BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 1 OF 19 INSIDE Zac Brown Band Sets New Chart Mark >page 4 Kacey Musgraves, Jeff Walker Honored >page 8 Parton, McGraw, Young Book ACMs >page 9 Makin’ Tracks: Brothers Osborne’s ‘21 Summer’ >page 13 Stark Report: Women Slowly Turning Tide >page 14 Country Coda: John Anderson’s ‘Swingin’ ’ Feat >page 19 Mark Herndon spent 25 years playing drums in Alabama, routinely promoted in posters, T-shirts and album covers as one of the four members of the band. His image is embedded in the group’s bronze plaque in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he was part of the ceremony when Alabama received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For all the family unity that the band projected to fans in its imaging and stage show, Herndon apparently spent much of his tenure in Alabama at odds with the three harmony singers. Now, he’s telling that story— or at least, fragments of it — in his autobiography, The High Road: Memories From a Long Trip, available April 1. “There’s enough in there where people can draw their own conclusions,” says Herndon during a 45-minute discussion at his publicist’s office. Best known for the years he spent onstage, driving the tempo behind such familiar titles as “Mountain Music,” “Tennessee River” and “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler),” Herndon is clearly at odds with his former touring partners. The book includes multiple references to Alabama, many of them positive, but he never mentions the band’s name in the 337-page text or the last names of his former bandmates/employers: Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook. Between the book, his comments in the interview and other public events, it’s easy to understand why the animosity exists. (Alabama, which was made aware of Herndon’s allegations, de- clined to comment for this piece.) Among his charges: • Herndon was banished from the band bus to the crew bus in 1984 when he complained that one of the band members kept the cabin temperature unbearably high, according to one story in the book. • While his rock’n’roll image was a key part of the band’s marketing strategy, he was paid as little as $45,000 during some of the group’s peak commercial years in the early 1980s, he says during the interview. He was able to negotiate an increase to around $60,000 later in the decade, he says, and finally topped $100,000 in the 1990s. He signed away any merchandising rights until the group’s farewell tour in 2003-2004. • Alabama sued him in 2008 for more than $200,000, contending he had been overpaid for merch on the farewell tour. The suit maintained there was zero net profit on T-shirts, Alabama Drummer Paints Fractious Picture Of Hall Of Fame Act HERNDON BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE [email protected]Country Update MARK A. HERNDON
Transcript
BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 1 OF 19
INSIDE
Zac Brown Band Sets New Chart Mark
>page 4
Kacey Musgraves, Jeff Walker Honored
>page 8
Parton, McGraw, Young Book ACMs
>page 9
Makin’ Tracks: Brothers Osborne’s
‘21 Summer’ >page 13
Stark Report: Women Slowly Turning Tide
>page 14
Country Coda: John Anderson’s ‘Swingin’ ’ Feat
>page 19
Mark Herndon spent 25 years playing drums in Alabama, routinely promoted in posters, T-shirts and album covers as one of the four members of the band. His image is embedded in the group’s bronze plaque in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he was part of the ceremony when Alabama received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
For all the family unity that the band projected to fans in its imaging and stage show, Herndon apparently spent much of his tenure in Alabama at odds with the three harmony singers. Now, he’s telling that story— or at least, fragments of it — in his autobiography, The High Road: Memor ies From a Long Tr ip, available April 1.
“ There’s enough in t here where people can draw their own conclusions,” says Herndon during a 45-minute discussion at his publicist’s office.
Best known for the years he spent onstage, driving the tempo behind such familiar titles as “Mountain Music,” “Tennessee River” and “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler),” Herndon is clearly at odds with his former touring partners. The book includes multiple references to Alabama, many of them positive, but he never mentions the band’s name in the 337-page text or the
last names of his former bandmates/employers: Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook.
Between the book, his comments in the interview and other public events, it’s easy to understand why the animosity exists. (Alabama, which was made aware of Herndon’s allegations, de-
clined to comment for this piece.) Among his charges:• Herndon was banished from the band bus to the crew bus in 1984 when he complained that one of the band members kept t he cabi n temperat u re unbearably high, according to one story in the book.• While his rock’n’roll image was a key par t of the band’s marketing strategy, he was paid as little as $45,000 during some of the group’s peak commercial years in the early 1980s, he says during the interview. He was able
to negotiate an increase to around $60,000 later in the decade, he says, and finally topped $100,000 in the 1990s. He signed away any merchandising rights until the group’s farewell tour in 2003-2004.• Alabama sued him in 2008 for more than $200,000, contending he had been overpaid for merch on the farewell tour. The suit maintained there was zero net profit on T-shirts,
Alabama Drummer Paints Fractious Picture Of Hall Of Fame Act
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 2 OF 19
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hats and other memorabilia during that outing.• In the ultimate kiss-off, Owen told The Tennessean in 2013 that Herndon was never really a member of the band.
If Herndon was a victim, he played the role somewhat willingly. He compares the time he spent onstage to a narcotic, and — though Herndon says he received poor advice from attorneys on some of his deals through the years — he concedes he ultimately agreed to the terms he worked under.
“Nobody held a gun at my head and told me to stay there,” he says. “I stayed there for various reasons, but I allowed myself to be intimidated by some that were there, [including] some of the behind-the-scenes players.”
Herndon joined Alabama at an opportune moment. The group, operating as the house band at The Bowery in Myrtle Beach, S.C., had gone through several drummers and brought him onboard in 1979 after an audition that included Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music.” Owen, according to the book, was impressed by Herndon’s hunger for success, and he officially started with the band on April 1 that year. Barely a year later, Alabama signed with RCA and challenged norms in the country music business, selling out arenas and ap-pealing to college students with a sound that mixed Eagles harmonies, Waylon Jennings outlaw elements and rock-tinged musical aggression.
“Alabama and their fans was kind of like a movement,” says Herndon now. “I don’t think any of us really realized how big it was to the fans and the industry. You get caught up in getting so many awards, and it numbs you a little bit. We didn’t really realize that this had never been done before.”
Studio musicians did much of the instrumental work on Alabama’s recordings, though Herndon did man the toms on “Mountain Music” and “Christmas in Dixie,” both recorded prior to the 1984 confrontation. But Herndon was there at most of the studio sessions, learning the parts as the music went down.
One of the long-held precepts that Alabama dismantled was Music Row’s aversion to groups, which — based on rock music models — were likely to break up. The four men presented publicly as Alabama managed to hold the act together, and for a time, the experience was most of what Herndon had wanted.
“When everybody’s playing together and you get way down deep in that groove — some people call it ‘the pocket’ — you just live there,” he says. “Time slows down, and everything gets smooth, and it’s like it’s a high. You don’t have to think about what you’re playing anymore. You’re just channeling because of that groove.” As the offstage bitterness grew, those transcendent concert moments grew “fewer and farther between,” he says.
In the end, the lawsuit destroyed any hope of mending fences. Herndon maintains that after a three-year battle, the courts ruled in his favor, with Alabama forced to pick up his legal fees.
Despite being ostracized from the group, Herndon remains involved in the business, managing independent artist Leah Seawright. After years of silence, the book allows him to tell — sparingly — his side of the story. Perhaps most importantly, it gave him a forum to come to terms with his contentious past.
“It was cathartic,” reflects Herndon. “None of it bothers me anymore. It’s just something I did.”
ASCAP and BMI hosted a No. 1 party for Dan + Shay in Nashville on March 16 to celebrate the duo’s first No. 1 single, “Nothin’ Like You.” From left: songwriter Chris DeStefano, Dan + Shay’s Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, and songwriter Ashley Gorley.
LANco was among the acts that played March 16 for a Cumulus “Nash Live” event at South by Southwest in Austin. From left: LANco members Chandler Baldwin, Eric Steedly and Brandon Lancaster; Cumulus/Westwood One senior VP brand partnerships Tommy Page; and band members Tripp Howell and Jared Hampton.
Carrie Underwood spent time with Sony Music Entertainment U.K. executives when she performed March 11 at the O2 Arena in London during the C2C: Country to Country Festival. From left: Sony Music Nashville chairman/CEO Randy Goodman, Sony U.K. senior radio promotion manager Steph Seager, Underwood, Sony U.K. Columbia co-president Mark Terry and The HQ owner Ann Edelblute. U
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 4 OF 19
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Zac Brown Band’s “Beautiful Drug” (Southern Ground/John Varvatos/Dot) ascends 2-1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated April 2), increasing by 2 percent to 43 million audience impressions in the week ending March 20, according to Nielsen Music.
The song is a landmark No. 1 for the group, becoming its 13th leader and pushing it past Rascal Flatts for the most No. 1s among groups of three or more members. Lady Antebellum and Lonestar follow with nine each. Tim McGraw leads all acts with 27 No. 1s dating to the Country Airplay tally’s Jan. 20, 1990, launch.
“Drug” is the third consecutive Country Airplay leader from ZBB’s fourth studio album, Jekyll + Hyde. “Homegrown” began a three-week reign on April 11, 2015, and “Loving You Easy” led the Aug. 29 list. (Meanwhile, rock single “Heavy Is the Head,” featuring Chris Cornell, crowned the Mainstream Rock chart dated May 9, 2015.)
Reaching the pinnacle in its 28th week, “Drug” completes the band’s longest trip to No. 1 since its breakthrough 2008 single “Chicken Fried” (30 weeks). Conversely, “Homegrown” and “Easy” hit the summit in relatively brisk 11- and 17-week trips, respectively.
