Country Update

August 6, 2016 | billboard.com
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE NOVEMBER 7, 2016 | PAGE 4 OF 24
ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER jim.asker@billboard.com
Kenny & Keith Add New No. 1s;
Little Big Town Makes Swift Leap
Kenny Chesney scores his 14th No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart
(dated Nov. 19), as Cosmic Hallelujah (Blue Chair/Columbia Nashville/Sony
Music Nashville) bows at the summit. In its first sales week (ending Nov. 3),
the album sold 79,000 copies, according to Nielsen Music. It also opens at
No. 1 on the all-genre Top Album Sales chart, where it’s his eighth leader.
Cosmic Hallelujah is Chesney’s first album since The Big Revival, which
debuted at No. 1 (with 130,000 sold) on Top Country Albums on Oct. 11, 2014.
With 14 Top Country Albums No. 1s, Chesney ties Garth Brooks and Alan
Jackson for fifth place among acts with the most leaders in the list’s nearly 53-
year history. George Strait leads with 26, followed by Merle Haggard and
Willie Nelson (16 each) and Tim McGraw (15).
“Setting the World on Fire,” the second single from
Cosmic Hallelujah (featuring Pink), topped both Country
Airplay (Nov. 5) and Hot Country Songs (for three weeks
beginning Oct. 22). The album’s lead single, “Noise,”
peaked at Nos. 6 and 14 on the tallies, respectively.
The last week has been chock-full of honors for
Chesney. At the 50th annual Country Music Association
(CMA) Awards on Nov. 2, broadcast on ABC from
Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, he was presented with the
Pinnacle Award, joining inaugural winner Garth Brooks
(2005) and Taylor Swift (2013) as its only recipients.
The honor recognizes artists who have achieved global
prominence through performances and record sales. The
previous night (Nov. 1), Chesney was honored with the
CHESNEY
all-genre BMI President’s Award. Prior winners include
Brooks & Dunn, Willie Nelson and Pink.
FOR ‘BLUE,’ SKY IS THE LIMIT Keith Urban earns his 16th Hot Country
Songs No. 1, and first in three years, as “Blue Ain’t Your Color” (Hit Red/
Capitol Nashville) rises 2-1. Following Urban’s performance of the song on
the CMA Awards, its download sales swell by 61 percent to 54,000, as it leads
the Country Digital Song Sales chart for a third week; Urban’s first No. 1 on
the sales list scores its best sales week. On Country Airplay, “Blue” bumps
10-8, up 3 percent to 31.4 million in audience. It holds at No. 2 on Country
Streaming Songs, increasing by 9 percent to 3.8 million U.S. streams.
Urban rules Hot Country Songs for the first time since “We Were Us,” with
Miranda Lambert, led for three weeks beginning Nov. 23, 2013. He first reigned
with “But for the Grace of God” (Feb. 24, 2001).
LITTLE BIG TOWN’S SWIFT HIT Concurrently on Hot Country Songs, Little
Big Town, who won the group of the year trophy at the CMAs, flies 20-6 with
new single “Better Man” (Capitol Nashville). The day before the awards, the
group revealed that the song’s writer is Taylor Swift.
Thanks to social media buzz surrounding Swift’s
involvement, the group’s CMAs victory and its performance
of the song on the broadcast, the track’s sales increase by
138 percent to 47,000, pushing it 3-2 on Country Digital
Song Sales. It blasts onto Country Streaming Songs at No. 8
(2 million, up 108 percent) and jumps 46-38 on Country
Airplay (4.1 million, up 110 percent).
“Better Man” grants Swift her 20th Hot Country Songs
top 10 as a writer and first visit to the tier since March 2,
2013, when her 10-week No. 1 “We Are Never Ever Getting
Back Together” spent its last week in the region. Swift
earns her second top 10 as a writer for another act: Her
Kellie Pickler co-write “Best Days of Your Life” hit No. 9
for Pickler in August 2009.
‘CHURCH’ REVIVAL Maren Morris also receives a
post-CMAs bounce after winning the Horizon Award
for best new artist and performing her launch single, “My Church” (Columbia
Nashville/SMN). It re-enters Country Digital Song Sales at No. 7, leaping by
879 percent to 25,000 sold.
“Church” hit No. 1 on Country Digital Song Sales for two weeks and reached
No. 5 on Hot Country Songs in March; it rose to No. 9 on Country Airplay in
May. Follow-up “80s Mercedes” rolls 16-15 on the Nov. 19 Country Airplay
chart (19.4 million, up 2 percent).
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