BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 1 OF 19 INSIDE Luke Combs’ ‘Crazy’ Milestone >page 4 ACM Tabs New Artist Winners >page 9 Brooks & Dunn Build On Hall >page 10 Maddie & Tae On The Way >page 10 Makin’ Tracks: John King’s ‘Goodbye’ Earworm >page 14 Country Coda: Darius Rucker’s Second No. 1 >page 19 The chorus of Jake Owen’s current top 10 single, “Down to the Honkytonk,” playfully discounts the importance of a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame or on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: “I might not go down in history/But I’ll go down to the honky-tonk.” So it’s ironic that “Down to the Honkytonk” went down in history by picking up an Academy of Country Music Award nomination for single of the year. (The 54th annual event is scheduled for April 7 in Las Vegas.) The timing was ideal, bringing him attention as “Honkytonk” hits the home stretch in its chart climb (it’s at No. 10 on the Country Airplay list dated March 30) and as his first Big Loud album, Greetings From… Jake, is released March 29. The ACM accolade didn’t knock him off his game. Owen is “super flattered,” he says, to be on the ballot for the first time since he won top new male vocalist in 2009, but trophy consideration is gravy for his career, not the meat and potatoes. “It’s obviously a huge honor to be nominated for something, but I just don’t put much emphasis on it anymore,” he says. “I’d rather people remember me 10 years, 20 years down the road for having good character and being a good person than remembering me because I won a single of the year award.” That sort of practical, common-man attitude fits the tone of Greetings, an album that returns Owen to the country core that served as his bread and butter at the starting gate on his career journey, which has yielded 10 Country Airplay top 10 titles, including seven No. 1s. Instead of the programmed drums and plug-in effects that are fairly standard in modern country, Owen drapes the album in guitars — biting honky- tonk electrics, ringing acoustics and Paul Franklin’s tangy steel — and reconnects with the twang in his Florida-bred accent and the rich basement tones that dominated his early recordings. “He’s a classic-country-song jukebox,” says producer Joey Moi ( Florida Georgia Line, Morgan Wallen). “He can sit there and play any old, old classic country song for hours and hours and hours, and he sings in this awesome, great baritone country voice, which is so natural to him. I really wanted to get him [to do] more [of] that: more organic, more traditional, more singing down in those lower keys.” Greetings is graphically presented as a vacation postcard, intended to portray the 14-song project as a message from the current location of Owen’s career journey. But the album itself works as a journey, too. Starting with “Down to the Honkytonk,” it travels in stages through classic-rock influence — represented by his John Mellencamp-derived “I Was Jack (You Were Diane)” and a weed-referencing Kid Rock collaboration, “Grass Is Always Greener” — to Owen’s familiar beach-party brand and into more philosophical songs about life and love before circling back to its traditional country starting line with “Damn.” Jake Owen: ‘Greetings’ From His Honky-Tonk Trip OWEN BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE [email protected]Country Update ROBBY KLEIN
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BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 1 OF 19
INSIDE
Luke Combs’ ‘Crazy’ Milestone
>page 4
ACM Tabs New Artist Winners
>page 9
Brooks & Dunn Build On Hall
>page 10
Maddie & Tae On The Way
>page 10
Makin’ Tracks: John King’s
‘Goodbye’ Earworm >page 14
Country Coda: Darius Rucker’s
Second No. 1 >page 19
The chorus of Jake Owen’s current top 10 single, “Down to the Honkytonk,” playfully discounts the importance of a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame or on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: “I might not go down in history/But I’ll go down to the honky-tonk.”
So it’s ironic that “Down to the Honkytonk” went down in history by picking up an Academy of Country Music Award nomination for single of the year. (The 54th annual event is scheduled for April 7 in Las Vegas.) The timing was ideal, bringing him attention as “Honkytonk” hits the home stretch in its chart climb (it’s at No. 10 on the Country Airplay list dated March 30) and as his first Big Loud album, Greetings From… Jake, is released March 29.
The ACM accolade didn’t knock him off his game. Owen is “super flattered,” he says, to be on the ballot for the first time since he won top new male vocalist in 2009, but trophy consideration is gravy for his career, not the meat and potatoes.
“It’s obv iou sly a hu ge honor to b e nominated for something, but I just don’t put much emphasis on it anymore,” he says. “I’d rather people remember me 10 years, 20 years down the road for having good character and being a good person than remembering me because I won a single of the year award.”
That sort of practical, common-man attitude fits the tone of Greetings, an album that returns Owen to the country core that served as his bread and butter at the starting gate on his
career journey, which has yielded 10 Country Airplay top 10 titles, including seven No. 1s. Instead of the programmed drums and plug-in effects that are fairly standard in modern country, Owen drapes the album in guitars — biting honky-tonk electrics, ringing acoustics and Paul Franklin’s tangy steel — and reconnects with the twang in his Florida-bred accent and the rich basement tones that dominated his
early recordings.“He’s a classic-country-song jukebox,”
says producer Joey Moi (Florida Georgia Line, Morgan Wallen). “He can sit there and play any old, old classic country song for hours and hours and hours, and he sings in this awesome, great baritone country voice, which is so natural to him. I really wanted to get him [to do] more [of] that: more organic, more traditional, more singing down in those lower keys.”
Greetings is graphically presented as a vacation postcard, intended to portray the 14-song project as a message from the current location of Owen’s career journey. But the album itself works as a journey, too.
Starting with “Down to the Honkytonk,” it travels in stages through classic-rock inf luence — represented by his John Mellencamp-derived “I Was Jack (You Were Diane)” and a weed-referencing Kid Rock collaboration, “Grass Is Always Greener” — to Owen’s familiar beach-party brand and into more philosophical songs about life and love before circling back to its traditional country starting line with “Damn.”
The path includes a visit from YouTube star Lele Pons, a Venezuelan-born singer-actress with 33.8 million Instagram followers. “Senorita” is a tropical-country effort dusted with Spanglish phrases and Mexicali guitar, and it marks the biggest side trip on Greetings.
“I like the fact that she’s not someone that’s expected on a country album,” he says. “It kind of gives me a little bit of cred outside of just the country genre. I know that might contradict [the foundation of] this country album, but I think that it’s important for any artist to kind of step outside the comfort zone sometimes and actually do something that does throw people for a loop.”
Owen has made it a point to test roads less traveled of late. When he signed with Big Loud, he represented the first established act to join the roster, which already included newer talents Wallen, Chris Lane and Jillian Jacqueline. Owen started work in February on his first movie, The Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson and Jason Segal. And he established his own management firm, Good Company, with founding partners Keith Gale and Jon Andolina. Good Company created, at least temporarily, a radio promotion wing in support of RECORDS artist Matt Stell.
“It’s a lot like when I left Tallahassee to move to Nashville,” says Owen of the management firm. “It was a big chance. It was something [where] people are like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe you’re doing this.’ But anything I’ve ever done in life where I’ve just taken a chance but believed in myself to do it has really flourished and worked out in a great way.”
Good Company also gives Owen a bigger role in directing his business life in conjunction with his personal life, and that played into his concert plans behind Greetings. Following last summer’s tour, which focused on minor-league baseball parks, this summer’s schedule is grounded in festivals and fair dates, where the production costs are minimized and Owen is just one attraction in a ream of events and entertainers.
It makes creative sense — he’ll be promoting an album with greater traditional country vibes by playing the kind of venues that have long been associated with the genre — but it also fits his domestic needs. Girlfriend Erica Hartlein is carrying his second daughter and is due in late spring. Owen indicates that his career focus has been partly responsible for damaging previous relationships; the fairs and festivals will allow him to be more casual about work for the baby’s first six months or so.
“It’s a grind putting together a big show, paying for a lot of big production, paying your opening acts,” he says. “There’s a lot that goes into that, and I fully intend on doing that with this album come 2020, but for this summertime, I just felt like it was good for me to go out, make some money playing fairs and festivals and not have the pressure of having my own tour. Actually, for the first time in 10 years, it’ll give the guys in the band a little bit of a break.”
In the meantime, the ACM nomination gives some validation to the approach Owen has used in his work, represented well in the country-grounded odyssey that is Greetings From… Jake.
“I’ve had a really great journey, and I’m so proud of who I am through all of this,” he says. “The music really helps me say that for anybody who’s listening.”
Dan + Shay appeared on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown on March 23-24 after catching up with host Cody Alan at St. Augustine Amphitheatre in Florida. From left: Dan Smyers, Alan and Shay Mooney.
Aaron Watson (center) performed at the KASE Live Music Lounge on March 16 before a show in Austin. He’s pictured with KASE PD Anthony “The AntMan” Allen (left) and BIG Label Records head of promotion Tony Morreale.