What took “Drug” longer? “I think the song title might have made people a little nervous,” WYCD Detroit PD Tim Roberts tells Billboard. “Lyrically, I feel this track is deeper, so it just took a little longer to kick in. Eventually it did and is now testing power for us.
“Zac treats every album as its own piece of work,” adds Roberts. “He played the album for me in the studio before it came out, and I thought it was a masterpiece.” Jekyll + Hyde debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums (May 16, 2015). It rises 18-17 this week and has sold 624,000 copies to date.
Jekyll + Hyde is the act’s third LP to generate at least a trio of Country Airplay No. 1s. 2010’s You Get What You Give yielded four (“As She’s Walking Away,” featuring Alan Jackson; “Colder Weather”; “Knee Deep,” featuring Jimmy Buffett; and “Keep Me in Mind”), as did 2008’s The Foundation (“Chicken Fried,” “Toes,” “Highway 20 Ride” and “Free”). (2012’s Uncaged unleashed two: “Goodbye in Her Eyes” and “Sweet Annie.”)
PERFECT 10s Concurrently, Country Airplay welcomes two new top 10s, led by Chris Young and Cassadee Pope’s “Think of You” (RCA Nashville/ Republic Nashville), which rises 12-9 (25 million, up 9 percent). The love song is Young’s 11th top 10, following his sixth No. 1, “I’m Comin’ Over,” and Pope’s second; “Wasting All These Tears” reached No. 10 in February 2014.
Also on Country Airplay, Chris Stapleton achieves his first top 10, as “Nobody to Blame” (Mercury) bumps 11-10 (24.7 million, essentially even from last week). The traditional country track opened on Country Airplay on Nov. 21, 2015 (at No. 46), following Stapleton’s big night at the Country Music Association Awards (Nov. 4), when he won three awards. Traveller, which won for album of the
year, has totaled 15 weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums and passed 1 million sold in the week ending March 10.
JOEY REMEMBERED Joey + Rory’s Hymns (Farmhouse/Gaither/Capitol CMG) leads Top Country Albums for a third frame (and second in succession) (44,000, even from the prior week, when it gained by 36 percent after Joey Feek passed away from cancer on March 4). The inspirational set reigns over Top Christian Albums for a fifth week.
FIERY DEBUT Fired Up (Stoney Creek/Broken Bow Music Group), the fourth studio album from Randy Houser, enters Top Country Albums at No. 3 (21,000). The set matches his previous best rank, as How Country Feels debuted (with 24,000) and peaked at No. 3 in 2013. Fired Up is his third top 10; They Call Me Cadillac debuted and peaked at No. 8 in 2010.
FIRST, FOR A SECOND WEEK Finally, Cole Swindell’s “You Should Be Here” (Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville) tops Hot Country Songs for a second week. The track boosts 3-2 on Country Airplay (42 million in audience, up 7 per-cent) and 4-3 on Country Streaming Songs (2.1 million U.S. streams, up 2 percent), and holds at No. 5 on Country Digital Songs (28,000 sold, down 7 percent).
l50 55 2 ROCK ON Dot Tucker Beathard 1.221 +0.190 307 57 54
l51 56 4 MAKE YOU MINE Atlantic/WEA High Valley 1.186 +0.259 351 62 52
l52 60 3 IF THE BOOT FITS Wheelhouse Granger Smith 1.098 +0.508 341 217 53
l53 59 4 DADDY’S MONEY Red Bow Brooke Eden 0.841 +0.178 367 46 51
l54 NEW PETER PAN Black River HH Hot Shot Debut HH Kelsea Ballerini 0.817 +0.336 233 113 59
55 57 7 DANCE WITH YA Cold River Drew Baldridge 0.724 -0.050 383 -2 50
56 52 18 BY THE WAY Stoney Creek Lindsay Ell 0.672 -1.023 305 -276 55
57 43 2 SONG NUMBER 7 Stoney Creek Randy Houser 0.534 -2.370 112 -299 -
l58 NEW SOUTHERNALITY Republic Nashville A Thousand Horses 0.507 +0.073 242 38 56
59 RE-ENTRY SLEEP WITHOUT YOU Republic Nashville Brett Young 0.486 -0.066 88 -5 -
l60 NEW GHOST TOWN NASH Icon Breaking Southwest 0.480 +0.434 239 231 57
3/28
KEITH WALKER Friends With Boats Keith Walker
LONESOME RIVER BAND Rocking Of The Cradle Mountain Home
RANDY HOUSER Song Number 7 Stoney Creek
SADDLE BROWN What’s Not To Like? JRose
4/4
CHERIE DARLING Sittin’ On A Step Generic/Orchard
TYLER HAMMOND Drunk Over A Girl TLB
4/11
BLACKJACK BILLY The Booze Cruise Reviver
CRAIG CAMPBELL Outskirts Of Heaven Red Bow
TRAILER CHOIR Ice Cold Summer Average Joes/Star Farm
GOING FOR ADDS
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BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 7 OF 19
AIRPLAY MONITORED BYCountry Airplay
MOST ADDED®TITLE Imprint/Label Artist ADDSHUNTIN’, FISHIN’ & LOVIN’ EVERY DAY Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan 72CAME HERE TO FORGET Warner Bros./WMN Blake Shelton 36MAKE YOU MISS ME MCA Nashville Sam Hunt 19GHOST TOWN Nash Breaking Southwest 18AMERICAN COUNTRY LOVE SONG RCA Nashville Jake Owen 16IF THE BOOT FITS Wheelhouse Granger Smith 14YOU LOOK LIKE I NEED A DRINK Valory Justin Moore 8PETER PAN Black River Kelsea Ballerini 8I KNOW SOMEBODY Reviver LoCash 721 SUMMER EMI Nashville Brothers Osborne 7
MOST INCREASED PLAYSTITLE Imprint/Label Artist GAINHUNTIN’, FISHIN’ & LOVIN’ EVERY DAY Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan +1559I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT Big Machine Rascal Flatts +992CAME HERE TO FORGET Warner Bros./WMN Blake Shelton +771DRUNK ON YOUR LOVE Atlantic/WMN Brett Eldredge +739CONFESSION Republic Nashville Florida Georgia Line +611YOU SHOULD BE HERE Warner Bros./WMN Cole Swindell +544T-SHIRT Valory Thomas Rhett +473THINK OF YOU RCA Nashville/Republic Nashville Chris Young Duet With Cassadee Pope +472AMERICAN COUNTRY LOVE SONG RCA Nashville Jake Owen +441SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH Capitol Nashville Dierks Bentley +335
MOST INCREASED AUDIENCETITLE Imprint/Label Artist
GAIN(IN MIILIONS)
HUNTIN’, FISHIN’ & LOVIN’ EVERY DAY Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan +8.114I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT Big Machine Rascal Flatts +5.129CONFESSION Republic Nashville Florida Georgia Line +2.698T-SHIRT Valory Thomas Rhett +2.683SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH Capitol Nashville Dierks Bentley +2.626YOU SHOULD BE HERE Warner Bros./WMN Cole Swindell +2.618THINK OF YOU RCA Nashville/Republic Nashville Chris Young Duet With Cassadee Pope +2.133DRUNK ON YOUR LOVE Atlantic/WMN Brett Eldredge +2.004CAME HERE TO FORGET Warner Bros./WMN Blake Shelton +1.753RECORD YEAR EMI Nashville Eric Church +1.738
BILLBOARD COUNTRY BOXSCOREGross Artist AttendanceTicket Price(s) Venue/Date(s) Capacity Promoter(s)
$1,286,195 RASCAL FLATTS 15,170AEG LIVE$250, $39.95 The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas/Feb. 17-March 5 23,380 nine shows
$797,198 CARRIE UNDERWOOD 11,768AEG LIVE$76, $46 CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh/Feb. 17 sellout
$778,363 JASON ALDEAN 12,543LIVE NATION$69.75, $34.75 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J./Feb. 27 sellout
$694,944 JASON ALDEAN 12,717LIVE NATION$62.75, $32.75 CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb./Jan. 22 13,767
Reported worldwide boxscore figures for Country artists. Boxscore figures should be submitted to Bob Allen by phone (615-891-1976), fax (615-891-2054) or email ([email protected]).
TEXAS REGIONAL RADIO REPORTWEEK ENDING MARCH 20, 2016
Texas Regional Radio Report Top 100 is compiled from weekly online playlist reports from 86 radio stations located in Texas and surrounding states, including reports from specialty shows, internet and satellite radio outlets. Songs are ranked by total plays. For tracking, complete chart methodology and more information, visit www.texasregionalradio.com, or contact Dave Smith at 817-283-7984. Copyright 2016, Texas Regional Radio Report
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
WKS ON CHART TITLE (Label) ARTIST
TW SPINS
SPINS +/–
l1 3 17 SUNSHINE (Texas Evolution) HH 1 week at 1 HH Mark McKinney 1919 173
l2 4 20 WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE (Independent) Whiskey Myers 1825 96
3 2 23 REST OF FOREVER (Independent) Jason Cassidy 1748 -21
l4 8 9 HERE’S TO YOU (Independent) Zane Williams 1561 117
5 6 20 COME ON (Independent) Kyle Park 1537 -15
l6 7 18 WINNING HAND (Independent) Cory Morrow 1504 47
l18 23 11 HALF AS GOOD (Independent) Bri Bagwell 976 139
19 12 18 LONESTAR PARADISE (RROC) Matt Kimbrow 955 -359
l20 20 20 FIRE AWAY (Independent) Chris Stapleton 921 29
RECURRENTSTHIS
WEEK TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistTOTAL AUD.
