NashvilleGab - Country music news and Nashville celebrity gossip

Chart Roundup – Week of May 25th, 2013

Not a lot has changed at the top since last week, as Florida Georgia Line seem to have a pretty stable monopoly at #1 across Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay and Country Digital Songs, with their hit singles ‘Cruise’ (plus the remix featuring Nelly) and ‘Get Your Shine On’. They’re also occupying #5 on Hot Country Songs, #7 on Country Digital Songs and #6 on Top Country Albums, making them virtually impossible to avoid in country music these days. Also remaining static on the charts is Darius Rucker with ‘Wagon Wheel’, close behind at #2 on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay and #3 on Country Digital Songs. To add to this little rivalry at the top, Blake Shelton (featuring Pistol Annies and friends) is at #3 on Hot Country Songs with ‘Boys Round Here’, and #2 on Country Digital Songs, while he has yet to climb past #7 on Country Airplay. Blake’s 2013 album ‘Based On A True Story…’ drops to #4.

Tim McGraw is also enjoying the rising popularity of his collaboration single with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, ‘Highway Don’t Care’. It’s at #4 on Hot Country Songs, #5 on Country Airplay, and #4 on Country Digital Songs. As you can probably tell, each chart reflects a fairly similar story this week. Good news for Lady Antebellum fans, as their fourth album ‘Golden’ has debuted in at #1 this week, with their lead single ‘Downtown’ still performing well across the charts, #8 on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay and #10 on Country Digital Songs. Kenny Chesney is also enjoying success with ‘Pirate Flag’, reaching #3 on Country Airplay, #11 on Country Digital Songs and #7 on Hot Country Songs. His brand new album, ‘Life On A Rock’, drops to #3 this week.

In addition, Miranda Lambert is retaining her presence with ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’, at #4 on Country Airplay and #6 on Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, although there are signs things are starting to drop off. This is not the case for Luke Bryan, whose lead single from his upcoming fourth record ‘Crash My Party’ is gaining momentum, reaching #5 on Country Digital Songs, #9 on Hot Country Songs and #14 on Country Airplay.

As for new releases, well there are plenty. The Pistol Annies’ ‘Annie Up’ came in at #2 on Top Country Albums, and its release date partner ABC’s ‘Nashville Soundtrack Volume 2’ came in at #5. This aided the gaining of 5 places for Volume 1. Another compilation makes it at #10, ‘Now That’s What I Call A Country Party’, and Craig Campbell’s ‘Never Forget’ debuted at #27, while Lenny Cooper is at #34 with ‘Mud Dynasty’. Dailey & Vincent just make the chart with ‘Brothers of The Highway’ at #40. But it’s not just about albums. Other new releases include Danielle Bradbery’s ‘Maybe It Was Memphis’ (#9 on Country Digital Songs and #25 on Hot Country Songs) and Lauren Alaina’s ‘Barefoot And Buckwild’ (#25 on Country Digital Songs).

Honorable mentions this week go to George Strait, Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Hunter Hayes, The Band Perry, Jason Aldean and Jake Owen.

Check back next Thursday for another chart roundup!

Chart Roundup – Week of May 18th, 2013

Hey guys, my chart roundup is back after a month out! I hope you missed me.

Hot Country Songs remains oddly static at the top, with Florida Georgia Line continuing their successful run at #1 with ‘Cruise’, which also holds onto #1 on Country Digital Songs. What’s more, their most recent single ‘Get Your Shine On’, has the top spot on Country Airplay, #7 on Country Digital Songs and #5 on Hot Country Songs. Is there any chart this duo can’t dominate? Turns out that chart is Top Country Albums, as Kenny Chesney’s ‘Life On A Rock’ debuts at #1, while ‘Here’s To The Good Times’ trails at #5. The lead single from Kenny’s new record, ‘Pirate Flag’, is at #8 on Hot Country Songs and #4 on Country Airplay, nearing the top ten with #12 on Country Digital Songs.

