Country Billboard Chart News January 30, 2014

Country Billboard Chart News January 30, 2014

In Brief:  Billboard Country Charts

Country Album Chart ** No. 1 (2 weeks) ** "That Girl" Jennifer Nettles

Hot Country Songs ** No.1 (3 weeks) ** “Drink A Beer“ Luke Bryan

Country Airplay ** No.1 (1 week) **   Whatever She's Got" David Nail

Country Digital Songs ** No.1 (5 weeks) ** Drink A Beer“ Luke Bryan

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Chart News

The soundtrack to Disney's "Frozen" returned to No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart  (BB200), selling 93,172 copies (After 9 weeks – 769,398) in the week ending Jan. 26, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's up 7% compared with its sales in the previous week (87,000). This is the album’s third non-consecutive week at No. 1.  

The Grammy Nominees album set debuted at No.2 selling 59,314 copies. Country music was well-represented with nominated tracks from Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves, and Keith Urban - Amazon.com read Press Release

In her second week at retail Jennifer Nettles fell 5-12 on the BB200 and still remained at #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart selling another 19,000 copies (down some 65%) of her debut album THAT GIRL. She outpaced Florida Georgia Lines’ HERE’S TO THE GOOD TIMES by around 6,000 units who fell back 16-19 on the BB200 but moved up to #2 Country.

Also in their second chart weeks Rosanne Cash’s THE RIVER & THE THREAD slipped back 11-21 on the BB200 (2-4 Country, sales down 27% ), Jon Pardi with WRITE YOU A SONG fell 14-76 (3-12 Country; sales down 76% on previous week) , Cody Johnson with COWBOY LIKE ME dropped 33-147 (7-21 Country; sales down 62%) and Home Free’s Crazy Life fell off the BB200 plummeting 8-30 on the Country chart.

Kacey Musgraves Graphic
(Click to Enlarge)

The biggest unit gainers on the chart belonged to two-time Grammy Award winner Kacey Musgraves, who performed “Follow Your Arrow” on the show, as her SAME TRAILER DIFFERENT PARK album zoomed from No.81 to No.28 (15-5 Country in 45th chart week) with 10,000 sold (up 147%) with possibly an even bigger leap to come in the next chart week.

Taylor Swift, who performed the RED album cut "All Too Well" on the Grammys show, flew from No.84 to No. 36 (16-6 Country in her 66th chart week) with "Red," selling 8,000 (up 105%). The song itself garnered a 3,280% increase in sales, rising from less than 1,000 downloads to 18,000.

New at No.56 on the BB200 and No.9 on the Country chart is the multi-artist Now That’s What I Call Country Ballads compilation with some 5,500 fans taking it home with Valentines Day on the country horizon.  

It features 18 hit songs by contemporary country artists, this set is part of Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment's Now and Now That's What I Call Music! series, an extremely successful compilation series with many branches that has had some 15 years of multi-platinum sales, selling some 200 million albums worldwide in that time, with each of its instalments reaching the Billboard Top Ten. 

For those looking for love, tracks such as Lady Antebellum’s “Just A Kiss”, Hunter Hayes’ “ Wanted”, Josh Turner’s “Time Is Love”, Miss Taylor Swift’s “Ours”, Scotty McCreery “I Love You This Big” and Gloriana - (Kissed You) “Good Night” should fit the February 14th bill.

Of note outside the Top 25 Country albums Lee Brice’s 92-week HARD 2 LOVE (Curb Records at No.29 has now scanned GOLD (501K sold to date).

At #45 Country Texas singer-songwriter Jason Eady debuts DAYLIGHT & DARK (Old Guitar Records) his follow-up to his 2012 release "AM Country Heaven" featuring 12 new country songs about reconciling the dark and light sides of life. This was a successfully funded Kickstarter project with 253 backers who pledged $19,386 of a $15,000 goal.