(IN MILLIONS)1 DIE A HAPPY MAN Valory Thomas Rhett 26.816
2 WE WENT Stoney Creek Randy Houser 24.401
3 BACKROAD SONG Wheelhouse Granger Smith 23.556
4 HOME ALONE TONIGHT Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan Feat. Karen Fairchild 21.869
5 I LOVE THIS LIFE Reviver LoCash 18.852
6 STAY A LITTLE LONGER EMI Nashville Brothers Osborne 16.442
7 BREAK ON ME. Hit Red/Capitol Nashville Keith Urban 16.139
8 I’M COMIN’ OVER RCA Nashville Chris Young 15.104
9 BREAK UP IN A SMALL TOWN MCA Nashville Sam Hunt 14.482
10 SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY Blue Chair/Columbia Nashville Kenny Chesney 13.093
NEW AND ACTIVETITLE Imprint/Label Artist
TOTAL AUDIENCE
TOTAL STATIONS ADDS
FISHIN’ WITH MY DAD Black River Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots 0.464 0 0
TUXEDO MCA Nashville Clare Dunn 0.392 20 3
SAID NO ONE EVER Elektra Nashville/WAR Jana Kramer 0.287 4 2
MAKE MY OWN SUNSHINE Big Spark Olivia Lane 0.213 7 1
SOMEONE TO TAKE YOUR PLACE Valory Tara Thompson 0.181 14 3
WE CAN’T STAND EACH OTHER Black River Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots Feat. Carrie Underwood 0.178 0 0
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 8 OF 19
MUSGRAVES LEADS CMA GLOBAL AWARDSA week after simultaneous country festivals f lung a bevy of American art-ists to the United Kingdom and Australia, the Country Music Association announced Kacey Musgraves and late AristoMedia Group president Jeff Walker among the winners of the organization’s 2016 international awards.
Musgraves received the International Artist Achievement Award during the C2C: Country to Country Festival in London on March 13 from BBC Radio 2 personality Bob Harris. In turn, she surprised Harris with the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award.
Walker was remembered with the Jo Walker-Meador International Award, recognizing marketing efforts outside U.S. borders, while the Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award was given to Gord Bamford, a 22-time Cana-dian Country Music Award winner.
Corus Entertainment host Paul McGuire picked up the International Country Broadcaster Award. McGuire has been associated with numerous Canadian radio and TV shows through Corus, a prominent Toronto-based media company.
MOVERS & SHAKERSTerri Clark takes over as host of Westwood One’s four-hour weekly classic coun-
try show Country Gold beginning the week-end of April 9-10. A former member of the crew on America’s Morning Show, Clark re-places Randy Owen, who has hosted Coun-try Gold for four years … Adams Radio/ Salisbury-Ocean City, Md., hired Cheryl Salomone as vp/ market manager for the cluster, including country WKHI. Salomone had been a regional manager for Town-square in Washington state … Mike Kill-abrew was appointed senior vp program-ming for iHeartMedia/ Indianapolis after serving in a similar role at iHeartMedia/Des Moines, RadioInfo.com reported.
Among Killabrew’s Indy responsibilities is country WUBG … KUPL Portland, Ore., hired MoJoe Roberts as PD/afternoon-drive personality, according to RadioInfo.com. He programmed previously for iHeartMedia/Modesto-Stockton, Calif. … Becky Sweeney is the new iHeartMedia/Chattanooga (Tenn.) president, InsideRadio.com reported. She arrives from a similar post at iHeartMedia/Montgomery, Ala. … J.R. Jaus joined KCYY San Antonio as a morning co-host, according to InsideRadio.com. He previously worked on-air at WWKA Orlando.
’ROUND THE ROWLisa Owen joined Arista Nashville as West Coast manager of regional promotion. She spent the past 11 years in a similar post with Show Dog- Universal … Ko-balt promoted Jesse Willoughby to Nashville GM. He was previously Kobalt Neighbouring Rights director of business development … Curt Motley took an agent position at United Talent after 20 years at Paradigm/Nashville, where he was co-head of the office. He’s joined in the move by former Paradigm agent Brendan Rich. Motley takes his roster with him to United, including Toby Keith, Jamey Johnson and Mac McAnally … The Applauze ticketing firm hired Elyse McKenna as Nashville-based vp business development. She
previously handled a similar role for Song-kick.com … Michelle Lorge took a public-ity job at All Eyes Media after serving as a Sweet Talk publicist. All Eyes clients in-clude Jason Isbell, Lucinda Williams and Darrell Scott … Singer-songwriter Nora Collins signed a publishing/management deal with MV2 Entertainment … Kore Pub-lic Relations added Cowboy Troy to the ros-ter … The Nashville chapter of the Associa-tion of Independent Music Publishers will host the first AIMP Nashville Awards on April 18 at the Ryman Auditorium … Music
Biz 2016 will include an afternoon devoted to women’s issues on May 16 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. Among the panelists for “Finding Your Voice: Music’s Leading Ladies Speak Out” are “Girl Crush” songwriters Hill-ary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose; Big Machine Label Group senior vp marketing, sales and interactive Kelly Rich; and The Supremes’ Mary Wilson … Singer-songwriter Steve Young died March 17 in Nashville, CMT.com reported. He was best known as the author of “Seven Bridges Road.”
NASHVILLE & NATIONAL TOM ROLAND
OWEN
CLARK
LoCash met up with KKWF Seattle PD Mike Preston on March 15 when the duo hit town for a show at Steel Creek. From left: Reviver West Coast regional Dave Collins, LoCash’s Chris Lucas, Preston, LoCash’s Preston Brust and Reviver senior VP promotion Gator Michaels.
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Big Machine artist Steven Tyler (right) joined iHeartMedia chairman/CEO Bob Pittman on March 13 for a Q&A during South by Southwest in Austin.
Chris Janson visited with WYRK Buffalo, N.Y., PD Wendy Lynn during a March 17 stop in the city.
MCKENNA
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 9 OF 19
MUSIC NOTESAs one expects at awards shows, the Academy of Country Music’s 51st an-nual soiree on April 3 will include a number of special performances. Among the latest announcements: Dolly Parton will duet with pop star Katy Perry during the CBS telecast, while Chris Young and Cassadee Pope deliver their first televised rendition of their current top 10 duet, “Think of You” (No. 9, Country Airplay). Tim McGraw will also incorporate fan-submitted visuals in his first TV performance of “Humble and Kind.”
Old Crow Medicine Show will mark the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde by performing the album in its entirety May 12-13 at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theater. Recorded at the Columbia Studios in Nashville, the a l b u m w a s r e -leased May 16, 1966. The con-certs occur as the Hall continues to d isplay t he ex-hibit Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City through Dec. 31. Meanwhile, a new exhibit, Blake Shelton: Based On a True Story, is slated to run at the Hall of Fame May 27-Nov. 6. And Chuck Mead, Naomi Judd, Carl Perkins biographer David McGee, author Peter Guralnick and drummer Stan Perkins will join Tennessee State University professor of music Mark Crawford at the Hall on April 9 in a celebration of the 60th anniversary of “Blue Suede Shoes.”
Steve Moakler performed “Suitcase” during his Grand Ole Opry debut on March 19, while Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots are slated for their first time on the WSM-AM Nashville show on March 25. Meanwhile, the Opry is debuting a spring and summer line of baseball-themed Opry fashion, with Nashville actor Chris Carmack serving as the face of the collection.
When the American Country Countdown Awards air on Fox on May 1 from the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., it will mark the first country awards show broadcast from Los Angeles in more than a decade. The first performers announced are Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line. The awards are produced by dick clark productions, owned by Prometheus Global Media, which also owns Billboard.
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW
ON THIS DATE IN COUNTRY MUSIC
March 21 • 2014—George Strait welcomes two surprise guests during a show at
Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena: Eric Church sings on “Cowboys Like Us,” and Kenny Chesney joins him on “Amarillo by Morning.”
• 1998—Clint Black parks at No. 1 on the Bill-board country chart with “Nothin’ But the Tail-lights,” co-written with Steve Wariner.
March 22 • 1976—Waylon Jennings records “Are You Ready for the Country”
and “Can’t You See” at Sound Labs in Hollywood. • 1958—Hank Williams Jr. makes his public stage debut at the age
of 8 at the Nancy Auditorium in Swainsboro, Ga.
March 23 • 2011—RCAreleasesJake Owen’s “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” to
radio.
March 24 • 2007—“LivefromNewYork...”Carrie Underwood is the musical
guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, performing “Before He Cheats” and “Wasted.” The installment is hosted by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
• 2006—Afterachicken-friedsteakdinner,Buck Owens performs for the last time at his Crystal Palace theater in Bakersfield, Calif. He dies in his sleep the following morning. His last song: “Big in Vegas.”
March 25 • 2015—Oak Ridge Boys, The Browns and guitarist Grady Martin
are announced as 2015 inductees in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
• 1991—Reba McEntire sings “I’m Checking Out,” from the movie Postcards From the Edge, during the Academy Awards at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium. She dedicates the song to eight members of her band and crew who died nine days prior in a plane crash.