Darius Rucker is also doing well, his hit ‘Wagon Wheel’ remaining at #2 on Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, and #3 on Country Airplay. The same goes for Blake Shelton, hot on his heels with ‘Boys Round Here’ (featuring Pistol Annies and friends) at #3 on both Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs. He moves up to #9 on Country Airplay at a steady rise, while his album ‘Based On A True Story…’ drops to #2 this week. His wife, Miranda Lambert, sees ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ retain its position at #4 on Hot Country Songs, #5 on Country Digital Songs, and move up to the anticipation-filled #2 spot on Country Airplay. Will she top the chart next week?

Tim McGraw is also a key player on the charts, as his collaboration with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, ‘Highway Don’t Care’, holds onto #6 on Hot Country Songs, while it sits at #4 on Country Digital Songs and #6 on Country Airplay. ‘Two Lanes of Freedom’, Tim’s latest album, is at #14. Luke Bryan is also rising up the charts with ‘Crash My Party’, at #6 on Country Digital Songs, moving up to #9 on Hot Country Songs, and #17 on Country Airplay. In addition, Hunter Hayes’ ‘I Want Crazy’ is right behind him, reaching #10 on Hot Country Songs, #8 on Country Digital Songs and #21 on Country Airplay. Also of note, Lady Antebellum’s ‘Downtown’ is hanging on in there in the top ten, at #7 on Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs, and dropping down to #10 on Country Digital Songs. Their fourth album, ‘Golden’, has just been released this week and will impact the chart from next week. Also to impact next week include the Pistol Annies with ‘Annie Up’, and ABC’s ‘Nashville’ soundtrack, volume 2.

New releases include ‘Hey Girl’ from Billy Currington, at #9 on Country Digital Songs, as well as ‘Trouble’ the new album from Randy Rogers Band at #3, and ‘Rose Queen’ by William Clark Green, #34 on Top Country Albums. After George Jones’ passing, his album ‘The Great LOST Hits’ jumps 16 places to #35. There is a re-entry from Carrie Underwood’s new single ‘See You Again’, which being so new is struggling to match the chart power of her previous singles.

Honorable mentions go to Thompson Square, George Strait, Brad Paisley, The Band Perry, Eric Church, Jason Aldean and Taylor Swift.

Come by next Thursday for another instalment of my Billboard chart roundup.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Tim McGraw Premieres Video For "Highway Don't Care" Live To Fans On May 6! (from the mailbag)

Country superstar Tim McGraw is unveiling his video for "Highway Don't Care" with Taylor Swift, featuring Keith Urban on guitar, live to fans worldwide on Monday, May 6 in a first-ever music video premiere event with Google+ Hangout. The video, directed by Shane Drake, features dramatic and heart-stopping footage for the triple threat collaboration that is driving to the top of the charts. Currently in the Top 10 on the country radio charts, the track has already sold over 500,000 downloads to date and is the third single from McGraw's latest album, TWO LANES OF FREEDOM. McGraw will premiere the video in Nashville at 4:00 PM CST in front of a live audience with fans from around the globe also participating in this landmark event. Additionally, the Google+ Hangout will be livestreamed on YouTube.com/TimMcGraw. For more details, visit TimMcGraw.com or Google.com/+TimMcGraw. 

Curb sues Tim McGraw for the zillionth time. Here's an attorney's take on things

Wow. I have to say that I'm kind of in awe of how relentless Curb Records has been in pursuing Tim McGraw and getting just one last album from him.

It almost makes you wonder if Tim would have been better off just recording a last album with Curb and being done with it all. 

Anyway, after years of legal wrangling, Curb's back at it again, this time suing in federal court stating that Tim's recently released "Two Lanes of Freedom" actually belongs to them. They've now sued for copyright infringement. 

You can read the actual lawsuit here.