Lauren Jenkins (center) made her Grand Ole Opry debut on March 15, the same day Big Machine released her debut album, No Saint. From left: Connie Smith, Jenkins and Jeannie Seely. J
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BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 2 OF 19
Luke Combs makes history as the first artist to simultaneously lead all five of Billboard’s country charts for multiple weeks: Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, Country Streaming Songs, Country Digital Song Sales and Top Country Albums (all dated March 30). He first staged the quintuple chart achievement on the lists dated March 9.
One other artist previously led all five charts at the same time for one week: Kane Brown, on Oct. 28, 2017.
Combs, who co-penned “Beautiful Crazy” (River House/Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville) with Wyatt Durrette and Robert Williford, tops all four country song charts — and makes for a personal best for himself on Country Airplay. The ballad leads that chart for a f ifth frame, down 3 percent to 39.4 million audience impressions in t he week ending March 24, according to Nielsen Music. Combs surpasses his prior longest stay atop the tally, when “She Got the Best of Me” reigned for four weeks starting in October 2018.
“Crazy” initially topped the Country Airplay c h a r t d a t e d M a r c h 2 , b e c o m i n g C o m b s’ unprecedented fifth consecutive career-opening entry on the survey to hit No. 1. Before “Crazy” and “Best,” his debut hit, “Hurricane,” led for two weeks beginning May 27, 2017, followed by “When It Rains It Pours,” which also dominated for two frames, beginning Nov. 4, 2017, and “One Number Away” (June 9, 2018).
Combs’ hit is the longest-ruling Country Airplay No. 1 by any act since Thomas Rhett’s “Die a Happy Man,” which crowned the chart for six weeks starting Jan. 2, 2016. What makes it such a rare lengthy leader? “It’s a special song,” says KKBQ Houston PD Johnny Chiang. “It’s pretty amazing to see that in a matter of just a few songs, Luke Combs has become a core artist on most country stations . . . a new artist whose songs are now pretty much
must-adds out of the box. It’s really incredible.”“Crazy” likewise paces the airplay-, streaming- and sales-fueled Hot
Country Songs chart for a fifth week, as well as Country Streaming Songs for a fifth frame, essentially even week over week with 12.1 million U.S.
streams in the week ending March 21. On Country Digital Song Sales, it rebounds 2-1 for a sixth total week at the summit (12,000 sold, up 15 percent in the week ending March 21).
Meanwhile, Combs’ debut LP, This One’s for You, returns to the Top Country Albums attic for a 29th cumulative week, up less than 1 percent to 24,000 euivalent album units.
BROWN LOOKS ‘GOOD’ IN TOP 10 Kane Brown nets his fourth Hot Country Songs top 10 as “Good as You” (Zone 4/RCA Nashville) hops 11-10. It increases by 9 percent to 18.7 million audience impressions and climbs 14-11 on Country Airplay.
Brown boasts two Hot Country Songs No. 1s: “What Ifs,” featuring Lauren Alaina (five weeks, beginning Oct. 21, 2017), and “Lose It” (Nov. 24, 2018). His other top 10, “Heaven,” hit No. 2 in March 2018.
REBA RETURNS Superstar Reba McEntire extends her record for the most Country Airplay appearances among women as “Freedom” (Rockin’ R/Big
Machine) enters as the chart’s top debut at No. 52 with 1.7 million impressions. It’s her 69th visit to the chart and first since December 2017.
McEntire pads her lead among women over runner-up Martina McBride, with 56 Country Airplay appearances. Among all acts, McEntire, who has notched 11 No. 1s among 36 top 10s, ranks seventh for the most entries. George Strait leads all artists with 99; his latest, “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” (MCA Nashville), lifts 22-21 (10.9 million in audience, up 7 percent).
Luke Combs Repeats Atop All Five Country Charts And Scores His
54 55 20 90’S COUNTRY Monument/Arista Nashville Walker Hayes 1.001 -0.039 476 15 54
55 56 9 ROCKIN’ ALL NIGHT LONG Buena Vista/Capitol Nashville Adam Hambrick 0.988 -0.043 553 14 52
l56 57 4 ALCOHOL YOU LATER Riser House/Columbia Nashville Mitchell Tenpenny 0.962 -0.008 375 19 57
57 53 5 TO A T RCA Nashville Ryan Hurd 0.931 -0.231 299 -6 60
l58 58 2 AFTER A FEW Mercury Travis Denning 0.895 +0.148 446 41 55
l59 59 4 SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW Southern Ground/Wheelhouse Zac Brown Band 0.873 +0.150 396 75 56
l60 NEW BETTER OFF GONE Big Yellow Dog Logan Mize 0.727 +0.179 348 43 58
Country Airplay AIRPLAY MONITORED BY
4/1
AARON GOODVIN Bars & Churches 1608
DYLAN JAKOBSEN In America IAE
SCOTTY MCCREERY In Between Triple Tigers
SUNDANCE HEAD Close Enough To Walk Wildcatter
4/8
CAROLINE JONES Chasin’ Me Mailboat/New Revolution
QUEEVA How Do You Know CMD
RACHEL WAMMACK Enough RCA Nashville
GOING FOR ADDS
The ballad hits the Country Airplay top 20 (21-20), up 10 percent to 12 million
audience impressions. On Hot Country Songs, it also bullets at its No. 20 high.
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BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 7 OF 19
MOST ADDED®TITLE Imprint/Label Artist ADDSEVERY LITTLE THING Triple Tigers Russell Dickerson 24LADIES IN THE ‘90S 19/Mercury Lauren Alaina 16REARVIEW TOWN Macon/Broken Bow Jason Aldean 16FREEDOM Rockin’ R/Valory Reba McEntire 15ALL TO MYSELF Warner Bros./WAR Dan + Shay 13THOUGHT ABOUT YOU McGraw/Columbia Nashville Tim McGraw 12SOME OF IT EMI Nashville Eric Church 10WORLD FOR TWO Stoney Creek King Calaway 10RAISED ON COUNTRY RCA Nashville Chris Young 8WHAT HAPPENS IN A SMALL TOWN Valory Brantley Gilbert & Lindsay Ell 6
MOST INCREASED PLAYSTITLE Imprint/Label Artist GAINMILLIONAIRE Mercury Chris Stapleton +660ONE THAT GOT AWAY Atlantic/WEA Michael Ray +544LOOK WHAT GOD GAVE HER Valory Thomas Rhett +492HERE TONIGHT BMLG Brett Young +390EYES ON YOU Dack Janiels/Broken Bow Chase Rice +361THERE WAS THIS GIRL BMLG Riley Green +356FREEDOM Rockin’ R/Valory Reba McEntire +301TALK YOU OUT OF IT BMLG Florida Georgia Line +294GOOD AS YOU Zone 4/RCA Nashville Kane Brown +276WHISKEY GLASSES Big Loud Morgan Wallen +256
MOST INCREASED AUDIENCETITLE Imprint/Label Artist
GAIN(IN MIILIONS)
MILLIONAIRE Mercury Chris Stapleton +2.539ONE THAT GOT AWAY Atlantic/WEA Michael Ray +2.368EYES ON YOU Dack Janiels/Broken Bow Chase Rice +2.110HERE TONIGHT BMLG Brett Young +2.026FREEDOM Rockin’ R/Valory Reba McEntire +1.723LOVE AIN’T Valory Eli Young Band +1.667GOOD AS YOU Zone 4/RCA Nashville Kane Brown +1.506LOOK WHAT GOD GAVE HER Valory Thomas Rhett +1.452SOME OF IT EMI Nashville Eric Church +1.162MISS ME MORE Black River Kelsea Ballerini +1.127
AIRPLAY MONITORED BY
BILLBOARD COUNTRY BOXSCOREGross Artist AttendanceTicket Price(s) Venue/Date(s) Capacity Promoter(s)
$105,565 CODY JINKS 2,230LIVE NATION$150, $20 North Charleston Performing Arts Center, North Charleston, S.C./Feb. 9 2,341
$77,647 PAUL BRANDT 1,915 LIVE NATION, SPECTRA PRESENTS$55.15, $29.09 Tribute Communities Centre, Oshawa, Ont./Feb. 19 2,193
$31,735 CHRIS JANSON 1,211 THE BOWERY PRESENTS$35, $30, $15 Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, N.J./Feb. 21 2,000
$22,978 DYLAN SCOTT 875LIVE NATION$28.50, $26 The Cannery, Nashville, Tenn./Feb. 14 1,100
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 24, 2019
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 2019, Texas Regional Radio Report
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
WKS ON CHART TITLE (Label) ARTIST
TW SPINS
SPINS +/–
l1 4 9 SOMEWHERE BETWEEN I LOVE YOU AND I’M LEAVIN’ (Rounder Rec) HH 1 Week at 1 HH Cody Jinks 1771 115
l2 3 20 RUN AWAY WITH YOU (Independent) Robert Ray 1746 61
l3 2 15 I’M YOUR ONLY FLAW (Independent) Josh Abbott Band 1733 42
l4 6 9 CHEAT ON ME (Independent) Bri Bagwell 1702 114
l5 5 14 WALK AWAY (Independent) Mark Powell 1701 54
l6 7 10 HAD A THING (Independent) Curtis Grimes 1688 107
l7 8 17 NONE’YA (Independent) Hayes Carll 1642 92
l8 10 5 CRAZY PEOPLE (Independent) Randy Rogers Band 1591 135
9 1 15 GONER (Independent) William Clark Green 1575 -156
l10 11 13 TOP OF MY HEART (Cory Morrow Music) Cory Morrow 1430 36
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
WKS ON CHART TITLE (Label) ARTIST
TW SPINS
SPINS +/–
l11 12 10 COUNTRY SONG TO SING (Independent) Kevin Fowler 1369 60
l12 13 12 KISS THAT GIRL GOODBYE (Independent) Aaron Watson 1258 22
l13 16 10 OTHER SIDE OF THE RADIO (Independent) Mike Ryan 1232 136
(IN MILLIONS)1 BEST SHOT Stoney Creek Jimmie Allen 21.116
2 TAKE IT FROM ME MCA Nashville Jordan Davis 19.498
3 SHE GOT THE BEST OF ME River House/Columbia Nashville Luke Combs 18.923
4 WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan 16.901
5 GOOD GIRL Broken Bow Dustin Lynch 14.890
6 SIXTEEN Valory Thomas Rhett 14.637
7 SPEECHLESS Warner Bros./WAR Dan + Shay 14.378
8 TEQUILA Warner Bros./WAR Dan + Shay 13.349
9 BLUE TACOMA Triple Tigers Russell Dickerson 12.465
10 HEAVEN Zone 4/RCA Nashville Kane Brown 11.108
Country AirplayNEW AND ACTIVE
TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistTOTAL
AUDIENCETOTAL
STATIONS ADDSHOUSTON, WE GOT A PROBLEM River House/Columbia Nashville Luke Combs 0.696 3 0
RIDIN’ ROADS Broken Bow Dustin Lynch 0.668 8 4
THE BULL MCA Nashville Kip Moore 0.616 21 5
MY MIRACLE Arista Nashville Brad Paisley 0.573 6 4
WORLD FOR TWO Stoney Creek King Calaway 0.450 18 10
DANCING AWAY WITH MY HEART Riser House Dillon Carmichael 0.433 30 2
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 8 OF 19
ACM UNVEILS NEW-ARTIST WINNERSAlthough the 54th annual Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards are less than two weeks away, Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde and LANCO are already winners. The acts have been named the new male artist, new female artist and new group of the year, respectively.
