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Chris Sanders's BlogPosted by Chris Sanders Montgomery Gentry score their 3rd Billboard #1 song with "Lucky Man" this week, but it's the movers and shakers below them that is drawing attention. Kenny Chesney new single "Never Wanted Nothing More" has blazed its way into the Top 10. Remember Tracy Lawrence's snail pace run to #1 from a couple of weeks ago? This song is exacted the opposite. In four weeks, it has gone from #37 to #17 to # 13 to #9. Another big gainer is Big & Rich's "Lost in The Moment." The unique country duo looks like they will get their first number one song in a couple of weeks. Currently, the song is neck and neck with George Strait's "Wrapped" in the race to see who will replace Montgomery Gentry at the top. For Big & Rich, this is their first Top 10 song. Despite their popularity, their success hadn't translated to the country singles charts until now. Other songs to keep an eye on are the new releases by Toby Keith "Love Me If You Can," the very clever new one from Brad Paisley, "Online," and the dynamic country duo Brooks and Dunn's current single "Proud of the House We Built." If your looking for some newcomer success, Luke Bryant is having a strong debut with "All My Friends Say," hovering at the bottom of the top twenty, and American Idol's Bucky Covington has a good shot at the top ten in a few weeks with his debut sinigle "A Different World." Posted by Chris Sanders The big news around country radio has to be the rise of Emerson Drive's most recent single. Currently the song sits at #1 on Mediabase's daily airplay chart. The song "Moments" is about a homeless man who stops a depressed young man from jumping off a bridge. Very moving and reminisent of Craig Morgan's top ten hit "Almost Home." For the boys from Canada, this is their biggest hit since their second single "Fall into Me" which reached #3 on Billboard in 2002. In between were 4 singles that failed to reach the Top 15. "Moments" joins Brad Paisley's "She's Everything" as the only true ballads to hit number 1 this year. Here's a list of the number one country hits this year according to Billboard magazine. Brad Paisley - She's Everything Rodney Atkins - Watching You George Strait - It Just Comes Natural Trace Adkins - Ladies Love Country Boys Kenny Chesney - Beer In Mexico Tim McGraw - Last Dollar (Fly Away) Carrie Underwood - Wasted Rascal Flatts - Stand Sugarland - Settlin' Billy Currington - Good Directions Emerson Drive - Moments Posted by Chris Sanders It's the calm before the storm for country album sales. In the next few months, a lot of highly anticipated albums will be released. Here are the big ones and the dates you will see them on the store shelves. Happy shopping! May 29th Jason Aldean - Relentless (lead single on radio now "Johnny Cash") June 5th Big & Rich - Between Raising Hell & Amazing Grace (lead single on radio now "Lost in the Moment") June 12th Toby Keith - Big Dog Daddy (lead single on radio now "High Maintenance Woman") June 19th Brad Paisley - Fifth Gear (lead single on radio now "Ticks") source: www.allaccess.com Posted by Chris Sanders When the lights went out on the 42nd ACM Awards show – here’s some of my immediate afterthoughts: Tim McGraw saved the show – Up until then, it was very non-memorable, then Tim sang and the tears flowed and the memory banks filled up. Shaina – why? – She showed up to make two introductions, not a problem if CBS didn’t promote her being there and made it seems like it was going to be a big deal. No Alan or Dierks – how can two of the biggest hit makers in country music not be a part of the show? Reba – she was OK, but she didn’t have much to work with, The jokes written for her were bad and there wasn’t a lot of moments to play off of. Vocal performances – Mostly all sounded a bit odd, but that’s normal for an awards show. The best performances were Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, and Josh Turner. Posted by Chris Sanders This summer throughout North America there are some outstanding concerts planned. If you are lucky enough to be within traveling distance to any of these concerts, you might want to take advantage of it. Here are the biggest country outdoor festivals being thrown during the first part of summer 2007:
Dates courtesy of pollstar.com Posted by Chris Sanders Someone needs to sit down and write a song with baseball lyrics - quick! The great amount of exposure for the country music industry is at stake. Last year, when Trace Akins released "Swing," it became a ballpark staple at many stadiums. Before that we had "The Cheap Seats" by Alabama and "The Greatest" by Kenny Rogers. There are so many minor league franchises in rural towns that it's a natural fit. Below are some of the baseball references in country songs - "Watch the Yankees play ball" - Terri Clark, "I Wanna Do It All" "Just Like the Dodgers Always Did" - Mark Chestnutt, "Too Cold At Home" "Swingin' For the Bleachers in the Ninth Inning" - Michael Martin Murphy, "Still Taking Chances" "When the Lights Go On At Wrigley Field" Statler Brothers, "Don't Wait On Me" There's plenty more, write to me at countrymusic@suite101.com if you can think of any, or post it