Country Billboard Chart News July 10, 2014

Country Billboard Chart News July 10, 2014

RIAA Certifications

Platinum = Sales of over 1-million units

Gold = Sales of over 500,000 units

Florida Georgia Line’s single “Cruise” (7x PLATINUM)

Jake Owen’s single “Beachin,’ (GOLD)

Miranda Lambert’s single “Automatic” (GOLD)

Rascal Flatts’ single “Rewind” (GOLD)

Keith Urban’s single “Cop Car” (GOLD)

Zac Brown Band’s single “Sweet Annie” (GOLD)

Brantley Gilbert’s album JUST AS I AM (GOLD)

Toby Keith’s album AMERICAN RIDE (GOLD)

Garth Brooks’ album THE ULTIMATE HITS (7x PLATINUM)

Garth Brooks’ boxset BLAME IT ALL ON MY ROOTS (PLATINUM)

Florida Georgia Line's debut album, HERE'S TO THE GOOD TIMES (2x PLATINUM)

In Brief:  Billboard Country Charts

Country Album Chart ** No. 1 (4 weeks; non consecutive) “Platinum” Miranda Lambert

Hot Country Songs ** No.1 (1 week) ** “Beachin’“ Jake Owen

Country Airplay ** No.1 (1 week) ** “Beachin’“ Jake Owen
Country Digital Songs ** No.1 ** (2 weeks) “American Kids” Kenny Chesney 

In this easy-to-use format discover where your favourite acts songs and album are charting across the four Billboard Country charts. It is prioritized by the first column showing the Hot Country Songs chart frame standings for the week of July 19, 2014.

There are also separate rows highlighting Women of Country music.

Scroll down for further details on each of the individual charts.

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Chart News

R&B singer Trey Songz secured his second No.1 album on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart (BB200), as "Trigga" made a debut atop the list. The set, which was released on July 1, sold 104,713 copies in the week ending July 6, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "Trigga" also happens to be the second No. 1 in-a-row for Atlantic Records, as it follows the UK's Ed Sheeran's "x," which debuted in the penthouse a week ago. Sheeran's album slips to No.2 with 52,594 (down 75%).

Miranda Lambert's PLATINUM climbed 8-7 on the BB200 with 25,000 copies sold (down 12%) in its fourth week at #1 on Top Billboad Country Albums giving her 4 out of 5 weeks in the pole position.

It’s the first album by a female artist to top the country chart for four or more weeks since Taylor Swift's RED logged 16 weeks on top in late 2012 and early 2013 (In her 16th No1 week and 18th chart week RED sold 27,952 copies). In her 5th chart frame for RED she sold 185,391 copies (+28%) with a 5 week tally of 2,078,997. 

Colt Ford rounded out the top 10 on the BB200 and achieved his highest debut on Top Country Albums as his fifth full-length studio album, THANKS FOR LISTENING (Average Joes), drew Hot Shot Debut applause at No.2 Country with 23,260 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. 

He logged his previous best opening-week rank when EVERY CHANCE I GET debuted and peaked at No.3 (May 21, 2011; 29,676 sales). He scored his only No.1 and biggest sales week when his last album, DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, flew 67-1 (31,130 copies sold) on Aug. 18, 2012 (following an early bow due to street-date violations).

Ford says his fifth studio album represents the things close to his heart: America, country music, hard work, celebrating life with family and friends and having a good time doing it. The genre-bending "Thanks for Listening" set is guest-studded: Keith Urban, Jerrod Niemann, Randy Houser, Justin Moore, Chase Rice, Lee Brice and Duck Dynasty's Willie Robertson are among collaborators.

Colt celebrated the release by stepping into the role of official “greeter” at select Walmart stores and surprising unsuspecting customers with gift cards. In keeping with the theme, “Thanks For Listening,” Ford met with hundreds of his fans during the in-store visits to mark the release of his much-anticipated album. An exclusive version of the album available at Walmart includes the first edition of “The Average Joes,” a full-length color comic book featuring Colt Ford and friends as super heroes selflessly saving the world with their super powers. “This record is a tribute to my fans. I can’t thank them enough for coming out to all the shows, keeping in touch on social media, and generally being supportive of my career,” commented Ford. “I’m very proud of this album, and so glad to have had many of my friends included on the recording as well.” 

