Country
Billboard Chart News February 29, 2016
RIAA
Certifications
Multi-Platinum
= 2,000,000 plus units
Platinum =
1-million units
Gold = 500,000
units
Note: For ALBUM
certifications the RIAA base their figures
on the number of units SHIPPED together with, track sales and on demand audio/
video stream units and NOT based purely on traditional retail sales.
1,500 on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album sale.
150 on-demand streams = 1
track download
Effective Feb.
1, 2016 RIAA now include on-demand audio
and video streams and a track sale equivalent in Gold &
Platinum (G&P’s) Album Award.
The
modernization of the program’s album rule follows a similar update made to
digital single certifications in 2013, when the RIAA first added on-demand
streams to its Digital Single Award. Collectively, this now means that the
program’s iconic benchmarks – 500,000 (Gold), 1,000,000 (Platinum) and
2,000,000 plus (multi-Platinum) – will count both sales and streams for
single and album certifications.
RIAA set the
new Album Award formula of 1,500
on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album
sale. Also effective RIAA’s Digital
Single Award ratio was updated from 100 on-demand streams = 1 download to 150 on-demand streams = 1 download to reflect the enormous
growth of streaming consumption in the two plus years since that ratio was
set. Just as RIAA announced when setting the initial formula in 2013, our
analysis and the determination of a formula is based on comparative consumption
patterns, not marketplace value.
Sam Hunt,
Chris Stapleton Top RIAA's Country January And February Gold And Platinum
Certifications
Sam Hunt's album "MONTEVALLO" and Chris Stapleton's album
TRAVELLER topped RIAA's January and
February 2016 list of GOLD and PLATINUM honours, among the 158 Digital
Single Awards and 74 Album Awards.
Hunt's album
"Montevallo" received MULTI-PLATINUM
and PLATINUM recognition.
Among the PLATINUM Album Awards weree STAPLETON's "Traveller," LUKE BRYAN's KILL THE LIGHTS, which both also received standard GOLD Album Awards, Carrie Underwood's "Greatest Hits: Decade #1,"
and Miranda Lambert's "PLATINUM."
Brett Eldredge also received a GOLD Album Award for BRING
YOU BACK.
Earning digital
MULTI-PLATINUM Single Awards were:
Jason Aldean's "Burnin' It Down," and "She's
Country,"
Florida Georgia Line's "Stay,"
and Little Big
Town's "Girl Crush."
Receiving Digital PLATINUM Single Awards were:
Aldean's "She's Country," and "Hicktown," Blake Shelton's "Sangria," Chris Young's "I'm Comin' Over,"
Cole Swindell's "Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,"
Florida Georgia Line's "Sippin' On Fire," Thomas Rhett's "Die A Happy Man," Tim McGraw's "Southern Girl," Lee Brice's "I
Drive Your Truck," Rodney Atkins' "If
You're Going Through Hell," and Little Big Town's "Girl
Crush."
Digital GOLD Single
Awards went to:
Hank Williams JR.'s "Family Tradition" and "A
Country Boy Can Survive," Tim McGraw's "Diamond
Rings And Old Barstools," "Just To See You Smile," and
"She's My Kind Of Rain," Randy Houser's "Goodnight
Kiss,"
Dustin Lynch's "Hell Of A
Night," Maddie
& Tae's "Fly," Cole Swindell's "Let
Me See Ya Girl," and Mongtomery Gentry's "Where I Come
From."
* NOTE * This
comes on the heels of the RIAA's new Album Award methodology for its
GOLD and PLATINUM program.
Collectively,
this now means that the program’s iconic benchmarks – 500,000 (Gold), 1,000,000
(Platinum) and 2,000,000 plus (multi-Platinum) – will count both sales and
streams for single and album certifications.
In
Brief: Billboard Country Charts (Chart issue week of March 12, 2016)
Country Album
Chart ** No.1 (14 weeks) TRAVELLER Chris
Stapleton
Hot Country
Songs ** No.1 (16 weeks) ** Die A Happy Man” Thomas Rhett
Country Airplay
** No.1 (1 week) ** “Break on Me” Keith Urban
Country Digital
Songs ** No.1 “My Church” (1 week) Maren Morris
The
Billboard 200 chart measures multi-metric album consumption, which includes
traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent
albums (SEA).
Adele with 25 ruled the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart (BB200)
for a tenth non-consecutive week, as it earned another 100,000 equivalent album
units in the week ending Feb. 25, according to Nielsen Music. That sum was down
34% compared to the previous week. In terms of pure album sales, it sold 81,000 (down 35%).
25
is just the fifth album released since 2000 to achieve 10 weeks at No.1. It
follows Taylor Swift’s 1989 (released in 2014, 11 weeks at No.1), the Frozen soundtrack
(2013, 13 weeks), Adele’s 21 (2011, 24 weeks) and Swift’s FEARLESS (2008, 11
weeks).
