Country Billboard Chart News May 22, 2014

Country Billboard Chart News May 22, 2014

updated May 26, 2014

In Brief:  Billboard Country Charts

Country Album Chart ** No. 1 (1 week) “Rewind” Rascal Flatts

Hot Country Songs ** No.1 (6 weeks) ** “Play It Again” Luke Bryan

Country Airplay ** No. 1 (1 week) ** "Play It Again" Luke Bryan

Country Digital Songs ** No.1 (7 weeks) ** “Play It Again” Luke Bryan

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Chart News

Rock duo the Black Keys collect its first No. 1 album on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart (BB200) with "Turn Blue" debuting at No. 1 (163,660 sales), while Michael Jackson's "Xscape", a collection of previously unreleased tracks which he recorded between 1983 and 1999, just missed becoming his seventh #1 album with a No.2 bow (156,962 copies sold).

This week Norah Jones'  February 26, 2002 released Pop, country, blues, jazz, folk album COME AWAY WITH ME (Blue Note) became the 11th album to sell 11 million copies since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking music sales in 1991. The set included a cover version of Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart". It's the fourth album by a female solo artist to hit this threshold, following Shania Twain's Come On Over (15,566,000), Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill (14,927,000) and the Whitney Houston-dominated The Bodyguard soundtrack (12,116,000).

Rascal Flatts scored its seventh No.1 debut and eighth overall leader on Bilboard Top Country Albums (and starts at No.5 on the BB200) as REWIND (Big Machine/Big Machine Label Group) arrived with 61,207 copies sold. 

It’s the ninth top 10 album on the all-genre album chart for the country trio. All of Rascal Flatts' studio albums since 2002's "Melt" have gone top 10, in addition to a Greatest Hits release in 2008. Since the beginning of 2000 (the year the band first charted), only four acts have scored more No.1s: Kenny Chesney (12), George Strait (11), Tim McGraw and Toby Keith (10 each). Alan Jackson matches Rascal Flatts’ count with eight.

Rewind’s opening sales sum is less than half of what the trio’s last studio set, CHANGED released April 3, 2012, scored upon its debut (129,569 copies) in April 2012 and the smallest opening-week sum for a new studio set since its self-titled debut bowed with 11,000 copies on June 24, 2000. The band claimed its biggest weekly haul when ME AND MY GANG debuted at the summit with 722,000 in 2006. On the singles front, Rewind’s title track reaches a new peak on Hot Country Songs (5-4) and has sold 532,000 downloads to date. The threesome last ranked higher on the sales/airplay/streaming-based chart with “Banjo,” which topped the May 12, 2012 tally.

The sound of country radio has changed dramatically in the past few years, and Rascal Flatts paid close attention to those new sounds while making their new album, Rewind. Band member Jay DeMarcus told ABC News Radio, "I think it really shows that we're evolving musically and pushing the envelope musically. Because you can't be complacent. If you don't change with the trends and the times, you're gonna get left behind."

In an effort to get out of their comfort zone, the Flatts relocated to Los Angeles for a while to work with rock producer Howard Benson, who has also worked with Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry among many others. "The L.A. rock producer cat, it's a little bit different than what we were used to," says lead singer Gary LeVox. "He used some different tones on my vocals, which I thought were cool and different." To finish up the album, Rascal Flatts decided to produce themselves for the first time on a regular studio project. Before Rewind, they'd had someone else in the studio guiding them during the recording sessions.

Critical reception for Rascal Flatts “Rewind”:

CD - UK iTunes (May 19) - Smart Choice Music (Deluxe) Amazon.com -

Allmusic (Rating: 4 Stars) The title Rewind suggests Rascal Flatts are ready to turn back the clock, perhaps to the start of their career or something even earlier, but the first song on this 2014 album drops an allusion to Instagram, so the trio is hardly unaware of the digital age. Throughout Rewind, Rascal Flatts reference other wonders of the modern age while also taking

pains to position themselves as part of a lineage -- the title track casually mentions George Strait as a common thread between alienated lovers -- but there's never any indication that this Ohio band considers the past as more worthy than the present.... Occasionally, there are hints that Rascal Flatts are getting a little bit old to be pandering for big hits -- Gary LeVox does not easily drop references to phone apps -- but when the music is as carefully constructed as "I'm on Fire," a song that expertly fuses their arena-rock stomp and their waiting-room sentimentality, it's hard not to succumb to Rascal Flatts' smooth touch.

