Chart Watch: Sam Hunt Going Strong, Miranda Lambert’s Single Juggling, Luke vs. Wheeler
Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Backroad” has now topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for 17 straight weeks. It also continues to top Billboard’s Country Streaming Songs, and Country Digital Songs charts, with only very slight declines in each over the last week. Though it is not #1 currently on the Country Airplay chart, it remains this week at the #3 position on radio, and is showing signs of not taking the precipitous drop off country singles usually do a week or two after cresting at the #1 spot.
Though “Body Like a Backroad” is losing plays on country radio, it is not losing them as fast as Luke Combs’ “Hurricane” for example, which hit #1 after “Body Like a Backroad,” yet has fallen below “Backroad” on the radio charts to #4. Sometimes it’s not about a song holding the #1 spot, but how long a song stays at a high position on the charts that registers the biggest impact.
Meanwhile, “Body Like a Backroad” continues to pick up crossover spins, helping to keep it on top of the Hot Country Songs chart that factors in all radio spins. The song has risen from #18 to #16 on the Adult Top 40 charts, and from #29 to #27 on the Mainstream Top 40 charts, showing that “Body Like a Backroad” may not need country radio to continue its upward stride into the summer, and to potentially challenge Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” as the longest-running single on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart of all time.
Unfortunately for Miranda Lambert, her current single “Tin Man” is headed in the opposite direction. It officially dropped from #41 to #42 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart this week, though it did gain ever so slightly in spins. However on the Mediabase chart, which uses a different set of reporting data, Miranda lost 3 spins, even though she gain a position going from #42 to #41. Either way, the single continues to be in serious jeopardy of stalling outside of the Top 40 in its 9th week on the charts, along with the prospect that Miranda could be “done” at radio if the single fails.
On Wednesday evening (6-8) at the CMT Awards, Miranda’s performance of the song “Pink Sunglasses” was introduced as her “latest single” by numerous outlets, though according to Grady Smith, Sony says they are still working “Tin Man” as the current single. Nonetheless, if “Tin Man” is pulled early, it would be the 2nd consecutive single from Miranda to fail to reach the Top 25 on radio, while both “Tin Man,” and the previous single “We Should Be Friends” reached the Top 25 on the Hot Country Songs chart that considers sales and streams of the song, measuring a greater degree of public sentiment as opposed to the radio charts.
All of this is occurring while yet another virtually unknown male country star in Brett Young tops the Country Airplay charts for a second week with a rather generic single, “In Case You Didn’t Know,” and there are only three females currently in the Top 50 on country radio, and none in any of the top 24 positions. Only Carly Pearce’s “Every Little Thing,” helped along by iHeartRadio’s “On The Verge” program is in the Country Airplay Top 25 at the moment at the 25th position. Despite continued claims that it is a new day for females on country radio, including from women who’ve had some chart success such as Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris, the charts continue to paint a significantly different picture.
One bright spot continues to be the ability for independent artist Aaron Watson to hold his own on radio. This week his single “Outta Style” raises from #37 to #36, even though it appeared a few weeks ago that it may be done after peaking at #30. Midland’s “Drinkin’ Problem,” which is far from independent on the Big Machine label, but finds positive reception among many independent and traditional fans, sits at #15 now for consecutive weeks. Though it continues to gains spins, it may face an uphill battle in a crowded field to get to the Top 10, including Darius Rucker’s “If I Told You” that looks to become his latest #1 next week, and Dan + Shay’s “How Not To” poised to take #1 soon as well in Nashville’s equal opportunity #1 merry-go-’round.
In the Wheeler Walker Jr. vs. Luke Combs sweepstakes for the #1 country record next week, it appears that Luke Combs is pulling away. According to Hits Daily Double‘s building albums chart, Combs has moved over 25,000 units, while Wheeler Walker Jr. is hovering around 6,000. In fact Chris Stapleton’s From A Room Vol. 1 is doubling up Wheeler at the moment. But don’t be surprised if Walker makes a late surge. Thirty Tigers artists are sometimes under-reported on Hits Daily Double until the end of the week, and Wheeler just made an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, which can be a huge driver for sales.