March 26 • 2013—WarnerBros.releasesBlake Shelton’s album Based On a
True Story...
March 27 • 2008—Trace Adkins sings “You’re Gonna Miss This” during the
season finale of the NBC series The Celebrity Apprentice, which was won by his opponent, Piers Morgan. Making cameo appearances are Eddie Montgomery, Dean Sams and Ronnie Milsap.
Source: RolandNote.com, the Ultimate Country Music Database
BLACK
NASHVILLE & NATIONAL TOM ROLAND
GOOD WORKSA friend in need gets Darius Rucker teed.
He’ll be driving balls down the fairway at TPC Las Vegas April 2 when he hosts the ACM Lifting Lives Golf Classic for the fifth consecutive year.
Held the day before the 51st annual Academy of Country Music Awards, the one-day competition raises money for the ACM foundation’s Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund, which aids music industry members in troubled cir-cumstances. The fund has provided more than $400,000 of assistance since it was established in 2007.
It’s not Rucker’s only charitable event on the calendar: His seventh Darius Rucker & Friends concert for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is set for June 6 at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville.
TWEET OF THE WEEKOak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall may be a Country Music Hall of Fame mem-ber, but he can count on one of his closest confidantes to keep him grounded:
“One day you are a big singing star The next day its ‘Hon will you please go and see what died under the deck?’ I DO love my life...”
To follow BCU, go to Twitter.com/bbcountryupdate.
CH
RIS
HO
LLO
Middle Tennessee State University staff presented Eric Paslay the MTSU Young Alumni Achievement Award following his March 15 performance on the Grand Ole Opry. From left: MTSU dean of the College of Media and Entertainment Ken Paulson, MTSU president Sidney A. McPhee, Paslay and Opry vp/GM Pete Fisher.
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 11 OF 19
Hot Country Songs SALES, AIRPLAY & STREAMING DATA COMPILED BY
For week ending March 17, 2016. Figures are rounded. Compiled from a national sample of retail store and rack sales reports collected and provided by Nielsen Music.
For inquiries about any Nielsen Music data, please contact Josh Bennett at 615-807-1338 or [email protected]
The week’s most popular country songs, ranked by radio airplay audience impressions as measured by Nielsen Music, sales data as compiled by Nielsen Music and streaming activity data from online music sources tracked by Nielsen Music. Descending titles below No. 25 are moved to recurrent after 20 weeks.
COUNTRY MARKET WATCHA Weekly National Music Sales Report
Hot Country Songs
ALBUMSDIGITAL
ALBUMS*DIGITAL TRACKS
This Week 458,000 139,000 1,696,000
Last Week 491,000 157,000 1,812,000
Change -6.7% -11.5% -6.4%
This Week Last Year 543,000 209,000 2,176,000
Change -15.7% -33.5% -22.1%
*Digital album sales are also counted within album sales.
Weekly Unit SalesYear-Over-Year Album Sales2015 2016 CHANGE
Albums 5,291,000 4,779,000 -9.7%
Digital Tracks 24,837,000 19,313,000 -22.2%
YEAR-TO-DATE
Overall Unit Sales
2015 2016 CHANGE
Physical 3,288,000 3,133,000 9.0%
Digital 2,003,000 1,646,000 -17.8%
Sales by Album Format
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
TWO WEEKS
AGOWKS ON CHART
TITLE Artist PRODUCER (SONGWRITER) IMPRINT / PROMOTION LABEL CERTIFIED
PEAK POSITION
26 18 — 2 AMERICAN COUNTRY LOVE SONG Jake Owen S.MACGOWAN,R. COPPERMAN (R.COPPERMAN,A.GORLEY,J.JOHNSTON) RCA NASHVILLE 18
l27 32 31 6 FROM THE GROUND UP Dan + Shay D.SMYERS,S.HENDRICKS (D.SMYERS,S.MOONEY,C. DESTEFANO) WARNER BROS./WAR 23
28 28 28 26 NIGHT’S ON FIRE David Nail C.AINLAY,F.LIDDELL,G.WORF (J.SINGLETON,D.RUTTAN) MCA NASHVILLE 28
l29 30 30 21 REAL MEN LOVE JESUS Michael Ray S.HENDRICKS (B.WARREN,B.WARREN,L.MILLER,A.SANDERS) ATLANTIC/WEA 28
l30 35 34 5 RECORD YEAR Eric Church J.JOYCE (E.CHURCH,J.HYDE) EMI NASHVILLE 30
l31 33 32 14 IT ALL STARTED WITH A BEER Frankie Ballard M.ALTMAN (J.JOHNSTON,N.MASON,J.S.STOVER) WARNER BROS./WAR 31
32 29 29 18 BETTER IN BOOTS Tyler Farr J.KING,J.CATINO (J.WILSON,D.PITTENGER,N.COOKE) COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 26
l33 34 33 15 SHUT UP AND FISH Maddie & Tae D.HUFF (M.MARLOW,T.DYE,P.SALLIS,A.SCHERZ) DOT 30
l34 RE-ENTRY 3 HUNTIN’, FISHIN’ & LOVIN’ EVERY DAY Luke Bryan J.STEVENS,J.STEVENS (L.BRYAN,D.DAVIDSON,R.AKINS,B.HAYSLIP) CAPITOL NASHVILLE 34
l35 37 35 12 YOU LOOK LIKE I NEED A DRINK Justin Moore J.S.STOVER,J.RAYMOND,S.BORCHETTA (R.CLAWSON,M.DRAGSTREM,N.HEMBY) VALORY 34
36 31 27 6 FIRE AWAY Chris Stapleton D.COBB,C.STAPLETON (C.STAPLETON,D.GREEN) MERCURY 27
l37 43 43 7 UNLOVE YOU HH Digital Gainer HH Jennifer Nettles D.HUFF (J. NETTLES,B.CLARK) BIG MACHINE
37
l38 38 36 21 USED TO LOVE YOU SOBER Kane Brown M.MCVANEY (K.BROWN,M.MCVANEY,J.HOGE) RCA NASHVILLE 15
39 36 38 20 CRAZY OVER ME Dylan Scott M.ALDERMAN,J.E.NORMAN (D.SCOTT,M.ALDERMAN) CURB 36
l40 39 42 13 HOLE IN A BOTTLE Canaan Smith B.BEAVERS,J.ROBBINS (C.SMITH,B.BEAVERS,D.COUCH) MERCURY 39
41 40 40 8 RUNNING FOR YOU Kip Moore B.JAMES,K.MOORE (K.MOORE,T.VERGES,B.DALY) MCA NASHVILLE 37
l42 46 45 8 HIGH CLASS Eric Paslay J.FRASURE,M.ALTMAN (E.PASLAY,C.CROWDER,J.FRASURE) EMI NASHVILLE 42
43 42 37 20 MR. MISUNDERSTOOD Eric Church J.JOYCE (E.CHURCH,C.BEATHARD) EMI NASHVILLE 15
l50 RE-ENTRY 2 POWER OF POSITIVE DRINKIN’ Chris Janson B.ANDERSON,C.DUBOIS,C.JANSON (C.JANSON,MARK IRWIN,C.DUBOIS) WARNER BROS./WAR 47
ALBUM SALES
’16
’15
DIGITAL TRACKS SALES
’16
’15
5.3 million
4.8 million
000.0 million
’15
’14
19.3 million
24.8 million
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 12 OF 19
Co-written by Pardi , the lead single from California Sunrise (arriving May 13)
kicks 15-11 on Country Digital Songs (16,000 sold, up 4 percent). It climbs 23-21
on Hot Country Songs, also spurred by its 21-19 ascent on Country Airplay (14 million in audience, up 1 percent).
11JON PARDIHead Over
Boots
Top-selling paid download country songs compiled from sales reports collected and provided by Nielsen Music. Charts update weekly on Thurdays at www.Billboard.Biz/charts. Copyright 2016, Prometheus Global Media, LLC and Nielsen Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
THIS
W
EEK
LAST
W
EEK
WKS
ON
CH
ART
TITLEARTIST
1 1 25 DIE A HAPPY MAN THOMAS RHETT
2 2 33 BREAK UP IN A SMALL TOWN SAM HUNT
l3 4 11 YOU SHOULD BE HERE COLE SWINDELL
4 3 64 TAKE YOUR TIME SAM HUNT
l5 6 7 CONFESSION FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE
l6 7 9 DRUNK ON YOUR LOVE BRETT ELDREDGE
7 5 8 HEARTBEAT CARRIE UNDERWOOD
l8 10 5 SNAPBACK OLD DOMINION
9 8 43 HOUSE PARTY SAM HUNT
l10 14 3 SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH DIERKS BENTLEY
THIS
W
EEK
LAST
W
EEK
WKS
ON
CH
ART
TITLEARTIST
l11 11 4 MY CHURCH MAREN MORRIS
l12 13 4 THINK OF YOU CHRIS YOUNG DUET WITH CASSADEE POPE
13 9 20 TENNESSEE WHISKEY CHRIS STAPLETON
l14 — 1 CAME HERE TO FORGET BLAKE SHELTON
l15 19 153 CRUISE FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE
16 15 11 BEAUTIFUL DRUG ZAC BROWN BAND
17 12 56 GIRL CRUSH LITTLE BIG TOWN
18 17 40 I’M COMIN’ OVER CHRIS YOUNG
19 18 15 HOME ALONE TONIGHT LUKE BRYAN FEAT. KAREN FAIRCHILD
20 16 32 BURNING HOUSE CAM
Country Streaming Songs -The week’s top Country streamed radio songs, on-demand songs and videos on leading online music services. Charts update weekly on Thurdays at www.Billboard.Biz/charts. Copyright 2016, Prometheus Global Media, LLC and Nielsen Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
TOP COUNTRY ALBUMSCOUNTRY DIGITAL SONGS
STREAMING DATA COMPILED BY
The week’s most popular country albums, ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen Music. Albums are defined as current if they are less than 18 months old or older than 18 months but still residing in the Billboard 200’s top 100. Charts update weekly on Thurdays at www.Billboard.Biz/charts. Copyright 2016, Prometheus Global Media, LLC and Nielsen Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 13 OF 19
It’s fuzzy, ethereal and mysterious, a sound so hauntingly unique that it practically defines Brothers Osborne’s new single, “21 Summer.”
