COUNTRY CHARTBEAT (Read 14,324 times)

[countrychartnut]

Jan 21, 2015 15:42:12 GMT -6 ozbest1 said:

Thanks, CCN. I miss Brooks and Dunn. And I still think Ronnie Dunn has one of the best voices in country music. Wish they would tour again.

You're welcome.  Did you read the last paragraph?  They are doing Las Vegas shows with Reba McEntire.

[ozbest1]

Yes, I did know about the Vegas gig--I am just hoping that they tour sometime after Vegas so those of us who can't go to Vegas this year have a chance to see them again somewhere near our home cities. I should have made that clearer. My bad.

[countrychartnut]

1. A CHURCH #1: Eric Church tops the chart for the fifth time in his career with Talladega. It is from his current CD, The Outsiders. In the meantime, Church becomes the 124th artist to collect five chart topping hits. They are:
1. Drink In My Hand-2012
2. Springsteen-2012
3. The Only Way I Know-with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan-2013
4. Give Me Back My Hometown-2014
5. Talladega-2015
2. BRYAN EQUALS MCGRAW: At #2 for the week is the sixth single from Luke Bryan's Crash My Party CD, I See You. So far, all of those singles have hit the top two. They are:
1. Crash My Party-2013-#1
2. That's My Kind Of Night-2013-#2
3. Drink A Beer-2014-#1
4. Play It Again-2014-#1
5. Roller Coaster-2014-#1
6. I See You-2015-#2 so far
If I See You hits #1, Bryan will join Rodney Crowell, Brad Paisley, and Blake Shelton of having a CD with a quintet of chart topping hits. Bryan matches Tim McGraw's Everywhere CD as having six top twos. McGraw's sextet are:
1. It's Your Love-with Faith Hill-1997-#1
2. Everywhere-1997-#1
3. Just To See You Smile-1998-#1
4. One Of These Days-1998-#2
5. Where The Green Grass Grows-1998-#1
6. For A Little While-1999-#2
3. RAISING FAST: Keith Urban and Eric Church have the fastest climbing song of the week as Raise 'Em Up moves thirteen to #40.
4. EVEN MORE DUETS: Two more duets crack the top 60 this week. They are:
1. Diamond Rings And Old Barstools-Tim McGraw and Catherine Dunn-#51
2. Wild Child-Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter-#56
5. GOING FOR TWO: Maddie & Tae debut at #53 with their second single, Fly. Their debut, Girl In A Country Song became their first #1 hit in December. If Fly reaches the top, they will become the first female duo to take their first two singles to the top.
6. A 60S LOOK: These were the chart topping hits during the last week of January during the 1960s:
1960: El Paso-Marty Robbins-Columbia
1961: North To Alaska-Johnny Horton-Columbia
1962: Walk On By-Leroy Van Dyke-Mercury
1963: The Ballad Of Jed Clampett-Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs-Columbia
1964: Love's Gonna Live Here-Buck Owens-Capitol
1965: You're The Only World I Know-Sonny James-Capitol
1966: Giddyup Go-Red Sovine-Starday
1967: There Goes My Everything-Jack Greene-Decca
1968: Skip A Rope-Henson Cargill-Monument
1969: Daddy Sang Bass-Johnny Cash-Columbia
7. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: I am sensing a trend here. For the past two weeks, new songs from greatest hits CDs were featured in this section. First Dan Seals' One Friend from The Best was discussed while Brooks & Dunn's He's Got You from Greatest Hits Collection was profiled. Let us continue the pattern this week by exploring Ricky Van Shelton's Wild Man from Greatest Hits Plus. That was our #5 song 22 years ago this week.
The track listing for Greatest Hits Plus is as follows:
1. Just As I Am-1993-#26
2. Wild Man-1993-#5
3. Somebody Lied-1987-#1
4. I've Cried My Last Tear For You-1990-#1
5. I'll Leave This World Loving You-1988-#1
6. Statue Of A Fool-1990-#2
7. I Am A Simple Man-1991-#1
8. Life Turned Her That Way-1988-#1
9. Keep It Between The Lines-1991-#1-chart wise, his biggest hit
10. Rockin' Years-with Dolly Parton-1991-#1
11. From A Jack To A King-1989-#1
12. Living Proof-1989-#1
13. Don't We All Have The Right-1988-#1
14. Wear My Ring Around Your Neck-1992-#26
The first single from the CD, Wear My Ring Around Your Neck first appeared on the Honeymoon In Vegas soundtrack. Repeated here, it was a remake of the Elvis Presley hit that peaked at #3 country, #2 pop, and #1 r&b in 1958. Shelton's version hit #26 during the summer of 1992. Second single, Wild Man was released in October. It found a spot in the top ten the following January at #5. That became the last top ten Shelton would have (his 17th with the first being 1987's Crime Of Passion-#7). The religious-themed Just As I Am ended the era on a #26 note. Shortly after that CD ran its course, Shelton was embroiled in controversy with the C.M.A.s. The C.M.A. had asked Shelton to sing a song that was in the wrong key for him (too high). He refused and the C.M.A. had him expelled from the building. It must have had an affect on his recording career. His 1993 CD, A Bridge I Didn't Burn started with his lowest charted single to date, A Couple Of Good Years Left (#44). Shelton got back into the top 40 for the final time in 1994 with Where Was I (#20). His last CD for Columbia, Love And Honor yielded Wherever She Is (#49 in 1994) and Lola's Love (#62 in 1995).
After eight years at Columbia, Shelton was dropped by them. He signed to Vanguard Records in 1998. A CD was released called Making Plans. No singles charted. His last studio CD, Fried Green Tomatoes was released on the Audium label in 2000. His last chart appearance comes from that CD: The Decision (#71 in 2000). You can find Wild Man on two other greatest hits CDs:
1. Super Hits Vol. 2-1996
2. 16 Biggest Hits-1999
2006 marked the 20th anniversary of Shelton signing to the Columbia label. He used it as an opportunity to announce his retirement from the business. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING JANUARY 30, 1993:
1. Look Heart, No Hands-Randy Travis-Warner Bros.
2. Too Busy Being In Love-Doug Stone-Epic
3. Walkaway Joe-Trisha Yearwood and Don Henley-MCA
4. Life's A Dance-John Michael Montgomery-Atlantic
5. WILD MAN-RICKY VAN SHELTON-COLUMBIA
6. Can I Trust You With My Heart-Travis Tritt-Warner Bros.
7. Take It Back-Reba McEntire-MCA
8. Somewhere Other Than The Night-Garth Brooks-Capitol
9. In A Week Or Two-Diamond Rio-Arista
10. Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away-Vince Gill-MCA

[ozbest1]

Glad to see Eric get his #1 so that REU release is no longer a factor. Now he can enjoy watching REU climb the charts and hopefully earn another #1 along with Keith.

