In
Brief: Billboard Country Charts (Chart issue week of November 25, 2017)
Country Album
Chart ** No.1 (1 week) ** TEXOMA SHORE Blake Shelton
Hot Country
Songs ** No.1 (1 week) ** “When It Rains It Pours” Luke Combs
Country Airplay
** No.1 (1 week) ** "Every Little Thing” Carly Pearce
Country Digital
Songs ** No.1 (1 week) “Female” Keith Urban
The
Billboard 200 chart measures multi-metric album consumption, which includes
traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent
albums (SEA).
Sam Smith's
'The Thrill of It All' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart
Blake Shelton, Kelsea
Ballerini and Kid Rock debut in top 10.
Sam Smith scored his first No.1 album
on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart
(BB200), as THE THRILL OF IT ALL made a debut atop the list.
The
set earned 237,000 equivalent album
units in the week ending Nov. 9, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 184,711 were in traditional album
sales (his best sales week). The album is Smith’s second full-length studio
effort, and was released on Nov. 3 through Capitol Records. It follows his
debut studio set, IN THE LONELY HOUR, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the
July 5, 2014-dated chart (166,000 copies sold; total to date of 2.4 million
copies.)
The
Thrill of It All’s starting unit sum of 237,000
is the seventh largest bow for an album in 2017, and the third biggest for a
pop album. Among pop album debuts this year, it trails only Ed Sheeran’s
÷ (Divide) (451,000 units on the
March 25-dated chart) and P!nk’s Beautiful Trauma (408,000; Nov. 4). The largest debut of the year among all genres
belongs to Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN., with 603,000
units (May 6). Following Lamar: Drake’s More Life (505,000; April 8), Sheeran, P!nk, JAY-Z’s 4:44 (262,000; July 29), Logic’s Everybody
(247,000; May 27) and Smith.
Blake Shelton arrived at No.4 with his
latest album, TEXOMA SHORE, starting
with 63,000 units (54,937 in traditional album sales).
It’s Shelton’s 11th top 10 album, stretching back to 2003’s The Dreamer, which
debuted and peaked at No. 8.
This
year marks Shelton’s eighth consecutive year where he’s debuted at least one
new album on the chart. Before Texoma Shore, he hit the chart with IF I’M
HONEST (No.3, 2016), RELOADED: 20 #1 HITS (No. 5, 2015), BRINGING BACK THE
SUNSHINE (No. 1, 2014), Based on a TRUE STORY (No. 3, 2013), CHEERS, IT’S
CHRISTMAS (No. 8, 2012), RED RIVER BLUE (No. 1, 2011) and a trio of titles in
2010: LOADED: The Best of Blake Shelton (which peaked at No. 11 in 2011), ALL
ABOUT TONIGHT (No. 6, 2010), and HILLBILLY BONE (No. 3, 2010).
Kenny Chesney with LIVE IN NO SHOES NATION fell from No.1 to No. 6 in its second week,
earning 52,000 units (down 76%). It
also fell 76% in traditional album sales (sliding to 51,000 sold).
Kelsea Ballerini bagged her first
top 10 album, as her second studio effort,
UNAPOLOGETICALLY, debuted at No. 7 (44,000 units, 34,856 in traditional album
sales). It followed her first album, the appropriately titled THE FIRST TIME,
which debuted and peaked at No.31 in 2015 (13,465 copies; #31 Billboard 200/
#22 Top Albums Sales/ #4 Country).
Ballerini
is only the fourth female country act to reach the top 10 in 2017. She
follows: Shania Twain (Now, No. 1, Oct. 21-dated chart), Alison Krauss (Windy
City, No. 9, March 11) and Reba McEntire (Sing It Now: Songs of Faith &
Hope, No. 4, Feb. 25).
Kid Rock nabbed his ninth top 10
album with the No.8 debut of SWEET SOUTHERN SUGAR (43,000 units; 40,794 in traditional album sales).
It followed Kid Rock’s 2015 effort First Kiss, which launched with 146,000
units (137,000 in traditional album sales).
Billboard Top Country
Albums (Chart issue week of
November 18, 2017)
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.
Blake Shelton earns his sixth Top Country Albums No.1 (#4 Billboard
200), all of which have debuted at the summit, as TEXOMA SHORE (Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville) arrived atop the
chart dated Nov. 25, earning 63,000
equivalent album units in the week ending Nov. 9, according to Nielsen Music.
Of that sum, 54,937
were in
traditional album sales.
CHART
HISTORY
His
self-titled BLAKE
SHELTON released
July 31, 2001 made a #45 Billboard 200 debut (#3 Country) but went on to be
certified PLATINUM by Feb 6, 2014 nearly 13 years later.
BARN AND GRILL released Oct 26, 2004 landed at #20 on
the BB200 (#3 Country) and was certified GOLD by May 31, 2005.
Pure BS released May 1, 2007 made a debut the chart week of chart week May 19, 2007 selling 48,494 copies #8 BB200 (#2 Country) then 20,801 the following week (69,391 after 2 weeks) and was certified GOLD by March 5, 2009.
RED RIVER BLUE (Warner Bros. Nashville | WMN) released
July 12, 2011 made a No.1 debut the
chart week of July 30, 2011 selling 116,402 copies.
BASED ON A TRUE STORY...released March 26, 2013 made a debut the chart week of
April 13, 2013 selling 199,086 copies.