Country Weekly (Rating: B-) Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay DeMarcus have pulled off the enviable trick of updating their sound and style without losing the Rascal Flatts elements we’ve come to identify over the years: airtight harmonies, perceptive song choices and powerhouse vocals.....Overall, though, Rewind is a great-sounding album that brings Flatts back to country’s forefront.

USA Today (Rating: 2.1/2 STARS) The trio retools its style with mixed results. High-flown ballads remain a strength, and Joe Don Rooney fans will thrill to his guitar work. Elsewhere, the group just sounds as if like it's trying to keep up with the times.— Brian Mansfield. Download: Rewind, I Have Never Been to Memphis

Dolly Parton the 68-year old superstar had with her highest charting solo album ever, BLUE SMOKE (Dolly/ Sony Masterworks), her 42nd studio album, landed at No.6 on the BB200 and logged her best debut on Top Country Albums which entered at No.2 with 36,762 copies sold.

That surpassed Parton’s No.4 debut with HALOS & HORNS on the July 27, 2002 list. It's also her best sales week for a solo project since 1993, when "Slow Dancing With the Moon" moved 39,000 copies in its fifth chart week (ending March 28). Her last album BETTER DAY was released on June 28, 2011 and landed at No.50 on the BB200 (#11 Country) with first week sales of 10,728.

About 55% of "Blue Smoke's" first week tally came from non-traditional sellers, like QVC. On April 27, Parton starred in an hour-long concert special for the shopping network, which sold a special edition of "Blue Smoke" with a bonus disc of live songs. In addition, during release week, Parton visited numerous TV shows, including NBC's "Today," CBS' "The Talk," NBC's "The Tonight Show" (May 13), Wake Up With Al (Weather Channel) and "The Wendy Williams Show" (May 15). She also visited with Kathie Lee Gifford for a SiriusXM Town Hall special

Parton, amazingly, has only visited the top 10 of the Billboard 200 once before: with the collaborative set "Trio," with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. It peaked at No.6 on May 2, 1987, after earlier debuting at No. 38 on March 28, 1987.

In terms of Parton's solo efforts, her highest charting effort had previously been No.11 with "9 to 5 and Odd Jobs," on March 21, 1981. That album of course featured her No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single "9 to 5", as well as the No. 41 hit "But You Know I Love You" and the No. 77-peaking "The House of the Rising Sun."

“I am glad that people are enjoying the music from my new Blue Smoke album. It feels great to be in the Top 10,” says Dolly Parton.  “It’s always an honor to know the fans spend their hard earned money on my music.  Thanks everybody!”

Parton's chart history on the Top Country Albums chart is more befitting of her living-legend status: She's notched 42 top 10 albums, with six of them going to No. 1. On the Hot Country Songs chart, she holds the record for the most No.1s among women, with 25. (Source Press Release)

Critical reception for Dolly Parton’s “Blue Smoke”:

CD - Amazon.com - Walmart -  Smart Choice Music - (Deluxe Edition) [US Exclusive Deluxe, 4 Bonus Tracks; "Get Up Get On Get Out", "Olive Branch", "Early Morning Breeze" and "Angels In The Midst" (£17.99; UPC 888430656826)

Allmusic (Rating: 3.1/2 STARS) Unlike some of her new millennial albums, Blue Smoke doesn't specialize in one specific sound -- it is neither a bluegrass nor pop record but rather splits the difference, touching upon each sound, along with threading in other signatures like superstar duets with old friends (Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson)..... Perhaps there are no permanent additions to her canon here, but the remarkable thing is how satisfying an album this is: it sounds good and the songs are sturdy, proof that Parton is far from resting on her laurels.

American Songwriter (Rating: 4 STARS) While her skills as a musician and multi-instrumentalist may often get overlooked, Parton’s acumen as a Grammy-winning songwriter is firmly intact and amply displayed throughout Blue Smoke’s 12 exquisite tracks....Blue Smoke easily hits its mark of making us look within ourselves while laughing through our tears. Dolly Parton’s timeless voice and prolific contribution to music will continue to speak volumes long after she’s finished sharing her talents.

Parton takes the lust out of Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands on Me" and turns the song into a testifyin' gospel anthem with enough commitment and conviction in her voice to make even the harshest cynic a believer.

Exclaim.ca (Rating: 7/10) Fans will find much to love in Blue Smoke, and while nothing here approaches "Jolene" or "Coat of Many Colors" or "Here You Come Again," songs like the title track or "Banks of the Ohio" wouldn't feel out of place on a playlist next to these classics.