[countrychartnut]

1. I SEE BRYAN AT #1: For the eleventh time in his career, Luke Bryan has the top song in country. This time, it is the sixth single release from his current CD, Crash My Party. It is I See You. It is also the fifth #1 from the CD following:
1. Crash My Party-2013
2. Drink A Beer-2014
3. Play It Again-2014-chart wise, his biggest hit
4. Roller Coaster-2014
5. I See You-2015
In the meantime, the Crash My Party CD is the fourth in country music to contain a quintet of chart toppers. The others:
1. Diamonds & Dirt-Rodney Crowell
a. It's Such A Small World-with Rosanne Cash-1988
b. I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried-1988
c. She's Crazy For Leavin'-1989
d. After All This Time-1989
e. Above And Beyond-1989
2. 5th Gear-Brad Paisley
a. Ticks-2007
b. Online-2007
c. Letter To Me-2008
d. I'm Still A Guy-2008
e. Waitin' On A Woman-2008
3. Based On A True Story-Blake Shelton
a. Sure Be Cool If You Did-2013
b. Boys 'Round Here-2013
c. Mine Would Be You-2013
d. Doin' What She Likes-2014
e. My Eyes-2014
2. NOT THIS TIME: By sliding to #8 from #3, Carrie Underwood does not see the top two with Something In The Water. It breaks her streak of top two hits at 18, the longest by a female artist. Let us review that streak.
1. Jesus, Take The Wheel-2006-#1-chart wise, her biggest hit
2. Don't Forget To Remember Me-2006-#2
3. Before He Cheats-2006-#1
4. Wasted-2007-#1
5. So Small-2007-#1
6. All-American Girl-2008-#1
7. Last Name-2008-#1
8. Just A Dream-2008-#1
9. I Told You So-with Randy Travis-2009-#2
10. Cowboy Casanova-2009-#1
11. Temporary Home-2010-#1
12. Undo It-2010-#1
13. Mama's Song-2011-#2
14. Remind Me-with Brad Paisley-2011-#1
15. Good Girl-2012-#1
16. Blown Away-2012-#1
17. Two Black Cadillacs-2013-#2
18. See You Again-2013-#2
3. RED BOW'S SECOND: Chase Bryant collects his first top ten this week with Take It On Back at #10. He becomes the second artist on the Red Bow label to score a top ten following Joe Nichols. Nichols has two #1s there: Sunny And 75 (2013) and Yeah (2014-chart wise, his biggest hit).
4. RINGING FAST: Tim McGraw and Catherine Dunn have the fastest climbing song of the week with Diamond Rings And Old Barstools. It jumps fifteen to #36.
5. A 60S LOOK PART II: These were the top selling albums during the first week of February during the 1960s:
1964: Ring Of Fire: The Best Of Johnny Cash-Johnny Cash-Columbia
1965: I Don't Care-Buck Owens-Capitol
1966: My World-Eddy Arnold-RCA
1967: The Best Of Sonny James-Sonny James-Capitol
1968: By The Time I Get To Phoenix-Glen Campbell-Capitol
1969: Wichita Lineman-Glen Campbell-Capitol
6. A BLAST FROM THE PAST: Billboard gave Ronnie Milsap the Country Singles Artist of the Year Award in 1980. That year, he took four songs to #1. They were:
1. Why Don't You Spend The Night
2. My Heart-chart wise, his biggest hit and the top single according to the American Country Countdown and Billboard
3. Cowboys And Clowns
4. Smoky Mountain Rain
In 1981, Milsap's labelmate, Razzy Bailey won the same honor. That year, he took three double-sided hits to the top. They were:
1. I Keep Coming Back/True Life Country Music
2. Friends/Anywhere There's A Jukebox
3. Midnight Hauler/Scratch My Back And Whisper In My Ear
Well, title #1 was our top song 34 years ago this week (can't be title #3 as it was #1 in October and we are not in October yet).
Bailey's first success came in 1976 as a songwriter on Dickey Lee's 9,999,999 Tears (#3). Bailey released his version a decade earlier to no avail. Lee cut another Bailey tune, Peanut Butter (#21 in 1977). The following year, Bailey was offered a recording deal by SIX different labels. He chose RCA, the same label as Lee. His debut album for RCA, If Love Had A Face yielded his first hits. Those are:
1. What Time Do You Have To Back To Heaven-1978-#9
2. Tonight She's Gonna Love Me Like There Was No Tomorrow-1979-#6
3. If Love Had A Face-1979-#6
4. I Ain't Got No Business Doin' Business Today-1979-#10
His 1980 album, Razzy started his 'golden age' on the charts (would last until 1982). His first hit of the 1980s became his first top five hit: I Can't Get Enough Of You (#5). Too Old To Play Cowboy broke his streak of top tens at #13. The summer of 1980 saw Bailey release the first of five consecutive chart toppers, Loving Up A Storm. That hit #1 in October and the following month, his first double-sided hit was released, I Keep Coming Back/True Life Country Music. It hit the top in Februray 1981, a week before his 42nd birthday. I Keep Coming Back showcases his rich r&b vocals while True Life Country Music namedrops a lot of country artists, country songs, and country references.
With his first two RCA albums being successes, Bailey released a third called Makin' Friends. His second double sided hit topped the charts: Friends/Anywhere There's A Jukebox. He followed that with his third, Midnight Hauler/Scratch My Back And Whisper In My Ear. Midnight Hauler is Bailey's most uptempo tune. It is about trucks and trucking. Scratch My Back And Whisper In My Ear garnered enough airplay to chart on its own and became his only b-side to do so. It peaked at #8. In December 1981, two major events took place. They are:
1. She Left Love All Over Me from Feelin' Alright was released.
2. Bailey won the Country Singles Artist title from Billboard.
She Left Love All Over Me hit #1 in March, 1982. It was his fifth and final chart topping hit. Second single, Everytime You Cross My Mind You Break My Heart hit #10. Then, a gradual downturn in Bailey's chart fortunes began. His second 1982 album, A Little More Razz yielded his last top ten, Love's Gonna Fall Here Tonight (#8) and Poor Boy (#30 in 1983). 1983 saw Bailey release his first greatest hits album. It produced After The Great Depression (#19) and This Is Just The First Day (#62). His last album for RCA, The Midnight Hour (1984) yielded the title track, a remake of the Wilson Pickett classic (#21 pop and #1 r&b for Pickett in 1965, #14 for Bailey).
After six years at RCA, Bailey switched labels to MCA. Only two albums were released and his stock on the charts really fell. Those albums and singles were:
1. Cut From A Different Stone
a. Knock On Wood-1984-#29
b. Touchy Situation-1984-#43
c. Modern Day Marriages-1985-#51
2. Arrival
a. Fightin' Fire With Fire-1985-#78
b. Old Blue Yodeler-1985-#48
c. Rockin' In The Parkin' Lot-1986-#63
Bailey went without a label between 1987-2009. He released five singles between 1987-1991. His last charted single was But You Will in 1989 (#65). The most complete hits CD of Bailey's is 1999's Anthology on the Renaissance label. His version of 9,999,999 Tears is represented. His last CD was released in 2009 called Damned Good Time on SOA Records. Bailey remains the ONLY artist to score three consecutive chart topping double-sided hits.

