Turnpike Troubadours Shake Up Country Albums Chart with “A Long Way From Your Heart”
The Turnpike Troubadours have just crashed the mainstream party at the top of the Billboard Country Albums chart with the release of their latest record, A Long Way From Your Heart. The album debuted at #3 on the grid, with strong sales behind their critically-acclaimed effort that continues to place them near the very top of independent country music. Signed to Thirty Tigers, and with little help from radio beyond regional play in Oklahoma and Texas, they continue to show what quality music and grassroots efforts can result in.
This is the second time the Oklahoma-based outfit has scored an impressive position on the Billboard charts. Turnpike’s self-titled record from 2015 also debuted at #3. Their new album was beaten out on the charts by two other debuts from major label artists: Chris Young’s Losing Sleep, which came in at #1 with roughly 32,000 albums sold, and Darius Rucker’s When Was the Last Time, which hit #2 with 30,000 units moved. A Long Way From Your Heart sold approximately 18,000 records to land at #3.
READ: “A Long Way From Your Heart” Should Be Turnpike Troubadours’ National Moment
Also on the Country Albums chart, Chris Stapleton continues to impress, holding at #6 with his 2015 record Traveller, and #8 with 2017’s From ‘A’ Room: Vol. 1. With From A Room Vol. #2 on the way in December, it gives Stapleton the very real possibility of having three albums in the top of the charts simultaneously.
Margo Price’s All American Made also debuts at #12, with roughly 7,000 albums sold. The chart position is slightly down from her first solo record Midwest Farmers Daughter, which came in at #10, though the initial sales for All American Made are slightly up from her freshman effort. Willie Nelson comes in at #19 with the second installment in his B-sides “Willie’s Stash” series with Willie & The Boys, which features mostly Hank covers with his sons Lukas and Micah.
Also as a notable chart distinction for an independent artist, Aaron Watson has now cracked the Top 20 on country radio with his current single “Outta Style.” It currently sits at #18, stretching the ceiling for what independent artists can accomplish on country radio as well. Also surprising, oldtimer Garth Brooks right now sits at #9 on radio with “Ask Me How I Know.”
October 31, 2017 @ 11:37 am
Congrats to them. I saw them at the Opry in August and they were a highlight of a great night.
I have not been paying much attention to sales numbers lately, but WOW. wow. wow. #1 with 32,000 sold.
October 31, 2017 @ 12:49 pm
“#1 with 32,000 sold”
Well, at least they’re out-selling classical cd’s. What’s it going to be next year, 16,000?
October 31, 2017 @ 2:44 pm
Probably. I suspect in the next year or two, what little selection retailers like Target and Walmart have for CD’s will be completely eliminated. Streaming, for better or worse, is completely taking over and I don’t see that train slowing down anytime soon. Especially as more and more people transition from having CD players in the house to Amazon Echo’s and Google Home’s and newer cars phase out CD players in favor of Android auto software.
October 31, 2017 @ 4:27 pm
I wonder if CDs won’t quickly become something like vinyl where a certain type of fan will want a physical product as opposed to an ephemeral type of experience that streaming provides.
October 31, 2017 @ 5:12 pm
That is me all the way. I still buy CDs and Vinyl. I don’t understand why people don’t. Most of the time you get the digital download with it.
October 31, 2017 @ 7:37 pm
Uncompressed audio for me too, thanks. I want to hear what the artist heard.
November 1, 2017 @ 8:23 am
I bought a new truck last December. It doesn’t have a CD player. That took a little while to get used to. Luckily all my favorite music is on my phone, so I just play it over the bluetooth.
October 31, 2017 @ 11:41 am
I have been wondering about how the sales went for this album–I was really hoping it would land higher than their last one. Boo. It’s a fantastic album though, and I suppose it’s still a decent showing.
October 31, 2017 @ 1:22 pm
Really hard week going up against to higher level mainstream stars.
October 31, 2017 @ 7:37 pm
I’m so far out of the mainstream audience, I wasn’t even aware of any other releases that day!
October 31, 2017 @ 12:30 pm
Margo Price only in at #12 expected higher than that it’s a very good album as is The Turnpike Troubadours
Willies album may be a collection of very old standards but it’s a great listen
October 31, 2017 @ 5:15 pm
Call me crazy, but I think Margo’s political songs hurt her. I am not saying that I agree or disagree with them, but this shiiittttttt isssss sooooo playyyeeeddd outttt!
It was like when I was in Grad school, you knew what was gonna come out of these kids mouth before they even spoke when discussing issues. It is so uninspired. Everything on these topics has already been said.
I actually think the album was lame, regardless.