BRINGING BACK THE SUNSHINE released by Warner Bros. Nashville
Records on Sept. 30, 2013 sold 100,544 copies
in the week ending Oct. 5, 2013 earning Shelton his second No.1 album on the
Billboard Top 200 Album chart (BB200).
Reloaded: 20 #1 Hits, released October 23, 2015 made a debut
at No.5 on the Billboard 200 and #2 Country with 40,000 equivalent-album units
(32,749 in pure album sales)
RELOADED was Shelton’s second greatest hits album,
following LOADED: The Best of Blake Shelton (released
November 9, 2010), which debuted at No.24 (22,893 sales chart dated Nov 27, 2010) and
peaked at No.8 on the Billboard 200 and #4 Top Country Albums in 2011.
IF I’M HONEST (released: May 20, 2016) launched
at No.1 on Top Country Albums and
No.3 on the Billboard 200 (June 11, 2016; 170,000 units, with 153,030 in traditional sales).
Blake Shelton - TEXOMA
SHORE (Warner Bros.) released 3 Nov 2017, was named for Lake Texoma, the
Oklahoma native’s 11th studio album was produced by Scott Hendricks and
features lead single “I’ll Name The Dogs,” plus cuts by
Ben Hayslip, Josh Osborne, Craig Wiseman, Dallas Davidson, Ross Copperman,
Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley and more.
"Lake Texoma has always been a place of
great memories, new and old," said SHELTON of the album's title. "I
literally recorded this album on its shore, so it's full-circle for me to take
the love of this place and my love of Country music. When you listen to the
record, it will go from something traditional, to something that will make your
head spin back, to something even more traditional. That's just what you can
expect from my albums. At this point in my career, it's always good for me to
try something different, with different sounds, and I think that you'll hear
hints of that on this record. I've explored just about every part of Country
music you can explore, and it seems like I always keep coming back to my roots,
which is traditional Country music. I love great songs, and there are so many
talented writers in NASHVILLE, but I do have a song on the album that I wrote,
and I'm very proud of it."
Promoting
the album Warner Bros./WMN's Blake Shelton appeared on NBC-TV's "Late Night With
Seth Meyers" Weds (Nov 1) to chat with Meyers about filming Season 13 of NBC-TV's "The Voice,"
as well as duetting with Kelly Clarkson. Shelton also shared the writing
process behind "Texoma Shore" and spilled that he wrote one of the
tracks for girlfriend Gwen Stefani. Watch those clips here and here,
respectively. In addition, SHELTON capped the night off with a performance of
"Turnin' Me On".
Shelton
appeared on ABC-TV's "Live With
KELLY And RYAN" Friday morning (Nov 3) to celebrate the release of his
album. SHELTON discussed his coaching
style for NBC-TV's "The Voice" here,
shared stories about participating in pageants as a child here,
talked about someone crashing a car into his lake house here, and detailed his
home life and fishing with girlfriend Gwen Stefani here.
He also performed his current single, "I'll
Name The Dogs." Check out his full performance here.
Critical
reception for Blake Shelton’s
Texoma Shore:
Saving Country Music (Rating: 1 1/4 Guns Up (6/10) ...Texoma Shore suits the same people who watch
The Voice, which is 40-somethings, like Shelton. It’s divorcee country. Piggy
backing off his high-profile relationship with that girl from No Doubt, Shelton
sells some of the better cuts from this record like “Why Me” and “The Wave”
with passion, while the first song and single “I’ll Name The Dogs,” and the
last song “I Lived It” show off his aw shucks country side that makes him
endearing to many. The melody of “Got The T-Shirt” is devilishly good....Blake
Shelton’s Texoma Shore does not come recommended by Saving Country Music.
Shelton and crew still leave much to be desired, and still give ample reason
for the sheer sound of his name to anger the blood. But if you put all of your
predisposed dispositions aside (as well as the song “Money”), and be honest
with yourself, it’s pretty clear that Blake Shelton is not part of the big
problem with country music today. He may not be part of the solution, but if
most any given song from Texoma Shore comes on the radio when you’re driving
with your in-laws to Chili’s, or forced to sit in a cubicle next to a pop
country fan, it won’t give you a reason to wince. At least it won’t if you’re
being honest with yourself and reacting to the song, and not the name. And
that’s an improvement for Shelton, and for country music in general, that is
only fair to recognize.
Roughstock (Rating: Positive) …18 Months after “If I’m Honest,” Blake
Shelton returns with this, a tight 11 track project....There are a few songs
here where Shelton reminds fans that he’s one of the best country singers out
there when he sings something more rooted in the early part of his career than
the superstar era and “Hangover Due” and “Beside You Babe” are two of those
songs while “When The Wine Wears Off” feels like a cousin to “Sure Be Cool If
You Did” and the album closer “I Lived It,” a classic country story song full
of memories of life with family and small hometowns like Blake’s own Oklahoma
hometown.
CrypticRock (Rating: 5 STARS) ...Texoma Shore is Blake Shelton at his
happiest: bubbly, infectious, and very much in-love. In fact, dare it be said
that this newfound joy for life has allowed Shelton’s vocals to truly soar,
amping up his already solid and impressively fun performances. Do not expect
keen insight into current events or intellectual debates, no: Shelton is a
simple man of simple pleasures who enjoys a little whiskey, some laughter, and
a whole lotta love in the sticks. There is no reason not to smile when you are
spending time with Texoma Shore.