June 9, 2017 @ 8:02 am
I’m a bit perplexed on what is going on with Miranda Lambert lately. I know she’s never been a #1 hit factory, so to speak, but it’s odd that she seems to be falling out of favor with radio. I don’t think it will matter much for her in the scheme of things, but I can’t quite figure out what is going on with all this. Honestly, I’m not surprised “Tin Man” isn’t moving much on the charts. While it’s a great song, it can become dull quickly, and isn’t all that radio friendly. But “We Should Be Friends” was a good song, seemed pretty radio friendly to me, and also didn’t do all that well. What gives?
June 9, 2017 @ 8:44 am
If you have even one song that fails at radio these days, and you’re female, it’s curtains. And it doesn’t matter who you are. You could be Cam or Maddie & Tae who had a smash hit and you would think had built up some traction, or you can be the 7-time CMA Female Vocalist of the Year. Country radio doesn’t care. All the programs looking to support women, all the think pieces, all the backlash from Tomatogate, and it hasn’t made a dent in the problem. In fact it may even be worse than ever. Miranda’s just one of many victims.
June 9, 2017 @ 9:10 am
You have a point…the trends show this…it’s just so ridiculous and hard to believe.
On another note, I just looked at the top ten for country radio…good lord….mainstream really is going to hell…
June 9, 2017 @ 11:29 am
We will see.
I think the next album that Miranda Lambert make will be more radio friendly than “Weight Of These Wings”. Miranda Lambert is still a very recognizable name and she will still see huge debuts. I wouldn’t count her out just yet.
June 9, 2017 @ 12:50 pm
The problem is that once you lose favor with radio it seems almost impossible to get it back. It really is bizarre and it isn’t just a woman thing it can be an age thing also. And it has gone on for decades. It happened to Cash and Haggard and Waylon and then literally a dozen future Hall of Famers almost at once around 1989.
So Lambert may come back with a more radio friendly record next time and history says it won’t matter in the slightest.
June 9, 2017 @ 11:35 am
I could be totally wrong about this, but it almost feels like, besides being caught in country radio’s continuing antipathy towards women, Miranda may also be a victim of her own image as, I guess, a “bad ass”. They seem to want the Miranda of “Kerosene” and “Little Red Wagon” more than the Miranda of “Pink Flamingo” or “Tin Man”, and she may have boxed herself into a corner with the format. Not that the format is all that great to begin with, especially when it comes to the womenfolk (IMHO).
June 9, 2017 @ 5:26 pm
So…..country radio and women stinks….but we should be friends was a total dud of a single. It’s also an example of why the hot country songs chart isn’t always a great indicator. Basically it achieved its HCS peak of 25 when the video dropped, coupled with a sales price on the song on itunes. Other then that weak though, it was a consistently poor seller, struggling to break the all-genre top 150 on itunes – which is really poor for a second single from a big name.
Radio actually gave a ton of love to Vice, keeping it in medium-high rotation (11-20 area on the charts) despite it being a poor tester. Tin Man though….is a great song and the lack of radio airplay makes me sad.
June 10, 2017 @ 1:48 pm
Currently only 3 solo females in top 50! Just ridiculous & yes Radio needs to acknowledge there is a problem.
June 9, 2017 @ 12:27 pm
There is one format where “Tin Man” is getting more spins than “Back Road”… mainstream Adult Contemporary. Today’s Mediabase AC chart shows Miranda up three notches to #30 with an increase of 35 spins while Hunt dipped 31-33 despite a backwards bullet of 5 spins. However, Mediabase shows only one AC station has “Tin Man” in any significant rotation and it appears airplay on the syndicated Delilah show accounts for most of its chart showing. As I recall Delilah also got Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” started at AC.
On country radio Mediabase has “Tin Man” ranked at 41 as of today with an increase of 30 spins so it looks like it’s continuing to tread water.