in the discussion forum. Posted by Chris Sanders New York City has been without a country music radio station for a number of years now, and now a popular radio program that would embrace country music is suddenly cancelled. Obviously, there's no excuse for the comments that Don Imus made about the Rutger's womens basketball team on his nationally syndicated radio show, but the end result is one less country music advocate on the NYC airwaves. Many listeners of Imus in the Morning got introduced to names such as Buddy Jewel, Big & Rich, and Montgomery Gentry by listening to his program. Don Imus is a country music lover and would make it a staple of his show. It might seem like a trival aspect to the whole Imus saga, but in a market with absolutely no country music presence, losing this country music cheerleader will be noticable. Posted by Chris Sanders A recent story from the Ashland City Times states the increasing growth of country music ringtones. Here's a quote from the article, "country music ringtones are posting gains while national sales for all genres combined fall. Helping boost country numbers are more purchases by women and adult males," So what are the hot ringtones amongst country music fans? Trace Adkins "Honkytonk Bondonkadonk" and Big & Rick's "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" lead the list. Most attribute the upward trend to the late adaptation of country fans to this new technology, however the loyalty of country fans to their music also has a lot to do with it. Posted by Chris Sanders A virtually unknown name to country music fans just two years ago, singer Rodney Atkins has quickly ascending to the top of the country world. Having a #1 song is one thing, but Rodney now has two blockbuster songs in a row, and will most likely capture the Billboard Hot Country chart song of the year for the second year in a row. "If You're Going Through Hell" was the 2006 Billboard Country Song of the Year, and it will take a massive effort for a song to beat out "Watching You" for this year's top spot. Both songs have great messages, and the key is that a lot of people can relate to it. Heck, all you need is to be a parent or a kid for "Watching You" to ring true, and everyone who has gone through a tough time can relate to "If You're Going Through Hell." Let's not forget the great vocals Atkins puts into these songs. You can almost here his fustration when the "orange drink covers his lap." Now, Rodney is scheduled to open for Brad Paisley this fall for what should be one heck of a show. And with his recent success, it won't be long, perform he's the one looking for opening acts. Posted by Chris Sanders Lonestar, the country band behind the #1 hits "No News," "Come Cryin' to Me," "Amazed," "Smile," "What About Now," "Tell Her," "I'm Already There," "My Front Porch Looking In" and "Mr. Mom," is without a record deal. It's unfortunate that the band's great career at BNA has to come to end with their underperforming current single "Nothing To Prove." However, the title couldn't be more appropiate, Lonestar had an amazing (no pun intended) run at BNA, and it shouldn't take long until they resurface with another Nashville company. Posted by Chris Sanders USA Network's Nashville Star wrapped up it's fifth season this past Thursday night, crowning the second female winner in the show's history. (The only other female winner was Erica Jo, whose debut single "I Break Things" never received much recognition from radio.) Angela Hacker was the last singer standing after all the votes were counted, beating out her brother Zac Hacker, and will try to make a career on Music Row. She joins the list of winners that includes Buddy Jewel, Erica Jo, Brad Cotter, and Chris Young. Besides Buddy Jewel, these are not exactly household names, and the Nashville Star win doesn't turn into instant gold like a American idol win, we'll keep an eye on Angela Hacker and see if she can buck the trend. If you haven't been following the show, and want to know a little about this year's winner, here's some information given by www.usanetwork.com Name: Angela Hacker Age: 29 Hometown: Muscal Shoals, Alabama Angela has always loved music and musical instruments, which were all over her house as a child. Her parents were both into music, as well as her three older sisters who sang and played. Angela was very shy around most people and waited until 13 before singing publicly at a school talent contest. With a win in the contest, the adrenaline rush was intense and hasn't quit since. Through the years, Angela worked hard to be better herself at her craft, playing everywhere she could. From talent contests to bars to weddings and funerals (really), Angela did it all. Over the past year, Angela has been writing and recording with some of her local idols such as Jimmy Nutt, who encouraged her to go to The House of Fame and get to work. Posted by Chris Sanders Country music superstar Brad Paisley and "According to Jim" actress Kimberly Williams welcomed a new baby into the world on Thursday morning (2/22.) The baby boy weighed in at 7 lbs and 7 ounces. No word yet on the name for the new Paisley. Posted by Chris Sanders George Strait's "It Just Comes Natural" hits number one this week on the Billboard single charts. It marks the 42nd Billboard #1 for the country crooner and further distances him from the rest of the pack. This is one record that will probably never be broken. In case you are confused, Strait has 54 #1 songs, however 12 of those went number one on a cgart other than Billboard, such as Radio & Records, Gavin, or Cashbox, all of these charts are now obselete. Here's a list of the country music artists with the most number one songs, according to Billboard magazine. 