Country
Billboard Chart News June 12, 2017
In
Brief: Billboard Country Charts (Chart issue week of June 24, 2017)
Country Album
Chart ** No.1 (1 week) THIS ONE’S FOR YOU Luke
Combs
Hot Country
Songs ** No.1 (18 weeks) ** “Body Like A Back
Road” Sam Hunt
Country Airplay
** No.1 (1 week) ** "If I Told You” Darius Rucker
Country Digital
Songs ** No.1 (18 non-consecutive weeks) ** “Body Like A Back Road” Sam Hunt
The
Billboard 200 chart measures multi-metric album consumption, which includes
traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent
albums (SEA).
Pop
singer-songwriter Halsey notched her
first No.1 album on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart (BB200),
as her second full-length studio effort, HOPELESS FOUNTAIN KINGDOM, debuted
atop the list. The set, which was released on June 2 through Astralwerks
Records, earned 106,000 equivalent
album units in the week ending June 9, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum,
75,551 were in traditional album
sales.
Hopeless
Fountain Kingdom follows Halsey’s first full-length album, Badlands, which
debuted and peaked at No. 2 with 115,000 units earned in its first week. Of
that sum, 97,000 were in album sales.
Halsey’s
new album is the first by a woman to be No.1 on the Billboard 200 in 2017.
The last leading lady to top the chart was Lady Gaga, whose Joanne album
debuted on the list dated Nov. 12, 2016 — more than seven months ago.
Luke Combs saw his debut full-length
album, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, bow at No.5 with 43,000 units (35,009 in traditional album sales). The new album is the artist’s second
release to chart, following the same-named This One’s for You EP, which peaked
at No.151 in May. The new album was ushered in by Combs’ debut chart single “Hurricane,” which spent two weeks at
No.1 on the Country Airplay chart.
Top
Country Albums now ranks the most popular country albums of the week, as
compiled by Nielsen Music, based on multi-metric consumption (blending traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA), and streaming equivalent albums (SEA)).
10 digital track sales from an
album = 1 track equivalent album (TEA)
“sale”
1,500 on demand song streams from
an album to one streaming equivalent album (SEA) “sale”.
Nielsen
Music compiles the sales and streaming data. Billboard continues to publish pure album sales charts (subscription to
billboard biz ), exclusively comprising
Nielsen’s sales data.
Luke Combs 'This One's For
You' Is #1 Country Album
Luke Combs with his debut full length
LP, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU (River
House/Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville), arrived at No.1 on Billboard Top
Country Album Chart, selling 35,009 copies.
This One’s for You was produced by Scott
Moffatt, the disc features a dozen songs, all co-written by Combs.
The
set expands upon his same-named EP, which entered the Top Country Albums chart
dated Dec.19, 2015, at No.36 with 2,000 sold.
“Hurricane,”
the first single from This One’s for You, topped Country Airplay for two weeks
(May 27 and June 3) and peaked at No.3 on Hot Country Songs (May 6). Sophomore
single “When It Rains It Pours” will impact radio on June 19.
Combs’
No.1 debut on Top Country Albums is the first since RaeLynn’s WILDHORSE (April
15; 20,000 equivalent album units; 16,447 in pure sales) and the first
by a solo male since Kane Brown’s self-titled full-length (Dec. 24, 2016;
45,000).
Celebrating
the album release Combs joined his fellow "Hurricane" loving pal, Jim
Cantore, on The Weather Channel's AMHQ (May 16) to unveil plan for three
back-to-back album preview shows. Cantore and The Weather Channel offered an
interactive experience, "Tracking LUKE COMBS," as part of the release
event, following Combs on the tour and offering behind-the-scenes looks at life
on the road and opportunities to get an insider's view of each show. The
three-day event will kick off Tuesday, June 30th at Joe's On Weed Street in
Chicago. Combs also hit Nashville's The Basement East on Wednesday, May 31st
and The Grey Eagle in Ashville, NC on Thursday, JUNE 1st. "Some of my best
memories of the songs off this album are playing them live at bars and clubs
around the country for a rowdy crowd," said Combs. "I can't think of
a better way [to] kick off release week for this record than getting loud,
playing these songs, and having a beer with fans in some of my favorite
cities."