June 9, 2017 @ 8:09 am
I’m not sure that recording an album like TWOTW in these times is the sign of someone necessary chasing single chart action . Exposure ..yes …gotta let ’em know you are peddling something new . But TWOTW is so far removed from the mainstream ‘ norm’ that just about ANY airplay is gonna be helpful in finding an audience that will appreciate it for what it is . That radio market is all about Hunt’s crappy, vacuous fferings , for the mostpart . Miranda and Co. aren’t stupid . She’s taken an Artists approach to writing , recording and performing her work …whereas Hunt wouldn’t know how to spell the word ‘ artist ‘ .
Perhaps an encouraging way to look at ‘ country radio ‘ is that the worse it gets , the sooner MORE people get fed up and seek the countless musical options available elsewhere . Bring on the Kruze Kid Klones , the Hunts and the ridiculously generic Shelton stuff …..lets separate the wheat from the chaff …..let the chaff have ‘ country radio ‘ and let’s develop the new stuff with the ever-increasing new avenues available to do so . Certainly Miranda doesn’t feel she is in competition with that garbage Keith Urban and Hunt keep forcing upon us . What she COULD use is a bit more street cred …acknowledgement from the folks who may not yet have fully accepted her as the artist she is trying to be ( the sunglasses and little red wagon songs notwithstanding ) …the folks who have turned off mainstream radio cuz its just riddled with complete ear candy generic shit .
June 9, 2017 @ 8:47 am
You can’t really say Miranda is above Keith and radio when out of a double album she chooses a horrendous song like Pink Sunglasses to perform. The only reason that song saw the light is for radio play(I hope) but it’s so bad not even Kelsea Ballerini wouldn’t stoop so low.
Miranda and her team need to take some time ofdlf and decide what kind of artist she should be. She took a massive beating on SM after the CMA awards and again last night for a lackluster CMA Fest performance even though she stayed away from songs like Tin Man which IMO is her forte.
June 9, 2017 @ 3:54 pm
GOOD POINTS ….couldn’t agree more .
The saving grace is that Miranda has some GREAT stuff on her records whereas Keith Urban has forgotten what THAT word means .
June 10, 2017 @ 1:53 pm
While not my fav off the album, punk sunglasses is fun live. If you look Miranda plays different songs on from the album in tv spots. While most play the same song on every show, she from the beginning played songs other than her radio single. I agree that Miranda’s album is full of great song. She has the best overall catalog out of mainstream country in decades.
June 11, 2017 @ 7:45 am
That song was not great live at all and it’s not just my opinion. SM destroyed her. Natalie Hemby who wrote it is all on thr defensive because people call it the worst song they’ve heard. Just a terrible choice and from her single/promo song choices it’s clear they don’t know what to do with Miranda right now.
June 9, 2017 @ 8:40 am
Trig, I know you’re not big on kip moore (and his single is one of his weakest releases in my opinion), but do you see it rising to top 10?
June 9, 2017 @ 9:26 am
I’m not against Kip Moore necessarily. I just think he’s more of a rock guy in country.
Not sure what to think of the new single, and I’m not sure radio knows either. It’s still early. Labels ideally want a single peaking right when the new album is released.
June 9, 2017 @ 11:02 am
Appreciate it! Always love reading your stuff and I learn a ton about the industry in general- keep it comin!
June 9, 2017 @ 9:37 am
Really enjoy this column — keep up the good work!
June 9, 2017 @ 11:02 am
Looking at the June 2-8 period, Sam Hunt is still moving *strongly* up the Top 40 Pop and Hot AC airplay charts. Has combined 28 million audience on those formats. Still has 50 million audience on Country radio, although starting to lose some spins there. Combined 78 million audience. The next highest country song for radio audience is Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know,” which only has around 57 million total audience, all on Country.
“Body Like A Backroad” is also moving strongly up the Billboard Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs charts, ahead of other country songs. It’s the only country song on the 50-song Streaming Songs chart (#21 right now and climbing).
June 9, 2017 @ 11:14 am
Also we’re going to see Brett Young take the precipitous fall here in the next few weeks, and I don’t see either the Darius Rucker or Dan + Shay singles mounting any sort of resistance on the Hot Country Songs chart. It’s going to take a heavyweight like Jason Aldean or someone.
June 9, 2017 @ 11:17 am
Yeah and barring some crazy out of the blue song Hunt is going to have to drop a ways for any normal non country song to catch him. That song is ridiculously bad but it has undeniably struck a chord with the audience for what is called country music nowadays.