One of the more determined of the younger traditionalists Jason Eady’s new album is filled with twangy stories of drinking all by one's lonesome — no parties or flip-flops for this guy. Two years ago, Eady had a cult hit with a song called "AM Country Heaven," which sprayed a lot of buckshot at bro-country music. In the press release that accompanies his new album, Eady says, "I've never been interested in the mainstream and I've never had any particular interest in hits at the expense of quality." I think this is an example of protesting too much: Surely singers Eady admires such as George Jones were interested in both quality and hits. And sure, in a better world, the adroitly phrased song called "One, Two ... Many" would be a radio staple for Eady. (Source NPR)

>> Listen to the lead off track Lyric video "OK Whiskey"

Critical Acclaim for “Daylight & The Dark”:

11 Tracks/ Time: 35:27 CD - MP3 - Amazon.com

Allmusic (Rating: 4 Stars) He is a hell of a singer: tenderness, grit, passion, and pain are woven inseparably in the grain of his voice. Opener "OK Whiskey" is full of bravado; it's a hard-swinging honky tonk anthem. "The Other Side of Abilene" is a one-two shuffle that reveals a lonely yet unapologetic life even as ghosts present and past have to be drunk away. "One Two...Many" is a hardcore barroom ballad worthy of George Jones. ....In terms of quality, it belongs on a shelf next to Dwight Yoakam's Buenos Noches from a Lonely Room, Joe Ely's Letter to Laredo, and yes, even Willie Nelson's Phases and Stages.

No Depression - Perhaps with good reason, country music has long been associated with drinking songs. After all, what better way for a good ol’ boy to unwind after a hard day’s work than by heading down to his favorite bar to hoist a few cold ones? But amid the laughter and the clinking glasses, a darker reality exists. ......This is a country songwriter's record that brings to mind such classics as Merle Haggard's Back to the Barrooms, Gary Stewart's Out of Hand, and Vern Gosdin's 24 Karat Heartache. That's rarified air in country music circles, but Daylight & Dark deserves to be in such company because its a heck of anaccomplishment.

savingcountrymusic.com - If you were asked to populate a list of current country music artists that with no frills and no variations lay down country music as country music was meant to be, Jason Eady would very have to be at or near the top of your list. And if you found yourself beset on all sides by ravenous legions of flesh-eating pop country music fans whose only bane was the authentic sound of true country music being blared in their general direction, Daylight & Dark just might be your ideal go to to win your ultimate escape.....Sure, when you get this deep into the essence of true country music, you’re going to leave some folks behind. But Daylight & Dark isn’t for them, it’s for the folks that were left behind by what they now call country music many years ago.

My Kind Of Country (Rating: Grade: A+) This portrait of a troubles soul is Jason Eady’s most ambitious record to date, and his finest achievement. This is highly recommended top anyone who wants some depth in their country music.

2014 Country Album sales Year-To Date:

1,993,000 (Physical sales 1,261,000 (down 9%) + Digital sales 732,000 (down 18.7%)) which is 21.1% down at the same point in  2013 (2,527,000 sales)

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Placings

(Issue dated Chart week of February 8, 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 8, 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:

In his twelve week on the chart Luke Bryan held for a 3rd week at No.1 on Hot Country Songs with “Drink a Beer” (Capitol Nashville).

After his Billboard Country Airplay chart second leader earlier in the week, David Nail’s “Whatever She’s Got” (MCA Nashville) reached a new peak (3-2) on Hot Country Songs.

Hunter Hayes claimed his highest-ever debut rank on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs (No. 23) and Country Digital Songs (No. 7) with “Invisible” (Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville) a song which he premiered during a live performance on the Jan. 26 Grammy Awards on CBS. He previously opened as high as No. 36 on the sales/airplay/streaming hybrid Hot Country Songs chart with “I Want Crazy” in April 2013. The new single shifted 35,000 downloads in the few hours between the song being posted on iTunes during the broadcast and the closing of the Nielsen SoundScan tracking week at midnight PST on Monday (Jan. 27).

Lady Antebellum with “Compass” (Capitol Nashville) jumped 12-7, marking the trio’s 11th top 10 and first since “Downtown” peaked at No. 2 in March 2013.