I'm horrid at explaining legal mumbo jumbo so I asked my friend Lorendasue, a licensed Tennessee attorney, to give her take on the latest developments. Here's what she had to say:

You've probably read by now that Curb Records sued Tim McGraw and Big Machine Records in the federal U.S. District Court in Nashville on Monday. What you may not have read is that the lawsuit which Curb has had against McGraw since 2011 in state court in Nashville was discontinued by Curb on Monday, also. You should recall that Curb and McGraw were battling in state court over whether McGraw had breached his recording contract with Curb (which stretches back to 1997, but most of the current disagreement is under a 2001 change in the contract) by not delivering the music for the masters for his "Emotional Traffic" album within the time frame Curb claimed was called for under the contract.

Chart Roundup – Week of April 20th, 2013 (ACMs Special)

Post-ACMs a number of artists have had a bit of a sales boost this week. Florida Georgia Line are back at #1 with ‘Cruise’ long after its peak as a single on Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, after they performed it in Vegas last Sunday. Their latest single ‘Get Your Shine On’ drops down to #6 on Hot Country Songs, climbs to #8 on Country Airplay, but drops to #9 on Country Digital Songs, and their album ‘Here’s To The Good Times’ leaps three places to #3. Also enjoying some success after their appearance on the ACMs are Tim McGraw’s, Taylor Swift’s and Keith Urban’s track ‘Highway Don’t Care’, which goes up four places on Hot Country Songs to #7, as well as #4 on Country Digital Songs and #14 on Country Airplay. The song is taken from Tim’s album ‘Two Lanes of Freedom’, which unfortunately drops five places to #17 this week.

New on Netflix instant streaming: Tim McGraw in "Dirty Girl" (country on Netflix)

If you love country music and you love watching movies on Netflix's streaming service then you're in luck because I always keep track of what's new in country singers on Netflix. 

This morning we have Tim McGraw in "Dirty Girl" available to stream now if you have a Netflix account. 

What better way to start a work week then by watching a streaming movie?

Stream it here. 

 

 

Chart Roundup – Week of March 16th, 2013

This week Hot Country Songs has remained pretty static at the top, with Blake Shelton’s ‘Sure Be Cool If You Did’ holding onto the top spot, both there and on Country Digital Songs. It rises two places to #5 on Country Airplay. The same is true for Hunter Hayes with ‘Wanted’, which stays at #2 on Hot Country Songs for its 54^th week on the chart. However, it is down to #5 on Country Digital Songs, with Hunter’s latest single ‘Somebody’s Heartbreak’ sticking to #19 on the same chart. This song is at #6 on Country Airplay however, and #12 on Hot Country Songs, the self-titled album dropping to #7.

The Band Perry are also continuing to do well, with ‘Better Dig Two’ still at #3 on Hot Country Songs, #4 on Country Airplay and #6 on Country Digital Songs. ‘Done’, their new single, has not yet entered the chart. Tim McGraw is also riding high, #4 on Hot Country Songs with ‘One Of Those Nights’, #1 again on Country Airplay but down to #10 on Country Digital Songs. ‘Two Lanes Of Freedom’, the accompanying album, is at #3. Miranda Lambert is finally leaping up the charts after the release of the music video for ‘Mama’s Broken Heart. The single has climbed up to #7 on Hot Country Songs and #2 on Country Digital Songs, while still trailing at #14 on Country Airplay. The album, ‘Four The Record’ drops to #14 for its 70^th week on the chart.

It’s a mixed bag for Carrie Underwood, whose ‘Two Black Cadillacs’ remains at #5 on Hot Country Songs, falling to #8 on Country Digital Songs yet leaping three places to find #3 on Country Airplay. ‘Blown Away’, her previous single, is still proving moderately popular despite being out for months, at #22 on Hot Country Songs and #21 on Country Digital Songs, although it takes a massive fall from last week where it was #12. The album of the same name is at #10 on Top Country Albums. Another act climbing up are Lady Antebellum. ‘Downtown’ is now at #6 on Hot Country Songs, #4 on Country Digital Songs, and #9 on Country Airplay.