Chris Stapleton with TRAVELLER (Mercury Nashville | UMGN) moved 11-5 on Billboard 200 in
his 23rd chart frame and returned to the top on Billboard Top Country Albums chart in his 43rd chart frame selling
another 43,850 copies (43-week total
of 958,000)
In
their second chart frame Joey + Rory with HYMNS (Farmhouse/Gaither/Capitol Christian Music Group) which
topped Country Albums the previous week slipped 4-8 on the multi-genre
Billboard 200 and 1-2 Country
selling another 36,963 copies (down 46%on
debut week 69,508; 2-week total 106,471). On Billboard’s Music Video chart they
placed 3 titles in the top 11 slots: Hymns:
That Are Important To Us was #1 for a second week, Inspired: Songs Of Faith
& Family held at #3 Country Classics: A Tapestry Of Our Musical Heritage
moved up 14-11
Sam Hunt with MONTEVALLO (MCA Nashville | UMGN) stayed at No.3 Country (12,198 sales; down 33%; 70-week total 1,054,800).
In
their second chart frames Vince Gill with DOWN TO MY LAST BAD HABIT (MCA Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville) fell 35-85
on Billboard 200 & 4-5 Country (7,467 sales; down 57% on debut 17,088;
2-week total 24,600). Wheeler Walker with REDNECK SHIT
(Pepper Hill/ Thirty Tigers) fell 9-32 in his second week selling around 1,400
copies.
Wynnona with WYNONNA & THE BIG NOISE (Curb) fell 14-23 Country selling around 2,000 copies.
Veteran
pop/rock group Sister Hazel made its Top Country Albums
debut, as LIGHTER IN THE DARK (Croakin’
Poets 278) arrived at #79 on BB200, #31 on all genre Top Albums (based on
sales) and No.4 Country selling 7,914 copies. The LP also starts at
No.3 on Folk Albums and No.12 on Top Rock Albums.
The
14-song set includes a collaboration with another artist that has made the
transition to country, Darius Rucker (of Hootie & The Blowfish), who is
featured on the set’s “Prettiest Girl at the Dance.”
Alternative rock band Sister Hazel (formed 1993) are from Gainesville,
Florida, whose style also blends elements of folk rock, pop, classic rock 'n'
roll and southern rock. The band's second album, ...Somewhere More Familiar was
released in 1997 and sold approximately 30,000 copies through its initial pressing,
prompting Universal Records to sign the band. Although it only peaked at #47 in
the U.S., it went on to be platinum selling over a million copies!
Critical
reception for Sister Hazel’s Lighter in the Dark :
Allmusic (Rating: 2.1/2 STARS) Taking a cue from their fellow Southern '90s
frat-rocker Darius Rucker, Sister Hazel decide to ditch the rock singalongs for
country singalongs on 2016's Lighter in the Dark...Sister Hazel hedge their
bets, never quite ready to abandon their tempered folk-rock for the Florida
Georgia Line. To be sure, they'll emulate FGL -- the chanted chorus on the
good-time "We Got It All Tonight" isn't a million miles away from
"Get Your Shine On"... Lighter in the Dark feels suited to the arena
rock referenced in the title: it's music for the masses at a festival show. The
ironic thing is, the two times Sister Hazel ease themselves
into traditional
country-rock -- on the burnished "Prettiest Girl at the Dance," which
brings to mind prime Eagles, and the livelier "Run Highway Run" --
are clearly the best things here, which only makes this seem like a lost
opportunity: if they defined country through the prism of the '70s and not the
2010s, they would've wound up with a better album.
Digital Journal (Rating: 4.5 STARS)...Overall, Sister Hazel stuns on their latest
album, Lighter In the Dark. They prove that they are like fine wine, where they
only get better with age. It is a highly eclectic project and it displays their
wide versatility as a musical group. Their vocals are reminiscent of Zac Brown
Band meets Uncle Kracker.
Austin-based
artist, Sam Riggs, released his much anticipated sophomore album
BREATHLESS made a debut at No.168 on
Billboard 200 and No.12 Country
selling 3,801 copies.
It scored
an immediate #3 debut on the iTunes Country Music Chart following right behind
Chris Stapleton and Sam Hunt. Apple Music Country also posted about the new
album saying, “We’re eager to spend some time with this new music from
Floridian-turned-Texan Sam Riggs. We love the first single ‘The Lucky Ones.’”
– Press Release
“Breathless” is the first album to be released on Riggs’ own label (Deep Creek Records) with marketing and distribution through Thirty Tigers/Sony RED. Website
Sam
spent his big release night in front of his fans at the legendary Floore’s
Country Store in Helotes, Texas.