Ninety seconds into the three-and-a-half minute performance, the opening melody from the chorus is reprised by a melancholy sonic stew. It’s a jumble of five voices, layered in tandem with an electric guitar and slathered with reverb, and the other-worldly sound cements the complex ball of emotion in the lyrics’ grateful heartbreak.
“It’s that eerie nostalgia that you can’t quite put your finger on,” gui-tarist John Osborne says. “It’s about look-ing back on a time in your life, regardless of how a previous relationship went. Whatever went wrong seemed to drift away and you only remember the glow of it, and the beauty of it and the importance of it.”
The ghostly “21 Summer” is resurrected f r o m a n o t h e r p a r t i n t h e b r o t h e r s ’ development. Written around the end of 2011, it’s the oldest song on their debut album, Pawn Shop, which EMI released Jan. 15. As a result, that hazy signature in “21 Summer” could be considered the starting point for the entire album, since it was also the start-ing point for the song. It was a guitar riff in its original incarnation when John played it for his brother, vocalist T.J. Osborne, and songwriter Craig Wiseman (“Live Like You Were Dying,” “Boys ’Round Here”) at Wise-man’s Big Loud Shirt offices on Music Row in Nashville.
The riff was intriguing, though where it was headed wasn’t immediately obvious.
“It’s never clear right off the bat,” says T.J. “Most people that write songs are emotionally all over the place, so you can kind of really pick from a palate of different feelings. Really the first battle is to just kind of get everyone on the same page of what you want the message to be.”
There was something nostalgic about the melody, and the theme soon became fixed around the memory of an old flame.
“I can guarantee where it started — you’re kind of looking back on one of those crazy chicks you dated,” says Wiseman. “I talk about my old days when I was in bands, and you don’t talk about that stuff very long before crazy chicks come up.”
The woman in “21 Summer,” though, isn’t just a crazy memory. She’s more a signpost in the singer’s emotional development. The first verse establishes a couple random bits of culture — a blue Chevrolet, a song they shared — that trigger an appreciation for her role in the guy’s life. He doesn’t know where she is anymore, but John found the right words to address her at the start of the chorus: “I hope you find the storm that you were chasin’.”
They alluded to the physicality of the relationship — “the night that you slipped off those cutoff jeans” — but Wiseman also thought they should grab something specific to the Osbornes to make it a little more personal. As they discussed the brothers’ history in Deale, Md., on the coast of the Chesapeake Bay, Wiseman interjected “the sound of high-tide thunder,” a short phrase that spoke volumes about their past.
“We grew up right on the water, and when we would stand out there on the water’s edge, we would watch the storm come in and the lightning,” recalls John. “That, attached to all of the loves and stuff that you grew up with, I was like, ‘Wow.’ That was one of the most powerful images I’ve ever heard.”
They made a demo of the song, then cut a fuller version where the original
guitar riff was transformed into a vocal hook. That performance wasn’t released, but the Osbornes revisited the song when they aligned with producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Little Big Town).
“The way they had it was almost like a Bon Jovi rock thing, and I thought it didn’t feel believable,” says Joyce. “We turned it more into an almost Crowded House kind of summery vibe, which I think fits it so much better.”
They cut “21 Summer” again at Joyce’s St. Charles Studio in East Nashville during the same session where they recorded “Stay a Little Longer,” with Joyce
finding ways to tone down the instrumenta-tion, particularly the sounds from drummer Adam Box.
“Instead of a big, cracking snare drum, he gave our drummer a mallet and a big down-tuned snare drum, which really wid-ened the track,” says John. “When he got through with it, there was so much more depth.”
The key riff, revamped as a vocal in the earlier version, became much more complex this time around with the Osbornes cast as part of a backing vocal group that included their sister, Natalie Osborne; bassist Pete Sternberg; and John’s wife, singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas. The lines were doubled by John’s guitar part, then smothered with echo.
The overall effect essentially blended the Osbornes’ East Coast upbringing with West Coast pop inf luences that have shaped the sound of modern country.
“The approach at the studio was to go for more of a California country vibe — you know, Jackson Browne, the Eagles, J.D. Souther, that kind of thing — which doesn’t get done a lot lately,” says John. “That’s such a big part of our culture in American roots music.”
In an odd twist of fate, Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey died Jan. 18, three days after Pawn Shop was released. “Stay a Little Longer,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Country Airplay chart dated Feb. 6, earned a nomination in the Feb. 15 Grammy ceremony where the Eagles paid tribute to Frey. The next day, EMI shipped “21 Summer” to radio via Play MPE, obliquely carrying on the Eagles’ country/rock influence.
“21 Summer” also carries on a bit of the foundation that was laid with “Stay a Little Longer.” Both songs feature elongated notes in the verses, establishing T.J.’s smoky, languid resonance.
“As a singer, I don’t have a bunch of licks and I’m not going to just knock your socks off,” says T.J. “For me, it’s more about just the tone of my voice and the feeling, so to be able to really emotionally get invested in just a single note and hold it out is pretty important for the value of me as a singer.”
Wiseman was happily surprised when “21 Summer” appeared on Pawn Shop and particularly impressed with T.J.’s ability to capture the multitude of emotions they had carved into it four years prior.
“Here we are saying ‘cutoffs,’ ” notes Wiseman. “I mean, we’re right up in the middle of a bunch of heavily used verbiage, and, man, I am frickin’ onboard. I believe him when he says that.”
Now it’s about finding believers in the marketplace. Buoyed by its haunting trademark, “21 Summer” was the general favorite for the second single from Pawn Shop. It popped from No. 50 to No. 45 in its fifth week on Country Airplay.
“Everyone at [the label] was saying this should be our next single, and we polled all of our fans on social media. ‘21 Summer’ got the vote,” says T.J. “Hopefully that’s an indication of what’s to come.”
Brothers Osborne’s ‘21 Summer’ Casts A Nostalgic Haze
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 14 OF 19
It has been nearly 10 months since radio consultant Keith Hill created national headlines and brought new attention to a perennial issue — the disparity in the numbers of successful male and female artists in country music — when he referred to women as the “tomatoes” in a lettuce-heavy (read: male- dominated) salad. But judging by the volume of young female songwriters and aspiring writer-artists filling rows of seats at the March 16 Song Suffragettes Summit in Nashville, Hill didn’t scare anyone off.
The event was packed with women eagerly soaking up knowledge shared by moderator Todd Cassetty, founder of the 2-year-old weekly live show Song Suffrag-ettes, and his four panelists: CMT senior VP, music and talent Leslie Fram; Warner Music Nashville vp A&R Cris Lacy; agent Kylen Sharpe of Creative Artists Agency; and Sweet Talk Publicity president Jensen Sussman. Billboard Country Update was the only media outlet invited to cover the panel, held at Noteable Blends Coffee House.
All the panelists were encouraged by the strides that female artists made in the last year — they spe-cifically cited the success of Kelsea Ballerini, Cam and Maren Morris — but, as Fram and others noted, there’s still a long way to go.
Even prior to Hill’s controversial comments, groups like Change the Conversation and Song Suffragettes had mobilized in Nashville to enact progress. Song Suffragettes features a rotating cast of female country talent performing weekly at Nashville’s Listening Room Cafe. In the two years since it was created, 13 of the women who have played the show have gotten publishing deals, with several already landing cuts for major artists, and two of the Suffragettes — Brittany Kennell and Mary Sarah — scored spots on Blake Shelton’s team on the current season of NBC’s The Voice.
But Fram said real change is “a slow process” and expressed hope that the success of Ballerini, Cam and others “will [whet] the appetite at country radio for more women to get played.” Sussman agreed that those successes “give us hope that working in this business, anything is possible if you put your heart and mind and soul to it. That’s really encouraging.”
Despite some progress, panelists noted that it is critical to keep the discussion about female artists going. Said Sharpe, “It’s important that we keep talking about it, because that’s why it’s getting better.”
Added Lacy, “It’s a little better on radio, for sure, but I don’t see anybody saying, ‘We’re good.’ There’s not a requisite amount [of female successes] where everybody will just shut up. It’s [still] disproportionate what our genre looks
like when you compare it to other formats. I’m encour-aged. It’s growing, but it does have quite a way to go.”