There are several new entries on the chart this week, including albums from Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell (‘Old Yellow Moon’ - #4) and The Mavericks (‘In Time’ - #8). As for singles, Connie Britton (playing Rayna James in ABC’s ‘Nashville’) just enters Country Digital Songs at #25 with ‘Stronger Than Me’. In addition, Blake Shelton’s ‘Ten Times Crazier’ comes in on the same chart at #20.

Other big charters include Little Big Town with ‘Tornado’ (#2 on Country Airplay), Florida Georgia Line with ‘Get Your Shine On’ (a recent music video has seen it shoot up to #3 on Country Digital Songs), Lee Brice with ‘I Drive Your Truck’ (#7 on Country Airplay) and Taylor Swift, more specifically with the album ‘Red’ (#1 on Top Country Albums). Honorable mentions go to Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Aldean, Gary Allan, Kenny Chesney, Thompson Sqaure and George Strait. Eric Church’s huge stayer ‘Chief’ falls slightly to #12 for its 84^th week, while his current single ‘Like Jesus Does’ remains at #24 on Country Digital Songs and #26 on Hot Country Songs, hopping five places to #17 on Country Airplay.

Tune in next week for another edition of my Billboard Chart Roundup.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Tim McGraw reportedly has a secret son

Well now here's a nice juicy bit hitting the rumor mill. 

According to The National Enquirer (via Radar Online), Tim McGraw has been hiding a "secret son" from everyone, including his wife, Faith Hill. 

Okay, it's not actually as juicy as it sounds because Tyler Zarbo, the "secret son," isn't biologically Tim's. Apparently, Tim was engaged to the 23-year-old's mom, Kristine Donahue, way back when and Tim basically adopted the boy, helping to raise him even after he married Faith and had kids of his own. 

"Tim McGraw was like a father to me when I was growing up," Tyler told the Enquirer in an exclusive interview.

"He saw me as the son he never had, and we've stayed in contact. I wish he could have remained as my substitute dad, but it just wasn't meant to be."

I'm not sure why this is news that would need to be kept hidden from Faith, but the Enquirer seems pretty excited to report it. Personally, I think if Tim stuck around to be a father for the boy even after his relationship with his ex-fiancé went sour, that's pretty damn awesome of him. If he kept it secret from Faith, however, that kind of stinks. 

Here's a Florida mugshot (arrest reasons here) of Tyler. 

Kind of a cutie despite this being a mugshot. 

Chart Roundup – Week of March 9th, 2013

Blake Shelton’s ‘Sure Be Cool If You Did’, has become his 8^th consecutive #1 song as of this week on Hot Country Songs, and his 13^th overall, also hitting #1 on Country Digital Songs. On Country Airplay it trails at #7, but is up 3 places from last week, with only 4 weeks until his upcoming album ‘Based On A True Story’ will enter the chart. Hunter Hayes is down from Blake’s surge, to #2 on both Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, with ‘Somebody’s Heartbreak’, his current single, slowing making its way up Country Airplay to #8 this week and #10 on Hot Country Songs. Overall his self-titled album drops to #4.

The Band Perry are still riding high, with ‘Better Dig Two’ remaining at #3 on Hot Country Songs, rising to #3 on Country Digital Songs, but being knocked off the top spot on Country Airplay by Tim McGraw’s ‘One Of Those Nights’ being spurned on by the success of his new album, ‘Two Lanes Of Freedom’. The Band Perry’s new single ‘Done’ was only released to radio last week, and thus has yet to impact the charts, but the impending release of their sophomore album ‘Pioneer’ on April 2 will certainly produce momentum for the group. When it comes to Tim McGraw, who topped TBP at radio, for a seasoned artist in his mid-40s he’s certainly not letting it stand in his way. As well as his 33^rd Country Airplay #1, He’s back up to #4 on Hot Country Songs, at #6 on Country Digital Songs, and holding on to the #2 spot on Top Country Albums.