November 1, 2017 @ 12:46 pm
I don’t understand why artists alienate 50% of their fan base by taking publicly taking political positions, either side. Her Tiny Desk concert was awesome, then she rips off her button down to display a “F*** Trump” shirt and I’m just like what an idiot. I get Tiny Desk is NPR so maybe that audience skews left, but her base has to be Trump supporters who may not go to another concert after seeing that.
November 2, 2017 @ 7:02 am
Because sometimes, that’s what “artists” (e.g., not pure entertainers) do.
The Tiny Desk concert was great. One of the best I’ve seen. I’ve watched it about 10 times. It was recorded the day after the election. You can see that she’s heartbroken as she sings All American Made.
She was in DC on tour and played The Hamilton that night. I had thought of going, but I had seen her at The Birchmere in NoVA a few months earlier and I have to be somewhat strategic with my time as far as concerts go.
I think the shirt said Icky Trump and she probably got it from her label Third Man Records, which is owned by Jack White. Icky Thump is the title track from the last White Stripes album. It shouldn’t be too surprising that Margo might find Ol’ Grab ‘Em By The Pussy Donny to be on the icky side.
October 31, 2017 @ 3:39 pm
Judging album sales is such a pain right now. One, streaming has made a lot of inroads, two, to counteract that a lot of acts are adding in concert bundles. So for instance Shania debuted with a huge number of “sales” but they were nearly all people who had bought tickets to her concert, and then received a cd with the ticket, not necessarily people who cared about the new album. Kenny is going to hit #1 on BB this week, bc he has a massive ticket bundle with his live album, not bc anyone cares about the album. Meanwhile Kelly Clarkson will be at #2, with no ticket bundle, so it’s all people who actually wanted the album (and this isn’t exclusive to country at all, see P!nk). It just makes it really hard to judge who is selling more albums. Then again it might not matter.
October 31, 2017 @ 4:23 pm
The Pink situation was the real eye opener. Just looking at her opening week you would think she was the biggest thing going right now but in reality it was the ticket bundle.
It seems like Billboard needs to make an adjustment because the numbers are becoming meaningless.
October 31, 2017 @ 8:28 pm
The Killers did this too. Judging by the numbers you would think they had basically no drop off from their last album 5 years ago, which would be impressive from a decade+ old rock band. Then they had something like a 90% drop the second week. I think Shania had a similar drop. I have to think Billboard will make adjustments at some point, similar to what they did with discounted albums.
November 1, 2017 @ 5:39 pm
U2 just announced new album, also complete with new tour, and ticket bundle. Dropping same week as Stapleton too. Sam Smith has a massive bundle (dropping this week), it’s getting ridiculous.
October 31, 2017 @ 5:16 pm
I want a Sturgill album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 1, 2017 @ 6:50 pm
I want a Sturgill album that’s actually country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 1, 2017 @ 6:50 pm
And I miss Little Joe…
October 31, 2017 @ 6:44 pm
Aaron Watson’s single is quite amazing. That thing looked dead to rights (and I believe Trigger even mentioned it at one point) when it stalled in the 30s, but it has mounted a heck of a comeback.
October 31, 2017 @ 7:33 pm
Yeah, but keep in mind it’s not selling at ALL. It’s not in the top 700 at itunes (all genre), only one other song in the top 40 isn’t inside the top 400. Either this song or Kip Moore’s getting to #1 are the two biggest examples of chart manipulation currently on the charts.
October 31, 2017 @ 8:53 pm
Kip Moore sounds like a lacrosse player from Maryland.
November 2, 2017 @ 12:21 pm
I work for Aaron Watson and there is no “chart manipulation” happening with the single at radio. Anyone who says otherwise is grossly misinformed. It’s just working – simple as that. It hasn’t been easy, but with a passionate team with a good song, and an artist who works hard in all phases of their career… many things are possible. We’ve been patient and hyper focused – something that everyone wants but sometimes cannot deliver for a variety of reasons. For the record, the Aaron project is completely self-funded by current and catalog music sales. Just smart business. Yes, we wish the single were selling more, but it’s not and that doesn’t make it any less of a success at radio, regardless of chart position.
November 1, 2017 @ 6:38 am
What a great band, have been a fan for a while. Look up cool in the dictionary and you will see their picture.
November 1, 2017 @ 8:27 am
“The Housefire” is all over Texas radio right now. I figure that helps the sales.
November 1, 2017 @ 10:48 am
Go Arron Watson!! Congrats to Thirty Tigers!! W/Turnpike & AW,that’s two victories.
December 1, 2017 @ 8:39 pm
Fairly on topic, I’m watching Wind River, and in the scene where Jeremy Renner’s character is reloading ammo, Diamonds and Gasoline is playing in the background. Glad a great movie gets great music.