June 9, 2017 @ 11:37 am
Yeah, in 2013 it took a new Luke Bryan single to finally knock “Cruise” off the perch.
June 9, 2017 @ 5:28 pm
Luke should be releasing a new debut single in the next couple weeks. It will have to sell like complete hot cakes though to overcome the radio airplay disadvantage.
June 9, 2017 @ 11:09 am
Hunt has held off the Brett Young song on the Hot Country Songs chart. Young did make the top 20 on the Hot 100 which is pretty rare for a country song without any crossover airplay. Not sure I see any song overtaking Hunt until he starts to really drop off in streams and sales. Still somewhat confident of my prediction it would pass ‘Cruise’ for weeks at number one.
June 9, 2017 @ 11:14 am
The top of the airplay chart is beyond weak right now as far as genuine hits other than Hunt and Young. The Darius Rucker song has been climbing the chart since last July. That is ridiculous. If a song can’t break through faster than that then it doesn’t deserve to be a hit. The label must have had to dip deep into the cash and drug closet to push this one to the top.
June 9, 2017 @ 11:35 am
Women, especially those past drinking age, are not the target market for radio stations. If you pay attention to the commercials on those waves, the products and services are aimed at men…It stinks, but it is what it is. Many of Miranda’s songs, and at times, even her voice, don’t have the impact on radio that those rhinestone cowboys enjoy, even the ones who can’t sing a lick.
June 9, 2017 @ 12:06 pm
Trigger, do you know if Luke Bryan is releasing a new album/singles this summer? He’s always released one every other year, usually in August, so that would mean Aug. 2017 should be his next one?
June 9, 2017 @ 8:18 pm
Seak5 (above) seems to think we may get a new Luke single in a couple of weeks, which might line up well for an August release date. We’ll see.
June 9, 2017 @ 1:22 pm
Sam Hunt, please go to pop.
On the other hand, I’m actually kind of upset that Missing by William Michael Morgan dropped off of the charts a few weeks ago. That was an excellent song and deserved to be a hit. He deserves to be a huge star. It kinda sucks that Warner Nashville has three of the coolest artists in the mainstream: William Michael Morgan, Ashley Monroe, and Aubrie Sellers, and they would rather promote mediocre Blake Shelton and shitty Cole Swindell.
I really hope Drinkin’ Problem becomes at least a top 10 hit. By far, it is the most country sounding song in the top 60. In fact, I can only think of a handful of songs that actually sound country or somewhat country: Either Way, Tin Man (kinda more Americana but still more country than most), Heartache on the Dance Floor, and Five More Minutes, to name a few. There are a few songs that are far from country that still sound good (It Ain’t My Fault, I Could Use a Love Song, Doin’ Fine, and Every Little Thing, to name a few), but there aren’t many of them.
June 9, 2017 @ 2:16 pm
They did promote William Michael Morgan. The song just didn’t sell well or connect with radio listeners. The label is fully behind William Michael Morgan and his music. Otherwise they wouldn’t have sent him to radio.
June 9, 2017 @ 5:29 pm
Warner has promoted WMM a ton…sadly his stuff so far isn’t selling. It’s not ALWAYS the fault of the label.
June 9, 2017 @ 1:42 pm
Hey, do you know what happened with Maddie and Tae and their label situation? Do they still have a record deal?
June 9, 2017 @ 2:19 pm
There still has been no official news on that front. Last word was that since their deal was split with Big Machine and another company when Dot dissolved, they had to see if the contract could be reworked. I do know they’ve been playing new music. Sometimes these things can take months, or over a year to resolve.
June 11, 2017 @ 10:12 am
They are now signed to UMG music group. And hopefully new music will be on the way soon! 🙂
June 9, 2017 @ 2:36 pm
Also, looking like Tim McGraw’s ‘Operation Reinvigorate My Wife’s Career’ is off to a bad start as their song is looking dead in the water around #20 on the airplay chart. Hope he doesn’t kill his own radio career in the process.
June 9, 2017 @ 5:31 pm
seems reasonable considering she gave up her career so someone would be home with their kids, and he could continue to tour and be a party boy.