Carrie Underwood, who won the new female vocalist category at the 2006 ACM Awards, recently called each artist to personally congratulate them on their big wins, and the surprise phone calls were captured on video.
Combs, McBryde and LANCO are also nominated in the male artist, female artist and group of the year categories. Underwood and each new-artist winner will also perform at the awards show in Las Vegas.
Previously announced performers include Brandi Carlile, Kelly Clarkson, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett,Chris Stapleton and Jason Aldean, who was named ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade. Additionally, newly announced Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Brooks & Dunn will perform, as well as Eric Church, Dan + Shay and Florida Georgia Line.
The ACM Awards show will air April 7 from 8 p.m.-11 p.m. ET on CBS. —Annie Reuter
RADIO & RECORDSJason Aldean announced March 25 that Tyler Farr is the first outside artist signed to Night Train, a joint venture Aldean established with the BBR Music Group … Triple Tigers promoted Laura Hostelley to director of marketing from product manager … Big Loud promoted Brianne Deslippe to vp promotion for Canada from national director of promotion. She remains GM for the Toronto-based division. Reach her here … Cumulus/Memphis re-signed WGKX PD/morning co-host Duane Shannon to a multiyear deal, extending his eight-year relationship with the station. Additionally, Shannon is PD for adult contemporary WKIM … Angel Aristone was promoted to iHeartMedia executive vp communications from vp … Cash Warren and Carly Quinn take the morning reins at WGH Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Va., InsideRadio.com reported. Warren previously worked as KNGC Amarillo, Texas, PD/morning co-host, using the name Jason Kidd. Quinn segues from Cumulus/Youngstown, Ohio, where she worked on country WQXK and classic rock WYFM … Cox Media/Houston adds Leti Aguilera as general sales manager, effective April 8, according to InsideRadio.com. She was previously Mexican WLEY Chicago GM. The Cox cluster includes country stations KKBQ and KTHT … Chris Huff rose to KILT Houston PD from assistant PD/music director, Talkers.com reported … Entercom/Minneapolis-St. Paul added vp sales Ben Hoffman, according to Talkers.com. The cluster includes country KMNB. Hoffman transfers from the senior vp/market manager role at Entercom/Indianapolis, which is being acquired by Cumulus.
’ROUND THE ROWSinger-song w riter Tebey (“Somebody Else Will” ) and Road A ngel Entertainment owner/operator Jill Snell founded Jayward Artist Group, a Canadian management company and label. Tebey, who is established as an artist in Canada, and Quebec-based Matt Lang are the first acts signed to the roster … CDX vp/GM Joe Kelly purchased the company and moved to a new office at 920 Twin Elms Court in Nashville. Reach Kelly here … A new publishing/marketing firm, Mojo Music & Media, was launched in Nashville as the company’s three principals acquired the HoriPro Entertainment Group. The owners include two former Spirit Music Group execs, Spirit founder Mark Fried and former Spirit senior vp Peter Shane, plus former Ernst & Young head of media and entertainment valuation and business modeling Alan Wallis, based in London. The Nashville staff is built around a bevy of HoriPro holdovers, including senior vp creative Butch Baker, vp administration and business affairs Carrie Wilkins and song pluggers Keithan Melton and Courtney Crist. Among the staff writers are Bart Butler (“Heartache on the Dance Floor”) and Mike Walker (“Caught Up in the Country”) … Former Country Music Association vp communications and talent relations Amber Williams launched a boutique PR firm, Beaucoup Media. Reach her here … Songwriter-producer Ben West inked a joint publishing deal with Warner/Chappell and busbee’s Altadena. Based in Detroit, West has landed cuts with LANCO, Chris Lane and Lady Antebellum … Developing trio Avenue Beat signed a joint publishing agreement with Ashley Gorley’s Tape Room Music and Dennis Entertainment … Bluegrass singer-songwriter Donna Ulisse joined the artist roster at Billy Blue Records … Singer-songwriter Cherie Oakley (“Turn On the Radio”) hired PLA Media for PR … ASCAP Nashville selected eight songwriters for its GPS program, which provides critiques from a rotation of publishers: Kyle Daniel, Owen Danoff, Makayla Lynn, Michelle Pereira, Blane Mitchell, Joe Ragosta, Lauren Weintraub and Hunter Wolkonowski … In conjunction with Australia’s CMC Rocks festival, the Country Music Association presented two international trophies. Chugg Entertainment managing director Susan Heymann received the Joe Walker Meador International Award, and Australian act Travis Collins earned the Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award … Rascal Flatts will receive a star on the Walk of Champions at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on March 28 … The Association of Independent Music Publishers unveiled its finalists for the fourth annual AIMP Nashville Awards, with Ashley Gorley, Hillary Lindsey, Jessie Jo Dillon, Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman and Shane McAnally up for songwriter of the year. The awards will be presented April 30. Go here for the complete ballot … The Unsigned Only Music Competition is accepting Video Only entries through March 29 here. Country artists in the extensive judging panel include Jack Ingram and Craig Campbell.
NASHVILLE & NATIONAL TOM ROLAND
Midland performed two new songs when the band appeared at a Recording Academy block party in Austin during South by Southwest on March 14. From left: Midland’s Cameron Duddy, Recording Academy Texas chapter president Yolanda Adams, Midland’s Mark Wystrach, Recording Academy senior executive director Theresa Jenkins and Midland’s Jess Carson.
Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild joined with Nordstrom to host a March 19 celebration of fashion designer Christian Louboutin’s 2019 collection at her Nashville-area home.
Cody Johnson (right) met with Cox Media/Houston director of operations Johnny Chiang when he played a sold-out RodeoHouston concert on March 15.
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 9 OF 19
MUSIC NOTESBrooks & Dunn are capitalizing n i c e l y o n t h e M a r c h 1 8 announcement of their Country Music Hall of Fame induction. Their collaborative album Reboot — featuring remakes of their hits with such new-generation acts as Kane Brown, Cody Johnson and Brett Young — arrives April 5. The duo will perform during the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7, it has six dates set in its Las Vegas residency with Reba McEntire in June and July, and an exhibit dedicated to it at the Hall of Fame and Museum will open Aug. 9. Additionally, the pair — Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn — kicked off a four-episode appearance on March 25 as guest mentors for Blake Shelton’s team on NBC’s The Voice.