Critical reception for Colt Ford’s “Thanks For Listening”:

12 Tracks/ Time: 42:50 CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Amazon.com - Walmart

Do you like a girl with a Dirty Side? Watch Colt perform >> "Dirty Side"

Billboard’s Chuck Dauphin said, “It's without a doubt the most complete album of his career - with songs that will make you laugh, sing along, roll down the window, pump your fists in the air, and even wipe away a tear.” And Country Weekly said, “When it comes to star power, Colt Ford has it in spades on "Thanks For Listening.” The Albany Herald also praised the new album, saying, “Thanks’ surges from one high to the next.”

Allmusic (Rating: 3.5 STARS) ...if contemporary country radio has been slow to embrace his brand of good-old-boy outlaw hick-hop, Ford has built a huge audience anyway, and it's probably only a matter of time before radio falls in line.....But Ford isn't just an "I-need-a-guest-on-this-track" artist, and two of the best sides here feature Ford alone, “Crank It Up” and “Outshine Me.” He also isn't standing still as a songwriter, moving into ballad territory with a couple tracks, and the song “The High Life,” with country singer Chase Rice, is actually getting spins on contemporary radio. There isn't much Nashville about Ford, but he certainly understands how things work, and most importantly, he understands his audience, realizing that, while radio segments music into styles, audiences don't, and they're perfectly happy mixing country with rap, or anything with anything, as long as it works, and as long as it gets the tires moving and the weekend churning forward.

Associated Press (by Ron Harris) ...This is mostly good old boy territory, with an occasional hip-hop backing beat thrown in for good measure. "The High Life," featuring Chase Rice alongside Ford, says as much. There's football-watching, hard-drinking and late-night living

to be had, and Ford's having it all at high speed. "Cut Em All" also delivers a mean country swagger, replete with four-wheeling and hunting....Ford's lyrics aren't always the meatiest, but his approach is not to dwell too deeply on the human condition. He's here to have fun and let us all know how he had it. Mission accomplished, Colt Ford.

Roughstock (Rating: 4 Stars).... With Thanks For Listing Colt Ford stretches himself more than he’s done before while also bringing more star-packed collaborations than before, which is saying something for a man who has previously collaborated with Ronnie Dunn, Wynonna, John Anderson, Brantley Gilbert, Joe Diffie, Tim McGraw, Charlie Daniels, Frankie Ballard and Jason Aldean....As with Colt's other records, Thanks For Listening won’t be for everyone but for those willing to take a listen and for those who enjoy rural rap (my phrase for country/rap, because "hick-hop" just doesn’t work for me), you should certainly check out Colt Ford’s lasted record. It’s one of his most varied and consistent projects to date.

Little Rebellion Music ..Appropriately, the title track is a thank-you note to his fans and the people who believed in him along the way. ‘Crickets’ is a Colt Ford interpretation of a charming love song, and on ‘Outshine Me’ he answers his (often very harsh) critics.....The piece de resistance on this album, is ‘Workin’ On,’ surely one of the best written songs on any album this year. It is a self-improvement manifesto, and if you are a songwriter, you should be deeply envious of the chorus. The production value is extremely high. Gone are the sloppiness, the overly harsh beats, and the forced performance, and in are balanced and style-appropriate tracks, and better storytelling.

Old Crow Medicine Show new album REMEDY, released June 30th via ATO Records/PIAS made a bow at No.15 on the BB200 (#4 Country) selling 16,648 copies.

 “Remedy” is full of catchy melodies, quirky and often humorous lyrics, all executed with mesmerizing musicianship. The band’s single “Wagon Wheel” received the RIAA’s platinum certification for selling over one million copies, and they were recently asked to become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. They have four UK concerts in October 2014. Tickets are now on sale on Ticketmaster UK

Critical reception for Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Remedy”:

13 Tracks/ Time: 42:53 CD - UK iTunes - Smart Choice Music - Amazon.com 

Allmusic (Rating: 4 STARS) Produced by Ted Hutt, Remedy is the band's fifth album and most polished recording -- but that doesn't mean slick. The organic instrumentation that felt lacking on 2012's Carry Me Back returns here, with tighter arrangements, closer harmonies, and better dynamics. ....This isn't your grandpa's bluegrass. The minor-key "Shit Creek," with its banjo breakdowns, is as adrenaline-drenched as the Bad Livers. "Brave Boys" is hardcore mountain music done with punk rock energy. "Sweet Home" fuses gospel to swing and old-timey fiddle music with layered vocal harmonies, amid banjo, bass, and fiddles in interplay. Remedy is not as raw or rough as earlier dates; that's to be expected and is welcome.... Ambitious in its reach, Remedy keeps close to the ground in its inspiration and execution.