Allmusic (Rating: 3.1/2 STARS)... His paramour and Voice co-star Gwen Stefani
isn't heard, but she's felt, specifically in the album's deft blend of glamour
and comfort, but also in a fleeting lyric reference to Stefani's endorsement
deal for a specific cosmetic line. This line undercuts Shelton's occasional
attempt at down-home charm, particularly on the disingenuous "Money,"
a song where he and his girl aren't able to afford Charmin, sport second hand
cut-offs/ and leave "the doors unlocked because there's nothing left to
steal."..There are some surprises to be found in the production by Scott
Hendricks -- notably, "Beside You Babe" has a nimble R&B beat and
"Turnin' Me On," the only song co-written by Shelton, plays like
Lindsey Buckingham producing Alabama in 1982 -- and that's enough to make
Texoma Shore into a cozy record that's not complacent.
Sounds Like Nashville (Rating: Positive)..Blake Shelton returns to his roots on his
new album Texoma Shore and embodies a sound that’s grounded and down-to-earth,
much like the beloved early hits that turned him into one of the genre’s modern
day staples....But it’s the album’s final number that will arguably stick with
you more than most. “I Lived It” is a humble, heartfelt way to gracefully close
out the project, taking the listener inside a simple childhood on the
countryside that is so descriptive, it sounds like Shelton could’ve written it
himself. Details of comforting childhood memories of driving around in his
grandfather’s truck and spending the summers mowing lawns for cash are backed
by a poignant melody will tug at your heartstrings, just as much as the sincere
lyrics. Texoma Shore showcases what Shelton does best, combining a little bit
of humor, a touch of romance and a whole lot of country.
Previous
week’s No.1 Kenny Chesney with LIVE IN NO SHOES NATION (Blue
Chair/Columbia Nashville) slipped 1-2 (#1-6 Billboard
200) selling 51,288 copies (down
765; 2-week total 268,092)
Kelsea Ballerini with her second LP, UNAPOLOGETICALLY (Black River), opened
at No.3 on Top Country Albums (No7
Billboard 200, 44,000 units) selling 34,856 copies, the 6th best seller on Top 200 Albums Sales.
Unapologetically
marks the singer-songwriter’s best start on the chart; her debut full-length, THE
FIRST TIME, began at No.4 (#31 Billboard 200/ #22 Top Albums Sales) on June 6,
2015, with 13,465
copies sold.
Her self-titled EP opened at #40 Country selling 1,100 copies (chart dated March
28, 2015).
Additionally,
Ballerini became one of only four female country acts to earn a Top 10 spot on
the Billboard Top 200 Chart in 2017. Joining Shania Twain (NOW, No. 1), Reba
McEntire (Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope, No. 4), and Alison Krauss (WINDY CITY, No. 9). Kelsea debuting at No. 1 in the UK on iTunes
and charted No.2 of Official Country chart marked the strongest album debut
from Black River Records.
“The
Black River team is very pleased with our first-week number, and we are looking
forward to the upcoming holiday season!” says Rick Froio, EVP of Black River
Records.
Picking
up almost directly where The First Time left off, Unapologetically is the
chronological story of Ballerini’s last three years, in three sections; loss,
life, and love. Songwriting is a crucial part of Ballerini’s artistry and, as
is the case with her history-making GOLD-certified The First Time, each of the
12 tracks found on Unapologetically is written or co-written by Ballerini.
Promoting
the album Ballerini was set to make five additional national television
appearances, and in movie theaters nationwide, fans can hear Ballerini on
“Children Go Where I Send You,” from Sony Pictures Animation’s The Star, as
featured on The Star: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Tuesday,
November 21, Ballerini was set to
perform her Top 20 single “Legends” on LIVE With Kelly and Ryan (check local
listings) and later that evening on the season
25 finale of ABC’s Dancing With The
Stars (8/7c).
UNAPOLOGETIC PROMOTION
- The Black River
Entertainment artiste celebrated the forthcoming release of her sophomore album
in her hometown of KNOXVILLE, TN (Nov 1). The show teamed Ballerini with
Snapchat and the Tennessee Department Of Tourist Development as part of the
ongoing series, "The Soundtrack Of America”.
Review: Kelsea Ballerini shares heart, soul at Central
High School concert
Kelsea
visited CBS-TV's "The Late Show
With Stephen Colbert" (Fri Nov 3, 2017) performing "I
Hate Love Songs" >> Watch
She’s
the featured headliner on CBS’ The
Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 23. Wrapping the month, Ballerini will
perform a pop-remixed version of “Legends”
during the Nickelodeon HALO Awards
airing Sunday, November 26 at 7 pm ET/PT on Nickelodeon, TeenNick and
Nicktoons. The following night, Ballerini once again joins some of the biggest
names in Country music for the eighth annual CMA Country Christmas. Hosted by the incomparable Reba McEntire,
the two-hour holiday special was filmed in Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry and
airs Monday, November 27, at 8/7c on ABC.
Critical reception for Kelsea Ballerini’s Unapologetically:
12
Tracks/ Time: 41:23 Amazon UK
- UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Paste Magazine (Rating: 8.1/10)..The 24-year-old’s second album
Unapologetically has the patina of modern pop, with programmed drum beats and
attention grabbing bombast. It’s more country by reputation—and the artful
twang in Ballerini’s voice—than in sound. But within the album, the songs
eschew lovesick notions and bitter revenge fantasies. Instead, Ballerini looks
at the wreckage of an old relationship, and the blooming of a new one, with
something like bemusement and relief...But she’s yet to reach the cultural
ubiquity of her peers like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. Which is why when
she sings on the glistening “In Between” of being in this valley that connects
her youthful days and her adulthood, there’s a note of frustration just beneath
the surface of her voice. She wants the stadium-sized success but isn’t quite
there yet. Unapologetically may be the album to get her there. We just have to
wait and see how well she plays the promotional game and how easily the
suspicious tastemakers in country radio take to this strong album of defiant
ear candy.
