Hunter Hayes with “Invisible” climbed 7-1 to top the Billboard Country Digital Chart following from his 56th Annual Grammy Awards

performance. Sales for the track were up 163%.

Grammy Award winner Kacey Musgraves made a 10-2 jump with “Follow Your Arrow” also on the reaction to her Grammy performance with sales up 100% (325,000 total  ). Her Song of the Year “Merry Go Round” also received a welcome bounce with a 57-27 leap (sales up 87%;  820K sales total )

Eric Church blew in at No.3 with “A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young” his third preview track from the soon to drop album THE OUTSIDERS.

Keith Urban made a 21-7 advance with “Cop Car” (sales up 75%)

Tim McGraw’s auto-tuned “Looking For That Girl” rounded out the Top 10 making its chart bow.

Taylor Swift’s Grammy-hyped song, “All Too Well” also gained ground with a 26-11 hop (sales up 66%)

Dropping off the Top 30:

22-  “Us Again”  Chuck Wicks

28-  “Hey Girl”  Billy Currington

29-  “Helluva Life”  Frankie Ballard

Top 30 Digital Singles in Country Music (published February 6, 2013)

 (LW) Last Week  (TW) This Week

*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000^th

Country Aircheck/ Mediabase chart

Eric Paslay with “Friday Night” moved 3-1 to top the Country Aircheck/ Mediabase No.1 for the tracking week Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2014. The song logged 7,343 radio spins (+914) and 59.064 million audience impressions (+6.87 million).

It’s congrats to Universal Music Group (UMG) Nashville Svp/Promotion Royce Risser, EMI Nashville VP/Promotion Jimmy Rector and the entire EMI Nashville promotions team for scoring the week's #1 spot. It’s Eric’s first-ever chart-topper as an artist and comes on the eve of his Feb 4th street date for his self-titled debut album. He has previously scored #1s as a songwriter with Jake Owen's "Barefoot Blue Jean Night," Eli Young Band's "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," and Love And Theft's "Angel Eyes.

For a detailed report check out Country Aircheck Weekly Issue 382 - February 3, 2014 [PDF File]

For the very latest up to the minute Mediabase Chart (Past 7 Days) go here - www.mediabase.com