The Guardian (Rating; 4 STARS) It's a rare band that can appeal to both old-school country music fans and rock audiences, but the seven-piece Old Crow Medicine Show from North Carolina have achieved just that with their raw energy, classy musicianship and new songs that sound like updated versions of old classics.... They start with a stomping, exuberant harmonica blues, the raunchy Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer, and end with a very different prison song, the thoughtful harmony lament, The Warden. Then there's a tribute to the great Doc Watson, who discovered them when they were buskers, a gutsy, Dylanesque ballad, Sweet Amarillo, co-written with Dylan himself, and the poignant, finely observed funeral song Dearly Departed Friend. Original and impressive.

Rollingstone (Rating: 3 STARS) ....On their eighth album, this roots-music party band still acts as if electricity was never invented: In "Doc's Day," street musicians toss their amps and drums after being scolded by an old hillbilly. But every time the group appears to be degenerating into cliché, singer-songwriter Ketch Secor throws a curveball – about the sad state of modern political discourse or the funeral of a soldier friend – and drags Appalachia into the present. And as they did with "Wagon Wheel," Old Crow dip back into Dylan's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid outtakes, concocting a fully realized version of the waltz "Sweet Amarillo" that plays it beautifully straight.

Outside the top 25 country albums at No.39 was the new self titled 6 track EP (Curb Records) from American Young released on June 24, 2014 on iTunes. 

The duo comprise songwriter/producer Jon Stone and Kristy Osmunson (Thomas) formerly of the group Bomshel. The EP includes their brilliant debut single >> “Love Is War” along with brand new single "Wasn't Gonna Drink Tonight". Jon Stone’s credits include "Me and My Gang" (Rascal Flatts), "Seven Days" (Kenny Chesney), "Kiss My Country Ass" (Blake Shelton), "A Woman Like You" (Lee Brice) and "Only God Could Love You More" (Jerrod Niemann).  
Kristy was a co-writer on Joey + Rory’s 2008 single "Cheater, Cheater". 
Promoting themselves American Young were due to appear on ABC's The Bachelorette on June 30th.

2014 Country Album sales Year-To Date:

15,862,000 (Physical sales 10,463,000 (down 9%) + Digital sales 5,399,000 (down -12.9%)) which is 21.5% down at the same point in 2013 (20,200,000 sales)

Billboard Top 200 / Country Album Placings

(Issue dated Chart week of July 19, 2014)

(Country Album positions #1 - #25)

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

Billboard History

Billboard Top Ten for week ending July 11, 1981:

1. Fire And Smoke (Sunbird) Earl Thomas Conley

2. Feels So Right  Alabama (RCA)

3. Lovin' Her Was Easier Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again (Elektra) Glaser Brothers

4. Dixie On My Mind (Elektra) Hank Williams, Jr.

5. Surround Me With Love (Epic) Charly McClain

6. By Now (RCA) Steve Wariner

7. The Matador (RCA) Sylvia

8. Fool By Your Side (Elektra) Dave & Sugar

9. Prisoner Of Hope (Asylum) Johnny Lee

10. Too Many Lovers (Columbia)Crystal Gayle

Top 25 Hot Country Songs (week of July 19, 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:

• Jake Owen scored his third No.1, and first in more than two years, on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart as “Beachin’ ” (RCA Nashville) stepped 2-1. It’s his fifth chart topping #1 joining “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” (2011), “Alone With You” (2011), “The One That Got Away” (2012, Country Airplay #1) and “Anywhere With You” (2013, Country Airplay #1 )
• The track dethrones Miranda Lambert’s duet with Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad” (19/Arista Nashville/RCA Nashville), which tumbled 1-6. “Bad” had bounded 18-1 the previous week with a 502% gain in streaming, according to Nielsen BDS, following the June 26 premiere of its video. Owen lands his first leader since “Alone With You,” which spent the first of two weeks at the summit on April 7, 2012 (before the chart’s switch from measuring airplay to an airplay/sales/streaming methodology). “Beachin’ ” leapt to the top of the Country Airplay chart, marking just the second title to have scaled the top of both tallies concurrently. Gary Allan’s “Every Storm Runs Out of Rain” reached No.1 on the charts dated Feb. 9, 2013.
• Kenny Chesney became the first soloist (and third act overall) to rope all three Gainer trophies — Airplay, Digital and Streaming — simultaneously as “American Kids” (Blue Chair/Columbia Nashville) jumped 6-2 in its third week. It leads Country Digital Songs for a second frame (80,000; up 8%) and bounds 14-4 on Country Streaming Songs (1.4 million U.S. streams, up 131%) following the June 30 release of its video. The previous triple-crown winners: Florida Georgia Line’s “This Is How We Roll” (March 22) and Lady Antebellum’s “Downtown” (Feb. 23, 2013).
• Florida Georgia Line, the duo’s “Dirt” (Republic Nashville) entered at No.40 based solely on radio play. With industry forecasters expecting an arrival in the neighborhood of 150,000 downloads sold in its first week, the lead single (released July 8) from the twosome’s next album, due this fall, should surge into the upper ranks next week.