Vulture.com (Rating: Mixed) ..It might be tempting to say that she’s never as good as The First Time,
and in all honesty it’s hard to prefer the new album, which at times settles
for a slickness typical of industry pop and country alike, to the more
homespun, gentler textures
NY Times (Rating: Mixed) Kelsea Ballerini Upends Country Music’s Patriarchy on
‘Unapologetically’: ..There are
oodles of recent country songs by male singers about how rural cowboy charm can
seduce even the most stylish and committed woman of the city, but there are
precious few from the perspective of the woman who, for good reason, left the
small town — and its heroes — behind....But if Ms. Ballerini has a crutch, it’s
the specter of Ms. Swift, who has demonstrated more than anyone how to
dismantle Nashville’s patriarchy in recent years, and whose playbook she is
sometimes peeking at. Throughout this album, there are melodies, chord changes,
lyrical images and structural tricks that feel indebted to Ms. Swift’s first
three albums. Even the way Ms. Ballerini lingers over certain vowels suggests
the shadow of Ms. Swift. In order to fully come into her own, though, Ms.
Ballerini needs to shake free of that as effectively as she brushes off country
music’s simpleton men.
Roughstock (Rating: Positive) .. The self-written “High School” is a song
most young women will relate to. This one is probably deserves the most praise
and press on Unapologetically and is paired with “In Between” and the title
track as the emotional anchors of this sophomore album. The songs on
Unapologetically suggest a superstar. Here’s hoping country radio doesn’t
decide to bypass Kelsea, it wouldn’t be a wise decision.
Allmusic (Rating: 3.1/2 STARS)..Unapologetically is a defiant title for a
sweet record, yet it also suits Kelsea Ballerini's second album. Emboldened by
the success of her 2015 debut The First Time, Ballerini embraces the
possibilities of being a country-pop star, expanding her sonic palette and
allowing herself to seem vulnerable throughout the album... Like her clear idol
Taylor Swift, she's writing about matters of the heart with sensitivity. And
like Swift, Ballerini does seem to have her eye on a mainstream pop stardom
that doesn't exist entirely within the confines of country music. Make no
mistake, Unapologetically is certainly a country record -- there's an adherence
to old-fashioned song structure and a bit of an arena twang threaded throughout
the record -- but every number is given a slick electronic gloss that pushes it
in the direction of adult contemporary MOR. Far from being a detriment,
however, that's the strength of Unapologetically: It remains vibrant and fresh
even though it sounds measured and mature.
Digital Journal (Rating: A) ..Overall, Kelsea Ballerini delivers on her new autobiographical studio
album, Unapologetically. There is something in it for everybody, especially
since all of the songs are very personal to Ballerini.
Kid Rock made his first appearance
with his Southern rock/country set SWEET
SOUTHERN SUGAR (Top Dog/BMG/Broken Bow Music Group), new at No. 4 (#8 Billboard 200; 43,000 units)
selling 40,794 copies in traditional sales.
Two
of its tracks have hit Hot Country Songs: “Po-Dunk”
(No. 27, August) and “Tennessee Mountain
Top” (No. 36, September). Rock reached a No. 4 Hot Country Songs peak in
2008 with the No. 4 smash “All Summer Long,” which rose to No. 3 on the
all-genre Radio Songs chart, boosted by heavy pop airplay.
Nearly
three years since his last studio album, Kid Rock also claimed No.1 on both
Independent and Rock Albums charts and No.5 Digital Albums. This solidifies the
five-time Grammy nominee’s ninth Top 10 album on the Billboard 200, selling
over 26 million albums to date. The Parental Advisory 10 track album has 5
tracks with explicit lyrics.
Co-produced
by Kid Rock and veteran Justin Niebank (Vince Gill, Ashley Monroe), SWEET
SOUTHERN SUGAR enlists a multitude of seasoned Nashville musicians to
collaborate on a sound that brings Kid Rock back to his Country-charged roots.
In addition to production duties, Kid Rock wrote or co-wrote eight of the
album’s ten tracks. Introspective songs like “Stand the Pain” and “I Wonder”
achieve new levels of musical and emotional depth, while also maintaining a
swagger and intelligence that are hallmarks to Rock’s musicality.
Associated Press took note, “there are
satisfying arena-ready rockers like ‘Greatest Show on Earth,’ 'American Rock 'n
Roll" and "Stand the Pain" along with proud Southern-fried tunes
like ‘Tennessee Mountain Top’ and the playful, bluesy ‘Raining Whiskey.’
Kid
Rock’s current single “Tennessee Mountain Top,” continues
to breakthrough and leave its mark on Country radio. Directed by Mark Staubach
(Charlie Puth, Lupe Fiasco), watch the official music video HERE.
Critical
reception for Kid
Rock’s Sweet Southern Sugar:
10
Tracks/ Time: 42:56 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Allmusic (Rating: 3 STARS) ....Living in the past is the key not just to
Sweet Southern Sugar but Kid Rock's reinvention as a country singer. The music
hasn't changed much, nor has his swagger, but the times have, leaving Kid Rock
sounding older and squarer than his years.
Rollingstone (Rating: 3 STARS).....What's
notable about his 11th studio set is how entertaining, even empathetic, it can
occasionally be.