Friends don’t need to wait much longer for new Maddie & Tae music. A five-song EP — One Heart to Another, paced by first single “Friends Don’t” — is due April 26, five days before they hit the road on Carrie Underwood’s 2019 tour. May 3 brings two other new releases: Americana artist Rhiannon Giddens releases concept album there is no Other, recorded with Italian instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, and Daniel Tashian, who co-produced Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour, issues a children’s album, I Love Rainy Days.
May 9 will mark 30 years since the death of Keith Whitley, and the anniversary will be observed with a tribute concert at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theater. Hosted by Whitley’s former wife, Lorrie Morgan, and their son, Jesse Whitley, the lineup boasts more than 15 artists, including Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Lawrence.
Ashley McBryde got an unexpected boost on March 20 when her December 2018 appearance on CBS This Morning Saturday earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding musical performance. Additionally, the syndicated Pickler & Ben appeared twice on the list: Kellie Pickler and Ben Aaron are up for outstanding informative talk show host, and Ben Rector’s performance during one episode competes with McBryde for musical performance. The awards will be presented May 5 in Pasadena, Calif.
FROM LEFT: DUNN, SHELTON and BROOKS
Kathy Mattea received the American Master Award from Boston-based Berklee College of Music when the school’s 34th annual trip to Nashville brought students to Warner Music Nashville. From left: Mattea and Berklee president Roger Brown, assistant professor Mark Wessel, chair of songwriting Bonnie Hayes and New York executive director Stephen Webber.
ON THIS DATE IN COUNTRY MUSIC
March 26 • 2018 — Lauren Alaina is named new
female vocalist of the year at the 53rd annual Academy of Countr y Music Awards, while Brett Young is tabbed new male vocalist and Midland takes new vocal duo or group.
March 27 • 2008 — Trace Adkins sings “You’re Gonna Miss This” during the
season finale of Donald Trump’s NBC series The Celebrity Apprentice, won by his opponent Piers Morgan. Making cameo appearances are Eddie Montgomery, Dean Sams and Ronnie Milsap.
• 1999 — Kenny Chesney starts a six-week stay at the top of the Billboard country chart with “How Forever Feels.”
March 28 • 2009 — Reba McEntire MC’s Celebrity Fight Night at the Marriott
Desert R idge Resort in Phoenix. Jon Bon Jovi performs as Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner receives the Muhammad Ali Leadership Award.
March 29 • 2016 — Capitol releases Keith Urban’s “Wasted Time” to radio. • 2004 — Dierks Bentley undergoes knee surgery in Nashville nine
days after an onstage accident leaves him with a torn ligament and bruised knee bone.
March 30 • 2013 – Kacey Musgraves sings “Merry Go ’Round” during her Grand
Ole Opry debut.
March 31 • 2017 — Jason Aldean records “You Make It Easy” at Treasure Isle
in Nashville. • 2003 — The Cincinnati Reds open the Great American Ball Park
with a 10-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. President George W. Bush throws out the first pitch, with music from Clay Walker and Lee Greenwood, who sings “God Bless the U.S.A.”
April 1 • 2014 — Warner Bros. releases Dan + Shay’s debut album, Where It
All Began. • 1979 — Mark Herndon joins Alabama as the band’s drummer.
Source: RolandNote.com, the Ultimate Country Music Database
ALAINA
NASHVILLE & NATIONAL TOM ROLAND
Click on headlines below for more details
No Country For Old, Or Young, Women On Tour: Why Female Artists Are Looking Elsewhere
Industry Consensus Group Lays Out Proposed Plan To Run Mechanical Licensing Collective
The CRB Rate Trial Explained: How Publishers, Digital Services Weighed In At The Time
Spotify’s Strategic Offensive Hits Three Fronts
30 Years Of Nick Of Time: How Bonnie Raitt’s ‘Underdog Record’ Swept The Grammys
And Saved Her Career
Top Headlines from .com
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 10 OF 19
24 21 12 26 WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY Luke Bryan J.STEVENS,J.STEVENS (L.BRYAN,D.DAVIDSON,A.GORLEY) CAPITOL NASHVILLE RC 7
l25 25 28 26 LOVE AIN’T Eli Young Band D.HUFF (R.COPPERMAN,A.GORLEY,S.MCANALLY) VALORY 16 25
Hot Country Songs
After the March 15 premiere of its official video, the launch single from Young ’s
forthcoming eighth LP lifts 36-33 on Hot Country Songs (up 68 percent to 2.2 million U.S. streams and 28 percent to 2,000 sold).
33CHRIS
YOUNGRaised on
Country
The title cut from Aldean ’s latest album jumps 50-39 on Hot Country Songs.
It climbs 41-36 on Country Airplay, up 25 percent to 4.1 million in audience.
39JASON
ALDEANRearview
Town
R. D
IAM
ON
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AG
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KE
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BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 11 OF 19
For week ending March 21, 2019. 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 207,000 57,000 688,000
Last Week 229,000 69,000 698,000
Change -9.6% -17.4% -1.4%
This Week Last Year 305,000 91,000 919,000
Change -32.1% -37.4% -25.1%
*Digital album sales are also counted within album sales.
Weekly Unit SalesYear-Over-Year Album Sales2018 2019 CHANGE
Albums 3,090,000 2,342,000 -24.2%
Digital Tracks 10,476,000 7,641,000 -27.1%
YEAR-TO-DATE
Overall Unit Sales
2018 2019 CHANGE
Physical 2,212,000 1,610,000 -27.2%
Digital 898,000 732,000 -18.5%
Sales by Album Format
SALES, AIRPLAY & STREAMING DATA COMPILED BY
THIS WEEK
LAST WEEK
TWO WEEKS
AGOWKS ON CHART
TITLE Artist PRODUCER (SONGWRITER) IMPRINT / PROMOTION LABEL
COUNTRY AIRPLAY
RANKPEAK
POSITION
l26 27 31 35 CAUGHT UP IN THE COUNTRY Rodney Atkins Featuring The Fisk Jubilee Singers R.ATKINS,T.HEWITT,B.BOLLINGER (C.HARRINGTON,J.M.SCHMIDT,M.WALKER) CURB 23 26
l27 29 30 21 LOVE SOMEONE Brett Eldredge R. COPPERMAN,B.ELDREDGE (B.ELDREDGE,R.COPPERMAN,H.MORGAN) ATLANTIC/WMN 19 27
The week’s top-streamed and top-selling paid download country songs, respectively, from sales reports collected and provided by Nielsen Music. Charts update weekly on Tuesdays at www.Billboard.Biz/charts. Copyright 2019, Prometheus Global Media, LLC and Nielsen Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
TOP COUNTRY ALBUMS COUNTRY DIGITAL SONG SALES
Top Country Albums 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, and streaming equivalent albums). Copyright 2019, Prometheus Global Media, LLC and Nielsen Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
Americana/Folk Albums ranks the most popular Americana/folk albums of the week, as compiled by Nielsen Music, based on multi-metric consumption (blending traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums). Copyright 2019, Prometheus Global Media, LLC and Nielsen Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
AMERICANA/ FOLK ALBUMS
SALES, DATA COMPILED BY
THIS
W
EEK
LAST
W
EEK
2 W
EEKS
A
GO
WEE
KS
ON
CH
T
ARTIST TITLEIMPRINT & NUMBER / DISTRIBUTING LABEL
CERT
.
PEA
K
POS.
l1 2 1 94 LUKE COMBS THIS ONE’S FOR YOURIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 538883*/SMN 2 1
22 20 69 MEANT TO BE BEBE REXHA & FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE
l23 23 14 MAKE IT SWEET OLD DOMINION
l24 24 6 NIGHT SHIFT JON PARDI
l25 NEW EVERY LITTLE HONKY TONK BAR GEORGE STRAIT
SALES DATA COMPILED BY
Paisley ’s new single honors his wife of 16 years, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley . It enters Country Digital Song Sales at No. 19 (4,000 sold) in its first full week of tracking.
19BRAD
PAISLEYMy Miracle
THIS
W
EEK
LAST
W
EEK
WKS
ON
CH
ART
TITLEARTIST
l1 1 46 BEAUTIFUL CRAZY LUKE COMBS
l2 2 69 MEANT TO BE BEBE REXHA & FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE
l6 10 7 68 CHRIS STAPLETON FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 2MERCURY NASHVILLE 027408*/UMGN 0 1
7 7 6 112 SIMON & GARFUNKEL SIMON AND GARFUNKEL’S GREATEST HITSCOLUMBIA 31350/LEGACY 3
8 9 8 98 CHRIS STAPLETON FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 1MERCURY NASHVILLE 026379*/UMGN 1 1
9 13 9 154 THE LUMINEERS CLEOPATRADUALTONE 1738* 1 1
l10 14 10 106 JACK JOHNSON IN BETWEEN DREAMSJACK JOHNSON/BRUSHFIRE /REPUBLIC (13.98) 2 8
JO
HN
ME
DIN
A/G
ET
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BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 13 OF 19
Few things will tell you more about a person’s character than how they handle hard times.
