The beginning of July means that 2018 is halfway over, which is the perfect opportunity to reflect on some of the noteworthy achievements from the past six months, including the Top 3 Best-Selling Country Albums released in 2018 . . . so far. There have been a number of outstanding releases in 2018, including Kacey…
Many performers and winners at the 60th Grammy Awards on Jan. 28 got a coveted “Grammy Sales Boost,” including Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton. According to Nielsen Music, songs performed (and original versions of songs performed) sold 74,000 downloads on Jan. 28, an increase of 58,000 downloads from the previous day. Check out some…
According to Nielsen Music, Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” is the Top-Selling Digital Song of 2017, moving more than 1.8 million units. “Body Like a Back Road” spent a record 34 weeks atop Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, and it outpaced its closest competitor in sales—Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know”—by almost…
Can you believe 2017 is already halfway over? Well, it is, which means it’s time to crunch a few numbers. Over the last six months, a plethora (yes, a plethora) of country artists have released new albums, including offerings from Chris Stapleton, Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Band, Lauren Alaina, Brantley Gilbert, Josh Turner, Little Big…
When Billboard released its Top Country Albums chart this week, a familiar name kept popping up in the Top 25: Taylor Swift, who had the No. 47 (Taylor Swift), No. 21 (Speak Now), No. 19 (Fearless) and No. 13 (Red) albums on the chart. In addition, 1989 (her non-country album) was No. 31 on the…
According to Billboard and Nielsen Music, individual track sales took a hit in 2016, dropping from 113.9 million units sold in 2015 to 87.5 million units in 2016. Even with the 26.4-million decline, two artists managed to release singles that soared over the 1-million mark: Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y” (1.37 million) and Tim McGraw’s “Humble…
According to Nielsen Music’s 2016 mid-year charts, Chris Stapleton, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett and Sam Hunt have had a pretty good six-month run. The foursome dominated six different mid-year charts. Chris reached the top spot on both the Top 10 Country Albums chart and the Top 10 Selling Country Albums chart with his debut solo…
Chase McDaniel believes that listening to music in real-time can have a significant impact on listeners, rather than letting an algorithm choose what they hear. The new country artist recalls three life-changing moments he’s had while hearing songs on country radio, and McDaniel hopes his first radio single, “Burned Down Heaven,” has a similar effect…
Lainey Wilson will make her feature film debut in the Universal adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, Reminders of Him. The Grammy-winning country superstar will join a star-studded cast that includes Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, and Lauren Graham, with the film set to be directed by Vanessa Caswill. This won’t be Wilson’s first…
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kacey Musgraves clarified her previous comments on her marijuana use, revealing that she still smokes, though not to the extent she did when she was younger. “I never said I don’t ever partake,” says the 36-year-old singer. “I just don’t wake up and hit a gravity bong…
Reba McEntire has been one of the top female country stars since the ’80s, but she realizes she wouldn’t be anywhere without the support of her dedicated fans. In the new Variety cover feature on McEntire as part of their Power Of Women Nashville issue, the 70-year-old country music icon says she owes everything to…
In a new interview with Variety for their Power of Women Nashville issue, Sheryl Crow reflected on the evolving landscape of women in music, while celebrating the rise of young and talented female musicians. “The caliber of writing is just so good with Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, and Phoebe Bridgers, and these women are not…