Alan Jackson Gets #1 Record with “Angels & Alcohol” After All
Last week it was neck and neck heading into the final tally. Would it be country legend Alan Jackson coming in with the #1 album in country music, or upstart Americana songwriting maestro Jason Isbell claiming the top spot? Either way, the winner was country music by being granted a much-needed reprieve from the dominance of Bro-Country on the album charts, at least for a week or two.
In the end Isbell ended up inching out Jackson by just a few hundred albums. A late rally saw Isbell surge to just over 46,000 albums sold, speaking to the independent artist’s fervent fan base and a strong pre-order campaign.
The downside to the horse race was that someone worthy of the recognition had to lose the #1 spot. With a narrow lead heading into the final days, Alan Jackson’s PR people actually declared the victory for themselves, making for some awkward moments after Billboard finally confirmed Isbell sold a few hundred more albums than Jackson.
But no need to fret Alan Jackson fans. Alan’s new album Angels & Alcohol still attained a #1. Here on the second week after its release, Alan Jackson bested all others in country music to claim the #1 spot. It’s his 14th #1 album overall. According to HITS Daily Double’s unofficial numbers, Alan Jackson sold an additional 19,212 albums to stay ahead of all the competition. Ashley Monroe’s debut of The Blade was good for second with 10,985 albums sold, and Jason Isbell’s Something More Than Free came in third with 10,862 additional units. Sam Hunt came in fourth.
READ: Did Jason Isbell Just Save Country Music with His #1 Album?
Amidst the changing climate of music consumption, older artists and independent artists are performing better on album charts per capita than their mainstream counterparts because many mainstream fans don’t bother to buy albums, but stream their music through services like Spotify. By pre-ordering and purchasing albums, fans of older and independent artists create more revenue for the artists and their labels comparatively.
The party at the top of the Billboard Country Alums chart won’t last long though. Luke Bryan’s new album to be released August 7th will surely put a damper on things.
August 4, 2015 @ 9:55 am
Just curious, is AJ’s album getting any FM radio play?
August 4, 2015 @ 9:59 am
Not of any significant note. The first single “Jim and Jack and Hank” hit #50 in airplay.
August 4, 2015 @ 5:50 pm
I did hear it on an iheartradio station showdown. Don’t know the results. Seems like a semi effort anyways.
August 4, 2015 @ 7:28 pm
I never heard it on Sirius. Surprising no one there…
August 23, 2015 @ 11:37 am
in Los Angeles, for a few weeks, it was played a couple times a day.
August 4, 2015 @ 10:17 am
Yay! 😀
August 4, 2015 @ 10:35 am
I’m glad that both artists have #1 bragging rights here! =)
This is a testament to how name recognition DOES still matter a lot: as Alan Jackson is obviously the most established name between he and Isbell. He and George Strait may fall short of Gold certifications now, but the fact they are still able to outsell at least 65% of male B-listers who are able to produce hit singles in the meantime isn’t surprising in the slightest, though still a reassuring accomplishment that brings a smile to my heart.
August 4, 2015 @ 10:44 am
What a great top three! Only drawback here is that Ashley Monroe didn’t hit No. 1.
August 4, 2015 @ 11:39 am
Yeah, her opening sales week is honestly disappointing to me! =(
Granted she is backed by barely any airplay whatsoever. Still, she should enough name recognition; between her features on hits with Blake Shelton and Train, as well as her critical acclaim and work with the Pistol Annies, to do significantly better than short of 11,000 her opening week. =/
I wasn’t expecting Musgraves or Isbell like numbers, but I thought 25,000 was quite doable.
August 4, 2015 @ 12:03 pm
I’m really surprised by the low numbers for Ashley Monroe as well. The majors just don’t know how to push albums in this new environment like indies do. Independent artist have been working against the grain for years. Majors only know radio as a way to promote, and when that’s not an option, they appear lost. And even when they do have radio play (Jerrod Niemann anyone?), they still can’t sell records.
