Country Billboard Chart News March 6, 2014

Country Billboard Chart News March 6, 2014

In Brief:  Billboard Country Charts

Country Album Chart ** No. 1 (1 week) "Riser" Dierks Bentley (63,000 sales)

Hot Country Songs ** No.1 (1 week) **  “Bottoms Up” Brantley Gilbert

Country Airplay ** No. 1 (3 weeks) *** "When She Says Baby” Jason Aldean

Country Digital Songs ** No.1 (5 non-consecutive weeks) ** “Bottoms Up” Brantley Gilbert (66,000 sales)

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Chart News

ScHoolboy Q made hitting #1 look as easy as learning your ABCs. The Los Angeles rapper entered The Billboard Top 200 Albums (BB200) in the top spot with his first major-label album, "Oxymoron." ScHoolboy Q is the first hip-hopper to break through to his first #1 album since Wale scored in June with "The Gifted." J. Cole, Jay Z, Drake and Eminem have all hit #1 since then, but they had all topped the chart previously.

Dierks Bentley made his bow at No.6 on the BB200 and netted his fifth No.1 on Billboard Top Country Albums, as RISER (Capitol Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville) arrived with 63,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan (49% of that sum came via digital sales).

It’s his highest-charting set — and best sales week — since 2009’s FEEL THAT FIRE opened at the top with 71,000. Since then, he’s released the bluegrass effort UP ON THE RIDGE (No. 2 debut and peak in 2010, with 39,000) and 2012’s HOME (No.7 BB200 / No.1 Country debut, 54,708 sales on chart week Feb 25, 2012). The new set is fueled by second single “I Hold On,” which soared 11-3 on Hot Country Songs as the Streaming Gainer (509,000 U.S. streams, up 36%, according to Nielsen BDS), marking Bentley’s 17th top 10 on the chart. Lead single “Bourbon in Kentucky” peaked at No. 40 in July.

Promoting the album Dierks had a string of national television appearances and events. It kicked off with the release day on Good Morning America (2/25) followed by a week full of appearances including iHeartRadio’s Live Series (2/25), The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2/26), Bravo's Watch What Happens Live (2/26) and The View (2/27). From New York City, Bentley caught up with fans in Chicago for an album release show (2/27) and rounded out the week-long trek with a surprise concert at an unannounced location revealed on social media over the course of week.

Critical reception for “Riser”:

12 Tracks/ Time: 46:09 US iTunes - Amazon.com out in the UK March 17: CD - MP3

Country Weekly (Rating: A) ...Growth is a major theme of the album, which began in grief following the death of Dierks’ father and finished as he was celebrating the arrival of his son. The title track, which features some of Dierks’ finest vocal work ever, captures it perfectly: he’s reassuring someone that he’s going to overcome whatever life throws at him, because that’s just what he does.....Musically, Riser has shades of Beck’s seminal 2002 album, Sea Change, seamlessly blending traditional instrumentation with spacey studio effects and rock guitars for something that sounds great on the car stereo or piped into headphones...The collection really soars when it blends the personal and the spiritual, as on the single “I’ll Hold On” and its simple mantra to hold on to the things that matter, even as we all have to grow and change. With Riser, Dierks has done just that.

Roughstock (Rating: 4.5 STARS) Although Dierks Bentley can party as hearty as that frat boy Luke Bryan, he consistently does a much better job at getting the mixture of good times and

melancholy right....Riser may pass the emotional balancing test, but it’s nevertheless a few rungs short of content perfection. There are a couple of obvious throwaways, such as “Five,” which just drags on and on without really saying a whole lot. The lecherous “Pretty Girls,” that is all about drinking and girl watching is also given a sonic demerit for its Coldplay-inspired chorus..... Bentley sings of how he’s the kind of guy that always sticks with the tried and true, such as old trucks and beat up guitars....Bentley continues to be one of country music’s most reliable album artists. He’s got country in his bones, yet doesn’t need to brag about it all the time in his lyrics. The quality of his songs speak for themselves. And when he’s at his best during Riser, Bentley’s never been better.

           

Allmusic (Rating: 3.5 STARS) For a decade, every single Dierks Bentley release placed at least in Billboard's Country Top 20, usually making it to the Top Ten. That streak came to an end in 2013, when "Bourbon in Kentucky" -- the first single from his in-the-works seventh album, Riser, and a duet with 2013's hot star Kacey Musgraves to boot -- stiffed, going no further than 40 on the country charts. Such a thing doesn't happen to a big country star, so action needed to be taken: Bentley revised Riser, adding some levity to an album that nevertheless remains highly contemplative......Riser isn't an outsider's manifesto, it's the work of a guy taking stock as he's facing middle age, reconciling his dreams with his reality, finding strength in his family and the music he loves. With all these big issues, it's no wonder that Riser doesn't quite feel brimming with lighthearted singles, but it's a sturdy, often absorbing record from a singer who is determined to be in it for the long haul.