Rascal Flatts flew 20-8 with “Rewind” (Big Machine), the threesome’s 28th top 10 and first since “Banjo” reached No. 1 in May 2012. Brantley Gilbert’s “Bottoms Up” (Valory), meanwhile, climbs 14-9 for his 3rd top 10 and first since “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do” rose to No. 3 in June 2012.

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” is up one, #3 - #2 p

Cole Swindell with “Chillin’ It” is down one, #2 - #3 q

Jason Aldean with “When She Says Baby” moves up one, #5 - #4 p

Florida Georgia Line with former No.1 “Stay” drops one, #4 - #5 q

Eric Paslay with “Friday Night” is up three, #9 - #6 p

Lady Antebellum with “Compass” jumps up five, #12 - #7 p

Rascal Flatts with “Rewind” leaps up twelve slots, #20 - #8 p

Brantley Gilbert with “Bottoms Up” is up five, #14 - #9 p

Cassadee Pope with “Wasting All These Tears” is down two, #8 - #10 q

Zac Brown Band with “Sweet Annie” falls five, #6 - #11 q

Blake Shelton with “Doin’ What She Likes” leaps up nine, #21 - #12 p

Eric Church with “Give Me Back My Hometown” is down six, #7 - #13 q

Luke Bryan with former #1 “That’s My Kind Of Night” is down, #13 - #14 q

The Band Perry with “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” is down four, #11 - #15 q

Dierks Bentley with “Hold On” is up one, #17 - #16 p

Jerrod Niemann with “Drink To That All Night” is up one slot, #18 - #17 p

Frankie Ballard with “Helluva Life” is down two, #16 - #18 q

Dan + Shay with “19 You + Me” stays at #19

Thomas Rhett with “Get Me Some Of That” climbs four, #24 - #20 p

Danielle Bradbery with “The Heart Of Dixie” is up one, #22 - #21 p

Randy Houser with “Goodnight Kiss” is up three, #25 - #22 p

Hunter Hayes with “Invisible” debuts at #23 NEW

Thompson Square with “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About” is up, #26 - #24

Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert with former No.1, falls #23 - #25 q

Hot Country Songs

** No.1 (3 weeks) ** “Drink A Beer“ Luke Bryan

** Airplay Gainer ** No.8 “Rewind” Rascal Flatts

** Streaming Gainer ** No.20 “Get Me Some Of That” Thomas Rhett

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.23 “Invisible” Hunter Hayes

** Digital Gainer ** No.26 “Follow Your Arrow” Kacey Musgraves

Debut No.36 “Us Again” Chuck Wicks

Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of February 8, 2014

David Nail achieved his second leader on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, more than two years after landing his first, with “Whatever She’s Got” (MCA Nashville) which made a 3-1 climb in its 35th chart week. 

The new single reached the summit 14 weeks quicker than his first, which occurred when “Let It Rain” (featuring Sarah Buxton) reigned in its 49th week on the Jan.21, 2012 chart.

The song, written by Jimmy Robbins and Jon Nite, was first released by MCA Nashville on May 28, 2013 as the first single from Nail's upcoming third studio album, I'm a Fire which is due to drop March 4, 2014.

During the Jan. 20-26 Nielsen BDS tracking week it logged 41.987 million audience impressions (+2.312); receiving 6,658 radio plays (+713). Top local audience contributors for “Whatever” were: KKBQ Houston (1.4 million impressions), WUSN Chicago (1.3 million) and KPLX Dallas (909,000).

Lady Antebellum scored their first Country Airplay top 10 in nearly a year (the trio’s 11th overall) with “Compass” (Capitol Nashville) which advanced 11-9 in its 17th chart week. The trio most recently competed in the upper region last spring, when “Downtown” spent two weeks at No.1. “Goodbye Town” which followed peaked at No.11

Rascal Flatts gained the most momentum as “Rewind” (Big Machine) flew 32-22 in their 3rd chart week, grabbing both the Most Increased Audience and Most Added honours logging 11.694 million audience impressions (a gain of 5.674 million); receiving 2,063 radio plays (+962) thanks to 35 fresh radio commitments (ADDS). The single is lead-off from a forthcoming album expected in the summer.