Panelists said one reason the tide may be turning a bit for female artists is that more of them have quit chasing trends in favor of being authentic. “I see a wave of smart, interesting, different female artists coming through our offices,” said Lacy. “For a while, a year or two ago, I felt like everybody was copying someone else. Now I’m seeing a lot of distinctive voices, distinctive perspectives and musicality. That’s encouraging to me.”
Fram agreed that the next wave of female acts to break through will be “original” and have “a sense of themselves … A lot of what I’ve seen is people trying
to chase what’s on the radio, and I discourage that.” Sussman said, “You need to be your own trailblazer and create your own lane,” calling artists who copy what is already working on the radio “a turn-off.”
For Lacy, confidence and vulnerability are two key qualities she is now seeking in the female artists she scouts. “That’s paramount to what I’m looking for,” she said. “Are you so confident that you’re allowing this vulnerability into your music so that everybody else feels like you’re speaking for them?”
Sharpe also prefers to work with artists who “have a point of view,” as well as those who have independently achieved success before signing with a label. “I like to see you’ve slugged it out on your own. You’ve put in your 10,000 hours.”
But Sharpe also observed that the women in the room, most of whom had played at Song Suffragettes shows, already had a leg up. Noting that success in Nashville is often built on an artist establishing their own tribe of like-minded collaborators, she said, “This town is all about community, and you have already created your own community here.”
Nashville Execs Say Tide Is Slowly Turning For Female Country Artists
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From left: Cassetty, Fram, Lacy, Sharpe and Sussman.
BULLETSl Awarded on Country Airplay to titles gaining audience or remaining flat from the previous week. A song will also receive a bullet if its percentage loss in audience does not exceed the percentage of monitored
station downtime for the format. Titles that decline in audience but increase in detections will also receive a bullet if the total audience erosion for the week does not exceed 3%. Bullets are awarded on Country Indicator to titles gaining plays or remaining flat from the previous week.
TIESOn Country Airplay, if two songs are tied in total audience, the song with the larger increase in audience is placed first. On Country Indicator, if two songs are tied in total plays, the song with the larger increase in plays is placed first.
RECURRENTSOn Country Airplay, descending titles below No. 10 in either audience or detections are moved to recurrent after 20 weeks, provided that they are not still
gaining enough audience points to bullet or if they rank below No. 10 and post a third consecutive week of (non-bulleted) audience decline, regardless of total chart weeks. On Country Indicator, descending, non-bulleted titles below No. 10 are moved to recurrent after 20 weeks or if they post a third consecutive week of decline in plays after 10 weeks.
HOT SHOT DEBUTAwarded to the highest-ranking new entry on Country Airplay and Country Indicator, respectively.
MOST ADDEDThe total number of new adds officially reported to Billboard by each reporting station, or by an automatic-add threshold (seven plays for the first time in a chart tracking week, according to Nielsen BDS) for stations that do not report adds.
MOST INCREASED AUDIENCE/PLAYSMost Increased Audience on Country Airplay and Most Increased Plays on Country Indicator list the songs with the greatest week-to-week increases in total audience or plays, respectively.
AIRPOWERAwarded on Country Airplay to titles ranking inside top 20 in plays and audience rankings for the first time, with increases in both plays and audience.
BREAKERAwarded on Country Airplay to titles achieving airplay (at least one detection) at 60% of reporting stations for the first time.
58 56 7 RUNNIN’ OUTTA LIPSTICK Circle S Sarabeth 175 -8 0.222
l59 NEW SONG NUMBER 7 Stoney Creek Randy Houser 160 +122 0.234
l60 NEW JUST DON’T KNOW IT YET Premier Nashville Chris Chitsey 138 +22 0.192
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 17 OF 19
Country Airplay Index21 SUMMER WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Trampy McCauley,
ASCAP/All The Kings Pens, ASCAP/Songstein Publishing, ASCAP/Big Loud Shirt Industries, ASCAP (J. Osborne, T.J. Osborne, C.Wiseman) 45
A
AMERICAN COUNTRY LOVE SONG EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Songs By Red Room, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Harmony, ASCAP/Texa Rae Music, ASCAP (R.Copperman, A.Gorley, J.Johnston) 30
B
BEAUTIFUL DRUG Day For The Dead Publishing, SESAC/Southern Ground, SESAC/Reach Music Tunes, SESAC (Z.Brown, N.Moon) 1
BY THE WAY Magic Mustang Music Inc., BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Lindsay Ell Music, BMI/Country Paper, BMI/Creative Nation Music, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI (L.Ell, B.D.George, L.Laird) 56
C
CAME HERE TO FORGET Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Red Toe Rocker, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Doc And Maggie Music, SOCAN/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP (C.Wiseman, D.Ruttan) 16
CONFESSION Big Red Toe, BMI/Farm Town Songs, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Songs By Red Room, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/External Combustion Music, ASCAP (R.Clawson, R.Copperman, M.Jenkins) 5
CRAZY OVER ME Curb Songs, ASCAP/Curb Congregation Songs, SESAC (D.Scott, M.Alderman) 40
DANCE WITH YA Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/THiS Music, BMI/Goes Something Like This Music, BMI/Songs of Sunset Beach, BMI/SONGS MP Publishing, BMI (D.Baldridge, C.Yarber, J.Mitchell) 55
DRUNK ON YOUR LOVE Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Paris Not France Music, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Ross Copperman Songs, BMI (B.Eldredge, R.Copperman) 3
F
FIX Round Hill Works, BMI/Big Loud Proud Crowd, BMI/Bux Tone Music, BMI/Rio Bravo Music, Inc., BMI/Telemitry Productions, BMI/Year Of The Dog Music, ASCAP (S.Buxton, J.Frasure, A.Stoklasa) 22
FROM THE GROUND UP WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Beats And Banjos, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Shay Mooney Music, ASCAP/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/CDS Words And Music, ASACP (D.Smyers, S.Mooney, C. DeStefano) 29
G
GHOST TOWN Not Listed (Not Listed) 60
GIRL NEXT DOOR Highway 508 Songs, ASCAP/House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/Nettwerk One B Music, BMI/Revelry Music, BMI/Jay Gatsby Music, BMI/Nettwerk One Music Limited Canada, SOCAN/Universal Music Corporation, ASCAP/Smack Ink, ASCAP (B.Clark, J.J.Dillon, S.McAnally) 46
H
HEAD OVER BOOTS Golden Vault Music, BMI/The Song Factory, LLC, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Creative Nation Music, BMI (J.Pardi, L.Laird) 19
TITLE Publishing-Licensing Org. (Songwriter) Chart Position
HEARTBEAT Carrie-Okie Music, BMI/External Combustion Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP (C.Underwood, Z.Crowell, A.Gorley) 6
HIGH CLASS WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Five Foot Sixteen Publishing, ASCAP/Songs From The Rose Hotel, ASCAP/Rio Bravo Music, Inc., BMI/Telemitry Productions, BMI (E.Paslay, C.Crowder, J.Frasure) 34
HOLE IN A BOTTLE BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Skinny Fat Nashville Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/Music Of Big Deal, BMI/Stalefish Music, BMI/Songs From The Couch, BMI (C.Smith, B.Beavers, D.Couch) 28
HUMBLE AND KIND Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Hoodie Songs, BMI (L.McKenna) 14
HUNTIN’, FISHIN’ & LOVIN’ EVERY DAY Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Peanut Mill Songs, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Two Chord Georgia Music, BMI/Brooks County Boy Music, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Tar-Cam-Knox Music, ASCAP/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP (L.Bryan, D.Davidson, R.Akins, B.Hayslip) 21
I
IF THE BOOT FITS Tree Vibez Music, LLC, ASCAP/Major Bob Music, Inc., ASCAP/We-volve Music, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI (J.M.Schmidt, A.Albert, M.Tenpenny) 52
I KNOW SOMEBODY EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Brooks County Boy Music, BMI/Songs By Red Room, BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/ole Songs Of Countrywood, ASCAP (R.Akins, R.Copperman, J.S.Stover) 44
I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT Year Of The Dog Music, ASCAP/Rio Bravo Music, Inc., BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Shay Mooney Music, ASCAP/MTrain Music, ASCAP (M.Trainor, J.Frasure, S.Mooney) 4
I MET A GIRL ReHits Music, Inc., ASCAP/Smacktown Music, ASCAP/Universal Music Corporation, ASCAP/Three Mules Music, ASCAP/Smack Ink, ASCAP (T. Rosen, S.Hunt, S.McAnally) 33
IT ALL STARTED WITH A BEER Sony/ATV Harmony, ASCAP/Texa Rae Music, ASCAP/Nettwerk One B Music, BMI/Revelry Music, BMI/Nevada House Music, BMI/Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Real Big Red Tunes, ASCAP (J.Johnston, N.Mason, J.S.Stover) 25
IT DON’T HURT LIKE IT USED TO Coconut Hut Publishing, ASCAP/Castle Bound Music, Inc., SESAC/We Be Pawtying, SESAC/BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd., PRS/You Want How Much Of What Publishing, BMI/Worldwide EMG Music B, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI (B.Currington, C.R.Barlowe, S.Carter) 47