Roughstock The record finds Dolly Parton in fine voice throughout the record and it opens up with the sing-a-long new anthem of a title track.... The star’s trademark songwriting is clearly the highlight of the record with her having solely written 7 of the 12 tracks and co-written the fantastic “Home” with long-time production partner Kent Wells...... All in all, Blue Smoke finds the icon showcasing why she’s still very much a vibrant artist with a fantastic voice and the ability to write better than many of the top writers in any genre of music in the world.

Sturgill Simpson with his second album METAMODERN SOUNDS IN COUNTRY MUSIC (High Top Mountain), debuted at No59 on the BB200 (#11 Country), with sales of 5,500 outselling much bigger names and proving that DYI country music is pretty viable in its own right. His debut from 2013, “High Top Mountain” didn’t hit the Top 50 of either chart.

Simpson’s longtime friend Jason Seiler, known for his illustration of Pope Francis XV1 for Time Magazine, was recruited for the album’s cover art. 
Check out his single “Living The Dream” 
Of the album, Simpson comments "Myriad worldly offerings - religion, drugs, and more - all claim to be the omnipotent universal truth but in my experience, love is the only certainty. That's what this record is about."

NPR..In case you need a clue as to where Simpson is coming from, the title comes in handy: Metamodern Sounds in Country Music nods to the genre-expanding Ray Charles classic Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, and tells you he's going to fold country's conventions over on themselves as if he's trying to create some kind of musical space-time portal. In The UK the album made a début at No.2 on the Official Country Album chart (May 24, 2014) buoyed by a recorded session on BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris Country. See Maverick Magazine New To You feature - Image

Critical reception for Sturgill Simpson’s  “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music”:

10 Tracks/ Time: 34:26 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Smart Choice Music (UPC 5029432021624)

Amazon.com – Listen/Buy at Bandcamp.com

Spotify: Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds In Country Music

EN145 (Rating: 5 STARS)...do the lofty themes, head-scratching lyrics and eccentric cover songs of Metamodern Sounds in Country Music kill that momentum? Quite the contrary – in fact, it’s sure to be one of the best (decidedly country) releases of the year....All analysis, description and drug-induced science book binges aside, the grit and heft of Metamodern Sounds in Country Music doesn’t quite make sense until it’s played several times over, all the way through. The genre-busting content matter is sure to provide ample material for annoying new genre names – Trippy-Tonk! DMTraditional! Pillbilly! – but make no mistake, it’s an incredible, important addition to country music.

No Depression ....Sturgill Simpson is the real deal; a ‘triple threat’. He can sing, write and he’s damn good looking too. Country music is littered with ‘follow-up’ albums that are rushed in a bid

With (L) Bob Harris OBE BBC Radio 2

to cash in on the artist's success, but that isn’t the case here. These songs were all road-tested while promoting the previous album and deemed good enough to record by Simpson, who rushed the band into the studio days after coming off the road. Boy, was he right to do that!

NY Times Sturgill Simpson is a top-notch miserablist, from the lyrics that pick at scabs to his defeated vocal tone, leaky even when he’s singing at full power....a triumph of exhaustion, one of the most jolting country albums in recent memory, and one that achieves majesty with just the barest of parts.

Allmusic (Rating: 4 STARS) Sturgill Simpson made many waves with his 2013 debut album High Top Mountain. It is unapologetic in its evocation of '70s outlaw country. In certain media circles, its creator -- much to his chagrin -- was called the "savior of country music." Simpson wisely ignored the hoopla. For this sophomore date, he and his band entered a Nashville studio with producer/engineer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell), and cut Metamodern Sounds in Country Music live-to-tape in four days. These songs and their production values, though immediate, are more varied and textured than those on his debut...... Though Metamodern Sounds in Country Music is wildly adventurous, its commitment to country is never in question. Simpson is so dedicated to this music, he's too honest -- and restless -- to put a box around it or to do the same thing twice.

In the second week on the chart last weeks No.1 Hunter Hayes’ STORYLINE (Atlantic | WMN) fell 3-9 on the BB200 (1-3 Country) selling 16,000 copies (down 77%). The Music Of Nashville: Season 2: Volume 2 - Soundtrack (ABC Studios/Lions Gate/Big Machine) slipped 13-40 on the BB200 (4-8 Country) selling 7,000 copies (down 57%)

In her 6th chart week Martina McBride with EVERLASTING (Vinyl Recordings) fell off the Billboard 200 and slumped 11-23 on the country standings with total sales estimated at 37,000.