Videos:
I Keep Coming Back: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF7SKm8WNEc
True Life Country Music: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkefuw-svGk

[countrychartnut]

1. SEEING DOUBLE: Luke Bryan continues to have the #1 song for the second week with I See You, the sixth single and fifth #1 from his current CD, Crash My Party.
2. THEIR TOP TWO STREAK CONTINUES: Florida Georgia Line advance one to #2 with Sun Daze, the second single from Anything Goes. So far, their first seven releases have hit the top two. They are:
1. Cruise-2012-#1
2. Get Your Shine On-2013-#1
3. 'Round Here-2013-#1
4. Stay-2014-#1-chart wise, their biggest hit
5. This Is How We Roll-with Luke Bryan-2014-#2
6. Dirt-2014-#1
7. Sun Daze-2015-#2 so far
3. REBA'S 88TH: At #40 for the week is Reba McEntire's debut Nash Icon single, Going Out Like That. It is her 88th top 40 hit, giving her the same number of top 40s as Conway Twitty. The top ten artists with the most top 40s are:
1. George Jones-145
2. Eddy Arnold-128
3. Johnny Cash-105
4. George Strait-98
5. Waylon Jennings-92
6. Merle Haggard-92
7. Dolly Parton-90
8. Conway Twitty-88
9. Reba McEntire-88
10. Webb Pierce-84
4. WILD AND FAST: Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter have the fastest climbing song of the week with Wild Child (#49 to #36).
5. A SECOND HIT: Carrie Underwood has the Hot Shot Debut of the week at #52 with Little Toy Guns. It is the second single off her Greatest Hits: Decade #1 CD. The first single, Something In The Water peaked at #3, breaking her top two streak at eighteen.
6. #1 HITS: These were the chart topping hits in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: The Truth-Jason Aldean-Broken Bow
2005: Bless The Broken Road-Rascal Flatts-Lyric Street
2000: Cowboy Take Me Away-Dixie Chicks-Monument
1995: Mi Vida Loca My Crazy Life-Pam Tillis-Arista
1990: On Second Thought-Eddie Rabbitt-Capitol
7. A BLAST FROM THE PAST: Sonny James entered the 1970s by collecting one of his biggest hits, It's Just A Matter Of Time, our #1 song from 45 years ago this week.
During James' amazing run of chart topping hits between 1967-1971, it was common for him to cover other people's hits. Those are:
1. I'll Never Find Another You-1967-#4 pop and #2 adult contemporary for the Seekers in 1964
2. A World Of Our Own-1968-#19 pop and #2 A.C. for the Seekers in 1965
3. Born To Be With You-1968-#5 pop for the Chordettes in 1956
4. Only The Lonely-1969-#2 pop for Roy Orbison in 1960
5. Running Bear-1969-#1 pop for Johnny Preston in 1960
6. Since I Met You, Baby-1969:
a. #12 pop and #1 r&b for Ivory Joe Hunter in 1956
b. #34 pop for Mindy Carson in 1956
c. #81 pop for Bobby Vee in 1960
7. It's Just A Matter Of Time-1970-#3 pop and #1 r&b for Brook Benton in 1959
8. My Love-1970-#1 pop and #4 A.C. for Petula Clark in 1966
9. Endlessly-1970-#12 pop and #3 r&b for Benton in 1959
10. Bright Lights, Big City-1971-#58 pop and #3 r&b for Jimmy Reed in 1961
Benton himself has been influenced by country music. Laura What's He Got That I Ain't Got was a #1 country hit for Leon Ashley in 1967. That year, Benton took his version to #78 pop and #37 A.C.. Frankie Laine, Claude King, Marty Robbins, and Kenny Rogers put out their version over the next several years. As for It's Just A Matter Of Time, that was written by Benton, Clyde Otis, and Belford Hendricks, who produced the tune for Benton. James' version was recorded in 1969. He released it as the title track of his 1969 album in January. It reached the top the following month, giving him #1s during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It stayed at the top for four weeks. It even managed a #87 peak on the pop chart. During the time James was #1, Benton scored his last big hit, Rainy Night In Georgia, a #4 pop, #2 A.C., and #1 r&b hit.
As for James, his chart topping streak was snapped by the #2 placing of Only Love Can Break A Heart in 1972. Coincidentally, that was a remake of the Gene Pitney classic of 1962 that hit #2 pop, #1 A.C., and #16 r&b. Benton himself has influenced country in a big way. Rainy Night In Georgia hit #13 in 1974 for Hank Williams, Jr.. It's Just A Matter Of Time resurfaced as a country hit two more times. Glen Campbell took his version to #7 in 1986 while Randy Travis scored a chart topper in 1989. A bunch of country and r&b artists got together to record the 1994 CD, Rhythm, Country And Blues. In 1993, Conway Twitty and Sam Moore (from Sam & Dave) recorded their version of Rainy Night In Georgia. After the recording session, Twitty told producer Don Was he wanted to do an r&b album. Was agreed. It was not to be. Twitty died a month later at the age of 59.
James' last chart appearance came in 1983 with Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes (#58). His last CD was released in 2002 called The Complete Columbia And Monument Hits. He was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

[ozbest1]

Thanks for all these interesting chart statistics, CCN! More later.

[countrychartnut]