Jake Owen snagged the Hot Shot Debut, though a lowly one, at No.55 with “Beachin’” (RCA Nashville) his second single from his DAYS OF GOLD set.

Women of Country 2014 Watch:

Cassadee Pope at No.10 (“Wasting All These Tears”) and Danielle Bradbery at No.15 (“The Heart Of Dixie”) were the only 2 solo female artists in the Top 30 Country Airplay songs. 

Sara Evans #34, Sheryl Crow #37, Leah Turner #40, Kacey Musgraves #51, Lindsay Ell #56 and Jamie Lynn Spears at #58 were an additional six females in the remaining 31-60 slots to make it 13%.

Country Airplay

*** No. 1 (1 week) *** "Whatever She's Got" David Nail

** Most Increased Audience/ Most Added ** No. 22 "Rewind" Rascal Flatts

** Hot Shot Debut ** No. 55 "Beachin'" Jake Owen

Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of February 8, 2014

• Luke Bryan’s powerful ballad “Drink A Beer” returned to the top (2-1) replacing Eric Church’s “Give Me Back My Hometown” which fell 1-6 (sales down 43%)
• Rascal Flatts’ “Rewind” climbed 6-2 (sales up 34%) selling less than 2,000 units than Bryan’s chart topper.
• Brantley Gilbert moved up to #3 with “Bottoms Up” the lead track from his upcoming second album for The Valory Music Co. (and third overall).
• David Nail’s “Whatever She’s Got” held at #4 with Cole Swindell rounded out the Top 5  with “Chillin’ It” (sales now over ¾ million).
• Hunter Hayes debuted at No.7 with “Invisible” released after his Grammy performance.
• Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves saw her single “Follow Your Arrow” lift 44-10 (28,000 sold, up 190%) and earned the song the Digital Gainer nod and a new peak on Hot Country Songs (39-26).
• Eric Paslay’s album went up for presale and his Top 5 Radio Airplay hit “Friday Night” jumped 26-12 (sales up 62%)
• Chuck Wicks lead single from his upcoming album for Blaster Records debuted at #22 with “Us Again”
• At #26 Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” also got a Grammy-related bounce re-entering the chart.

Dropping off the Top 30:

8-31 “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight”  Cole Swindell

27-32 “We Were Us” Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert 

24-34 “Drunk Last Night”  Eli Young Band

28-42 “Carolina” Parmalee

25- “Friends In Low Places” Florida Georgia Line

29- “Lately” Sam Palladio & Clare Bowen  

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

 (LW) Last Week  (TW) This Week

*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000^th

Country Aircheck/ Mediabase chart

David Nail with “Whatever She’s Got” moved 7-1 to top the Country Aircheck/ Mediabase No.1 for the tracking week Jan 19 – Jan 25, 2014. The song logged 6,771 radio spins (+706) and 55.341 million audience impressions.

For a detailed report check out Country Aircheck Weekly:

Issue 381 - January 27, 2014 [PDF File]         

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

Billboard Boxscores (Selective Country concerts)

Rank Artist: #8

Event Venue City/State: Shania Twain The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Nev.

Dates: Jan. 22-23, 25-26, 2014     Gross Sales: $1,434,025  Attend: 12,425 /15,363

Capacity Shows: 4/0  Sellouts Prices: $250, $150, $125, $55

Promoters: Concerts West/AEG Live/Caesars Entertainment

Rank Artist: #14

Event Venue City/State: Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Brett Eldredge Budweiser Gardens          London, Ontario

Dates: Jan. 23, 2014  Gross Sales: $665,598  Attend: 8,626/ 8,626

Capacity Shows: 1/1  Sellouts Prices: $79.58, $63.21

Promoters: Live Nation                                      

Rank Artist: #16

Event Venue City/State: Lady Antebellum, Kip Moore, Kacey Musgraves Fargodome Fargo, N.D.          

Dates: Jan. 18, 2014   Gross Sales: $338,687   Attend: 5,909/ 8,500

Capacity Shows: 1/0    Sellouts Prices: $75, $39.50 Promoters: Frank Productions