Promoting
the album Combs appeared on NBC-TV's
"TODAY" show as part of the CITI Concert Series (June 5) to
perform his debut #1 single, "Hurricane." Luke chatted with "TODAY" hosts Savannah
Guthrie and Carson Daly about his road to success and the unlikely path he took
to the top of the charts. Check out the conversation and his performance here.
Combs
also performed what will be his next radio single, "When It Rains It Pours".
Check out that performance here.
Critical
reception for Luke Combs’ This One's For You:
Allmusic (Rating: 3.5/ 5): This One's for You, is anchored by the
slow-burning "Hurricane," a ballad that takes its cues from Sam
Hunt's R&B rhythms but showcases Combs' big, gruff voice.... Combs can also
veer toward the middle of the country-pop road, whether it's on the breezy
island vibes of "Don't Tempt Me," the cautionary tale "Be
Careful What You Wish For," or "Memories Are Made Of," which has
a modern gloss even though its title invites nostalgia.... he simmers on
"One Number Away," he conjures brokenhearted soul on the title track,
and he offers a sweet, spare, backporch love song "I Got Away with
You" -- and they're the songs that anchor the record while pointing toward
a potentially long career for this singer.
Entertainment Focus Pip Ellwood-Hughes (Rating:
3.5/5) .The album’s lead single is the
perfect combination of contemporary and traditional country. The production is
sleek and polished, the chorus is designed for radio and Combs’ voice is
distinctive, bringing to mind a slightly less husky Chris Young....The album is
enjoyable and it’s definitely a grower but there are moments where tracks start
to blend into one. Cries that Combs is the new Chris
NPR (Rating: Positive)…On This One's For You, a debut album written
and recorded before major labels came knocking, the singer and songwriter
proves himself to be an astute student of both the genre's trends and
conventions. Combs easily bridges the two with his grasp of Music Row songcraft
(he's deft at finding new life in familiar idioms) and his instinct for
humanizing songs with his performances. His determination to at least co-write
his songs dates back to the disappointment he felt upon discovering that many
of the genre's giants didn't generate their own material...And if anybody has
what it takes to build a big, broad, generation-spanning audience, it's Combs.
Sounds Like Nashville by Chuck Dauphin (Rating;Positive):
....
There
are moments on Luke Combs’ debut project that I think “Oh, no. This again.”
Take for instance, when I hear the truck motor revving up on the opening title
cut. One keeps reading about the fact that “Bro-Country,” as it is known, is
losing a little bit of its’ luster. I felt it again when I heard the can
opening up on “Beer Can,” or the crowd-like chant at the beginning of “Memories
Are Made Of This.” In each song, you kinda get the feeling that what you’re about
to hear is what has been done before – and before – and before. Then, he sings,
and I drop any pre-conceived notions that I might have had.....Combs has been
setting the Country Music landscape afire as of late with his chart-topping hit
“Hurricane.” The song is a perfect marriage of production and vocals.
Maybe,
just maybe, I had my mind made up before I listened to This One’s For You that
it was going to be one way. Of course, as a critic / reviewer / journalist, I
would never admit that. But, I will say that Luke Combs has effectively shown
me up. So, there! In fact, I’m going to go celebrate that fact with another
listen. This album is that good!