1. DAZED AT #1: Florida Georgia Line score their sixth #1 hit this week with Sun Daze. It is the second release from their Anything Goes CD which has produced another #1 in last year's Dirt.
2. A LONELY TOP TEN: At #4 is Lonely Tonight by Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe while Chris Young enters the top ten at #8 with Lonely Eyes.
3. FAST AND WILD: For the second week, Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter have the fastest climbing song of the week with Wild Child (#36 to #26).
4. #1 CDS: These were the top selling CDs in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: Need You Now-Lady Antebellum-Capitol
2005: Be As You Are Songs From An Old Blue Chair-Kenny Chesney-BNA
2000: Fly-the Dixie Chicks-Monument
1995: The Hits-Garth Brooks-Capitol
1990: Killin' Time-Clint Black-RCA
5. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: Marie Osmond holds two records in country music (she does). They are:
1. Osmond was born in October, 1959. She scored her first #1 in November, 1973 with Paper Roses. At 14 years, 1 month, she becomes the youngest female artist to score a chart topping hit.
2. Osmond has the longest gap between SOLO #1 records for a female artist. From Paper Roses hitting #1 in November, 1973 to There's No Stopping Your Heart in February 1986, that is a gap of 12 years, 3 months. Naturally, the latter tune was our #1 song 29 years ago this week.
As for Paper Roses (the title track of her debut album), that was Osmond's first single and first crossover hit (#5 pop and #1 adult contemporary). Chart wise, it's her biggest country hit. She only managed one more major country hit, a duet with her brother, Donny Osmond on I'm Leaving It All Up To You in 1974, a #17 country hit that made appearances on pop (#4) and A.C. (#1) charts. Her second album, In My Little Corner Of The World yielded the title track in 1974 (#33). Another crossover hit was generated by the title track of her third album of 1975, Who's Sorry Now (#29 country, #40 pop, and #21 A.C.). Another duet with Donny, their remake of Make The World Go Away hit #71 country, #44 pop, and #31 A.C.. She only made one more country appearance during the 1970s and that was A-My Name Is Alice (#85 in 1976). She was off the country chart for six years. 1982 saw her charting with I've Got A Bad Case Of You (#74) and Back To Believing Again (#58). Another single release, Who's Counting hit #82 in 1984 (all on RCA Records).
1985 saw Osmond being signed to Capitol Records. Her first CD for them was There's No Stopping Your Heart. However, the first single kept Osmond hitless and that was Until I Fall In Love Again (#54). Second single, Meet Me In Montana was a duet with Dan Seals (also on his Won't Be Blue Anymore CD). That was released in July and topped the chart in October, giving Osmond her second #1 and Seals his first chart topper. The title track was next and that was released in November. It climbed all the way to the top in February 1986, giving Osmond her second solo #1 and first since Paper Roses. A fourth release, Read My Lips (a George Bush favorite for sure) hit #4 during the summer of 1986. With her country comeback complete, Osmond released another CD in I Only Wanted You (1986). The first single, You're Still New To Me was a duet with Paul Davis. It became her fourth and final #1 while becoming his first chart topper. While that song was on the charts, two major events took place. They are:
1. Osmond married Brian Blosil.
2. Osmond and Seals won the C.M.A. Vocal Duo of the Year Award.
I Only Wanted You kicked off Osmond's 1987 on a #14 note, becoming her last major hit. She followed that with her last top 40, Everybody's Crazy 'Bout My Baby at #24. The fourth and final single, Cry Just A Little hit #50. Her 1988 CD, All In Love yielded Without A Trace (#50), Sweet Life with Davis (#47) that was a remake of Davis' hit of 1978 (#85 country, #17 pop, and #7 A.C.), and I'm In Love And He's In Dallas (#59). Steppin' Stone was released in 1989 produced the title track (#70) and Slowly But Surely (#75). Another single, Let Me Be The First did not chart. Her association with Capitol ended in 1990, so her greatest hits CD that year called The Best Of Marie Osmond was released on Curb Records. Like A Hurricane charted at #57 that year while Think With Your Heart did not. Her final chart appearance happened in 1995 with What Kind Of Man Walks On A Woman (#75). That was the year Curb released 25 Hits Special Collection.
To take advantage of Osmond appearing on Dancing With The Stars in 2008, where on one episode, she fainted, Curb released Dancing With The Best Of Marie Osmond. Her version of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy is on there. Her last solo CD was released in 2010 called I Can Do This. A duets CD with Donny called Donny & Marie was released in 2011. Sadly, Osmond lost both of her duet partners. Davis died in 2008 at the age of 60 while Seals passed away in 2009 at the age of 61. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 22, 1986:
1. THERE'S NO STOPPING YOUR HEART-MARIE OSMOND-CAPITOL
2. You Can Dream Of Me-Steve Wariner-MCA
3. The One I Loved Back Then The Corvette Song-George Jones-Epic
4. Think About Love-Dolly Parton-RCA
5. I Could Get Used To You-Exile-Epic
6. Come On In You Did The Best You Could Do-Oak Ridge Boys-MCA
7. Fast Lanes And Country Roads-Barbara Mandrell-MCA
8. Please Be Love-Mark Gray-Columbia
9. What's A Memory Like You Doing In A Love Like This-John Schneider-MCA
10. Oklahoma Borderline-Vince Gill-RCA

[countrychartnut]

1. MAKE ME #1: Thomas Rhett lands his third #1 in his career this week with Make Me Wanna. It is the fifth single from his debut CD, It Goes Like This. The other two chart toppers from the set are It Goes Like This (2013) and Get Me Some Of That (2014). Furthermore, Rhett is the first artist since Florida Georgia Line to have at least three chart toppers from their debut CD. Here's To The Good Times produced four. They are:
1. Cruise-2012
2. Get Your Shine On-2013
3. 'Round Here-2013
4. Stay
2. #14?: At #2 for the week is Blake Shelton's and Ashley Monroe's Lonely Tonight. If it tops the chart, it will be Shelton's 14th consecutive chart topping hit.
3. A TIE: We have two songs taking five point jumps for fastest climbing songs of the week. They are:
1. Sippin' On Fire-Florida Georgia Line-#52 to #47
2. Kiss You In The Morning-Michael Ray-#54 to #49
4. WHERE'S THERE SMOKE: Blackberry Smoke become the first artist this year to have a 2015 release top the album chart this year. They collect there first #1 CD with Holding All The Roses after 19,000 were sold.
5. A 50S LOOK: These were the chart topping hits during the last week of February during the 1950s:
1950: Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy-Red Foley-Decca
1951: The Shot Gun Boogie-Tennessee Ernie Ford-Capitol
1952: Slow Poke-Pee Wee King-RCA
1953: Kaw-Liga-Hank Williams-MGM-this hit #1 just weeks after his death
1954: Slowly-Webb Pierce-Decca
1955: In The Jailhouse Now-Webb Pierce-Decca
1956: I Forgot To Remember To Forget-Elvis Presley-RCA
1957: Young Love-Sonny James-Capitol
1958: Ballad Of A Teenage Queen-Johnny Cash-Sun
1959: Don't Take Your Guns To Town-Johnny Cash-Columbia
6. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: Chart wise, the biggest hit of Randy Travis' career is Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart from 1990, a song I saluted last year. However, his biggest #2 hit is Better Class Of Losers from 1992. It officially became his biggest runner up hit 23 years ago this week when it spent its third and final week in that position.
Travis was riding high with his last #1 CD, Heroes & Friends in 1990 and 1991 (Travis was named the #1 country artist by Billboard for 1990 while Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart finished #2 on both year-end lists by Billboard and the American Country Countdown). A Few Ole Country Boys, his duet with George Jones hit #8 in 1990 and became Jones' final top ten. The title track kicked off Travis' 1991 on a #3 note. Travis and Alan Jackson were touring during this time and decided to write a few songs together. Three of them ended up on the upcoming Travis CD, High Lonesome. Coincidentally, all of those were singles off the CD. However, the first single was written by Don Schlitz and Thom Schuyler for George Bush's Thousand Points Of Light program. Simply titled Point Of Light, it was released in April and proceeded to a #3 peak. The first Travis/Jackson tune released was Forever Together. That was released in September and became Travis' twelfth chart topping hit just three weeks after Jackson scored a #1 with Someday. Better Class Of Losers was next and that was released in December. It got all the way to #2 for the Billboard chart dated February 15, 1992, unable to dislodge Garth Brooks from the top with his second biggest hit, What She's Doing Now. That is appropriate because I consider Better Class Of Losers a cousin of Brooks' biggest hit, Friends In Low Places. As a matter of fact, it was the second time Brooks blocked Travis from the top. In 1990, while Travis collected his second biggest #2 hit with He Walked On Water, Brooks was tops with The Dance. Earlier in the year, the roles were reversed and Brooks had his first #2 hit with Not Counting You while Travis ruled with Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart. After three weeks at #2, Travis gave way to John Anderson's Straight Tequila Night which ended the four week reign of Brooks. After Anderson topped the chart, Jackson claimed a #1 in Dallas. The fourth High Lonesome single, I'd Surrender All faltered at #20. The CD hit #3, ending a chart topping streak of five CDs by Travis while earning a platinum certification.
Travis made history when he released a pair of greatest hits CDs in 1992, becoming the first country artist to release two CDs at the same time. Two chart toppers were produced: If I Didn't Have You (1992) and Look Heart, No Hands (1993). In the meantime, Jackson was prepping his A Lot About Livin' And A Little 'Bout Love CD. Travis' name appears just once on this CD as a writer with Jackson on She's Got The Rhythm And I Got The Blues. It became the lead single and sixth #1 of Jackson's career. It topped the chart nine weeks after If I Didn't Have You and five weeks before Look Heart, No Hands.
Better Class Of Losers resurfaced on the Travis CD of 2011 called 25th Anniversary Celebration. It was in a medley with She's Got The Rhythm And I Got The Blues as a duet with Jackson. To date, Travis' last chart appearance is with Carrie Underwood with I Told You So in 2009 (#2). She makes an appearance on the silver anniversary CD on Is It Still Over. His last CD was released last year called Influence Vol. 2: The Man I Am. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 29, 1992:
1. What She's Doing Now-Garth Brooks-Capitol
2. BETTER CLASS OF LOSERS-RANDY TRAVIS-WARNER BROS.
3. Straight Tequila Night-John Anderson-BNA
4. Maybe It Was Memphis-Pam Tillis-Arista
5. Except For Monday-Lorrie Morgan-RCA
6. Is It Cold In Here-Joe Diffie-Epic
7. Dallas-Alan Jackson-Arista
8. That's What I Like About You-Trisha Yearwood-MCA
9. Born Country-Alabama-RCA
10. Is There Life Out There-Reba McEntire-MCA