August 4, 2015 @ 3:44 pm
I’ve gotta say Trigger , I’m not surprised by the low numbers whatsoever . I’ve listened to AM’s new album half a dozen times hoping I’m missing something but I think I’m just not hearing the exact same things that record promoters and stations aren’t hearing . This is NOT a radio record …certainly not by today’s radio ‘standards” and perhaps not by radio standards from any era . A coupla tunes attempted to be ” radio” , I think , in their quasi-contemporary production …but they missed . I think Vince may be the wrong guy if she REALLY wants to make radio records. Its fairly laid back , almost too laid back in places , I think ….bordering on lifeless in spots , to my ear . Radio doesn’t suffer ” lifeless” gladly . She has a nice voice , certainly country but maybe closer to the bluegrass end of the spectrum . The album doesn’t ” glitter” …there’s no shine on it …nothing energetic sonically , nothing SCREAMING for attention , if that makes sense . I mean , I really gave this one a chance to get to me and it just won’t . The lyrics , while intelligent and certainly not ” bro-fare” are just OK …nothing real cleaver or fresh . But again , I think its the overall sound/vibe of the record that has radio veering from it . It is reminiscent of an Emmy -Lou kind of effort . A smart ‘you-come-to-me’ effort . Its a listening record for an after dinner relax-with-a-drink on the front porch kinda EVENING record…not a soccer-mom , drop the kids , shoot over to the grocery store kinda MORNING or drive-time record and like it or not that’s ALL radio is interested in, unfortunately . I think AM is just another case of a good country singer who needs to commit full out to ONE target and stay focused come what may success-wise .
August 4, 2015 @ 5:36 pm
It’s surprising in that Ashley Monroe has a considérable degree of name recognition regardless, and is coming on the heels of a universally-acclaimed album that impacted countless year-end critic lists in 2013.
That is what made Kacey Musgraves and now Jason Isbell household names of sorts. Unfortunately, Ashley Monroe is failing to produce the same sort of luck.
August 4, 2015 @ 8:40 pm
Interesting point…so Ashley Monroe might actually be disadvantaged more on a mainstream label than if she were independent. Seems reasonable. It’s not like she really wants to go for airplay.
August 4, 2015 @ 1:45 pm
Yeah, but still she sold exactly as many as Canaan Smith, a guy who even had a #1 to boot, so while it’s disappointing, at least she can sell as much as some C-list male with a #1.
August 4, 2015 @ 5:31 pm
Don’t get me wrong: Canaan Smith and Kelsea Ballerini’s opening week sales were absolutely DREADFUL by mainstream entertainer standards. Gloriana’s comeback album netted absolutely PATHETIC sales as well (though they peaked with only à fraction of the former’s airplay)
Still, it doesn’t diminish how disappointing Ashley Monroe’s returns are. Not exactly terrible, but certainly not good.
August 4, 2015 @ 11:53 am
Excellent. Alan Jackson is the man who got this Irish man into country music and I branched out from there. It is a superb album that has received many playings since I bought it.
It is great to see an appetite for good honest traditional sounding country and who knows, maybe Ashley Monroe will get it next week 🙂
August 4, 2015 @ 12:02 pm
Bought it, enjoying it. Glad it’s doing well 🙂
August 4, 2015 @ 5:02 pm
Hopefully Sturgill will hit us with a release and sink Luke’s latest like a cruise liner circa 1912
August 4, 2015 @ 5:28 pm
Below meant for Fuzz
August 4, 2015 @ 5:28 pm
Do we even know if Sturgill is finished recording? Last I heard just a few weeks ago Cobb said they ‘had a few tracks cut’. As much as he has toured I would think he would need a few days in studio. Seems usually after tour.
I’m asking because I don’t know ??
August 4, 2015 @ 5:45 pm
Sturgill was in the studio for a good clip near the beginning of the year. Everything alluded to at the time was that the album was cut during that period, but who knows, they could have only done some of it, or maybe Sturgill decided to go back and add some new songs.
I would say that if we don’t see the announcement of a new album in the next six weeks or so, it could be 2016 before the new album sees the light of day. It’s rare to release a highly-anticipated album right before the holidays.
August 4, 2015 @ 6:27 pm
Why is that so unusual? with the holidays coming up it seems logical to release an album to help boost sales.
August 4, 2015 @ 6:35 pm
Usually they don’t release major albums after Thanksgiving because you are then losing the full holiday shopping season (Black Friday and all). Swift for example has released her recent albums about the first week of November giving it the full holiday season to sell.
This has changed a little the last few years with some major hip hop albums being released closer to Christmas, though.
August 4, 2015 @ 6:53 pm
No matter who you are you don’t want to compete with holiday music for airplay.