Do they step up to the plate? Do they fall apart? Do they try to hang the blame on someone else?
For singer-songwriter John King, bad news meant he needed to go full bore into the future. He was signed for a few years to both a recording contract and a publishing deal with Black River. He scored one No. 1 single as a songwriter on Randy Houser’s “We Went,” but King’s artist career was a little less fruitful. Black River released two singles, and only one of those charted: “Tonight Tonight,” which peaked at No. 39 on Country Airplay in 2014.
When his recording deal ended, he could have gotten mad. Instead, he got busy.
“I wrote some of my best songs in that period,” says King. “I was a little bit like, ‘OK, I need to go write some of the best songs I’ve ever written. I need to build up the artillery, because it’s time to go a different path.’ So it re-energized me as a writer in a good way.”
“Try Saying Goodbye,” released to radio on Feb. 19 by his management company, Narvel Blackstock’s Starstruck Entertainment, was written right around that period — either right before or right after King split with Black River — and it coincidentally explores the dissolution of a relationship. Black River didn’t trigger the song. Neither did any real-life breakup. Instead, it emerged from a conversation with fellow songwriters Paul DiGiovanni (“How Not To,” “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home”) and Jamie Paulin (“Backwoods,” “How I’ll Always Be”) about handling a dispute with a significant other.
“We’ve all been in long-term relationships, and we were talking about how you go through those struggles, like those little turning points where you get into arguments and it’d be so easy just to give up and quit,” remembers King. “It’s worth it if you have the right person to push through, and sometimes that includes swallowing your pride and saying you’re sorry, even when you think you’re not wrong.”
The song’s lyrical hook came directly from the conversation: “If you think saying I’m sorry is hard,” mused Paulin, “try saying goodbye.”
That’s all they needed for a title. DiGiovanni, working in his home studio, developed the musical threads that would provide a foundation.
“I started doing a little finger-picky thing on the acoustic guitar that you hear at the intro,” he says. “I think I recorded that into the track, and we were just doing the little drum beat kind of feel. We didn’t actually establish what the chords were until I put that bassline in the verse.”
They started right from the opening line, setting a scene in which two people have a significant blowup: Tears fall, the door slams, and they’re not even sure what started it. The singer cuts through the tension at the start of the chorus — “Hey” — shifting into a higher pitch and a common-sense reminder: “Nobody said love was easy.”
“It kind of grabs your attention,” says King of that “hey.” “It [changes] it from telling a story to, ‘Hey, I’m talking to you now.’ ”
That chorus lasts four lines before it gets to the “Try Saying Goodbye” title, which originally ended rather plainly. The open-vowel ending of “goodbye” felt a little incomplete, so King developed an eight-note rollercoaster tag that became a de facto earworm.
“It’s a pretty complicated little run, melodically, for a country boy like me,”
he says with a laugh. “For Ariana Grande, I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem or whatever, but I always like writing songs that challenge you vocally.”
Verse two puts the singer in a barroom, immersed in alcohol, loneliness — perhaps a little guilt — and a whole lot of uncertainty about what’s ahead if neither person apologizes. “It’s not too late,” he concludes, then breaks into the chorus once again.
A bridge adds one more dimension as the singer’s internal dialogue emerges. “You think you’re tough?” he asks himself before projecting a tragic finality: watching in a cloud of dust as the woman he loves drives away.
Is that threat enough to save them? Will this couple survive its fight?
“I don’t know,” says King. “Tell me how it ends.”
“I feel like the singer comes to their senses in the end,” adds DiGiovanni.
“I think it’s over,” counters Paulin. “He’s made his bed, and now he’s gotta lie in it. Or drink in it.”
Things were not over for “ Tr y Say ing Goodbye.” The track DiGiovanni created during the writing session set the foundation for the demo, and King wrapped the day with a passionate read of the relationship mystery — so effective that that vocal became the centerpiece of the final release.
“John just has such an old soul,” says Paulin. “He can sing a lot of stuff that other people don’t
necessarily do — and make you believe it.”DiGiovanni continued working on the demo for a short time, inserting a triple
hand clap into the verses that subtly enhances the unresolved tension. Once that demo was completed, they closed it up, feeling like it was too good to release without a game plan.
Over the next couple of years, King continued writing and recording new material, releasing music independently to build his presence online. And when it felt right, DiGiovanni brought bass player Jimmie Lee Sloas, drummer Chris McHugh and guitarist Derek Wells into Starstruck to give the existing demo of “Try Saying Goodbye” a human touch. Their contributions included a sudden, hard ending that simulates the closing of a door. The studio date had its own minor computer-related tension.
“I opened up the session because it was from two years ago or so, and I always have my fingers crossed,” says DiGiovanni. “I was like, ‘Man, I hope I have all these plug-ins and everything is still there and this hard drive doesn’t die.’ But I got in, and that was a sigh of relief.”
“Try Saying Goodbye” got a start on streaming platforms, earning 1 million on-demand streams in its first six weeks. Starstruck put it out to radio on PlayMPE to gain further traction, whether that means carrying it forward in independent fashion or eventually landing with a major label.
“We’ve talked about labels, but we haven’t taken any meetings yet and we haven’t shopped around at all,” says King. “We’re so happy with the way it’s going — you know, don’t fix it if it ain’t broke. But obviously my goal is to get back to country radio, and we all know that the labels have the power to make that happen.”
In the meantime, “Try Saying Goodbye” continues to connect, bringing up the old adage that pride goes before a fall and relating it in a way that listeners can apply to disputes in their own relationships, both romantic and familial.
“In everything I’ve ever experienced, every little argument I’ve gotten in,” says King, “nothing is ever worth losing that person.”
Singer-Songwriter John King Turns ‘Goodbye’ Into An Artistic Re-introduction
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.
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 16 OF 19
Country Airplay Index90’S COUNTRY Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing
America, Inc., BMI/Spark In Your Pocket, BMI/Songs Of Smack, BMI/Smack Hits, GMR/Smack Songs LLC, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR/LYRX Publishing, LLC, BMI (W.Hayes, S.McAnally, LYRX) 54
A
AFTER A FEW I’m About To Go RED On Ya Music, BMI/Travis Denning Music, BMI/ole, BMI/Crack The Glass Songs, BMI/Stars And Stripes And Maple Leaf Music, BMI/Downtown DMP Songs, BMI/Sound Wagon Songs, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Music Of The Corn, ASCAP (T.Denning, K.Archer, J.Weaver) 58
ALCOHOL YOU LATER Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Sam Sumser Music, ASCAP/Lava Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Lucky Mic Publishing, BMI/Music Of Parallel, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI (M.Tenpenny, S.Sumser, M.Lotten) 56
ALL TO MYSELF Beats And Banjos, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Shay Mooney Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/A Girl Named Charlie, BMI/Buckeye26, ASCAP/Jreynmusic, ASCAP (D.Smyers, S.Mooney, N.Galyon, J.Reynolds) 31
B
BACK TO LIFE W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Bennett’s Dad’s Songs, SESAC/Songs Of Rhythm House Black, SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC/Roc Nation US Music, SESAC/Shay Mooney Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Farm Thang Music, BMI/Me Gusta Music, BMI (C.R.Barlowe, N.Moon, S.Mooney, F.Wilhelm) 39
BEAUTIFUL CRAZY Big Machine Music, BMI/Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Works Of RHA Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Rowdy Rob Music, BMI (L.Combs, W.B.Durrette, R.Williford) 1
BETTER OFF GONE Year Of The Dog Music, ASCAP/Shakapublishing, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP (A.Stoklasa, D.Woods) 60
BUY MY OWN DRINKS BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/BMG Silver Songs, SESAC/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Rezonate Music, ASCAP/BIRB Music, ASCAP/Champagne Whiskey Publishing, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/Music Of Platinum Pen, SESAC/Wild Wild West Songs, SESAC/Thunder Cookie, SESAC/Magic Mustang Music Inc., BMI/Songwriters of Platinum Pen Publishing, BMI/Hannah Mulholland Music, BMI (H.Mulholland, J.Wayne, N.Cooke, H.Lindsey, J.Kear) 28
C