Lady Antebellum’s ‘Downtown’ is creeping up the radar during their 3^rd week on the chart with a #4 spot on Country Digital Songs, up to #9 on Hot Country Songs, and #12 on Country Airplay. Their new album ‘Golden’ will be released May 7, so still time for ‘Downtown’ to dominate the charts before the new record drops. Carrie Underwood hasn’t been so lucky, as the rise on the charts she experienced last week possibly due to the new inclusion of YouTube streams has tailed off a little, meaning ‘Two Black Cadillacs’ is down to #5 on Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, although it’s up two places to #6 on Country Airplay. The album, ‘Blown Away’ is down to #7, the title track dropping 11 places on Hot Country Songs to #21, and 7 places to #12 on Country Digital Songs.

It’s been a mixed bag for Taylor Swift too. With ‘Begin Again’ up at #3 on Country Airplay this week after accusations flying of the label using payola to push a single many argue is past its peak, it falls to #16 on Hot Country Songs and leaves the Country Digital Songs chart altogether. Meanwhile the previous single ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ is persevering at #11 on Country Digital Songs and #12 on Hot Country Songs. Other tracks holding mid-top 10 places across the charts are Little Big Town’s ‘Tornado’ (#6 on Hot Country Songs), Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Cruise’ (#7 on Hot Country Songs) and Gary Allan’s ‘Every Storm’ (#8 on Hot Country Songs). Florida Georgia Line’s new single ‘Get Your Shine On’ is also doing well after a video was released (#9 on Country Digital Songs), with their album at #3, while Miranda Lambert’s ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ and Lee Brice’s ‘I Drive Your Truck’ appear to be on the cusp of hitting it big.

Honorable mentions go to Kenny Chesney, Kacey Musgraves, Dierks Bentley and Jason Aldean, and Eric Church is back in the top 10 again with his long-staying award-winning album ‘Chief’, in its 83^rd week. The just-released 5^th single from the album ‘Like Jesus Does’ leapfrogs 9 places to #24 on Country Digital Songs this week.

Tune in next week for a new chart roundup.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Chart Roundup – Week of March 2nd, 2013

Hunter Hayes continues (and extends) his renewed strength on the charts this week with hit song ‘Wanted’, potentially due to Billboard’s recent announcement of inclusion of YouTube views (using official audio) in compiling the charts. He remains at #1 on Hot Country Songs, and jumps up to #1 from #5 on Country Digital Songs. In addition, his latest single ‘Somebody’s Heartbreak’ climbs up one place to #9 on Country Airplay, with his self-titled album finding itself two spots higher at #3 this week. Blake Shelton also seems to be affected by the methodology change as well as general popularity, his January release ‘Sure Be Cool If You Did’ now up to #2 on Hot Country Songs, #10 on Country Airplay, and #2 on Digital Country Songs. His new album ‘Based On A True Story’ (due March 26) no doubt will also do well.

However, The Band Perry aren’t letting go of their chart domination just yet. They remain at #1 on Country Airplay with ‘Better Dig Two’ this week, #3 on Hot Country Songs and actually move up the chart to #4 on Country Digital Songs. Their new album, ‘Pioneer’, is due April 2 and no doubt will also shake up the sometimes slow-moving album chart. YouTube plays also seem to have aided Carrie Underwood, the climber of the week, as the plodding climb of ‘Two Black Cadillacs’ for several months has finally sped up to allow the song to find #4 on Hot Country Songs, leap seven places up to #3 on Country Digital Songs, and has also moved up to #8 on Country Airplay. Her album, ‘Blown Away’ is back at #6 on Top Country Albums for its 42^nd week on the chart, with the single of the same name having a new lease of life, jumping back into the top 10 of Hot Country Songs, from last week’s place of #19. It also is now at #5 on Country Digital Songs, seven places higher than it was last week.