CMA Awards
2017 Sales Spikes
Chris Stapleton with his CMA Awards 2017
Album of the Year From a Room: Volume 1 (Mercury/Universal
Music Group Nashville) pushed 11-5 (70-31
BB200) selling 11,081
copies (up 91%; 28-week total 564,800) whilst TRAVELLER (MERCURY/
UMGN) fell 7-8
(53-43 BB200) selling 7,431 copies (up
41%; 132-week total 2,110,300).
Former No.1 Kane Brown with his SELF-TITLED album fell 3-6 (#40-33 Billboard 200) selling 6,130 copies (up 27%; 49-week
total 250,400).
Lee Brice with his SELF-TITLED LP (Curb), arrived at No.7 (#36 Billboard 200; 15,000 units)
selling 12,244 copies in pure sales marking
his fourth top 10.
Brice
co-produced his fourth LP, which features 15 tracks including “I Don’t Smoke” (with guitars by Warren
Haynes), “Story To Tell (Little
Bird),” (cowritten by Edwin McCain, who also guests on the track), and the
album’s first single “Boy.”
Critical
reception for Lee Brice’s self-titled album:
15
Tracks/ Time: 52:59 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Sounds Like Nashville Chuck
Dauphin (Rating: Positive)…Though Lee
Brice recorded his new disc long before the events of Las Vegas on October 1,
it seems as the Curb recording artist was thinking about life’s priorities as
he was working on this, his self-titled fourth
album. Many of the songs on this
album have a sense of urgency about just how important life is – likely
something we will be seeing quite a bit of over the next album cycle from many
of our favorite artists – which is very understandable. For Brice, the album
leads off in this manner with a thought-provoking up-tempo number, where Brice
asks the listener to contemplate what is truly important in life. “Little
Things” seems like a party-type song from the outside in, but even on this
song, about the pleasures of having your girl, your dog, and a cold beer, there
seems to be a sense of being content in the moment. If nothing else, Brice
sounds like he is having a great deal of fun...At the end of the day, the best
material on this disc comes from real life and appreciating your blessings of
what you have in life. It’s a sentiment that comes across on such cuts as the
moving “Songs In The Kitchen,” as well as the masterfully-written “Story To
Tell (Little Bird),” which the singer penned alongside with pop powerhouse
Edwin McCain and Phillip Lammonds. The moving lyrics prove that we’ve all got a
past, a present, and a future, something that we all have to embrace and accept
from one another. It’s a message that perhaps is more timely than ever, and
Brice delivers many such messages on this lyrically powerful disc!
Former
No.1 Thomas Rhett with LIFE
CHANGES (Valory/Big Machine Label Group) fell 4-9 (#44-41 Billboard 200) selling 4,525 copies (9-week total 163,800).
Former No.1
& CMA Awards new Artist nominee Luke Combs with THIS ONE’S FOR
YOU (River House/ Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville) slipped 8-10 (#55-45 Billboard 200) selling 5,476 copies (up 50%; 23-week
total 145,100).
Outside the
Top 10
Brett Young with self-titled debut (BMLG) pushed 12-11 (#71-63 BB200) selling 2,553 copies
(39-week total 154,400).
CMA Awards 2017
New Artist of the Year Jon Pardi with CALIFORNIA SUNRISE (Capitol Nashville |
UMGN) moved 15-12 (104-72 BB200) selling 2,796 copies
(73-week total 194,600) .
In his third week Darius Rucker with WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME (Capitol Nashville/Universal Music Group
Nashville), fell 5-13 (8-26
Billboard 200) selling 6,739 copies (down 30%; 3-week total 46,422).
Former
No.1 Chris Young with LOSING SLEEP (RCA
Nashville/Sony Music Nashville) dropped 6-15
(51-79 BB200) selling 4,479 copies (down 38%; 3-week total 43,572).
CMA
Awards 2017 Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert with THE WEIGHT OF THESE WINGS (Vanner/RCA Nashville | SMN) sprinted 38-16 (#90 Re-Entry Billboard 200) selling
3,634 copies (51-week total 399,500)
CMA
Awards 2017 Duo of the Year Brothers Osborne with PAWN SHOP (EMI Nashville | UMGN) lifted 47-17 (91 Re-Entry Billboard 200) selling another 3,730 copies (86-week total 174,200).
Reba McEntire with her 14 track re-issued MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS (Nash Icon | BMLG
| Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com ) set made a re-entry at No.18 (Re-entry #99 Billboard
200) selling 6,954 copies (16 chart weeks)
Debut:
#13 UK Country iTunes (#293 overall UK Albums chart) | Sat #20 | Tues Oct 17:
Off the top 200
The
3 new songs include “Mary Did You Know”
(feat. Vince Gill & Amy Grant), “Back
to God” (feat. Lauren Daigle) & “Silent
Night” (feat. Kelly Clarkson & Trisha Yearwood)
2
- Jessie James
Decker with former No.1 SOUTHERN GIRL CITY LIGHTS (Epic) made a
re-entry at #24 (#126 Re-Entry Billboard 200) selling 5,271 copies (3 chart
weeks, total sales 27,100)
Outside the Top 25
Roy Orbison
With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with A LOVE SO
BEAUTIFUL (Roy's Boys/Monument | Legacy) made a debut at No.26 selling 4,518
copies (45th best seller in US)
Former
1-week No.1 Shania Twain with NOW (Mercury/Universal Music Group Nashville) fell 17-27 (126-152 Billboard 200) selling 4,979
copies (down 10%; 6-week total 173,530).