You
don’t hear the story too often: An artist moves to Texas and receives the warm
reception and regional success of a Lone Star native.
Artists
like Adam Hood, Chris Knight, Slaid Cleaves and Rob Baird have all experienced
measurable fame after becoming Texas transplants. With his first album—Outrun
the Sun, released in 2013—Sam made a considerable amount of noise in the Red
Dirt scene, earning him sold-out shows, a growing fan base, increased social
media awareness, Spotify streams in the millions, Texas regional music awards
and, eventually, national television opportunities. Sam produced his new album
with Eric Herbst (Eli Young Band, Ray Johnston Band) and the extremely listenable
end project seems the perfect vehicle to slingshot the young artist to
mainstream success - Country Weekly (11 Feb)
“We got tremendous support on the last album
from fans and media. This incredible buzz started getting ramped up and show
attendance started to sky rocket. People really latched on to it.”
Everybody loves a good “rags-to-riches” story. Nothing seems to inspire the
masses quite as well as the story about the underdog with the larger-than-life
dream that finds the path of opportunity and emerges triumphant against the
odds. Sam Riggs has just such a story, and in his version, it was his move from
his native Florida to Austin, Texas that was the dream....In total,
“Breathless” is the sound you hear clearly above the racket of mediocrity, and
it signals that a new age of “artist” has arrived. Bio
Sam
Riggs - An Inside Look At Breathless
Critical reception for Sam Riggs’ Breathless:
Roughstock “The album’s opener and lead single (in Texas) “The Lucky Ones” feels
ready to compete with anything being released via major labels in Nashville as
Riggs showcases his strong vocal, a vocal which often draws comparisons to
Lonestar’s Richie McDonald…."Breathless" is a stunning collection of
songs which has us boldly announcing the arrival of the next great country
star. The lyrics of “The Lucky Ones” tell a story of the small town kids who
weren’t a part of a school clique, the ones who were “Raised up to be fighters”
and they were “hell bent and full of fire” and “did everything to keep our
dream alive.” Pretty much he’s talking about anyone who didn’t fit in because
they chased music or other pursuits. It’s a strong opening and sets Breathless
on a course that only gets stronger throughout the album’s 11 tracks..., he has
written songs which not only work for him on record and in a live setting
but with Breathless he’s
honed in on who he is as an artist. Yes, there’s parts of influential sounds
throughout Breathless but they all work tremendously well together. If any
artist in Texas is ready for mainstream country success whose still not “known”
nationally, it’s Sam Riggs as Breathless proves.
Sam
Riggs attacks Breathless with an unapologetic big-production gusto that ignores
the distinctions between modern mainstream country and his singer-songwriter
roots. The result is a widescreen, sonically insistent album with the potential
to either draw in open-minded fans of both or turn off folks who don’t think
the gap can be bridged...Riggs sticks the landing more often than he loses his
footing. — Mike Ethan Messick Lonestar Music Magazine
Year-To-Date
Albums
3,377,000 (Physical sales 2,174,000
(down 9%) + Digital sales 1,202,000 (down -18.0%)) which is 11.8% down at the same point in 2015 (3,828,000
sales)
Year-To-Date
Digital Tracks
14,109,000 down 22.4% at the same point in 2015 (18,179,000)
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:
SWEET SIXTEEN On Hot Country Songs, Thomas Rhett with “Die a Happy Man”
(Valory) held at No.1 spot for a 16th week (the last 15 in succession). The
song was tied for the third-most weeks at No.1, dating to the chart’s 1958
inception as an all-encompassing genre ranking, with Buck Owens’ “Love’s Gonna
Live Here” (1963). Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” (2012-13) reigned with 24
weeks on top, followed by Leroy Van
Dyke’s “Walk On By” (19 weeks, 1961).
Hot County
Songs
** No.1 (16
weeks) ** “Die A Happy Man” Thomas Rhett
** Airplay
Gainer ** No.6 “Break On Me” Keith Urban
** Digital
& Streaming Gainer ** No.29 “Used To Love You Sober” Kane Brown
** Hot Shot
Debut ** No.47 “Power Of Positive Drinkin'” Chris Janson
Debut
No.48 “Lovin' Lately” Big & Rich
featuring Tim McGraw
Keith
Urban with “Break on Me” (Hit Red/Capitol
Nashville) vaulted 6-1 to become his 19th No.1 on Billboard’s
Country Airplay chart (dated March 12).
The song surged by 12% to 44.6 million audience impressions in the
tracking week, according to Nielsen Music.