Top 25 Hot Country Songs:

Jake Owen with “Beachin’” moves up one to Top The Chart, #2 - #1 p

Kenny Chesney with “American Kids” climbs four, #6 - #2 p

Dierks Bentley with “Drunk On A Plane” is up two, #5 - #3 p

Luke Bryan with former #1 “Play It Again” falls one, #3 - #4 q

Florida Georgia Line feat Luke Bryan with former #1 “This Is How Me Roll” fell, #4 - #5 q

Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood with “Somethin’ Bad” falls, #1 - #6 q

Lady Antebellum with “Bartender” is up one, #8 - #7 p

Joe Nichols with “Yeah” rises two, #10 - #8 p

Lee Brice with “I Don’t Dance” stays at #9

Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Sebastion with “My Eyes” slips three, #7 - #10 q

Chris Young with “Who I Am With You” stays at #11

Tyler Farr with “Whiskey In My Water” is a non-mover at #12

Brad Paisley with “River Bank” floats up one, #14 - #13 p

Tim McGraw feat Faith Hill with “Meanwhile Back At Mama’s” is down, #13 - #14 q

Billy Currington with “We Are Tonight” stays at #15

Dustin Lynch with “Where It’s At” (Yep, Yep) sticks at #16

Chase Rice with “Ready Set Roll” climbs one, #18 - #17 p

Eric Paslay with “Song About A Girl” is up one, #19 - #18 p

Sam Hunt with “Leave The Night On” jumps up five, #24 - #19 p

The Band Perry with “Chainsaw” stays at #20

Brantley Gilbert with “Small Town Throwdown” holds at #21

Cole Swindell with “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight” stays at #22

Craig Campbell with “Keep Them Kisses Comin’” slips six, #17 - #23 q

Little Big Town with “Day Drinking” lifts four, #28 - #24 p

Eli Young Band with “Dust” stays at #25

Hot County Songs

** No.1 (1 week) ** “Beachin’“ Jake Owen

** Digital Gainer/ Airplay Gainer/Streaming Gainer ** No.2 “American Kids” Kenny Chesney

** Hot Shot Debut ** No.34 “God Made Girls” Raelynn

Debut No.35 “Home Sweet Home” Justin Moore featuring Vince Neil

Debut No.40 “Dirt” Florida Georgia Line

Debut No.48 “Party Like You” The Cadillac Three   

Billboard Country Airplay Chart Week of July 19, 2014

Jake Owen scored his first No.1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart in more than a year, and his fifth overall, as “Beachin’ ” (RCA Nashville) made waves with a 2-1 lift in its 24th week. First released Feb 3, 2014 the country/rap song written by Jaren Johnston, Jon Nite and Jimmy Robbins and produced by Joey Moi logged 46.751 million audience impressions (+1.659 million) receiving 7,304 radio plays (+275).

Jake matched his fastest chart-topping ascent, first set when “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” his first No.1, spent its first of two weeks at the summit on Sept. 17, 2011. He most recently dominated the Nielsen BDS-fueled chart when “Anywhere With You” crowned the list dated July 6, 2013 (in its 25th frame). 

Top local audience contributors for “Beachin’ ” during the June 30-July 6 tracking week: WUSN Chicago (1.5 million impressions), KKGO Los Angeles (1.2 million), WNSH New York (1.1 million) and KPLX Dallas (1.1 million) and WUBL Atlanta (930,000).

“Beachin’” is the second single from Owen’s DAYS OF GOLD album. The title track peaked at No.15 (Nov 16, 2013). Released in December, the set has sold 165,000 copies through the Nielsen SoundScan week ending June 30. “Beachin’ ” has sold 820,000 downloads, and the title cut has moved 266,000.