Outside the Top 25 albums there was a No.41 debut Nashville: The Nashville Cast featuring Clare Bowen As Scarlett O'Connor: (ABC Studios/Lions Gate/Big Machine | BMLG)

2014 Country Album sales Year-To Date:

11,469,000 (Physical sales 7,537,000 (down 9%) + Digital sales 3,932,000 (down 17.6%)) which is 25.2% down at the same point in 2013 (15,330,000 sales)

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Placings

(Issue dated Chart week of May 31, 2014)

(Country Album positions #1 - #25)

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

Billboard Catalog Albums

#3 Halfway To Heaven, Brantley Gilbert (20 weeks on chart) #68 Billboard 200

#10 The Legend Of Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash (90 weeks) #88 BB200

#11 Tailgates & Tanlines, Luke Bryan (26 weeks) #90 BB200

#22 Red River Blue, Blake Shelton (42 weeks) #134 BB200

#32 Loaded: The Best Of Blake Shelton, Blake Shelton (79 weeks) #165 BB200

#39 Super Hits, Willie Nelson (125 weeks) #182 BB200

#40 You Get What You Give, Zac Brown Band (73 weeks) #186 BB200

#44 Hunter Hayes, Hunter Hayes (10 weeks) #193 BB200

#46 The Foundation, Zac Brown Band (119 weeks)

#49 Greatest Hits Volume 1, Rascal Flatts (79 weeks)

Brantley Gilbert's "Halfway To Heaven" selling 4,500 copies (1,021,00 Total sales) stood at No.68 on the Billboard 200 which is its high position so far during its Catalog run. Luke Bryan's "Tailgates & Tanlines" reached 26 weeks straight on the Billboard 200 and Catalog chart both.

Rascal Flatts' returned to the Catalog chart (#49) only for the first time in 2014 with "Greatest Hits Volume 1". This album looked like it was headed to become the group's first 100-week Catalog album, but has spent only two weeks on the chart since the end of 2012. It's the 350th week on the Catalog chart for Rascal Flatts as a group (with six charting albums); that's the second most weeks on the chart for an act that has not had a 100-week Catalog chart entry.

Top 25 Hot Country Songs (week of May 31, 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 with “Play It Again logged a sixth straight week atop Hot Country Songs and a seventh consecutive week at No.1 on Country Digital Songs (85,000 sold), and leads Country Streaming Songs for the first time, up 2-1 (1.7 million total U.S. streams, up 7 percent, according to Nielsen BDS).

Top 25 Hot Country Songs:

Luke Bryan with “Play It Again” stays at the Top of the Chart #1

Florida Georgia Line feat Luke Bryan with former #1 “This Is How Me Roll” stays at #2

Brantley Gilbert with former No1 “Bottoms Up” stays at # 3

Rascal Flatts with “Rewind” moves up 1 slot, #5 - #4 p

Jake Owen  with “Beachin’” is up three, #8 - #5 p

Thomas Rhett with “Get Me Some Of That” is down two, #4 - #6 q

Miranda Lambert with “Automatic” holds firm at #7

Brett Eldredge with “Beat Of The Music” climbs three #11 - #8 p

Keith Urban with “Cop Car” parks at #9

Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Sebastion sticks at #10

Eric Church with “Give Me Back My Hometown” falls five, #6 - #11 q

Justin Moore with “Lettin’ The Night Roll” stays at #12

Lee Brice with “I Don’t Dance” holds at #13

Tyler Farr with “Whiskey In My Water” holds at #14

Chris Young with “Who I Am With You” stays at #15

Joe Nichols with “Yeah” is up one, #17 - #16 p

Brad Paisley with “River Bank” drifts up one, #18 - #17 p

Billy Currington with “We Are Tonight” is up two, #20 - #18 p

Craig Campbell with “Keep Them Kisses Comin’” moves up two, #21 - #19 p

Dustin Lynch with “Where It’s At” moves up three, #23 - #20 p

Dierks Bentley with “Drunk On A Plane” jumps up six, #27 - #21 p

The Band Perry with “Chainsaw” is up two, #24- #22 p

Jake Worthington with “Heaven” debuts at #23 NEW

Blake Shelton with “Doin’ What She Likes” slips two, #22 - #24 q

Hunter Hayes with “Invisible” falls nine, #16 - #25 q

Hot County Songs

** No.1 (6 weeks) ** “Play It Again” Luke Bryan

** Airplay Gainer ** No.5 “Beachin’” Jake Owen

** Streaming Gainer” No.21 “Drunk On A Plane” Dierks Bentley

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.23 “Heaven” Jake Worthington