Saving Country Music (Rating: 1.1/4
Guns Down (4.5/10)….In the grand scheme
of things in the mainstream world, here’s a guy who’s actually not a prima
donna. Luke Combs looks the part, writes his own songs, and sings them with
passion and authority. If I was at a party with a bunch of Sam Hunt and Florida
Georgia Line fans, I’d be wallflowering like hell......But folks I’m sorry,
except for the last two songs of this record and a few other outlying moments,
Luke Combs’ This One’s For You is one of the most aggressively formulaic
projects in both style and song structure you will find out there. I’m talking
more formulaic than even Florida Georgia Line. I have to go back to Chris
Young’s 2015 I’m Comin’ Over to find a comparable album so unwilling to take
chances, and so reliant on paint by number song structures.... But I want more
from Luke Combs because I know he has it in him. I want to hear the real Luke
Combs, and not just in a few tracks like a teaser. And unfortunately This One’s
for You just doesn’t get there. It lets you down more than it delivers.
Chris Stapleton with From A Room: Volume 1 (Mercury/Universal Music Group Nashville) fell
1-2 (8-15
Billboard 200) selling 22,916 copies (down 27%; 5-week total 364,399) while
Stapleton’s TRAVELLER
(MERCURY/ UMGN) slid 2-4 (#29-38 BB200) selling 8,139 copies (down 15%; 110-week total 1,972,300).
Zac Brown Band with WELCOME HOME (Southern Ground/Elektra/Atlantic Group) held at No.3 (31-28 BB200) selling 14,457 copies
(up 14%; 4-week total 188,978).
Keith Urban with RIPCORD (Hit Red/Capitol Nashville)
climbed 6-5 (48-43 BB200) selling 6,108 copies
(up 16%; 57-week total 594,700).
Brett Young with self-titled debut (BMLG) fell 4-6
(#40-45 BB200) selling 4,469 copies (up 8%; 17-week
total 85,500).
Florida Georgia Line with DIG YOUR ROOTS (BMLG) fell 5-7
(#47-51 BB200) selling 2,440 copies (up 1%; 41-week total 396,800).
Thomas Rhett with
TANGLED UP (Valory) held at #9 (#73-70 BB200) selling 2,537
copies (up 81%; 89-week total 584,500).
The
second LP from the irreverent country comedian Wheeler Walker
Jr. with OL’ WHEELER (Pepper Hill/ Thirty
Tigers) made a debut atop Billboard’s Comedy Albums chart and at No.10 on Top Country Albums with 8,000
equivalent album units including 7,819 in pure sales. It was the 5th
best seller on Country Album Sales and No.27 on the all genre Top 200
Album Sales in America this chart frame.
OL’
WHEELER followed his debut set, REDNECK SHIT, which arrived (and peaked) at
Nos.1 and No. 9 on the lists, respectively (5,780 copies; chart dated March 5, 2016; #127 Billboard 200/ #9 Country)
The
unrepentant country music outlier released the second Dave Cobb-produced album
on June 2; NSFW lyric video for first single “Pussy King” was
unveiled Feb. 14 with Rolling
Stone Country
as the “Nashville pariah” just kept challenging the country music status
quo.
To celebrate the news, the “unfathomably obscene and undeniably offensive”
(Rolling Stone Country)
released lyric video on Valentine’s Day. The album originally went to preorder
on Pledge Music but was
later pulled by the crowd funding platform.
Wheeler
was said to have “one of the buzzier releases of 2017” and that “he’ll be
hustling his ass hard at places like the Academy of Country Music Awards in
April and the CMA Music Festival in June in a ballsy attempt to grab your
attention”. More outrageous publicity stunts were said to take place following
the release of his video for “Drop ‘Em Out” on PornHub.com after all – and
libellous statements throughout.
Critical
reception for Wheeler
Walker Jr’s Ol’ Wheeler:
Saving
Country Music
(Rating: 1.1/2 Guns Up (7/10)… Some have mislabeled, or poorly assessed Wheeler Walker Jr. as parody.