[countrychartnut]

1. A LONELY #1: Blake Shelton collects the 19th #1 hit in his career this week with Lonely Tonight. It is the second single from his Bringing Back The Sunshine CD which has already produced the chart topping hit, Neon Light. Ashley Monroe backs up Shelton on his current #1 like she did on his Boys 'Round Here as a member of the Pistol Annies. That was a chart topper in 2013. Lonely Tonight is Shelton's fourteenth consecutive #1 hit.
2. A TIE: We have two songs taking twelve point jumps for fastest climbing songs of the week. They are:
1. Little Toy Guns-Carrie Underwood-#39 to #27
2. Sippin' On Fire-Florida Georgia Line-#47 to #35
3. A LOCASH DEBUT: For the first decade of their career, they were known as LoCash Cowboys (2004-2014). Their biggest hit so far is 2010's Keep In Mind (#34). Now, they simply go by LoCash and they debut this week at #56 with I Love This Life.
4. A WATSON #1: Aaron Watson lands his first #1 CD in The Underdog as 26,000 copies were sold last week.
5. A CAMPBELL SHOWING: Glen Campbell makes his debut at #20 on the country albums chart with I'll Be Me, the soundtrack to the movie that chronicles his journey with Alzheimer's Disease. I'm Not Gonna Miss You was recently nominated for an Oscar Award and won the Best Country Song Grammy Award.
6. #1 HITS: These were the chart topping hits in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: Why Don't We Just Dance-Josh Turner-MCA
2005: Bless The Broken Road-Rascal Flatts-Lyric Street
2000: My Best Friend-Tim McGraw-Curb
1995: Old Enough To Know Better-Wade Hayes-Columbia
1990: No Matter How High-Oak Ridge Boys-MCA
7. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: George Strait has 53 top two hits, a record (44 #1s, another record and nine #2s). ONLY one of them is on BNA Records, a label Strait is not signed to. That was a duet with Kenny Chesney called Shiftwork, our #2 song from seven years ago this week.
Shiftwork is the second song that Chesney and Strait got together to record. The first was when they joined their superstar friends Clint Black, Alan Jackson, and Toby Keith on Jimmy Buffett's remake of Hey Good Lookin' in 2004 (#8). Getting back to Chesney, Shiftwork appeared on his 2007 CD, Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates. Never Wanted Nothing More was the first single and it hit the top of the charts for five weeks. Don't Blink was next and it debuted at #16, a record high for any single to date. However, Chesney enjoyed that feat for one week as Garth Brooks debuted at #1 the following week with More Than A Memory. Don't Blink enjoyed a four week run at #1. Shiftwork was the next single. It had already charted as an album cut and had peaked at #42. Officially released in December, it peaked at #2 the following March becoming Chesney's tenth and so far, final #2 hit. For Strait, it was his sixth runner up hit. I believe it might have topped the chart, but Chesney's label did not want to give credit to Strait for singing on the record. They also had problems with Chesney's participation on Reba McEntire's single, Every Other Weekend (#15 in 2008 from Reba: Duets). MCA reserviced the single as a duet with its songwriter, Skip Ewing. Another reason might be is that Strait was on the chart with his solo single, I Saw God Today. After Shiftwork peaked at #2 for a week, it dipped to #4 while I Saw God Today hit #8, giving Strait two records simultaneously in the top ten. Shiftwork would have been Chesney's second #1 duet following When The Sun Goes Down with Uncle Kracker in 2004. It would have been Strait's first chart topping duet. Chesney's CD ended on a #1 note with Better As A Memory. If it weren't for the #2 placing of Shiftwork, Chesney would have had a CD to contain a quartet of chart topping hits, a first for him. Instead, he had to wait until 2010 when Hemingway's Whiskey was released to gain four #1 hits from a CD. Those were:
1. The Boys Of Fall-2010
2. Somewhere With You-2011
3. Live A Little-2011
4. Reality-2012
As for Strait, he announced a farewell tour in 2012. He won the C.M.A. Entertainer of the Year Award in 2013 and the same award from the A.C.M. in 2014. His last chart appearance was last year's I Got A Car (#17). He is currently on the chart with his The Cowboy Rides Away: Live From AT&T Stadium CD. Chesney is currently charting with his third The Big Revival single, Wild Child with Grace Potter. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING MARCH 8, 2008:
1. Cleaning This Gun Come On In Boy-Rodney Atkins-Curb
2. SHIFTWORK-KENNY CHESNEY AND GEORGE STRAIT-BNA
3. Letter To Me-Brad Paisley-Arista
4. Small Town Southern Man-Alan Jackson-Arista
5. All-American Girl-Carrie Underwood-Arista
6. Watching Airplanes-Gary Allan-MCA
7. Stealing Cinderella-Chuck Wicks-RCA
8. Ready, Set, Don't Go-Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus-Walt Disney
9. What Kinda Gone-Chris Cagle-Capitol
10. You're Gonna Miss This-Trace Adkins-Capitol

[countrychartnut]