Elvis Presley with IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME (RCA Special Products/Sony Commercial Music
Group) made a debut at No.36
Ned LeDoux with his 12 track SAGEBRUSH (Powder River | Thirty Tigers; Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com ) made
a debut at No.38 selling 3,977 copies (No.16 Country Album Sales).
The
debut album was produced by Mac McAnally and includes eight songs Ned wrote or
co-wrote, including “You Can’t Tell Me We Ain’t Got It All” (the first original
song he co-wrote with his dad, the late Chris LeDoux).
It
is the follow-up to his debut EP FOREVER A COWBOY, which was released last year
(#44 debut; 2,000 sales).
His
mom, Peggy, gave him a shoebox full of song ideas that his dad had written down
many years ago, and with the help of McAnally, they turned them into songs,
where they included his legendary father as a co-writer. Four of those songs
are featured on the album, such as "Never Change," "Cowboy
Life," "We Ain't Got It All" and "Forever A Cowboy."
The
songs on the album are about the LeDoux history and family values such as
cowboys, ranching, the highway, as well as the simplicity of life.
Finally,
the album features a duet with Broken Bow Records recording country artist Chase Rice, where he collaborates with
LeDoux on "This Cowboy's Hat," which was his father's signature tune.
Read more & interview here
In
her fourth week Carly Pearce with EVERY LITTLE THING (Big Machine | BMLG)
fell 24-43 selling 1,594 copies (4-week total 16,193).
FALLING
SHORT of Top 50:
On the Country Album Sales list (pure sales;
old methodology)
Alan Jackson with Let It Be Christmas (Gaither |
Capitol CMG) made a debut at No.38
Various Artists with 12 track compilation WINTER WONDERLAND (Curb; Amazon UK - Amazon.com ) made
a debut at No.49
Year-To-Date Albums
17,334,000 (Physical sales 11,658,000
(down -12.4%) + Digital sales 5,676,000 (down -18.7%) which is 14.6% down at the same point in 2016 (20,295,000 sales)
Year-To-Date Digital Tracks
57,734,000 down 24.0% at the same point in 2016 (76,012,000)
57,734,000 down 24.0% at the same point in 2016 (76,012,000)
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:
Luke
Combs with “When It Rains It Pours” (River
House/Columbia Nashville) ascended 2-1
on Hot Country Songs, marking his first leader on the ranking, which blends
streaming, airplay and sales data.
“Rains” is the second single from Combs’ LP THIS ONE’S
FOR YOU, which bowed atop the June 24 Top Country Albums chart (43,000 units; pure
sales 35,009). Debut single “Hurricane” peaked at No.3 on Hot Country Songs and
led Country Airplay for two weeks beginning May 27.
“Rains” rose by 6% to 9.6 million U.S. streams, as it
held at its No.2 peak on Country Streaming Songs (chart) . On
Country Airplay, where it ruled for two weeks beginning Nov. 4, it remains in
the top five (2-4; down 9%
to 39.9 million in audience). It dropped 3-8 on Country
Digital Song Sales but gained by 6% to 14,000 sold.
Hot County
Songs
** No.1 (1 week)
** “When It Rains It Pours” Luke Combs
**
Airplay Gainer” No.7 “Every Little Thing” Carly
Pearce
** Digital
Gainer ** No.18 “Broken Halos” Chris
Stapleton
** Hot Shot Debut ** No.21 “Female” Keith Urban
**
Streaming Gainer ** No.22 “Legends” Kelsea
Ballerini
Debut
No.36 “Most People Are Good” Luke Bryan
Debut
No.39 “I Hate Love Songs” Kelsea
Ballerini
Debut
No.47 “Scarecrow In The Garden” Chris
Stapleton
For
just the third time in almost 12 years, a woman’s debut single topped
Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. In its 35th frame, Carly Pearce with “Every Little Thing” (Big Machine) romped 3-1, increasing 10% to 44.7
million audience impressions. On Hot Country Songs, it held at No.7 (after
reaching No. 5).
Pearce’s
co-written ballad is from her debut full-length, which debuted and peaked at
No.4 on Top Country Albums (Nov. 4; 15,000 multi-metric consumption units; 9,692
pure sales).
“Thing”
marked the first career-opening Country Airplay No.1 by a solo woman since Kelsea Ballerini’s “Love Me Like You
Mean It,” which topped the July 4, 2015, chart. Prior to Ballerini, nine years
had passed since Carrie Underwood
arrived with her first single officially promoted to country radio, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which began a
six-week reign on Jan. 21, 2006.
“You
work so hard, dreaming and praying you’ll be able to do this professionally in
any capacity,” Pearce told Billboard.
“To
have [“Thing”] come from such a real place in my life and to have done what
it’s done is indescribable. To be alongside Carrie and Kelsea is the greatest
honor. All I’ve ever wanted to do is sing country music. Every dream is coming
true.”
#EveryLittleThing is #1 on @billboard's Country Indicator AND Airplay charts this week! So cool 👏🏼🎉 @carlypearce @busbee @EmilyShackelton pic.twitter.com/cH6m9di134— Carly Pearce Updates (@CarlyPUpdates) 14 November 2017
Eric Church scored his 13th Country Airplay top 10, as “Round Here Buzz” (EMI Nashville) pushed 12-10 (27.8 million, up 6%). It’s his second top 10 of 2017, following the Rhiannon Giddens-assisted “Kill a Word” (No. 6, April).