J
JESUS AND JONES ole Purple Cape Music, BMI/ole, BMI/Rack City Publishing, BMI/BMG Blue, BMI/Songs Of Jim McCormick, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music, BMI/Six Ring Circus Songs, BMI (T.Farr, J.McCormick, C.Beathard) 48
L
LITTLE BIT OF YOU Orbison Music, LLC, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Funky Friar Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP (C.Bryant, D.George, A.Gorley) 7
LIVIN’ THE DREAM Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Tomdouglasmusic, BMI/Sony/ATV Harmony, ASCAP/Texa Rae Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Creative Nation Music, BMI (T.Douglas, J.Johnston, L.Laird) 38
LOVIN’ LATELY Big Love Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/J Money Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., ASCAP/StyleSonic Music, LLC, BMI (W.K.Alphin, J.D.Rich, T.McGraw) 32
M
MAKE YOU MINE Centricity Music Publishing, ASCAP/Bluenort Records, SOCAN/CentricSongs, SESAC/2 Hour Songs, SESAC/Pickin Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Kickingbird, BMI (B.Rempel, S.Mosley, B.Stennis) 51
MAKE YOU MISS ME Universal Music Corporation, ASCAP/Three Mules Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Black River, ASCAP/Sonic Geo Music, ASCAP/Calhoun Enterprises, ASCAP/RPM Global Publishing, BMI/Hori Productions America, ASCAP (S.Hunt, J.Osborne, M.Ramsey) 35
MAYDAY Marvelous Oaks Records, ASCAP/One Year YesterdayPublishing, BMI/Creative Pulse Music, BMI/These Are Pulse Songs, BMI (C.Ochs, T.Johnson) 42
MIND READER EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Rhettro Music, BMI/Brooks County Boy Music, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP (R.Akins, B.Hayslip) 12
MY CHURCH International Dog Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/Hello I Love You Music, BMI (busbee, M.Morris) 11
N
NIGHT’S ON FIRE Super Big Music, ASCAP/Jett Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Doc And Maggie Music, SOCAN/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP (J.Singleton, D.Ruttan) 26
NOBODY TO BLAME WB Music Corp., ASCAP/House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/Quackhead Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI (C.Stapleton, B.Bales, R.Bowman) 10
P
PETER PAN Songs Of Black River, ASCAP/KNB Music, ASCAP/ole Purple Cape Music, BMI/Honey Lee Music, BMI (K.Ballerini, F.G.Whitehead, J.Lee) 54
POWER OF POSITIVE DRINKIN’ Red Vinyl Music, Inc., BMI/Buckkilla Music, BMI/House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/Green Vinyl Music, ASCAP (C.Janson, Mark Irwin, C.DuBois) 37
R
RAISED ON IT Universal Music Corporation, ASCAP/Three Mules Music, ASCAP/External Combustion Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/JFLO Music, BMI/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP (S.Hunt, Z.Crowell, J.Flowers) 43
REAL MEN LOVE JESUS EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Sagequinnjude Music, BMI/Famlove Songs, BMI (B.Warren, B.Warren, L.Miller, A.Sanders) 18
RECKLESS Round Hill Works, BMI/Big Loud Proud Crowd, BMI/Bux Tone Music, BMI/Highly Combustible Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/I Love Pizza Music, ASCAP/Atlas Music Publishing, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Heather Feather Songs, BMI (S.Buxton, Z.Crowell, H.Morgan) 49
RECORD YEAR Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Little Louder Songs, BMi/Mammaw’s Fried Okra Music, BMI (E.Church, J.Hyde) 24
ROCK ON Big Music Machine, BMI/Fayde 49 Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music, BMI/Six Ring Circus Songs, BMI/Scrambler Music, ASCAP/My My My Music, ASCAP (T.Beathard, C.Beathard, M.Cannon-Goodman) 50
RUNNING FOR YOU Music Of Stage Three, BMI/Songs Of Cornman, BMI/Roll Through Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Songs From The Engine Room, BMI/Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, BMI/Internal Combustion Music, BMI/Kickin’ Grids Music, BMI (K.Moore, T.Verges, B.Daly) 31
S
SHUT UP AND FISH Super Big Music, ASCAP/Big Machine Music, BMI/Song Alert Publishing, SESAC/Tunes of R And T Direct, SESAC (M.Marlow, T.Dye, P.Sallis, A.Scherz) 23
SLEEP WITHOUT YOU Super Big Music, ASCAP/Caliville Publishing, ASCAP/Downtown DMP Songs, BMI/Stars And Stripes And Maple Leaf Music, BMI/Wordspring Music, LLC, SESAC (B.Young, K.Archer, J.Ebach) 59
SNAPBACK Carrot Seed Songs, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., ASCAP/ReHits Music, Inc., ASCAP/Smacktown Music, ASCAP/Unfair Entertainment, ASCAP/Songs Of Big Deal, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Wooden Ships, ASCAP (M.Ramsey, T. Rosen, B.Tursi) 8
SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH Peermusic III, Ltd., BMI/Peertunes, Ltd., SESAC/Jaron Boyer Music, SESAC/BMG Silver Songs, SESAC/Fuego Songs Publishing, SESAC/David Ryan Music, ASCAP/The Real Brain Publishing, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Music Of The Corn, ASCAP (M.Tyler, J.Boyer, A.Palmer, D.Kuncio, J.Mirenda) 13
SONG NUMBER 7 Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP/Red Vinyl Music, Inc., BMI (J.Wilson, B.Hayslip, C.Janson) 57
SOUTHERNALITY Not Listed (Not Listed) 58
SOUTHERN BOY Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Creative Nation Music, BMI/These Are Pulse Songs, BMI/Creative Pulse Music, BMI/Pulse Nation, BMI/ole Songs Of Countrywood, ASCAP/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP (L.Laird, B.Dean, J.S.Stover) 39
STONE COLD SOBER Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Indiana Angel Music, BMI/External Combustion Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Brett, ASCAP/Atlas Music Publishing, ASCAP/Yawyer Three Music, ASCAP (B.Gilbert, Brett James, D.Layus) 20
T
THAT DON’T SOUND LIKE YOU Mike Curb Music, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Brooks County Boy Music, BMI/External Combustion Music, ASCAP/Out Of The Taperoom Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (L.Brice, R.Akins, A.Gorley) 15
THINK OF YOU EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Goodbye Pants Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Songs From The Rose Hotel, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/EMI Foray Music, SESAC/Write 2 Be Free Music, SESAC (C.Young, C.Crowder, J.Hoge) 9
T-SHIRT External Combustion Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Atlas Music Publishing, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Creative Nation Music, BMI/Universal Music Corporation, ASCAP/Smack Ink, ASCAP (A.Gorley, L.Laird, S.McAnally) 17
U
UNLOVE YOU Jennifer Nettles Publishing, ASCAP/House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/Highway 508 Songs, ASCAP (J. Nettles, B.Clark) 36
USED TO LOVE YOU SOBER Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Kane Brown Music, BMI/EMI Foray Music, SESAC/Write 2 Be Free Music, SESAC/B Frank Entertainment, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Song House Publishing, ASCAP (K.Brown, M.McVaney, J.Hoge) 41
Y
YOU LOOK LIKE I NEED A DRINK Round Hill Works, BMI/Farm Town Songs, BMI/Big Loud Proud Crowd, BMI/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/HappyGoWrucke, BMI/Creative Pulse Music, BMI/These Are Pulse Songs, BMI (R.Clawson, M.Dragstrem, N.Hemby) 27
YOU SHOULD BE HERE Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (C.Swindell, A.Gorley) 2
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 18 OF 19
Hot Country Songs IndexA
AMERICAN COUNTRY LOVE SONG EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Songs By Red Room, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Harmony, ASCAP/Texa Rae Music, ASCAP (R.Copperman, A.Gorley, J.Johnston) 26
B
BACKROAD SONG Climbing Windmills Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP (G.Smith, F.Rogers) 19
BEAUTIFUL DRUG Day For The Dead Publishing, SESAC/Southern Ground, SESAC/Reach Music Tunes, SESAC (Z.Brown, N.Moon) 5
BETTER IN BOOTS Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/This Is Magic Mustang Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Music Of Platinum Pen, SESAC/Hatchoo Music, SESAC/Thunder Cookie, SESAC (J.Wilson, D.Pittenger, N.Cooke) 32
BREAK ON ME. EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Jon Mark Nite Music, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Songs By Red Room, BMI (J.M.Nite, R.Copperman) 22
C
CAME HERE TO FORGET Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Red Toe Rocker, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Doc And Maggie Music, SOCAN/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP (C.Wiseman, D.Ruttan) 2
CONFESSION Big Red Toe, BMI/Farm Town Songs, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Songs By Red Room, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/External Combustion Music, ASCAP (R.Clawson, R.Copperman, M.Jenkins) 10
CRAZY OVER ME Curb Songs, ASCAP/Curb Congregation Songs, SESAC (D.Scott, M.Alderman) 39
D
DIE A HAPPY MAN EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Eastman Pond Publishing, BMI/Music Of Big Deal, BMI/Nice Life, BMI/Frederic And Reid Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI (Thomas Rhett, S.M.Douglas, Joe London) 3
DRUNK ON YOUR LOVE Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Paris Not France Music, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Ross Copperman Songs, BMI (B.Eldredge, R.Copperman) 4
F
FIRE AWAY WB Music Corp., ASCAP/New Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/Ole Ole, ASCAP/Black In The Saddle Songs, ASCAP (C.Stapleton, D.Green) 36
FIX Round Hill Works, BMI/Big Loud Proud Crowd, BMI/Bux Tone Music, BMI/Rio Bravo Music, Inc., BMI/Telemitry Productions, BMI/Year Of The Dog Music, ASCAP (S.Buxton, J.Frasure, A.Stoklasa) 23