1. A #1 FINISH: Jason Aldean collects his lucky 13th #1 hit this week with Just Gettin' Started. It is the second single and second chart topper from his current CD, Old Boots, New Dirt. First single, Burnin' It Down topped the chart this past November.
2. ANOTHER TOP TEN GROUP: The Zac Brown Band lands their first top ten since signing with the Big Machine label last year. Homegrown is at #9 for the week and it is their 14th top ten overall. Their first thirteen top tens were in association with Atlantic Records. Furthermore, the Zac Brown Band becomes the fourth group on the Big Machine label with a top ten hit following Rascal Flatts, the Band Perry, and the Eli Young Band.
3. A THIRD TIME: For the third week, Florida Georgia Line has the fastest climbing song of the week with Sippin' On Fire (#35 to #26).
4. MUSGRAVES IS BACK: Kacey Musgraves debuts a single from an upcoming CD. It is Biscuits and it is the Hot Shot Debut at #56. Her debut CD, Same Trailer Different Park yielded a top ten in Merry Go 'Round (#10 in 2013). She also won awards for New Artist from the C.M.A. in 2013, Grammy Awards in 2014 for Best Country Song and Best Country Album, an A.C.M. Award for Album of the Year, and a C.M.A. Award for Song of the Year.
5. WADE JESSEN (1961-2015): Thank you for caring about country music and its artists. Thank you for carrying the banner for country music everywhere you went. Nashville and all of us who are country music fans lost a friend. I know my writing and passion for country music will NEVER equal yours. I love you. R.I.P..
6. #1 CDS: These were the top selling CDs in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: Need You Now-Lady Antebellum-Capitol
2005: Feels Like Today-Rascal Flatts-Lyric Street
2000: Fly-the Dixie Chicks-Monument
1995: The Hits-Garth Brooks-Capitol
1990: RVS III-Ricky Van Shelton-Columbia
7. A BLAST FROM THE PAST: It has been said that Elvis Presley nearly killed country music between the late 1950s to early 1960s. Ironically, the first chart Presley topped was country in 1956 with I Forgot To Remember To Forget. The last he topped was country in 1981 with Guitar Man. He managed #1 pop, r&b, and adult contemporary hits in between, becoming the FIRST artist to do so. Guitar Man was our #1 song 34 years ago this week.
During the same week Presley died (in August, 1977), he was already at the top of the country chart with his tenth #1 hit, Way Down/Pledging My Love. The a-side also hit #18 pop and #14 A.C.. That came from the Moody Blue album. The Elvis In Concert album yielded a crossover hit with My Way in 1978 (#2 country, #22 pop, and #6 A.C.). The double-sided Unchained Melody/Softly, As I Leave You hit #6 country that year as well. Puppets On A String, from Elvis Sings For Children And Grownups, Too faltered at #78 country in 1978. 1979 saw Presley gain two top tens at country: Are You Sincere/Solitaire at #10 and There's A Honky Tonk Angel Who'll Take Me Back In/I Got A Feelin' In My Body at #6. The a-side to the latter double-sided hit was originally a chart topping hit for Conway Twitty in 1974. That's ironic in a way because when Twitty was doing rock and roll between 1957-1964, he readily admitted his style copied Presley's. Those two double-sided hits came from two volumes of Our Memories Of Elvis.
In 1980, Elvis did NOT chart anything, period. That changed with the 1981 album, Guitar Man. The title track was written by Jerry Reed, who took his version to #53 in 1967. Felton Jarvis produced the track and remixed it to include Reed on guitar. Released as a single in January, it became Presley's eleventh country chart topper in March while claiming a #28 peak in pop, becoming his last top 40 there and #16 A.C.. With the chart topping status of Guitar Man, Presley topped country, pop, r&b, and A.C. charts during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It brought Elvis' time at the top of the country singles chart to 50 weeks (almost a year). It should be noted that Jarvis died while Guitar Man was released. A double-sided hit managed a #8 placing in country with Lovin' Arms/You Asked Me To. A greatest hits album was released in 1982. The double-sided You'll Never Walk Alone/There Goes My Everything hit #73. The b-side was a remake of Jack Greene's biggest hit from 1966. The Presley hit parade essentially ended with The Elvis Medley in late 1982 (#31 country, #71 pop, and #31 A.C.). He made another country chart appearance in 1983 with I Was The One (#92). Three years later, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Presley had to wait until 1998 for any chart action. His standard, Blue Christmas hit #55 country. The Country Music Hall of Fame wanted him that year as well. A chart topping hits CD, ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits in 2002 sparked interest in his music once again as A Little Less Conversation hit #50 pop and #26 A.C.. ELV1S: 2nd To None produced Rubberneckin' in 2003 (#94 pop). Five years later, Reed died at the age of 71. That year, Presley made his last country chart appearances with his Christmas Duets CD: I'll Be Home For Christmas with Carrie Underwood (#54 country and #14 A.C.) and Blue Christmas with Martina McBride (#36 country and #22 A.C.). For all that has been said about Presley, I contend that had he stayed in country (he was virtually absent from that chart during the 1960s save for two top 40 hits making serious dents on the chart) that he would have the most #1s in the format (sorry, George Strait).

[ozbest1]

Good for Jason! I like his singles so far from this latest album. I remember when he was an opening act for KU. So many opening acts for KU have become superstars. Shows Keith knows talent. Still remember when Miranda Lambert opened for him early on, and you could see she was headed for superstardom--he even wore a Miranda Lambert tee shirt at the Opry. Think it was after she was his opener. How many superstars do that? He always liked to change opening acts to keep things fresh. LBT may have been the next opening act after her, and we can't forget Lady A, Taylor Swift, etc.

[countrychartnut]

1. A MEAN #1: Brett Eldredge scores his third #1 hit this week with Mean To Me. It is the third chart topper from his Bring You Back CD following Don't Ya (2013) and Beat Of The Music (2014). The latter song was named the biggest hit of the year.
2. A TIE: We have two songs taking eleven point jumps for fastest climbing songs of the week. They are:
1. Kiss You In The Morning-Michael Ray-#38 to #27
2. Games-Luke Bryan-#57 to #46
3. MONROE'S GOOD: After sharing the spotlight with Blake Shelton on his recent #1, Lonely Tonight (#9 this week), Ashley Monroe debuts at #59 with On To Something Good. It is the Hot Shot Debut for the week and it is her fifth chart appearance.
4. SHANIA'S BACK: Vaulting to #2 from #31 on the country albums chart is Shania Twain's Still The One: Live From Las Vegas CD/DVD combo. It sold 9000 copies last week.
5. #1 HITS: These were the chart topping hits in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: That's How Country Boys Roll-Billy Currington-Mercury
2005: Nothin' To Lose-Josh Gracin-Lyric Street
2000: How Do You Like Me Now-Toby Keith-DreamWorks
1995: This Woman And This Man-Clay Walker-Giant
1990: Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart-Randy Travis-Warner Bros.
6. A BLAST FROM THE PAST: Country music has always had a suggestive quality to it. The first #1 hit that is an example happened in 1944 when Billboard first started a country music chart. That year, Louis Jordan asked Is You Is Or Is You Ain't Ma' Baby (love the grammar there). Throughout the next 36 years, country got even more suggestive as other artists started infusing their love songs on the charts. In 1980, two consecutive #1s had suggestive qualities to them. They are Why Don't You Spend The Night by Ronnie Milsap (our #1 song 35 years ago this week) and Conway Twitty's I'd Love To Lay You Down. Let us first discuss Milsap's song first.
Milsap ended the 1970s on a winning note with his Images album, the first he recorded at his Ground Star studio. Lead single, Nobody Likes Sad Songs became his twelfth chart topping hit. He followed that with the double-sided In No Time At All/Get It Up (get what up, Milsap?). That peaked at #6. Milsap went to work on his follow up album, Milsap Magic. The first single, Why Don't You Spend The Night was released in January, 1980 and reached the top in March. When you hear the song (video link provided below), it is suggesting the two people involved are not living together and not even married.
A few radio stations refused to play the song, but it managed to top the chart anyway (1980 being Milsap's seventh consecutive year in having a #1 hit). That was followed by his biggest hit of all time, My Heart (Billboard's and the American Country Countdown's top song of the year). That was backed with Silent Night After The Fight. The Bronco Billy soundtrack gave Milsap a #1 with Cowboys And Clowns/Misery Loves Company. RCA released his first greatest hits album. A new song, Smoky Mountain Rain became his fourth chart topping hit in 1980. While that song was on the chart, Billboard named Milsap the top country singles artist of the year. Milsap would chart more hits until True Believer in 1993 became his last top 40 hit (#30).
Milsap's last chart appearance was Local Girls in 2006 (#54). He was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame last year. RCA released all of his studio albums on CD in a box set last year. Now, it's Twitty's turn.
Like Milsap, Twitty had a very successful end to the 1970s (after all, Twitty was the top artist of the decade when you consider his performance on the country chart). The Crosswinds album gave him a trio of chart topping hits, his first as a producer. They are: Don't Take It Away, I May Never Get To Heaven, and Happy Birthday Darlin'. A duets album with Loretta Lynn called Diamond Duet produced You Know Just What I'd Do/The Sadness of It All (#9 in 1980). Twitty's follow up album, Heart And Soul started with I'd Love To Lay You Down. Released in January (along with Why Don't You Spend The Night), it hit #1 the week after Milsap. It became Twitty's record breaking 29th chart topping hit, pushing Eddy Arnold's 28 #1s to second place. That song suggests the two people are married and living together.
Like the Milsap tune, some radio stations refused to play the Twitty hit. It was time for another Twitty/Lynn duet with It's True Love (#5). Heart And Soul ended on a #6 note with I've Never Seen The Likes Of You. Twitty continued to be a hitmaking machine until 1991 when She's Got A Man On Her Mind hit #22 (his last top 40 hit). Two years later, Twitty died of an abdominal aneurysm.
1993 saw his last charted single in I'm The Only Thing I'll Hold Against You (#62 and being suggestive until the very end). He was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. 2011 has seen the last CD released by Twitty called Icon. Coincidentally, Milsap released a CD in 1987 called Heart And Soul. It was Twitty who said if you took the sex out of country music, it wouldn't be country music. I wholeheartedly agree.