Country
Airplay
***
No.1 (1 week) *** "Every Little Thing” Carly Pearce 44.661 million audience (+4.193 million) / 8,061 radio
plays (+588)
** Hot
Shot Debut/ Most Increased Audience / Most Added ** No.23 “Female” Keith Urban 10:414 million audience
gain thanks to 75 fresh radio
commitments (ADDS)
Debut
No.44 “Everything's Gonna Be Alright” David
Lee Murphy & Kenny Chesney
Debut No. 57 “Heaven South” Brad Paisley
Featuring Keith Urban’s wife, Nicole
Kidman, on background vocals, “Female” was released Nov. 8, ahead
of Urban’s performance of the song at that night’s CMA Awards.
The single landed
the week’s highest debut on Country Airplay (No.23; 10.4 million in audience)
and Hot Country Songs (No. 21), and started as his first No.1 debut (and second overall leader) on Country Digital Song
Sales (#17 Digital Songs; 21,000 sales).
It was 16
places behind
"Call
It What You Want," from Taylor
Swift's album REPUTATION, which debuted as the set's fourth No.1 on Billboard's Digital Song Sales chart,
arriving atop the list (dated Nov. 25) with 68,000 downloads sold in the
tracking week ending Nov. 9, according to Nielsen Music.
With the
track's launch start on Digital Song Sales, Swift extended her record for the
most No.1s in the chart's history to 15. She also added to her mark for the most
No.1 debuts: 14.
The first three
tracks from Reputation each likewise opened atop Digital Song Sales: "Look
What You Made Me Do," on the Sept. 16-dated chart with 353,000 sold, the
greatest weekly total for a song in 2017; "...Ready for It?"
(135,000, Sept. 23); and "Gorgeous" (68,000, Nov. 11; the song
started with slightly more than that of "Call" before figures were
rounded off).
Swift matches
the four sales toppers from her last album, "1989." On the Hot 100,
she passes Aretha Franklin for the second-most appearances among women.
CMA Male
Vocalist of the Year- Chris Stapleton with
“Broken
Halos” climbed 13-2 (#18 Digital
Songs Re-Entry, 20,000 sales; 11 weeks total 222,000)
Previous week’s
No1 LANco with
“Greatest
Love Story” (Arista Nashville) fell 1-3 (#22 Digital Songs; 18,000 sales; 19-week total 358,000) to top
the Country Digital Singles Chart summit.
Former No.1 Kane Brown feat. Lauren Alaina with “What
If’s” slipped 2-4 (#26-23
Digital Songs; 18,000 sales; 26-week total 515,000).
CMA Vocal Duo
of the Year Brothers
Osborne with “It Ain't My Fault” made a
re-entry at No.5 (#30 Digital Songs Re-Entry,
18,000 sales; total 342,000)
Thomas Rhett with “Unforgettable” (Valory)
held at No.6 (#45-33 Digital Songs; 16,000
sales; 15-week total 210,000).
Blake Shelton with “I'll Name The Dogs” (Warner
Bros) fell 5-7 (#37-34; 16,000
sales; 9-week total 120,000 Digital Songs).
Luke Combs with “When It Rains It Pours”
(River House | Columbia Nashville) fell 3-8
(#32-36 Digital Songs; 14,000 sales; 18-week total 274,000).
Sam Hunt’s 31 non-consecutive week No1 “Body Like a Back Road” (MCA
Nashville) fell 8-9 (#48-43 Digital Songs; 12,000 sales; 41-week total 1,756,000).
CMA
Awards 2017 performers Tim McGraw & Faith Hill with “The Rest Of Our Life”
made a re-entry at No.10 (#44 Digital
Songs Re-Entry; 12,000 sales; total 46,000).
Outside
the Top 10
Luke Bryan with “Most People Are Good”
made a debut at No.12 (#48 Digital Songs Re-Entry, 11,000
sales).
Kelsea Ballerini with “I Hate Love Songs“ (Black
River) made a debut at No.13 with
10,000 sales.
Former
No.1 Carly
Pearce with Every Little Thing (Big Machine/Big Machine
Label Group), fell 7-14 (10,000
sales; 21-week total 324,000).
Country Aircheck MEDIABASE
Chart
13
Nov 2017
Carly Pearce Hits #1 With
'Every Little Thing'
Congratulations
to Big Machine Records' Carly Pearce, who scored the #1 spot on the
MEDIABASE Country singles chart this week with her single, "Every
Little Thing." This marks Pearce's first career #1.
“Every Little Thing” (Big Machine) logged 8,715 radio spins (+847) and 59.404 million audience impressions (+5.937 million) with 23603 Total Points (+2389) from 158 tracking stations for the tracking week November 5 to November 11, 2017 and published chart November 13th 2017.
February 2017.
I jumped in a van with a million country music dreams and started my journey of
radio tour with my little ballad of a broken heart. I said no matter what
happens, I'm blessed. You know why? Because I got to be introduced to country
radio & fans with a song that is 100% up and down who I am. Fast forward to
today, that little ballad broke all the rules and is sitting as the #1 song in
the country. THANK YOU country radio for taking a chance on this song and
embracing me with open arms. THANK YOU to my radio team and my band for the
hours you spent driving and flying to play in every conference room in America,
THANK YOU to my label and publishing company for believing, THANK YOU fans for
turning this song up in your car and truly changing #everylittlething.
Thank you, Country Radio. My world is so different and so much sweeter because of you. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/K0W5vZ86EQ— Carly Pearce (@carlypearce) 14 November 2017
And to my
co-writers, busbee and Emily. I couldn't have asked to share this with any 2
people more special. You have both unwaveringly believed. Thank you for sharing
your gifts on this song.