** Digital Gainer ** No.28 “Small Town Throwdown” Brantley Gilbert feat Justin Moore &Thomas Rhett

Debut No.32 “It Ain’t Yours To Throw Away” Sam Palladio

Debut No.33 “Good Ol’ Boys” Jake Worthington

Debut No.40 “Feelin’ It” Scotty McCreery

Debut No.44 “All Alright” Zac Brown Band

Debut No.47 “Gunpowder And Lead” Kristen Merlin

Debut No.50 “What I Can Put Down” Jon Pardi

Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of May 31, 2014

Luke Bryan dominated the Billboard Country Airplay tally for a ninth time, as “Play It Again” (Capitol Nashville) lifted 3-1 in its 12th chart week. First released on March 24, 2014 the song written by Dallas Davidson and Ashley Gorley is the fourth single from his fourth studio album, CRASH MY PARTY.

This chart week the song logged 45.180 million audience impressions (+3.303 million) and received 7,069 radio plays (+469)

The ascent matches Bryan’s quickest to the top, tying “Crash My Party,” which rose to No. 1 on July 13, 2013. He most recently reached the summit with “Drink a Beer,” which spent its first of two weeks at No. 1 on the Feb. 15 tally.

With the coronation, Bryan makes additional history: As he’s featured on Florida Georgia Line’s “This Is How We Roll” (Republic Nashville), at No. 2  Bryan becomes the first artist ever to monopolize the chart’s top two spots simultaneously dating back to the list’s Jan. 20, 1990 inception.

Top three local audience platforms for “Play” during the May 12-18 tracking week: KKGO Los Angeles (1.4 million impressions), WUSN Chicago (1.2 million) and KMNB Minneapolis (809,000).

• Jake Owen scored his seventh top 10 on Country Airplay with “Beachin’ ” (RCA Nashville) making a 12-10 hop in its 17th chart week, marking his fastest top 10 climb. Owen previously reached the region in as few as 20 weeks with “Alone With You” (Feb. 25, 2012) and “Anywhere With You” (June 1, 2013).
• As Brantley Gilbert’s JUST AS I AM album (Valory/Big Machine Label Group) made its retail bow (May 19), second single “Small Town Throwdown” (featuring Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett) splashed onto Country Airplay at No.28, bagging the weeks “Most Increased Audience” ,“Hot Shot Debut" and “Most Added” trophies. The song logged 9.486 million audience impressions, a gain of 9.479 million, receiving 1,110 radio plays (+1109) all in one week thanks to 58 fresh radio commitments (ADDS). This marks Gilbert’s highest start. Previously, he launched as high as No. 41 with “Bottoms Up” (Jan. 4); the lead single from the new set became Gilbert’s third Country Airplay No. 1 on May 10.

Women of Country 2014 Watch:

Miranda Lambert at No.6 ("Automatic"), Sara Evans at No.20 (“Slow Me Down”) were the only 2 solo female artists in the Top 30 Country Airplay songs. Cassadee Pope #38, Kacey Musgraves #40, Maggie Rose #50, Lucy Hale #51, Kelleigh Bannen #53,  Danielle Bradbery #55 and Leah Turner #58 were an additional seven females in the remaining 31-60 slots, to make it 15% of the entire Top 60 chart.

Country Airplay

*** No. 1 (1 week)*** "Play It Again" Luke Bryan

** “Most Increased Audience / Most Added/ Hot Shot Debut ** No.28 “Small Town Throwdown” Brantley Gilbert feat Justin Moore & Thomas Rhett

Debut No. 43 "Bartender" Lady Antebellum

Debut No. 59 "That’s How We Do Summertime” Chasin’ Crazy

Debut No. 60 "Donkey" Jerrod Niemann

Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of May 31, 2014

• Luke Bryan’s single “Play It Again” held for a seventh straight week at No.1 shifting another 85,000 copies (up 18%; 25-week total of 1,064,000). The single is now Platinum having surpassed the 1-million mark. On the all genre Digital Songs chart it moved up 15-11.
• At No.3 saw a debut from Jake Worthington with his cover of Bryan Adam’s “Heaven” from last week’s episode of The Voice.
• Aptly Dierks Bentley was “Riser of the Week”, with a 10 slot leap 17-7 with “Drunk On A Plane” (sales up 82%) propelled by a new video. The track comes from the  Feb 25, 2014 studio album RISER.
• Brantley Gilbert’s new single “Small Town Throwdown” with Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett made a bow at No.9 with opening sales of 29,000 copies.