Rollingstone (2.5 STARS) Forget hard times – these days, too many country stars are just looking for the party.... Bentley can't quite get away from his inner bro: On tracks like "Pretty Girls" and "Back Porch," he devolves into a standard-issue world of bikinis and Bud Light.

Eric Church's former No. 1 album, THE OUTSIDERS, descended 2-7 on the BB200 (1-2 Country)  in its third week with 43,000 sales (down 42%).

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Placings

(Issue dated Chart week of March 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 March 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:

• Brantley Gilbert roped his second No. 1 on Hot Country Songs (and first since the chart switched from core country radio airplay to a sales/airplay/streaming hybrid in October 2012) with “Bottoms Up” (Valory) (2-1). The track concurrently logs a fourth consecutive (and fifth cumulative) week atop Country Digital Songs (66,000 sold, up 3%). Gilbert first led Hot Country Songs with “Country Must Be Country Wide” in December 2011. “Bottoms Up” also holds for a third week atop Country Streaming Songs (1.2 million streams). The track introduces his third album, Just as I Am, due May 20.
• Lee Brice registered a career-high debut on (No. 24) with “I Don’t Dance” (Curb), the lead single from his upcoming third album.Brice’s previous best was a No. 42 start with “I Drive Your Truck” (Dec. 22, 2012); it peaked at No. 6 a year ago.
• Dierks Bentley moved 11-3 and landed his seventh top 40 hit on the Hot 100 as "I Hold On" jumped from #53 to #40 in its 11th week.

Top 25 Hot Country Songs:

Brantley Gilbert with “Bottoms Up” is up one TOP the Chart! #2 - #1 p

Jason Aldean with “When She Says Baby” is up two, #4 - #2 p

Dierks Bentley with “Hold On” makes a eight place climb, #11 - #3 p

Cole Swindell with fomer No.1 “Chillin’ It” drops 3 slots, #1 - #4 q

Luke Bryan with former No.1 “Drink A Beer” drops one two slots, #3 - #5 q

Blake Shelton with “Doin’ What She Likes” is down one, #5 - #6 q

Lady Antebellum with “Compass” is down one, #6 - #7 q

Keith Urban with “Cop Car” climbs two, #10 - #8 p

Eric Church with “Give Me Back My Hometown” is down two, #7 - #9 q

Scotty McCreery with “See You Tonight” is up two, #12 - #10 p

Jerrod Niemann with “Drink To That All Night” is up two, #13 - #11 p

Frankie Ballard with “Helluva Life” is down three, #9 - #12 q

Florida Georgia Line with “This Is How Me Roll” jumps up four, #17 - #13 p

Rascal Flatts with “Rewind” holds at #14

Dan + Shay with “19 You + Me” stays at #15

Thomas Rhett with “Get Me Some Of That” stays at #16

Randy Houser with “Goodnight Kiss” is up one, #18 - #17 p

Thompson Square with “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About” is up, #19 - #18 p

Florida Georgia Line with former No.1 “Stay” is up one, #20 - #19 p

Brett Eldredge with “Beat Of The Music” is up two, #22 - #20 p

Danielle Bradbery with “The Heart Of Dixie” stays at #21

Miranda Lambert with “Automatic” is up two, #24 - #22 p

Justin Moore with “Lettin’ The Night Roll” stays at #23

Lee Brice with “I Don’t Dance” debuts at No.24  NEW

Hunter Hayes with “Invisible” stays at #25

Hot County Songs

** No.1 (1 week) ** “Bottoms Up“ Brantley Gilbert

** Streaming Gainer ** “I Hold On” Dierks Bentley

** Airplay Gainer ** No.22 “Automatic” Miranda Lambert

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.24 “I Don’t Dance” Lee Brice

** Digital Gainer ** No.28  ”Slow Me Down”  Sara Evans

Debut No.49 “Riser” Dierks Bentley

Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of March 15, 2014

Jason Aldean dominated for a third straight week with “When She Says Baby” (Broken Bow), marking the artist’s fourth title to hold at No.1 for at least three weeks and the biggest audience spread between the top two songs since last fall.

It logged 45.759 Million audience impressions (-0.123 million) and received 7,302 radio plays (+21) during the tracking week.

Lady Antebellum’s “Compass” (Capitol Nashville) rose 3-2 with 41.5 million impressions. The margin between slots 1 & 2 of 4.3 million impressions is the widest since the Nov. 9, 2013.

Dierks Bentley achieved his first top five ranking in a year with “I Hold On” (Capitol Nashville), which leapt 8-5, snagging the weeks Most Increased Audience applause logging 35.443 Million audience impressions, a gain of 3.685 million; receiving 5,884 radio plays (+624). . The track is Bentley’s best rank since “Tip It on Back” peaked at No.5 on the March 2, 2013 chart. During a six-week chart run with “Bourbon in Kentucky” (the album leasd off track) last summer, Bentley peaked at only No.45 on the July 6, 2013 chart.