That’s not what it is at all. From the standpoint of Wheeler Walker Jr., he is
singing songs in a completely serious manner. It’s his public persona that is
quick to go after pop country artists and media personalities. However in the
run up to Ol’ Wheeler, Walker Jr. also
courted folks like pop country radio personality Bobby Bones, and Taste
of Country editor
Billy Dukes. He’s worked with the godawful Whiskey Riff, and whomever he
thought could help push his music to the public.
Possibly
the most damning thing is that none other than Shane McAnally co-writes a song
on this record, and seems to be on board for the whole sham….. The bigger Wheeler Walker Jr. has become (And he is big.
Big enough to legitimately challenge for the #1 record in country), the more
polarizing he’s become as a subject. But for what it is, and what it’s supposed
to be, which is country comedy for adults, harking back to the smut country of
folks like Roy Acuff and others, and filling a void where country music needs
an anti-hero, it remains a pretty damn genius piece of performance art, both in
the recorded context, on the stage, and via social and traditional media, even
if the comedic value of these songs themselves is somewhat fleeting, which can
be expected. But if you try to bring it too far out from behind the curtain,
that’s when you run the risk of it becoming too exposed and troublesome. Once
again the prevailing question for Wheeler Walker Jr. is, “Where do you go
next?” But somewhat surprisingly, he’s done it a second time, and people are
still laughing.
#CMAFest is supposed to be over but got my best autograph in today's mail @WheelerWalkerJr pic.twitter.com/B24ekiIARA— Kent Nicholas (@tnkub) June 14, 2017
Outside the
Top 10
Miranda Lambert with THE WEIGHT OF THESE WINGS (Vanner/ RCA Nashville/Sony Music
Nashville) rose 13-12 (110-100
BB200) selling 3,217 copies (up 22%; 29-week
total 359,300).
Kane Brown with
self-titled KANE BROWN (Zone 4/RCA
Nashville) fell 11-14 (#94-114 BB200) selling
2,382 copies
(down 9%; 27-week total 157,400)
In their third chart frame Rascal Flatts with BACK TO US (Big Machine/BMLG) fell 8-16 (#55-120 BB200) selling 4,377 copies (down 40%; 3-week total 36,945).
Brantley Gilbert with The Devil Dont Sleep (Valory | BMLG)
fell 17-24 (135-155 BB200) selling 1,989 copies
(up 8%; 19-week total 174,300).
FALLING
SHORT of Top 50:
On the Country Album Sales list (pure sales;
old methodology)
Brian Davis with his 6 track EP- RAISE 'EM UP TO RIGHT NOW (Twangville; Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com)
made a debut at No.41.
A Thousand Horses with
their 13 track album BRIDGES (Big
Machine; Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com) made
a debut at No.42.
This new release was said to “put a new spotlight on this
band of brothers” – Michael Hobby (lead vocals), Bill Satcher (lead guitar),
Zach Brown (guitar), and Graham Deloach (bass). Bridges shows their fusion of
Southern rock and country soul, featuring six new tracks and seven acoustic
live renditions – including a version of their breakout #5 smash, “Smoke.”
Lead single “Preachin’ to the Choir” has so far a
highest rank of #55 peak on Billboard Country Airplay (Chart dated June
10, 2017). A laid back, lighters-in-the-air anthem, the summertime rocker is
all about living life for good times and Saturday nights – and surrounding
yourself with people who do the same.
Year-To-Date Albums
8,970,000 (Physical sales 6,021,000
(down -13.3%) + Digital sales 2,949,000 (down -20.4%) which is 20.4% down at the same point in 2016 (10,649,000
sales)
Year-To-Date Digital Tracks
32,134,000 down 23.3% at the same point in 2016 (41,863,000)
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:
Sam Hunt with “Body Like a Back Road” ties for the third longest reign, 18
weeks, on Hot Country Songs.
It’s the longest rule since Florida Georgia Line’s
“H.O.L.Y.” led for 18 weeks in 2016.