June 9, 2017 @ 5:39 pm
Yep, it’s totally impossible to be a mother and be with your kids and have a successful recording career. No one has ever done it. It’s not an either or.
Between Blake and Miranda and Tim and Faith you sure have all the inside marital info.
June 9, 2017 @ 5:58 pm
Look, the party boy thing is Tim’s own admission (& to his credit he recognized it had gone to far and made a change).
As to the other, it’s basically impossible to raise kids with two parents who travel all the time, once the kids are old enough to be in school and have activities of their own…unless you just want nannies to raise the kids. One parent basically has to be willing to spend more time at home. Not inside info, just logic/logistics.
Oh, and I have no problem with them making those choices. But since you seemed intent on bashing Faith, or implying that she was using Tim, it should probably be noted that her career was plenty fine when she stopped touring, but Tim continued to do so.
June 9, 2017 @ 6:10 pm
Where was I bashing Faith Hill? It was pretty widely talked about when he changed labels and then released a duet with her that it was an attempt to jump start her career. And my comment about his career was based on the fact that he may be the only mainstream performer consistently putting out quality music to radio and it would be too bad if his career was sidetracked. In this dumbassed radio system if you lose your place in line then it’s so long career but if that is what he wants to do then more power to him.
And it’s not basically impossible to raise kids with two parents who travel all the time. Schedules can be arranged and tours can be staggered or just record and tour lightly. It can and is done and I refuse to portray some multi millionaire woman as some kind of victim.
June 9, 2017 @ 6:13 pm
And seriously how do you know he made a change? I seriously dislike this kind of internet gossip about the private lives of celebrities. Maybe he has changed who knows and frankly I don’t care but spouting off about the inner workings of the lives of people you don’t even know is pretty sad.
June 9, 2017 @ 6:17 pm
Er, because he’s talked about it in basically a billion interviews (and I choose to not think he’s lying?) http://theboot.com/tim-mcgraw-faith-hill-fame-sobriety-family/
June 9, 2017 @ 6:44 pm
And I choose to not give a flip. I’m just not interested in the gossip of anybody’s marriage. I enjoy talking about the music and the business of the music and career strategies and things like that and I flat out don’t care about people’s marriages or their party habits or any thing like that and it bugs the hell out of me when people that don’t know jack act like they are bestest pals with these people.
June 9, 2017 @ 6:58 pm
You can choose not to care, but it’s not gossip when someone talks about it in interviews….repeatedly. Nor is it acting like you know them. Again, super public information.
Like people know about Jason Isbell’s addiction problem, and his sobriety, and again he’s done interviews, and it’s informed his music.
June 9, 2017 @ 7:12 pm
And it’s also not necessarily true. Or totally true anyway. I guess I’m just too cynical and don’t just automatically believe everything some celebrity says even if they’ve told it to The Boot and Taste Of Country forty times.
And maybe this stuff ‘informs’ their music or whatever but I don’t need to know about it all to enjoy the music. At all.
June 11, 2017 @ 7:50 am
In her defense both Tim and Faith have talked about it. It’s not gossip when it’s straight from the horses mouth.
June 9, 2017 @ 8:51 pm
They are on UMG Nashville now as according to our email of their superfans who saw the girls in person
Before anyone says Big Machine screwed them over. They were apparently part of both labels so when Dot fell theough, UMG basically automatically picked the duo up.
June 9, 2017 @ 8:53 pm
Sorry wrong person. to reply I meant to reply Trigger
June 9, 2017 @ 5:36 pm
Do I think Brett Young’s single is mediocre and forgettable? Yes. But…it’s sold like hot cakes and is incredibly popular. It’d be sort of ridiculous if it hadn’t gone #1. I can somewhat separate what I like vs what radio “should” play. And this was a song that country radio should have been & was playing.
June 9, 2017 @ 5:47 pm
This song isn’t terrible…it’s not fantastic, but definitely better than some of what I heard while listening on my way home today (it’s been awhile since I turned on my radio). And my 80-something year old grandma loves this song, as does my uncle who basically listens to anything…so apparently it’s being enjoyed by a wide audience.