Videos:
Why Don't You Spend The Night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLxsTBTNKzs
I'd Love To Lay You Down: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXlKiluVgUg

[ozbest1]

I am really happy for Brett! I like his songs from his album. Saw him twice, once as Keith Urban's opening act and again at Keith's AFTH as one of the invited artists last year. He's very good live onstage. Thanks, need to re-read your post when I have more time, CCN. Always learn so much.

[countrychartnut]

1. WORTH THE #1: Cole Swindell collects his second #1 this week with Ain't Worth The Whiskey. It is the third single from his self-titled debut CD. It is nearly perfect as far as chart toppers are concerned. First single, Chillin' It peaked at #2 while Hope You Get Lonely Tonight became his first #1 last year.
2. A BRYAN FIRST: At #40 for the week is Luke Bryan's Games. It is from his current EP, Spring Break Checkin' Out. It is the first time he has charted a top 40 hit from one of his seven EPs.
3. BETWEEN JAMES AND OWENS: Blake Shelton debuts his third Bringing Back The Sunshine single, Sangria at #60 this week. If it manages to top the chart, Shelton will have fifteen consecutive #1 hits. He will be between Sonny James, who has sixteen consecutive chart toppers (1967-1971) and Buck Owens' fourteen (1963-1967) for the most consecutive #1s by a male artist.
4. WHITE'S FAST: Drake White scores the fastest climbing song of the week as It Feels Good jumps ten to #50.
5. DOUBLE THE BRYAN: Luke Bryan debuts two titles on the country albums chart this week. Spring Break Checkin' Out debuts at the top with 89,000 sold while at #5, Spring Break The Set List: The Complete Spring Break Zine Pak sold 6000 copies.
6. A 40S LOOK: These were the chart topping hits during the last week of March during the 1940s:
1944: Too Late To Worry, Too Blue To Cry-Al Dexter-Okeh
1945: Shame On You-Spade Cooley-Okeh
1946: Guitar Polka-Al Dexter-Columbia
1947: So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed-Merle Travis-Capitol
1948: Anytime-Eddy Arnold-RCA
1949: Don't Rob Another Man's Castle-Eddy Arnold-RCA
7. MCENTIRE'S 60: Reba McEntire is the Queen of Country Music (at least since the 1980s). 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of McEntire being a recording artist. She has a birthday this week as well. In honor of her 60 years on the planet, we will rank ALL 60 of her top ten hits. For those songs that peaked at #1 or #2, weeks in those positions are first followed by weeks in the top 40. For all other songs, their stay in the top 40 will determine their ranking. Ready?
1. Consider Me Gone-2010-4-23
2. If You See Him/If You See Her-with Brooks & Dunn-1998-2-20
3. Is There Life Out There-1992-2-19
4. For My Broken Heart-1991-2-19
5. The Heart Won't Lie-with Vince Gill-1993-2-16
6. Mind Your Own Business-with Hank Williams, Jr., Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, and Reverend Ike-1986-2-14
7. Somebody-2004-1-30
8. Turn On The Radio-2011-1-25
9. You Lie-1990-1-19
10. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter-1995-1-17
11. How Was I To Know-1997-1-17
12. Does He Love You-with Linda Davis-1993-1-16
13. Whoever's In New England-1986-1-15
14. What Am I Gonna Do About You-1987-1-15
15. Can't Even Get The Blues-1983-1-14
16. How Blue-1985-1-14
17. One Promise Too Late-1987-1-14
18. The Last One To Know-1987-1-14
19. I Know How He Feels-1988-1-14
20. New Fool At An Old Game-1989-1-14
21. Cathy's Clown-1989-1-14
22. You're The First Time I've Thought About Leaving-1983-1-14
23. Little Rock-1986-1-13
24. Somebody Should Leave-1985-1-13
25. Love Will Find Its Way To You-1988-1-13
26. The Fear Of Being Alone-1996-3-19 (#2)
27. Walk On-1990-2-18 (#2)
28. Cowgirls Don't Cry-with Brooks & Dunn-2009-1-23 (#2)
29. Because Of You-with Kelly Clarkson-2007-1-19 (#2)
30. Fallin' Out Of Love-1991-1-18 (#2)
31. I'd Rather Ride Around With You-1997-1-16 (#2)
32. Till You Love Me-1995-1-16 (#2)
33. And Still-1995-1-15 (#2)
34. What Do You Say-2000 (#3)
35. I'm A Survivor-2001 (#3)
36. Rumor Has It-1991 (#3)
37. I'm Not That Lonely Yet-1982 (#3)
38. The Greatest Man I Never Knew-1992 (#3)
39. I'll Be-2000 (#4)
40. Forever Love-1998 (#4)
41. 'Til Love Comes Again-1989 (#4)
42. Let The Music Lift You Up-1987 (#4)
43. It's Your Call-1993 (#5)
44. Only In My Mind-1985 (#5)
45. Why Haven't I Heard From You-1994 (#5)
46. Take It Back-1993 (#5)
47. Sunday Kind Of Love-1988 (#5)
48. Today All Over Again-1981 (#5)
49. Just A Little Love-1984 (#5)
50. Wrong Night-1999 (#6)
51. Have I Got A Deal For You-1985 (#6)
52. He Gets That From Me-2005 (#7)
53. I Keep On Loving You-2010 (#7)
54. One Honest Heart-1999 (#7)
55. They Asked About You-1994 (#7)
56. Little Girl-1990 (#7)
57. Why Do We Want What We Know We Can't Have-1983 (#7)
58. Fancy-1991 (#8)
59. You Lift Me Up To Heaven-1980 (#8)
60. Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands-1996 (#9)
8. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: Eighteen years ago this week, Reba McEntire celebrated her 42nd birthday. She did so in grand style by placing at the top of the country chart with How Was I To Know (her 21st chart topper). That was the second single from the What If It's You CD and the follow up to her biggest #2 hit, The Fear Of Being Alone. The CD also produced I'd Rather Ride Around With You (#2) and the title track (#15). How Was I To Know makes appearances on two McEntire compilation CDs: #1s from 2005 (disc 2, track #13) and 50 Greatest Hits from 2008 (disc 3, track #4). For the past four years, she has been a Country Music Hall of Famer. She is currently on the chart with Going Out Like That, her debut on the Nash Icon label and from the upcoming CD, Love Somebody. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING MARCH 29, 1997:
1. HOW WAS I TO KNOW-REBA MCENTIRE-MCA
2. She's Taken A Shine-John Berry-Capitol
3. This Ain't No Thinkin' Thing-Trace Adkins-Capitol
4. Holdin'-Diamond Rio-Arista
5. She Drew A Broken Heart-Patty Loveless-Epic
6. We Danced Anyway-Deana Carter-Capitol
7. Rumor Has It-Clay Walker-Giant
8. Don't Take Her She's All I Got-Tracy Byrd-MCA
9. Everything I Love-Alan Jackson-Arista
10. When I Close My Eyes-Kenny Chesney-BNA