Urban’s No.1s sum lifts him into a tie for fifth place with Brad Paisley
for the most Country Airplay leaders in the chart’s 26-year history, passing
Garth Brooks (18). Tim McGraw leads with 27, followed by Kenny Chesney, Alan
Jackson and George Strait (26 each); Blake Shelton (21); and Brooks & Dunn
and Toby Keith (20 each).
“Break” made the biggest jump to the top this decade and the greatest
since Rascal Flatts’ “Here Comes Goodbye” also roared 6-1 on April 25, 2009.
Ricky Van Shelton boasts the biggest positional surge to No.1 in the chart’s
archives, having hurtled 9-1 with “Keep It Between the Lines” (Oct. 12, 1991).
Penned by Ross Copperman and Jon Nite, “Break” is the second single from
Urban’s forthcoming album RIPCORD. Launch track “John Cougar, John Deere, John
3:16” peaked at No.2 on both Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs. Back as a
celebrity judge for the final season of Fox’s American Idol (with Jennifer
Lopez and Harry Connick Jr.), Urban is gearing up for his Ripcord World Tour,
beginning June 2 in Kansas City, Mo., and featuring opening acts Maren Morris
and Brett Eldredge.
Urban first reached No. 1 on Country Airplay with “But for the Grace of
God” in 2001 and has maintained his clout since. “There’s no question that the songs that Keith records are the most
important reason for his success. But he is a big factor, too,” WWQM
Madison, Wis., PDFletcher Keyes told Billboard. “Artistically, he weaves from one lane to another, in a positive and
exciting way. He’s also ever-present in other media with a positive, caring
persona.”
Adds Universal Music Group Nashville chairman/CEO Mike Dungan, “Keith continues to bring fresh, challenging,
game-changing life to everything he does.”
Country
Airplay
***
No. 1 (1 week)/ Most Increased Audience *** "Break On Me” Keith Urban 44.625 million audience (+4.730
million) / 8,275 radio plays (+1210)
**
Most Added ** No.34 “Record Year” Eric
Church (32 ADDS)
**
Hot Shot Debut ** No.58 “Make You Miss Me” Sam
Hunt
Debut
No.59 “Make You Mine” High Valley
Debut
No.60 “Daddy’s Money” Brooke Eden
It was High Praise on Country
Digital Songs as Maren Morris lifted 4-1 with her debut single, “My
Church” (Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville) (up #27-18 Digital Songs; 34,413
sales; down 2%; 7-week total 179,857)
The country music anthem is Morris’ first No.1 on a Billboard songs
chart. According to Nielsen Music (via Sony Music Nashville)
It has additionally amassed over 7.4 million streams.
Says SMN executive vp promotion/artist development Steve Hodges, “When the perfect storm aligns, it’s fun to
watch a hit rise to the top. The audience is reacting [to “Church”], then buying it”
As The Grammy buzz started to fade:
Thomas
Rhett held at #2 with "Die A Happy Man" up 23-20 of all genre
Digital Songs (30,761 sales; down 23%; 23-week total 1,181,026).
Cole
Swindell with “You Should Be Here” rose 5-3 (29,697 sales; down 4%; #31-20
Digital Songs; 11-week total 312,984)
Carrie
Underwood with “Heartbeat” was down 3-4 (24,696 sales;
down 33% with a 16-week total 245,268)
Tim
McGraw with “Humble And Kind” climbed 10-5 (24,191
sales; up 20%; 6-week total 123,152)
Brett
Eldredge with “Drunk On Your Love” rose 8-6 (23,361 sales; down 3%; 47-34 Digital
songs; 12-week total 216,472)
Sam
Hunt with "Break Up in a Small Town" dropped 6-7 (21,770 sales;
down 24%; #40-37 Digital Songs; 58-week total 1,176,260)
Last weeks’ No.1 Little Big Town with “Girl Crush” fell 1-11 it sold 17,438 copies
(down 64%; Digital songs 17-50; 61-week total of 2,075,809)
Outside The Top 30 Notes
At #40: Morgane & Chris Stapleton debuts with 5K sales
Country Aircheck MEDIABASE
Chart
29
February 2016
Congrats
to Keith Urban, Royce Risser, Shane Allen, David Friedman and the entire Capitol promotion staff on earning
this
week’s No.1 with “Break On Me.” The
song is Urban’s 20th chart-topper on the R&R/Mediabase/Country Aircheck
charts.
The
song logged 8,365 radio spins (+1177)
and 58.517 million audience
impressions (+6.558) with 27239
Total Points from 157 tracking stations for the tracking week February 21 to
February 27, 2016 and published chart February 29th 2016.
Kudos
to Jimmy Rector and the EMI Nashville
crew on notching 46 adds for Brothers Osborne’s “21 Summer,” topping the week’s "Most Added" board.
The
mark is a three-peat for the label, which topped the board the last two weeks
with Eric Church.
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