FGL’s “Cruise” holds the record with 24 weeks at No.1 in
2012 and 2013, followed by Leroy Van Dyke’s “Walk On By” (19 weeks, 1961-62);
thus, with one more week on top, “Road” will match “Walk” for the longest
command for a song by a solo male.
“Road” rules Country Streaming Songs (15.8 million U.S.
streams, down 2%) and Country Digital Song Sales (47,000 downloads sold, down
5%) for an 18th week each. It logged an 11th week in the Country Airplay top five,
holding at No. 3 (39 million in audience, down 2%) after leading for three
weeks.
Hot Country Songs welcomes two new top 10s. Dylan Scott
with “My Girl” (Curb) pushed 11-9,
becoming his first top 10. It rolled on the strength of its 8% growth to 31.2
million impressions and rose 10-9 on Country Airplay.
Blake
Shelton banked his 28th Hot Country Songs top 10: “Every Time I Hear That Song”
(Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville) darted 12-10. The move was sparked by the song’s 11% boost to 36.5
million, as it lifted 8-6 on Country Airplay, and 40% surge to 9,000 sold,
spurring a No.20 re-entry on Country Digital Song Sales after he performed the
song on June 7 at the 2017 CMT Music Awards.
Kelsea
Ballerini’s lead single “Legends” from her upcoming second
full-length arrived at No.41 on Hot Country Songs, to snag Hot Shot Debut
honours, and No.50 on Country Airplay. It sold 9,000 downloads in less than two
days of tracking following its June 7 release; Ballerini performed the song on
the CMT Music Awards the same night.
Hot County
Songs
** No.1 (18
weeks) ** “Body Like A Back Road” Sam
Hunt
** Digital
Gainer ** No.4 “The Fighter” Keith Urban
feat. Carrie Underwood
** Airplay
Gainer ** No.10 “Every Time I Hear That Song” Blake Shelton
** Streaming
Gainer ** No.23 “Tin Man” Miranda
Lambert
** Hot Shot
Debut ** No.41 “Legends” Kelsea
Ballerini
Debut
No.46 “Sway” Danielle Bradbery
Debut
No.48 “All The Pretty Girls” Kenny
Chesney
Debut
No.50 “Good Company” Jake Owen
Darius
Rucker with “If I
Told You” (Capitol Nashville) ascended 2-1 in its 47th week on
Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated June 24), increasing 5% to 44.1
million audience impressions in the week ending June 11, according to Nielsen
Music.
The song is Rucker’s seventh Country Airplay No.1 and first since
“Wagon Wheel” crowned the chart dated
April 13, 2013.
“If I Told You” is one of only five songs to take at least 47 weeks
to reach No.1 in the Country Airplay chart’s 27-year history. “I wasn’t a fan
of the song initially, but it grew on me,” acknowledges KKBQ Houston
program director Johnny Chiang. “It took a while for it to research with
listeners as well. But once it took off, it really took off. Of late, it’s been
a top tester.”
Hootie & The Blowfish frontman Rucker first led Country Airplay with
his debut single at the format, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” for two
weeks beginning Oct. 4, 2008. He followed with “It Won’t Be Like This for Long”
(three weeks, March 28, 2009), “Alright” (one, Aug. 15, 2009), “Come Back Song”
(two, Nov. 6, 2010) and “This” (one, April 30, 2011).
Country
Airplay
***
No.1 (1 week) *** "If I Told You” Darius
Rucker 44.123 million audience (+2.153 million) / 7,929 radio plays (+467)
** Most
Increased Audience ** No.6 “Every Time I Hear That Song” Blake Shelton +3.644 million audience gain
** Most
Added ** No.43 “All The Pretty Girls” Kenny
Chesney (28 ADDS)
**
Hot Shot Debut ** No.50 “Legends” Kelsea
Ballerini
Debut
No.54 “Mess Me Up” Gary Allan
Billboard Country Digital
Singles Chart
Sam Hunt with “Body Like a Back Road”
(MCA Nashville) held at No.1 (6-4 Digital
Songs; 47,000 sales;
down 5%; 19-week total 1,102,000) leading the chart a 18th non-consecutive week.