CAUGHT UP IN THE COUNTRY WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Freshy Music, ASCAP/We-Volve Music, ASCAP/Goes Something Like THIS Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Make It Matter Music, BMI/Sixteen Stars Music, BMI (C.Harrington, J.M.Schmidt, M.Walker) 23
CLOSER TO YOU BIRB Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/1217 Songs, ASCAP/Still Working For The Woman, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Low Z Music, BMI (H.Lindsey, G.Sampson, T.Verges) 38
D
DAY DRUNK Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/SongsbyME, BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/CDS Words And Music, ASCAP/Hey Kiddo Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (M.Evans, C. DeStefano, L.Robbins) 37
DOWN TO THE HONKYTONK Round Hill Works, BMI/Big Loud Proud Crowd, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Shirt At Work, BMI/Sony/ATV Story Music Publishing, GMR/We Are Creative Nation, GMR/Smack Hits, GMR/Smack Songs LLC, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR (R.Clawson, L.Laird, S.McAnally) 10
E
EVERY LITTLE HONKY TONK BAR Day Money Music, ASCAP/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., ASCAP/Living For The Night Music, BMI/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., BMI/Ohio Creek Music, BMI/Dean’s Cabin Publishing, LLC, BMI (G.Strait, B.Strait, D.Dillon) 21
EVERY LITTLE THING BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/Kailey’s Dream, BMI/So Essential Tunes, SESAC/Not Just Another Song Publishing, SESAC/Hillbilly Science And Research Publishing, SESAC/Trailerlily Music, SESAC (R.Dickerson, P.Welling, C.Brown) 40
TITLE Publishing-Licensing Org. (Songwriter) Chart Position
EYES ON YOU Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Dack Janiel’s Publishing, BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/CDS Words And Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP (C.Rice, C. DeStefano, A.Gorley) 9
F
FEELS LIKE A PARTY ole Purple Cape Music, BMI/Mars Marley Music, BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Round Hill Works, BMI/T Hubb Publishing, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP (P.Brust, C.Lucas, T.Hubbard, C.Crowder) 29
FREEDOM Spirit Of Nashville One, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Songs Of XO, BMI/We In Good Company, BMI/Get It Done Music Entertainment Global, BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/XOXOMG, ASCAP (J.Brunswick, T.Cecil, J.Dreyer, J.Pierce) 52
G
GIRL International Dog Music, BMI/Downtown DMP Songs, BMI/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Australia) Pty Ltd., APRA/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Kurstin Music, ASCAP (M.Morris, S.Aarons, G.Kurstin) 24
GIRL GOIN’ NOWHERE Songs Of Song Factory, BMI/Universal Tunes, SESAC (A.McBryde, J.Bussey) 53
GIRL LIKE YOU Peertunes, Ltd., SESAC/MTNoize, SESAC/Jaron Boyer Music, SESAC/Music Of The Corn, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (M.Tyler, J.Boyer, J.Mirenda) 6
GOOD AS YOU Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Kane Brown Music, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd., PRS/You Want How Much Of What Publishing, PRS/TDP Publishing, BMI/Track House Worldwide Entertainment, BMI/Mandy’s Favorite Songs, BMI (K.Brown, B.Berryhill, S.Carter, T.Phillips, W.Weatherly) 11
GOOD VIBES ole Red Vinyl Music, BMI/Spirit Two Nashville, ASCAP/Miller Crow Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (C.Janson, Z.Crowell, A.Gorley) 48
H
HERE TONIGHT Super Big Music, ASCAP/Caliville Publishing, ASCAP/Songs Of Black River, ASCAP/Wordspring Music, LLC, SESAC/Memory Days, SESAC/W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/The Best I Could Do Publishing, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (B.Young, B.Caver, J.Ebach, C.Kelley) 3
HOW DOES IT SOUND Two Black Dogs, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Songs For Buddy.ASCAP/Songs From The Rose Hotel, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (D.Schneider, J.Johnston, C.Crowder) 47
I
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/Relative Music Group, BMI/One77 Songs, ASCAP/Highly Combustible Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (A.Gorley, M.Hardy, H.Phelps, J.Rodgers) 41
I DON’T REMEMBER ME (BEFORE YOU) Trampy McCauley, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Songstein Publishing, ASCAP/All The Kings Pens, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Matt Drag Music, ASCAP/Smack Hits, GMR/Smack Songs LLC, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR (J. Osborne, T.J. Osborne, M.Dragstrem, S.McAnally) 44
L
LADIES IN THE ‘90S Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Lylas Music, BMI/Songs Of Roc Nation Music, BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Cookie Jar Music LLP, PRS (Lauren Alaina, J.Frasure, A.Wadge) 45
LIVING EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Plain Jane Songs, BMI/Rezolant Music, BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Nite Writer Music, ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/DudeTunes, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (R.Copperman, J.M.Nite, A.Gorley, D.Bentley) 46
LOOK WHAT GOD GAVE HER EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Ritten by Rhettro, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Music Of Big Family, BMI/Dragon Bunny Music, BMI/Don Wyan Music, BMI/Maru La La, BMI/MaruSongs, LLC, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Rap Kingpin Music, ASCAP/Prescription Songs, LLC., ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (Thomas Rhett, R.Akins, J.Bunetta, J.K.Hindlin, A.Malik, J.H.Ryan) 18
LOVE AIN’T EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Plain Jane Songs, BMI/Rezolant Music, BMI/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Smack Hits, GMR/Smack Songs LLC, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR (R.Copperman, A.Gorley, S.McAnally) 16
LOVE SOMEONE Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Paris Not France Music, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Rezolant Music, BMI/Plain Jane Songs, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Heather Feather Songs, BMI (B.Eldredge, R.Copperman, H.Morgan) 19
LOVE WINS Carrie-Okie Music, BMI/Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing, ASCAP/D Soul Music, ASCAP/Capitol CMG Genesis, ASCAP/Songs Of Brett, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (C.Underwood, D.A.Garcia, Brett James) 14
LOVE YOU TOO LATE Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Colden Rainey Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/243 Music, ASCAP/Peermusic III, Ltd., BMI/Whiskey Tub Music, BMI (C.Swindell, Michael Ray, B.Kinney) 33
M
MAKE IT SWEET Carrot Seed Songs, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Rezsongs, ASCAP/ReHits Music, Inc., ASCAP/Smacktown Music, ASCAP/Smack Blue, LLC, ASCAP/Unfair Entertainment, ASCAP/MeGusta Music, ASCAP/Tiny Handstand, ASCAP/Sharkules Music, ASCAP/We’re Really Doin’ It Publishing, ASCAP/Smack Hits, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR (M.Ramsey, T. Rosen, W.Sellers, G.Sprung, B.Tursi, S.McAnally) 7
MAKE ME WANT TO Red Lining Music, SESAC/Sony/ATV Lakeview, SESAC/Amplified Hour Songs, SESAC/Pedal Down Music, ASCAP/Sounds Of Soperman Music Publishing, ASCAP/Curb Songs, ASCAP/Dreamark Publishing, ASCAP (J.Allen, P.Sikes, J.Denmark) 51
MISS ME MORE Songs Of Black River, ASCAP/KNB Music, ASCAP/3 Weddings Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Bob Ochoa’s Homemade Salsa, ASCAP (K.Ballerini, D.H.Hodges, B.McLaughlin) 12
N
NIGHT SHIFT Maxx Music, BMI/Let The Road Pave Itself, BMI/Razor And Tie Music Publishing, BMI/Mike Curb Music, BMI/Rain Town Music, BMI (T.Brown, P.LaRue, B.Montana) 13
NOTHING TO DO TOWN Curb Songs, ASCAP/Curb Congregation Songs, SESAC/Music Good Vibes Publishing, BMI/Good Times Music, SESAC/Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/No Bridge Publishing, ASCAP (D.Scott, M.Alderman, C.Taylor) 50
O
THE ONES THAT DIDN’T MAKE IT BACK HOME Big Music Machine, BMI/Double Barrel Ace Music, BMI/Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Paulywood Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Plum Nelly, BMI/Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Real Big Red Tunes, ASCAP (J.Moore, P.DiGiovanni, C.McGill, J.S.Stover) 35
ONE THAT GOT AWAY Downtown DMP Songs, BMI/Telemitry Productions, BMI/ReHits Music, Inc., ASCAP/Smacktown Music, ASCAP/Carrot Seed Songs, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Anderson Fork In The Road Music, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP (J.Frasure, T. Rosen, M.Ramsey, J.Osborne) 5
ON MY WAY TO YOU WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Songs Of Brett, ASCAP/Atlas Music Publishing, ASCAP/External Combustion Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Heytone Music, ASCAP (Brett James, T.Lane) 15
P
PRAYED FOR YOU Pedal Down Music, ASCAP/Big Spaces Music, BMI/Tunes Of Big Deal Music, SESAC/Songs Of Porterfied Music, SESAC/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP (M.Stell, A.Bowers, A.Veltz) 49
R
RAINBOW HappyGoWrucke, BMI/Creative Pulse Music, BMI/These Are Pulse Songs, BMI/Smack Hits, GMR/Smack Songs LLC, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/351 Music, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI (N.Hemby, S.McAnally, K.Musgraves) 34