"Every
Little Thing" is officially Number One. Dreamers, I'm your light.
Tweet: WOW! Carly Pearce is the ONLY solo
female this year with a charting country debut single certified with over 500,000 in consumption sales!
Keith Urban Is Most-Added
With 'Female'
Kudos to
Capitol Nashville's Keith Urban, who earned 95 MEDIABASE adds with his new single, "Female". The song topped the "Most Added"
board this chart week.
Mediabase
Adds (Selective)
Artist/Title (Label) TW Total Historic
Adds
KEITH URBAN/Female (Capitol) 95 95
KANE
BROWN/Heaven (RCA) 33 52
DAVID LEE
MURPHY & KENNY CHESNEY/Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Reviver/Blue Chair) 21 71
DYLAN
SCOTT/Hooked (Curb) 16 97
TIM MCGRAW
& FAITH HILL/The Rest Of Our Life (Arista) 13 127
BRAD
PAISLEY/Heaven South (Arista) 10 48
SHANIA TWAIN/We
Got Something They Don't (Mercury) 10 39
SCOTTY MCCREERY/Five
More Minutes (Triple Tigers) 8 131
OLD
DOMINION/Written In The Sand (RCA) 7 138
JON PARDI/She
Ain't In It (Capitol) 6 87
DARIUS
RUCKER/For The First Time (Capitol) 5 104
DELTA RAE/No
Peace In Quiet (Valory) 5 26
JUSTIN
MOORE/Kinda Don't Care (Valory) 5 74
MICHAEL RAY/Get
To You (Atlantic/WEA) 5 103
MORGAN WALLEN
f/FGL/Up Down (Big Loud) 5 11
ASHLEY
MCBRYDE/A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega (Atlantic/WAR) 4 43
MORGAN
EVANS/Kiss Somebody (Warner Bros./WEA) 3 40
JACKSON
MICHELSON/Rollin' (Curb) 2 27
LINDSAY
ELL/Criminal (Stoney Creek) 2 2
RASCAL
FLATTS/Back To Us (Big Machine) 2 92
STEPHANIE
QUAYLE/Selfish (Rebel Engine) 2 8
ALEXANDRA
DEMETREE/Outta My Head (SSM/Star Farm) 1 8
BLAKE
SHELTON/At The House (Warner Bros./WMN) 1 12
KELSEA BALLERINI/Legends
(Black River) 1 155
LAUREN
ALAINA/Doin' Fine (19/Interscope/Mercury) 1 110
MAREN MORRIS
f/V. GILL/Dear Hate (Columbia) 1 29
MIRANDA
LAMBERT/Tin Man (RCA) 1 139
REBA
MCENTIRE/God And My Girlfriends (Valory/Nash Icon) 1 15
RUNAWAY JUNE/Wild
West (Wheelhouse) 1 70
TAYLOR
SWIFT/New Year's Day (Big Machine/Republic) 1 1
Billboard Boxscores (Selective Country
concerts)
Rank
Artist: #1
Event
Venue City/State: The
Classic West: Eagles,
Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Journey, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Doobie Brothers
Dodger Stadium Los Angeles, Calif.
Dates:
July 15-16, 2017 Gross Sales: $17,057,843 Attend:
84,228 /94,860
Shows/
Sellouts: 2/0 (10,632 unsold tickets) Prices:
$2,750, $99
Promoters:
Live Nation
Rank
Artist: #39
Event
Venue City/State: Chris Stapleton, Brothers
Osborne, Brent Cobb Bridgestone
Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
Dates:
Oct.
13-14, 2017 Gross Sales: $1,743,783 Attend: 27,865/ 27,865
Shows/
Sellouts: 2/2 ** SOLD OUT ** Prices:
$70.75, $50.75, $35.75,
$25.75
Promoters:
Live Nation
Rank
Artist: #72
Event
Venue City/State: Luke Bryan, Brett Eldredge, Granger Smith Glen Helen Amphitheater Devore, Calif.
Dates:
Oct. 27, 2017 Gross Sales: $1,194,687 Attend:
25,058/ 27,354
Shows/
Sellouts: 1/0 (2,296 unsold tickets) Prices:
$83.25, $34.50
Promoters:
Live Nation
Rank
Artist: #120
Event
Venue City/State: Zac Brown Band BB&T Pavilion Camden, N.J.
Dates:
July 15, 2017 Gross Sales: $812,910 Attend:
24,895/ 25,191
Shows/
Sellouts: 1/0 (296 unsold tickets) Prices:
$85.75, $35.75
Promoters:
Live Nation
Rank
Artist: #126
Event
Venue City/State: Chris Stapleton, Margo Price,
Brent Cobb Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines, Iowa
Dates:
Oct. 6, 2017 Gross Sales: $794,174 Attend:
12,519/ 13,150
Shows/
Sellouts: 1/0 (631 unsold tickets) Prices:
$70.75, $50.75, $35.75, $25.75
Promoters: Live Nation
Rank
Artist: #270
Event
Venue City/State: Outlaw
Music Festival: Willie
Nelson, My Morning Jacket, Sheryl Crow, Margo Price Lakeview
Amphitheater Syracuse, N.Y.
Dates:
July 16, 2017 Gross Sales: $304,789 Attend:
7,617/ 17,094
Shows/
Sellouts: 1/0 (9,477 unsold tickets)
Prices: $275, $30
Promoters: Live
Nation