Miranda Lambert with “Automatic” (25-22) took home the “Most Added” cup logging 14.818 Million audience impressions (+3.364 million); receiving 2,547 radio plays (+730) thanks to 32 fresh radio commitments (ADDS)

Chuck Wicks posted his highest-ever debut on Billboard’s Country Airplay tally, as “Us Again” (Blaster) took home the weeks Hot Shot Debut stripes at No.45. The singer-songwriter  previously debuted as high as No.50 with “All I Ever Wanted,” which peaked at No.14 on the chart dated Sept. 27, 2008. The new song is Wicks’ sixth chart entry, his first since “Old School” peaked at No.43 three years ago. He earned his highest peak with his debut single, “Stealing Cinderella,” which reached No.5 in March 2008. The song will be included on Wicks’ second full-length album, due to drop this summer.

 Women of Country 2014 Watch:

Danielle Bradbery at No.14 (“The Heart Of Dixie”), Miranda Lambert at No.22 ("Automatic") and Sara Evans at No.27 (“Slow Me Down”) were the only 3 solo female artists in the Top 30 Country Airplay songs. Sheryl Crow #35, Leah Turner #41, Lindsay Ell #49 and Lucy Hale #58 were an additional four females in the remaining 31-60 slots to make it 11.6%.

Country Airplay

*** No. 1 (3 weeks) *** "When She Says Baby" Jason Aldean

** Most Increased Audience ** No. 5 "I Hold On" Dierks Bentley

** Most Added ** “Automatic” Miranda Lambert

** Hot Shot Debut ** No. 45 "Us Again" Chuck Wicks

Debut No. 46 "Play It Again" Luke Bryan

Debut No. 50 "Song About A Girl" Eric Paslay

Debut No. 54 "Look At You" Big & Rich

Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of March 15, 2014

Brantley Gilbert’s “Bottoms Up” (Valory) held at No.1 for a fifth non-consecutive week. It adds 66,000 downloads (up some 3%) to head the Billboard Country Digital Chart in its 11th chart week. It made a No.1 debut on Jan. 4th. It also tops the Hot Country Songs 2-1 climb. This brings the debut single from his upcoming third album to GOLD certification sales levels with a new tally of 545,000 copies

Lee Brice made a debut at No.6 with the lead single from his upcoming third project, “I Don’t Dance”. With the 37,000 downloads sold, “Dance” rewrites the singer-songwriter’s previous best opening-week rank, set when “Truck” entered the May 5, 2012, chart at No. 12.

Keith Whitley’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes” (RCA Nashville) hit the Top 30 at No.27 due to contestant Jake Worthington performing the song on The Voice (NBC). In 1988, the original became Whitley’s first of five career leaders on Hot Country Songs. He died of accidental alcohol poisoning the following year.

Women Of Country Watch

Only 2 solo female artists are on the Top 30 placings

Miranda Lambert with her new single "Automatic" in its third week at retail sold 14K (down 22%) and fell 20-22.

Hayden Panettiere made a re-entry at No.24 with “Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet”

Dropping off the Top 30:

28-31 Tim McGraw “Lookin’ For That Girl“

25-32 Hunter Hayes “Invisible”  

30-34 Darius Rucker “Wagon Wheel”  

27-42 Cassadee Pope “Wasting All These Tears”  

21-44 Jason Aldean “Night Train”  

Top 30 Digital Singles in Country Music (published March 5, 2014)

 (LW) Last Week  (TW) This Week

*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000^th

Country Aircheck/ Mediabase chart

Jason Aldean with “When She’s Says Baby” (Broken Bow) moved 2-1 to top the Country Aircheck/ Mediabase chart for the tracking week Feb 23 - March 1st 2014. The song logged 7,566 radio spins (+187) and 60.453 million audience impressions (+0.441 million) reported by 148 stations.

So it’s congratulations to Broken Bow’s Jason Aldean, BBR Music Group EVP Jon Loba, SVP Carson James, Broken Bow VP/Promotion Lee Adams and the entire Broken Bow promotion staff.

“The 'Night Train' album has been a great run for us,” said Aldean. “This is the fourth No. one off the album and Lucky 13th for my career, so it seems like the perfect way to bring this album cycle to a close.  We're already diggin' into new songs in the studio!”

“When She Says Baby” marks four No. one hits off Aldean's NIGHT TRAIN, and the album’s previous chart-toppers “The Only Way I Know” and “Night Train” have recently been certified Platinum by the RIAA for digital sales of over one million downloads.

For a detailed report check out Country Aircheck Weekly Issue 386 - March 3, 2014 [PDF File]

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