RAISED ON COUNTRY Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/They’ve Gone To Plaid Publishing, BMI/W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Roc Nation US Music, SESAC/Songs Of Rhythm House Black, SESAC/Bennett’s Dad’s Songs, SESAC/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP (C.Young, C.R.Barlowe, C.Crowder) 26
REARVIEW TOWN Songs Of Peer Ltd., ASCAP/Team Thrash, ASCAP/Songs Of Peer, BMI/New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, BMI/Not A Track Guy Music, BMI/New House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Own My Own Music Publishing, ASCAP (N.Thrasher, B.Pinson, K.Lovelace) 36
ROCKIN’ ALL NIGHT LONG Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Red Like The Sunset Music, ASCAP/Stars And Stripes And Maple Leaf Music, BMI/Crack The Glass Songs, BMI/Downtown DMP Songs, BMI/Garda Songs, SESAC/King Pen Songs, SESAC/Songs Of Downtown, SESAC (A.Hambrick, K.Archer, P.Good) 55
SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER Year Of The Dog Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Story Music Publishing, GMR/We Are Creative Nation, GMR/Be Barry Quiet, BMI/Creative Pulse Music, BMI/Pulse Nation, BMI (T.Townes, L.Laird, Bary Dean) 30
SOME OF IT Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Mammaw’s Fried Okra Music, BMI/Little Louder Songs, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, BMI/Not A Track Guy Music, BMI (E.Church, J.Hyde, C.Daniels, B.Pinson) 25
SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW Weimerhound Music, BMI/Day For The Dead Publishing, SESAC/Reach Music Tunes, SESAC/Andrew Watt Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Siva Moon Publishing, SESAC/W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Simonetti Music Publishing, SESAC/Kobalt Group Music Publishing, SESAC/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Mendes Music, BMI (Z.A.Brown, A.Wotman, N.Moon, B.Simonetti, S.Mendes) 59
T
TALK YOU OUT OF IT Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Highly Combustible Music, ASCAP/One77 Songs, ASCAP/Castle Bound Music, Inc., SESAC (M.Hardy, H.Phelps, J.Rogers, A.Vanderheym) 22
THERE WAS THIS GIRL Riley Green Publishing Designee, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Peermusic III, Ltd., BMI/Tawnes Van Hawke Publishing, BMI (R.Green, Erik Dylan) 4
THIS IS IT Dagum Music, BMI/Austintatious Tunes, BMI/Spirit Two Nashville, ASCAP/Fluid Tunes, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Ice House Tunes, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (S.McCreery, F.Rogers, A.Eshuis) 8
THOUGHT ABOUT YOU Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/The Country And Western Music, BMI/Round Hill Works, BMI/Big Loud Proud Crowd, BMI/Big Loud Brad Music, BMI/Big Loud Brett Songs, BMI (L.T.Miller, B.Warren, B.D.Warren) 42
TO A T Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Lake Allegan Pub Club, ASCAP/Red Like The Sunset Music, ASCAP/Spicer And Everyting Nicer, ASCAP/Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Big Music Machine, BMI/Never Veltz So Good Publishing, BMI (R.J.Hurd, N.Spicer, L.Veltz) 57
W
WHAT HAPPENS IN A SMALL TOWN Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Indiana Angel Music, BMI/Ritten by Rhettro, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Revelry Music, BMI/Badlandsmgmt, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI (B.Gilbert, R.Akins, B.Berryhill, J.Dunne) 27
WHAT WHISKEY DOES EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Little Britches Music, BMI/Gattis Music, BMI/Rezonate Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/BIRB Music, ASCAP (R.Houser, K.Gattis, H.Lindsey) 32
WHISKEY GLASSES Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Mr. Buck Lucky, BMI/Bump Into Genius Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Allegro, ASCAP/Over-Thought Under-Appreciated Songs, ASCAP/Rezven Music, ASCAP/Moving Targest In The Dark, ASCAP (B.Burgess, K.Kadish) 17
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 17 OF 19
Hot Country Songs IndexA
ALL TO MYSELF Beats And Banjos, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Shay Mooney Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/A Girl Named Charlie, BMI/Buckeye26, ASCAP/Jreynmusic, ASCAP (D.Smyers, S.Mooney, N.Galyon, J.Reynolds) 32
B
BACK TO LIFE W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Bennett’s Dad’s Songs, SESAC/Songs Of Rhythm House Black, SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC/Roc Nation US Music, SESAC/Shay Mooney Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Farm Thang Music, BMI/Me Gusta Music, BMI (C.R.Barlowe, N.Moon, S.Mooney, F.Wilhelm) 49
BEAUTIFUL CRAZY Big Machine Music, BMI/Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Works Of RHA Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Rowdy Rob Music, BMI (L.Combs, W.B.Durrette, R.Williford) 1
THE BONES International Dog Music, BMI/Downtown DMP Songs, BMI/Jammy Rabbins Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs Jimmy Robbins, ASCAP/Extraordinary Alien Publishing, ASCAP/Oh Denise Publishing, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Big Music Machine, BMI (M.Morris, J.Robbins, L.Veltz) 31
BUY MY OWN DRINKS BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/BMG Silver Songs, SESAC/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Rezonate Music, ASCAP/BIRB Music, ASCAP/Champagne Whiskey Publishing, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/Music Of Platinum Pen, SESAC/Wild Wild West Songs, SESAC/Thunder Cookie, SESAC/Magic Mustang Music Inc., BMI/Songwriters of Platinum Pen Publishing, BMI/Hannah Mulholland Music, BMI (H.Mulholland, J.Wayne, N.Cooke, H.Lindsey, J.Kear) 40
C
CAUGHT UP IN THE COUNTRY WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Freshy Music, ASCAP/We-Volve Music, ASCAP/Goes Something Like THIS Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Make It Matter Music, BMI/Sixteen Stars Music, BMI (C.Harrington, J.M.Schmidt, M.Walker) 26
CLOSER TO YOU BIRB Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/1217 Songs, ASCAP/Still Working For The Woman, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Low Z Music, BMI (H.Lindsey, G.Sampson, T.Verges) 42
D
DOWN TO THE HONKYTONK Round Hill Works, BMI/Big Loud Proud Crowd, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Shirt At Work, BMI/Sony/ATV Story Music Publishing, GMR/We Are Creative Nation, GMR/Smack Hits, GMR/Smack Songs LLC, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR (R.Clawson, L.Laird, S.McAnally) 17
E
EVERY LITTLE HONKY TONK BAR Day Money Music, ASCAP/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., ASCAP/Living For The Night Music, BMI/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., BMI/Ohio Creek Music, BMI/Dean’s Cabin Publishing, LLC, BMI (G.Strait, B.Strait, D.Dillon) 29
EYES ON YOU Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Dack Janiel’s Publishing, BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/CDS Words And Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP (C.Rice, C. DeStefano, A.Gorley) 7
F
FEELS LIKE A PARTY ole Purple Cape Music, BMI/Mars Marley Music, BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Round Hill Works, BMI/T Hubb Publishing, BMI/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP (P.Brust, C.Lucas, T.Hubbard, C.Crowder) 44
TITLE Publishing-Licensing Org. (Songwriter) Chart Position
FRIENDS DON’T Super Big Music, ASCAP/Seven Red Brids Publishing, ASCAP/Jehovah Nissi, BMI/Big Machine Music, BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Memory Days, SESAC/Wordspring Music, LLC, SESAC/W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Nite Writer Music, ASCAP (M.Marlow, T.Dye, J.M.Nite, J.Ebach) 47
G
GIRL International Dog Music, BMI/Downtown DMP Songs, BMI/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Australia) Pty Ltd., APRA/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Kurstin Music, ASCAP (M.Morris, S.Aarons, G.Kurstin) 18
GOOD AS YOU Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Kane Brown Music, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd., PRS/You Want How Much Of What Publishing, PRS/TDP Publishing, BMI/Track House Worldwide Entertainment, BMI/Mandy’s Favorite Songs, BMI (K.Brown, B.Berryhill, S.Carter, T.Phillips, W.Weatherly) 10
H
HERE TONIGHT Super Big Music, ASCAP/Caliville Publishing, ASCAP/Songs Of Black River, ASCAP/Wordspring Music, LLC, SESAC/Memory Days, SESAC/W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/The Best I Could Do Publishing, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (B.Young, B.Caver, J.Ebach, C.Kelley) 6
I
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/Relative Music Group, BMI/One77 Songs, ASCAP/Highly Combustible Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (A.Gorley, M.Hardy, H.Phelps, J.Rodgers) 30
LOOK WHAT GOD GAVE HER EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Ritten by Rhettro, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Music Of Big Family, BMI/Dragon Bunny Music, BMI/Don Wyan Music, BMI/Maru La La, BMI/MaruSongs, LLC, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Rap Kingpin Music, ASCAP/Prescription Songs, LLC., ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (Thomas Rhett, R.Akins, J.Bunetta, J.K.Hindlin, A.Malik, J.H.Ryan) 16