TITLE Publishing-Licensing Org. (Songwriter) Chart Position
FROM THE GROUND UP WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Beats And Banjos, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Shay Mooney Music, ASCAP/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/CDS Words And Music, ASACP (D.Smyers, S.Mooney, C. DeStefano) 27
H
HEAD OVER BOOTS Golden Vault Music, BMI/The Song Factory, LLC, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Creative Nation Music, BMI (J.Pardi, L.Laird) 21
HEARTBEAT Carrie-Okie Music, BMI/External Combustion Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP (C.Underwood, Z.Crowell, A.Gorley) 7
HIGH CLASS WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Five Foot Sixteen Publishing, ASCAP/Songs From The Rose Hotel, ASCAP/Rio Bravo Music, Inc., BMI/Telemitry Productions, BMI (E.Paslay, C.Crowder, J.Frasure) 42
HOLE IN A BOTTLE BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Skinny Fat Nashville Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/Music Of Big Deal, BMI/Stalefish Music, BMI/Songs From The Couch, BMI (C.Smith, B.Beavers, D.Couch) 40
HOME ALONE TONIGHT Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Universal Music Corporation, ASCAP/Red Vinyl Music, Inc., BMI/Sixteen Stars Music, BMI/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., BMI (J.Stevens, C.Taylor, J.Dreyer, T.Cecil) 16
HUMBLE AND KIND Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Hoodie Songs, BMI (L.McKenna) 8
HUNTIN’, FISHIN’ & LOVIN’ EVERY DAY Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Peanut Mill Songs, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Two Chord Georgia Music, BMI/Brooks County Boy Music, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Tar-Cam-Knox Music, ASCAP/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP (L.Bryan, D.Davidson, R.Akins, B.Hayslip) 34
I
I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT Year Of The Dog Music, ASCAP/Rio Bravo Music, Inc., BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Shay Mooney Music, ASCAP/MTrain Music, ASCAP (M.Trainor, J.Frasure, S.Mooney) 12
I MET A GIRL ReHits Music, Inc., ASCAP/Smacktown Music, ASCAP/Universal Music Corporation, ASCAP/Three Mules Music, ASCAP/Smack Ink, ASCAP (T. Rosen, S.Hunt, S.McAnally) 45
IT ALL STARTED WITH A BEER Sony/ATV Harmony, ASCAP/Texa Rae Music, ASCAP/Nettwerk One B Music, BMI/Revelry Music, BMI/Nevada House Music, BMI/Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Real Big Red Tunes, ASCAP (J.Johnston, N.Mason, J.S.Stover) 31
L
LITTLE BIT OF YOU Orbison Music, LLC, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Funky Friar Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP (C.Bryant, D.George, A.Gorley) 18
LOVIN’ LATELY Big Love Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/J Money Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., ASCAP/StyleSonic Music, LLC, BMI (W.K.Alphin, J.D.Rich, T.McGraw) 48
M
MAYDAY Marvelous Oaks Records, ASCAP/One Year YesterdayPublishing, BMI/Creative Pulse Music, BMI/These Are Pulse Songs, BMI (C.Ochs, T.Johnson) 47
MIND READER EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Rhettro Music, BMI/Brooks County Boy Music, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP (R.Akins, B.Hayslip) 17
MR. MISUNDERSTOOD Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music, BMI/Six Ring Circus Songs, BMI (E.Church, C.Beathard) 43
MY CHURCH International Dog Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/Hello I Love You Music, BMI (busbee, M.Morris) 6
N
NEXT BOYFRIEND Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Lylas Music, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP/A Frank Entertainment, ASCAP/Song House Publishing, ASCAP/Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., ASCAP (L.Alaina, E.Weisband, M.McVaney) 49
NIGHT’S ON FIRE Super Big Music, ASCAP/Jett Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Doc And Maggie Music, SOCAN/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP (J.Singleton, D.Ruttan) 28
NOBODY TO BLAME WB Music Corp., ASCAP/House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/Quackhead Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI (C.Stapleton, B.Bales, R.Bowman) 15
P
POWER OF POSITIVE DRINKIN’ Red Vinyl Music, Inc., BMI/Buckkilla Music, BMI/House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/Green Vinyl Music, ASCAP (C.Janson, Mark Irwin, C.DuBois) 50
R
REAL MEN LOVE JESUS EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Sagequinnjude Music, BMI/Famlove Songs, BMI (B.Warren, B.Warren, L.Miller, A.Sanders) 29
RECORD YEAR Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Little Louder Songs, BMi/Mammaw’s Fried Okra Music, BMI (E.Church, J.Hyde) 30
RUNNING FOR YOU Music Of Stage Three, BMI/Songs Of Cornman, BMI/Roll Through Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Songs From The Engine Room, BMI/Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, BMI/Internal Combustion Music, BMI/Kickin’ Grids Music, BMI (K.Moore, T.Verges, B.Daly) 41
S
SHUT UP AND FISH Super Big Music, ASCAP/Big Machine Music, BMI/Song Alert Publishing, SESAC/Tunes of R And T Direct, SESAC (M.Marlow, T.Dye, P.Sallis, A.Scherz) 33
SNAPBACK Carrot Seed Songs, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., ASCAP/ReHits Music, Inc., ASCAP/Smacktown Music, ASCAP/Unfair Entertainment, ASCAP/Songs Of Big Deal, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Wooden Ships, ASCAP (M.Ramsey, T. Rosen, B.Tursi) 11
SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH Peermusic III, Ltd., BMI/Peertunes, Ltd., SESAC/Jaron Boyer Music, SESAC/BMG Silver Songs, SESAC/Fuego Songs Publishing, SESAC/David Ryan Music, ASCAP/The Real Brain Publishing, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Music Of The Corn, ASCAP (M.Tyler, J.Boyer, A.Palmer, D.Kuncio, J.Mirenda) 9
SONG NUMBER 7 Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Thankful For This Music, ASCAP/Red Vinyl Music, Inc., BMI (J.Wilson, B.Hayslip, C.Janson) 46
STONE COLD SOBER Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Indiana Angel Music, BMI/External Combustion Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Brett, ASCAP/Atlas Music Publishing, ASCAP/Yawyer Three Music, ASCAP (B.Gilbert, Brett James, D.Layus) 25
T
TENNESSEE WHISKEY Universal-Songs Of PolyGram International, BMI/EMI Algee, BMI (D.Dillon, Linda Hargrove) 24
THAT DON’T SOUND LIKE YOU Mike Curb Music, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Brooks County Boy Music, BMI/External Combustion Music, ASCAP/Out Of The Taperoom Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (L.Brice, R.Akins, A.Gorley) 20
THINK OF YOU EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Goodbye Pants Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Songs From The Rose Hotel, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/EMI Foray Music, SESAC/Write 2 Be Free Music, SESAC (C.Young, C.Crowder, J.Hoge) 13
T-SHIRT External Combustion Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Atlas Music Publishing, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Creative Nation Music, BMI/Universal Music Corporation, ASCAP/Smack Ink, ASCAP (A.Gorley, L.Laird, S.McAnally) 14
U
UNLOVE YOU Jennifer Nettles Publishing, ASCAP/House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/Highway 508 Songs, ASCAP (J. Nettles, B.Clark) 37
USED TO LOVE YOU SOBER Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Kane Brown Music, BMI/EMI Foray Music, SESAC/Write 2 Be Free Music, SESAC/B Frank Entertainment, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Song House Publishing, ASCAP (K.Brown, M.McVaney, J.Hoge) 38
W
WHISPER EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Jon Mark Nite Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Dack Janiel’s Publishing, BMI (C. DeStefano, J.M.Nite, C.Rice) 44
Y
YOU LOOK LIKE I NEED A DRINK Round Hill Works, BMI/Farm Town Songs, BMI/Big Loud Proud Crowd, BMI/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/HappyGoWrucke, BMI/Creative Pulse Music, BMI/These Are Pulse Songs, BMI (R.Clawson, M.Dragstrem, N.Hemby) 35
YOU SHOULD BE HERE Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (C.Swindell, A.Gorley) 1
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 21, 2016 | PAGE 19 OF 19
On March 26, 1983, “Swingin’ ” by John Anderson topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Written by Anderson and Lionel Delmore, the song was the second single from Anderson’s fourth studio album, Wild and Blue. On Dec. 25, 1982, the title track became his first of five Hot Country Songs No. 1s (and his sixth of 20 top 10s).
With its fun lyrics about pretty Charlotte and the Johnson family,
“Swingin’ ” spurred Anderson to new career heights and won coveted single of the year honors from the Country Music Association.
Apopka, Fla., native Anderson
moved to Nashville in 1971 and worked handyman jobs during the day while playing clubs at night. After racking hits for a decade on Warner Bros. through 1987 and a brief run on MCA, he signed to BNA in 1991. With producer James Stroud, Anderson scored a resur-gence with his album Seminole Wind, which yielded four Hot Country Songs top 10s, including the No. 1
“Straight Tequila Night” (his first leader since 1983’s “Black Sheep”).
Now 61, Anderson still tours and records. His 2015 LP Goldmine reached No. 36 on the Top Country Albums chart. —JIM ASKER
33 Years AgoJohn Anderson Was ‘Swingin’ High At No. 1
His second Hot Country Songs leader became the CMA single of the year