Women Of Country Watch

Only 1 solo female artist on the Top 30 placings:

Miranda Lambert with single "Automatic" in its 14th week moved 11-10.

Dropping off the Top 30:

4 - Off The Top 50  Brantley Gilbert  “17 Again”

5-34 Brantley Gilbert “Bottoms Up”

12 - Off The Top 50  Brantley Gilbert “My Baby’s Guns N’ Roses”

23-41 Hayden Panettiere “Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet”  

24 - Off The Top 50  Jake Worthington “Hillbilly Deluxe”

30 - Off The Top 50  Kristen Merlin I Drive Your Truck  

27-38 Dan + Shay “19 You + Me”

Top 30 Digital Singles in Country Music (published May 22, 2014)

 (LW) Last Week  (TW) This Week

*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000^th

Country Aircheck/ Mediabase chart

Rascal Flatts with “Rewind” (Big Machine) moved 3-1 to top the Mediabase Country chart for the tracking week May 11th to May 17th. The song logged 7,539 radio spins (+712) and 57.153 million audience impressions (+ 4.558 million) from 149 tracking stations.

So it’s congrats to Big Machine VP/Promotion Jack Purcell, Dir./National Mandy McCormack and the entire promo team for scoring this week’s the week’s #1 chart topper. This is the band’s 13th career chart-topper and the debut single from its “Rewind” album, which was released last Tues May 13th.

Last week’s No.1 Thomas Rhett with “Get Me Some Of That” (Valory) slipped 1-4 logging 6,884 radio spins (-708)

Congratulations to Valory Music artist Brantley Gilbert, VALORY VP/Promotion George Briner and his entire team, for earning 72 MEDIABASE Country adds with "Small Town Throwdown" which features label mates Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett.

Those adds earned the "Most Added" title for this week. Bagels were due to be delivered to Valory’s office (May 20th) to congratulate the staff on their success.

For a detailed report check out Country Aircheck Weekly Issue 397 - May 19, 2014 [PDF File]

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

Jerrod Niemann “Donkey” >> Lyric Video

All the ladies like to ride, Oh the ladies like to ride, Oh the ladies like to ride, Oh the ladies like my D-O-N-K-E-Y ...Down to the Honky Tonky, Its gonna get funky funky (hee haw hee haw) 

=  Unbelievable !

Billboard Boxscores (Selective Country concerts)

Rank Artist: #30

Event Venue City/State: Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss + Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, The Devil Makes Three Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio

Dates: May 14, 2014   Gross Sales: $336,772  Attend: 5,335 / 6,343 (1,008 unsold tickets)

Capacity Shows:  1/ 0 Sellouts Prices: $79.50, $39.50 Promoters: NS2

Rank Artist: #32

Event Venue City/State: Brantley Gilbert, Thomas Rhett, Eric Paslay CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb.

Dates: May 15, 2014  Gross Sales: $271,346  Attend: 8,695/ 9,213 (518 unsold tickets)

Capacity Shows: 1/0 Sellouts Prices: $37, $24.75  Promoters: Frank Productions/NS2

Rank Artist: #33

Event Venue City/State: Brantley Gilbert, Thomas Rhett, Eric Paslay INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, Kan.

Dates: May 17, 2014 Gross Sales: $221,651 Attend: 7,140 / 7,140 SOLD OUT

Capacity Shows:  1/1 Sellouts Prices: $37, $24.75 Promoters: Frank Productions/NS2

Rank Artist: #36

Event Venue City/State: Brantley Gilbert, Thomas Rhett, Eric Paslay Sioux Falls Arena, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Dates: May 16, 2014 Gross Sales: $164,732  Attend: 5,137 / 5,137 SOLD OUT

Capacity Shows: 1/1 Sellouts Prices: $37, $24.75  Promoters: Frank Productions/NS2

Rank Artist: #47

Event Venue City/State: John Prine, Sarah Jarosz Benedum Center Pittsburgh, Pa.

Dates: May 16, 2014  Gross Sales: $103,324  Attend: 1,752 / 2,857 (1,105 unsold tickets)

Capacity Shows: 1/0 Sellouts Prices: $59.50, $49.50  Promoters: NS2