LOVE AIN’T EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Plain Jane Songs, BMI/Rezolant Music, BMI/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Smack Hits, GMR/Smack Songs LLC, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR (R.Copperman, A.Gorley, S.McAnally) 25
LOVE SOMEONE Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Paris Not France Music, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Rezolant Music, BMI/Plain Jane Songs, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Heather Feather Songs, BMI (B.Eldredge, R.Copperman, H.Morgan) 27
LOVE WINS Carrie-Okie Music, BMI/Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing, ASCAP/D Soul Music, ASCAP/Capitol CMG Genesis, ASCAP/Songs Of Brett, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP (C.Underwood, D.A.Garcia, Brett James) 23
LOVE YOU TOO LATE Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Colden Rainey Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/243 Music, ASCAP/Peermusic III, Ltd., BMI/Whiskey Tub Music, BMI (C.Swindell, Michael Ray, B.Kinney) 38
M
MAKE IT SWEET Carrot Seed Songs, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Rezsongs, ASCAP/ReHits Music, Inc., ASCAP/Smacktown Music, ASCAP/Smack Blue, LLC, ASCAP/Unfair Entertainment, ASCAP/MeGusta Music, ASCAP/Tiny Handstand, ASCAP/Sharkules Music, ASCAP/We’re Really Doin’ It Publishing, ASCAP/Smack Hits, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR (M.Ramsey, T. Rosen, W.Sellers, G.Sprung, B.Tursi, S.McAnally) 13
MEANT TO BE BMG Platinum Songs, BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Kiss Me If You Can Music, BMI/T Hubb Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Works, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Songs Of The Corn, BMI/Jack 10 Publishing, BMI/Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing, ASCAP/D Soul Music, ASCAP/Capitol CMG Genesis, ASCAP (B.Rexha, T.Hubbard, J.Miller, D.A.Garcia) 3
MISS ME MORE Songs Of Black River, ASCAP/KNB Music, ASCAP/3 Weddings Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Bob Ochoa’s Homemade Salsa, ASCAP (K.Ballerini, D.H.Hodges, B.McLaughlin) 14
N
NIGHT SHIFT Maxx Music, BMI/Let The Road Pave Itself, BMI/Razor And Tie Music Publishing, BMI/Mike Curb Music, BMI/Rain Town Music, BMI (T.Brown, P.LaRue, B.Montana) 19
O
THE ONES THAT DIDN’T MAKE IT BACK HOME Big Music Machine, BMI/Double Barrel Ace Music, BMI/Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Paulywood Music, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Plum Nelly, BMI/Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Real Big Red Tunes, ASCAP (J.Moore, P.DiGiovanni, C.McGill, J.S.Stover) 50
ONE THAT GOT AWAY Downtown DMP Songs, BMI/Telemitry Productions, BMI/ReHits Music, Inc., ASCAP/Smacktown Music, ASCAP/Carrot Seed Songs, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Anderson Fork In The Road Music, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP (J.Frasure, T. Rosen, M.Ramsey, J.Osborne) 15
ON MY WAY TO YOU WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Songs Of Brett, ASCAP/Atlas Music Publishing, ASCAP/External Combustion Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Heytone Music, ASCAP (Brett James, T.Lane) 22
R
RAINBOW HappyGoWrucke, BMI/Creative Pulse Music, BMI/These Are Pulse Songs, BMI/Smack Hits, GMR/Smack Songs LLC, GMR/Kobalt Music Group Ltd., GMR/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/351 Music, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI (N.Hemby, S.McAnally, K.Musgraves) 28
RAISED ON COUNTRY Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/They’ve Gone To Plaid Publishing, BMI/W.B.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Roc Nation US Music, SESAC/Songs Of Rhythm House Black, SESAC/Bennett’s Dad’s Songs, SESAC/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP (C.Young, C.R.Barlowe, C.Crowder) 33
REARVIEW TOWN Songs Of Peer Ltd., ASCAP/Team Thrash, ASCAP/Songs Of Peer, BMI/New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, BMI/Not A Track Guy Music, BMI/New House Of Sea Gayle Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Own My Own Music Publishing, ASCAP (N.Thrasher, B.Pinson, K.Lovelace) 39
SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER Year Of The Dog Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Story Music Publishing, GMR/We Are Creative Nation, GMR/Be Barry Quiet, BMI/Creative Pulse Music, BMI/Pulse Nation, BMI (T.Townes, L.Laird, Bary Dean) 36
SOME OF IT Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Mammaw’s Fried Okra Music, BMI/Little Louder Songs, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, BMI/Not A Track Guy Music, BMI (E.Church, J.Hyde, C.Daniels, B.Pinson) 34
SPEECHLESS Beats And Banjos, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Shay Mooney Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Buckeye26, ASCAP/Jreynmusic, ASCAP/Big Music Machine, BMI/Never Veltz So Good Publishing, BMI (D.Smyers, S.Mooney, J.Reynolds, L.Veltz) 5
T
TAKE IT FROM ME Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Jordan Davis Music, ASCAP/ReHits Music, Inc., ASCAP/MeGusta Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Red Bandana, BMI (J.Davis, J.Davis, J.Gantt) 8
TALK YOU OUT OF IT Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Highly Combustible Music, ASCAP/One77 Songs, ASCAP/Castle Bound Music, Inc., SESAC (M.Hardy, H.Phelps, J.Rogers, A.Vanderheym) 21
TEQUILA WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Beats And Banjos, ASCAP/Buckeye26, ASCAP/Jreynmusic, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/A Girl Named Charlie, BMI (D.Smyers, J.Reynolds, N.Galyon) 2
THERE WAS THIS GIRL Riley Green Publishing Designee, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Peermusic III, Ltd., BMI/Tawnes Van Hawke Publishing, BMI (R.Green, Erik Dylan) 11
THIS IS IT Dagum Music, BMI/Austintatious Tunes, BMI/Spirit Two Nashville, ASCAP/Fluid Tunes, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Ice House Tunes, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (S.McCreery, F.Rogers, A.Eshuis) 9
TO A T Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Lake Allegan Pub Club, ASCAP/Red Like The Sunset Music, ASCAP/Spicer And Everyting Nicer, ASCAP/Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Big Music Machine, BMI/Never Veltz So Good Publishing, BMI (R.J.Hurd, N.Spicer, L.Veltz) 45
W
THE WEIGHT OF THE BADGE Day Money Music, ASCAP/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., ASCAP/Living For The Night Music, BMI/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., BMI/Ohio Creek Music, BMI/Dean’s Cabin Publishing, LLC, BMI (G.Strait, B.Strait, D.Dillon) 43
WHAT HAPPENS IN A SMALL TOWN Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Indiana Angel Music, BMI/Ritten by Rhettro, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Revelry Music, BMI/Badlandsmgmt, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI (B.Gilbert, R.Akins, B.Berryhill, J.Dunne) 35
WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Peanut Mill Songs, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Natalia’s Music Money, BMI/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/WB Music Corp., ASCAP/Sadie’s Favorite Songs, ASCAP (L.Bryan, D.Davidson, A.Gorley) 24
WHAT WHISKEY DOES EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Little Britches Music, BMI/Gattis Music, BMI/Rezonate Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/BIRB Music, ASCAP (R.Houser, K.Gattis, H.Lindsey) 48
WHISKEY GLASSES Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Mr. Buck Lucky, BMI/Bump Into Genius Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Allegro, ASCAP/Over-Thought Under-Appreciated Songs, ASCAP/Rezven Music, ASCAP/Moving Targest In The Dark, ASCAP (B.Burgess, K.Kadish) 12
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 18 OF 19
Rucker at the 44th annual Academy of Country Music
Awards in April 2009.
CODA
R EW I N D I N GT H E
C O U N T RY C H A R T S
DE
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E T
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SC
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/WIR
EIM
AG
E
BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 25, 2019 | PAGE 19 OF 19
On March 28, 2009, Darius Rucker’s “It Won’t Be Like This for Long” began
a three-week reign — his longest — on Hot Country Songs.
Rucker was already well established a s t h e l e a de r o f p o p - r o c k o u t f it Hootie & The Blowfish, the owners of two Billboard 200 No. 1s. “Like,” which Rucker wrote with Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley, was released as the
second single from his debut country album, Learn to Live, which arrived at No. 1 on Top Country Albums in October 2008. Learn to Live produced three Hot Country Songs leaders, with
“Don’t Thin k I Don’t Thin k About It” and “Alright” bookending “Like.” The Charleston, S.C .-bor n singer-songwriter has rolled up six leaders on the list among 10 top 10s. His most
recent single, “For the First Time,” led Country Airplay in June 2018 and reached No. 7 on Hot Country Songs.
Ho ot ie & The Blow f ish, wh ich sig ned to Un iversa l Music Group Nashville in December, have been on hiatus for 10 years. However, Rucker, 52, is embarking on a tour with them beginning in May.
—JIM ASKER
10 Years AgoDarius Rucker Got Another ‘Like’ From Country RadioIn 2009, the Hootie & The Blowfish frontman scored his second No. 1 country single