It
was three places behind Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber with "Despacito"
which ruled the Digital Song Sales chart for a sixth week, with 141,000
downloads sold (down 5%) in the week ending June 8; the remix with Bieber
accounts for 80 percent of the song's sales for a second consecutive week.
Brett Young with “In Case You Didn’t Know” held
at #2 (#11-9 Digital Songs)
Keith Urban with “The Fighter,” featuring Carrie Underwood (Hit Red/Capitol
Nashville), climbed 4-3 (#35-24 Digital Songs)
Thomas Rhett feat. Maren Morris with “Craving
You” lifted 5-4 (#40-29 Digital
Songs).
Luke Combs with “Hurricane” fell 3-5 (#28-32 Digital
Songs)
Florida Georgia
Line feat. Backstreet Boys with
“God,
Your Mama, And Me” held at #6 (46-36
Digital Songs)
Lady Antebellum with “You Look Good” rose 8-7 (#50-47 Digital
Songs)
Midland with “Drinkin’
Problem” rose 9-8 (#49 Digital
Songs).
Brothers Osborne with “It Ain’t My Fault” lifted
19-9.
Miranda Lambert with “Tin Man” rose 18-10.
Outside the Top 10
Dustin Lynch slipped 10-11 with “Small Town Boy”
Kelsea Ballerini with new single “Legends” made a debut at #18.
Chris Stapleton with “Either Way” dropped 7-21 in his 5th frame.
Danielle Bradbery with “Sway” made
a debut at #23.
Country Aircheck MEDIABASE
Chart
12
June 2017
Darius Rucker
Hits #1 With 'If I Told You'
Congratulations
to Capitol Nashville artist Darius Rucker for
scoring the #1 spot on the Mediabase Country singles chart with his single,
"If I Told You." Writers are Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally
and Jon Nite. This is Rucker's first trip to the top of the charts in two years
(May 30, 2015) and his eighth career #1 as a solo Country artist.
IF I Told You logged 8,654 radio spins (+784) and 56.679 million audience impressions (+3.533 million) with 25721 Total Points from 159 tracking stations for the tracking week June 4 to June 10, 2017 and published chart June 12th 2017.
Granger Smith
Is Most-Added With 'Happens Like That'
Kudos
to Teddi Bonadies and the Wheelhouse
team for notching 46 adds for Granger Smith’s “Happens
Like That”. The song topped the "Most Added" board this chart week.
Billboard Boxscores (Selective Country
concerts)
Rank
Artist: #15
Event
Venue City/State: Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, The Shadowboxers Mohegan
Sun Arena Uncasville, Conn.
Dates:
May 5-6, 2017 Gross Sales: $1,532,244 Attend: 11,686/ 11,686
Shows/
Sellouts: 2/2 ** SOLD OUT ** Prices:
$144, $104, $84
Promoters:
Messina Touring
Group/AEG Presents
Rank
Artist: #20
Event
Venue City/State: Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, Joseph Tacoma Dome Tacoma,
Wash.
Dates:
May 27, 2017 Gross Sales: $1,321,429 Attend: 16,744/ 16,744
Shows/
Sellouts: 1/1 ** SOLD OUT ** Prices:
$119.50, $89.50, $69.50
Promoters:
Messina Touring
Group/AEG Presents
Rank
Artist: #45
Event
Venue City/State: Jason Aldean, Chris Young,
Kane Brown, Dee Jay Silver Hollywood
Casino Amphitheatre Tinley Park, Ill.
Dates:
May 13, 2017 Gross Sales: $955,365 Attend: 24,253/ 26,544
Shows/
Sellouts: 1/0 (2,291 unsold tickets) ** SOLD
OUT ** Prices: $71.75, $31.75
Promoters:
Live Nation
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