• The Country Airplay top 10 welcomed three new titles, led by Lee Brice’s 12-7 leap with “I Don’t Dance” (Curb). The singer/songwriter scored his fifth consecutive, and sixth total, top 10. His chart history includes three No.1s, a feat he last achieved with “I Drive Your Truck” (April 20, 2013).
• Brad Paisley scored his 31st top 10 with “River Bank” (Arista Nashville) (11-8). Paisley last visited the upper tier with “Beat This Summer,” which peaked at No. 2 on the July 13, 2013 chart. Dating to the chart’s Jan. 20, 1990 inception, Paisley ties Keith Urban for the ninth-most top 10s. George Strait leads with 61 followed by Alan Jackson (51).
• Dierks Bentley’s “Drunk on a Plane” (Capitol Nashville) flew 13-9, marking his 18th top 10. It follows “I Hold On,” which became his 11th No.1 (April 5).

• Kenny Chesney with "American Kids" at No.14 took home the “Most Increased Audience” honours logging 23.045 million audience impressions, a gain of +5.240 million, receiving 3,402 radio plays (+1,020).
• Justin Moore snagged the “Hot Shot Debut” and “Most Added” trophies with “Home Sweet Home,” a track from Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Motley Crue, due to drop Aug. 19. The countrified treatment of the Motley Crue classic features the band’s Vince Neil. The song, whose video premiered July 1, made a bow at No.39 with 3.8 million impressions, receiving 456 spins at 71 of the 145 stations monitored for the chart thanks to 34 fresh radio commitments (ADDS). The song has other country ties: Carrie Underwood's cover debuted and peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2009. (The band's original reached No.89 on the Hot 100 in 1985; a re-release rose to No.37 in 1992).

Women of Country 2014 Watch:

There were no solo female artists on the Top 30 Country Airplay songs Miranda Lamberts’ duet with Carrie Underwood Somethin’ Bad” climbed 25-21 

Cassadee Pope #32, Kacey Musgraves #42, Jana Kramer #45, Danielle Bradbery #50, Sheryl Crow #53 and RaeLynn #56 were the six solo females in the remaining 31-60 slots, to make it just 10.0% of the entire Top 60 chart.

Country Airplay

*** No. 1 (1 week) *** "Beachin'" Jake Owen

** Most Increased Audience ** No.14 "American Kids" Kenny Chesney

** Hot Shot Debut/ Most Added ** No.39 "Home Sweet Home" Justin Moore featuring Vince Neil 

Debut No.56 "God Made Girls" RaeLynn

Debut No.58 "Girl In A Country Song" Maddie & Tae 
Debut No.60 "Get It On" Joey Hyde

Billboard Country Digital Singles Chart Week of July 19, 2014

• Kenny Chesney with "American Kids," earned a second succesive week at No.1 selling 80,000 copies (up 8%; 193K 3 week total) in three weeks on this chart.
• Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The USA” re-entered the chart at No.17 with July 4th Independence Day on the horizon with sales now slated to be 1,000,000 scanned.
• Raelynn made a debut at #22 with “God Made Girls”.
• Outside of the Top 30 Martina McBride at #73 with “Independence Day” has apparently sold 511K to date and is now a Gold digital single.
• Florida Georgia Line with “Cruise” has finally slipped off the Top 30 having sold 6.89 million copies (7x Platinum) in 108 chart weeks.

Women Of Country Watch

Raelynn with her single "God Made Girls" at No.22 is the only solo female artist on the Top 30 placings and joining Miranda Lambert’s “Automatic” at No.34 they are the ONLY solo female songs on the Top 50!:

Dropping off the Top 30:

Top 30 Digital Singles in Country Music (published July 10, 2014)

 (LW) Last Week (TW) This Week

*Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000^th

Country Aircheck/ Mediabase chart

Jake Owen landed the No1 on Mediabase with “Beachin’” (RCA) which moved 2-1. The song logged 7,634 radio spins (+262) and 58.460 million audience impressions (+1.812 million) from 149 tracking stations for the tracking week June 29 to July 5, 2014 and published chart July 7th.

It’s congratulations to RCA SVP/Promotion Keith Gale, Dir./National Promotion Josh Easler and the entire RCA Promo team for scoring the week’s #1 spot on the MEDIABASE Country singles chart. The second single from Owen’s DAYS OF GOLD album, is his first #1 single since “Anywhere With You” in June of 2013 and his fifth career chart-topper.

Congratulations to Valory Music CO. VP/Promotion George Briner and his entire team for garnering 52 MEDIABASE Country adds on with Justin Moore’s “Home Sweet Home.” The Motley Crue cover features CRUE lead vocalist, Vince Neil. Those adds give Moore the "Most Added" title for the week. Bagels were due to be delivered to the Valory offices (July 8th) to congratulate the staff on their achievement.

For a detailed report check out Country Aircheck Weekly Issue 404 - July 7, 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)

Chart Week of July 12, 2014

Source: www.billboard.com/biz/current-boxscore