1. George Strait - 42 2. Conway Twitty - 40 3. Merle Haggard - 38 4. Ronnie Milsap - 35 5. Alabama - 32 6. Charley Pride - 29 7. Eddy Arnold - 28 8. Dolly Parton - 25 9. Sonny James - 23 10T. Alan Jackson - 22 10T. Reba McEntire - 22 12T. Buck Owens - 21 12T. Kenny Rogers - 21 12T. Willie Nelson - 21 12T. Tim McGraw - 21 16T. Tammy Wynette - 20 16T. Brooks and Dunn - 20 18T. Garth Brooks - 18 18T. Earl Thomas Conley - 18 18T. Crystal Gayle - 18 21T. Oak Ridge Boys - 17 21T. Eddie Rabbitt - 17 21T. Mickey Gilley - 17 21T. Don Williams - 17 25T. Waylon Jennings - 16 25T. Marty Robbins - 16 25T. Loretta Lynn - 16 25T. Randy Travis - 16 Posted by Chris Sanders The Dixie Chicks rubbed it in the face of Music City with their Grammy wins on Sunday night. The one-time country radio darlings did not accept the awards very graciously, and despite being recognized by the prestigious Grammy committee, they are no closer to getting back on country radio. It's too bad because the country music industry could really use the Dixie Chicks to fill the void of female voices singing their songs. However, Natalie Maines was taunting the industry when she received the trophy for Country Album is that's not going to bridge any gaps between the two sides. The Chicks might think their lives are fine without country radio's support, but there will always be the question of what could have been when it comes to their career. Grammy Awards are nice, but there's no doubt their fan base has shrunk substantionally in the last 5 years, and it doesn't look like its going to be growing anytime soon. Posted by Chris Sanders If you're a country music fan, there's a lot of interesting information being released to the public lately. Here's your one-stop shopping:
Posted by Chris Sanders Yeah, Tim Mcgraw has a new song out, it case you haven't heard it yet, it's called "Last Dollar(Fly Away)." It will definetly hit the top five, and you'll probably be tired of hearing it in about a month, but that's the mark of success these days. Below is a list of new singles being released to radio from less-than-household names. Is there a career starter or re-starter in some cases in this group of songs? Follow the link under the song and give it a listen, and you can decide. Catherine Britt - What I Did Last Night http://countryuniverse.wordpress.com/ Dusty Drake - Say Yes http://dustydrake.musiccitynetworks.com/index.htm?id=3684 Laura Bryna - I Don't Have a Thing to Wear http://www.laurabryna.com/?id=2881&loc=3 Beverley Mitchell - Heaven On Earth Down Here http://countryuniverse.wordpress.com/ Jerrod Niemann - I Love Women (My Momma Can't Stand) http://www.jerrodniemann.com/ Jeff Golden - Someone Who Cares http://jeffgoldenmusic.com/web/pages/country_trax_records.php Luke Bryan - All My Friends Say http://countryuniverse.wordpress.com/ Randy Rogers Band - One More Goodbye http://wap.umg.motricity.com/UMG/html/purchase_detail.jsp;jsessionid=F50r8wwpyby0TNjjJGhHY1W4sVmf1nSVJFr5Snf2Gp1DhpB1mWcP!725384882?id=prod3040561&sf=40790078 Sarah Buxton - That Kind Of Day http://www.myspace.com/sarahbuxton Posted by Chris Sanders USA Network's fifith season of Nashville Star aired last week, and there's already a favorite to win amongst the ten finalists. Joshua Stevens blew away the compeition in week one, singing the Rascall Flatts song "My Wish." He clearly is the best singer amongst the ten. However, the fan polls don't necessary vote for the best singer in the competition (remember season two and three when the winners were Brad Cotter and Erica Jo?) Jewel was fine as the host, and I think is an upgrade from Wynonna, and Cowboy Troy is always entertaining. Hopefully the judges will pick their game up a notch, Anastasia Brown was fine, but someone needs to wake up Randy Owen and let him know the competiton has started. As for Blake Shelton, he's a real funny guy, but he seemed a little scared to criticize, perhaps that will wear off in the next couple of weeks. Posted by Chris Sanders Rodney Atkins is about to hit #1 with his second stright release. Watching You has been the most hottest song at country radio for over a month now, and it just goes to show that feel good songs about family life are as popular as ever. Rodney's song is about how a son looks up to his dad, and imitates the good and bad actions he sees on a daily basis. It really drives home the message of how influencial a parents ever move is to a child. The success of this songs reminds me of other country hits that have dealt with similar storylines, here's a few past recent #1s. The Best Day - George Strait He Didn't Have To Be - Brad Paisley I Loved Her First - Heartland |
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