June 9, 2017 @ 6:17 pm
Yep, it’s totally bland but like the Sam Hunt song it is definitely a hit. It’s too bad that this goofy system has created so many phony ‘hits’ but every now and then a song comes along that clearly connects with people. Just wish it was better quality songs doing the connecting but sadly that is not to be I guess.
June 9, 2017 @ 8:54 pm
How is it a phony hit if it connects really well with people?
June 9, 2017 @ 9:01 pm
I said the Young song isn’t phony I was referring to so many of these other songs that are pushed to number one and the disappear immediately. The system is too rigged right now.
June 9, 2017 @ 6:31 pm
just wanted to publicly admit to not only really enjoying “Tin Man” but also performing it.
in spite of all my criticisms of Mrianda and her stupid music, Tin Man spoke to me, as in spoke to me in ways that no radio single has done in years, at least in a decade.
And my super-star in the making wanted to perform it and I agreed.
So most of my musical energy these days is in being her backing band… I’ve lost the drive to do it myself but she’s keeping me motivated and so all my musical output outside of what I play for fun has been with her career in mind… and she loved Tin Man (actually she did a duet with some guy via one of those sing together websites first time I heard the tune and then heard it on radio after that) but she talked me into performing it.
June 9, 2017 @ 8:28 pm
What happened to Tucker Bathard? Miranda Lambert hasn’t had a top !0 hit since “something Bad” with Carrie Underwood. Someone need to get Sam Hunt out of the #1 spot on Hot Country songs chart.
June 10, 2017 @ 5:10 am
Tucker Beathard? He was on Dot Records. His first EP didn’t sell well (3.900 units – 10/31/2016 – Source is Roughstock) & “Momma & Jesus” crashed outside of the Billboard Country Airplay Charts Top 40.
He is listed as a Big Machine Records country artist now. On the Verge helped a lot to make “Rock On” a hit. He was the next best thing for a couple of weeks. Brett Young is the new golden boy for BMLG. Tucker Beathard will have to fight to reach the higher parts of the charts again.
What happened to “Happy People”? Wrong choice after “Better Man” in my opinion. Little Big Town better be careful with the next single or the current album-era will be over soon (& winning award after award).
Slow start on the charts for the new Jerrod Niemann, A Thousand Horses & Parmalee singles.
Slow climb for Brad Paisley (#38) & Jake Owen (#48). Looks like Jake Owens career is fizzling out.
The new Brett Eldredge single is not setting the charts on fire (#26).
No chart entry (so far) for Gary Allan, Tyler Farr & the god-awful Canaan Smith single.
Three artists “on the bubble”. The country field is so overcrowded with male singers & guys like Tyler Farr or Randy Houser are moved to the sideline for the next best pretty boy like Michael Ray.
June 10, 2017 @ 10:21 pm
Thank you for the information!
June 15, 2017 @ 3:59 am
Tucker Beathard is the most promising artist in country music today.
His songs engage by emotional power, deep insight, and creativity. His debut album is in the works and may be out in the fall.
“Momma and Jesus” is as powerful as any of his songs but may have suffered chart-wise as it coincided with the closing of Dot Records …plus the song requires an understanding of God, which some in the music industry may lack.
June 10, 2017 @ 3:17 am
Two of the weakest songs on TWOTW are Pink Sunglasses & We Should Be friends – both fun but forgettable. So many better songs on the album but it seems like she’s still hedging her bets – trying to appear as both a more mature Americana singer/songwriter and pop country star. Sadly it doesn’t seem possible to be both right now and still get radio success. Would love to see her ditch the pop entirely on the next album.
June 10, 2017 @ 6:44 am
Surprised to see Brad Paisley climbing at all, his Love and War album has been out 7 weeks and has sold just 45,900 copies at last report. Stick a fork in him. Thanks to SCM I’ve become a big fan of Aaron Watson, he’s on my regular playlist now — so thanks for that! Dwight Yoakam’s acoustic album saved my life about 15 years ago so he’s chiseled in stone on my playlist, along with Johnny Cash’s American Recordings and Willie Nelson’s Stardust and a few others.