[countrychartnut]

1. A HOMEGROWN #1: The Zac Brown Band llllllllands the elllllllleventh #1 hit of their career this week with Homegrown. It is from the upcoming Jekyllllllllllllllll + Hyde CD. They become the first group since Rascallllllll Fllllllllatts to score #1s on mulllllllltiplllllllle llllllllabelllllllls. After their stay at llllllllyric Street, Rascallllllll Fllllllllatts scored #1s on Big Machine in Why Wait (2010) and Banjo (2012). The Zac Brown Band's first ten chart toppers are on Atllllllllantic Records whilllllllle Homegrown is on the Big Machine llllllllabellllllll. They stillllllllllllllll enjoy a rellllllllationship with Southern Ground, a llllllllabellllllll they started.
2. FAST MOVERS: We have three songs this week making some pretty moves on the chart. They are:
1. Tonight llllllllooks Good On You-Jason Alllllllldean-#54 to #37
2. llllllllong Stretch Of llllllllove-llllllllady Antebellllllllllllllllum-#57 to #46
3. Sangria-Bllllllllake Shellllllllton-#60 to #47
3. ANOTHER WATSON FIRST: Aaron Watson scored a #1 CD with The Underdog, his first. He charts for the first time as That llllllllook makes its debut at #59.
4. A WIllllllllllllllllS TRIBUTE: Vaullllllllting from #30 to #11 is Aslllllllleep At The Wheellllllll's tribute to Bob Willlllllllllllllls calllllllllllllllled Stillllllllllllllll The King: Cellllllllebrating The Music Of Bob Willlllllllllllllls And His Texas Pllllllllayboys. It solllllllld 3000 copies llllllllast week and totallllllll salllllllles are now 9000.
5. #1 HITS: These were the chart topping hits in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: A llllllllittlllllllle More Country Than That-Easton Corbin-Mercury
2005: That's What I llllllllove About Sunday-Craig Morgan-Broken Bow
2000: How Do You llllllllike Me Now-Toby Keith-DreamWorks
1995: Thinkin' About You-Trisha Yearwood-MCA
1990: Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart-Randy Travis-Warner Bros.
6. MIllllllllESTONE TOP TEN CHART: An artist is llllllllucky to have one signature hit in their career. Even lllllllluckier if they have two. However, it is rare to have a signature hit on one format whilllllllle having another one in a different format. Conway Twitty managed such a feat. Whilllllllle he was a rock and rollllllllllllllller, he scored big with It's Onlllllllly Make Bellllllllieve in 1958. Twellllllllve years llllllllater as a country artist, Hellllllllllllllllo Darllllllllin' became his biggest hit there. Even though Twitty's version never hit the country chart, he did join another country artist in making it a hit for the third time. His name is Ronnie McDowellllllllllllllll and their version hit #8 27 years ago this week.
Twitty made his debut on the pop chart in 1957 with I Need Your llllllllovin' at #93. A year llllllllater, he was touring and made a stop in Hamillllllllton, Ontario. He and Jack Nance wrote It's Onlllllllly Make Bellllllllieve. Twitty didn't think much of it, so they put it as the b-side to I'llllllllllllllll Try. A disc jockey in Cllllllllevelllllllland fllllllllipped the record and started pllllllllaying the b-side. MGM formalllllllllllllllly relllllllleased It's Onlllllllly Make Bellllllllieve during the summer and it reached the top in November for two weeks. Twitty garnered seven more top 40 hits inclllllllluding two more top tens: Danny Boy (#10 in 1959) and llllllllonelllllllly Bllllllllue Boy (#6 in 1960). Shortlllllllly after the llllllllatter peaked, Twitty was toying with the idea of doing pop music as Twitty and country music under his reallllllll name, Harolllllllld lllllllllllllllloyd Jenkins. After C'est Si Bon (#22 in 1961) became his llllllllast top 40 pop hit as a pop artist, he decided to go country fullllllllllllllll time. He signed to Decca Records as a country artist in 1965. His debut there, Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart peaked at #18 in 1966. His first top ten was The Image Of Me in 1968 (#5). That year he scored the first of 40 chart toppers with Next In lllllllline. Two years llllllllater, It's Onlllllllly Make Bellllllllieve became a country hit for the first time as done by Gllllllllen Campbellllllllllllllll. His version was a crossover smash, peaking at #3 country, #10 pop, and #2 adullllllllt contemporary. Twitty was on the chart with a #1 calllllllllllllllled Fifteen Years Ago, the follllllllllllllllow up to Hellllllllllllllllo Darllllllllin'. After Fifteen Years Ago, the first of twellllllllve Twitty/lllllllloretta llllllllynn duets surfaced. The first one was After The Fire Is Gone (their biggest duet) in 1971. That came from the We Onlllllllly Make Bellllllllieve allllllllbum which contains It's Onlllllllly Make Bellllllllieve. Twitty recorded It's Onlllllllly Make Bellllllllieve for his 1976 allllllllbum, Now And Then which produced a chart topper in After Allllllllllllllll The Good Is Gone.
Ellllllllvis Preslllllllley died in August, 1977. Everyone was affected by that. Especialllllllllllllllly Ronnie McDowellllllllllllllll, an Ellllllllvis disciplllllllle (llllllllike Twitty). His tribute to Preslllllllley, The King Is Gone hit #13 country and #13 pop in 1977. That was on the Scorpion llllllllabellllllll where he scored his first top ten, I llllllllove You, I llllllllove You, I llllllllove You (I think he means it). That peaked at #5. A switch to Epic Records and McDowellllllllllllllll was off and running during the 1980s. He scored elllllllleven top tens between 1981-1985 inclllllllluding tow chart toppers: Ollllllllder Women (1981) and You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation (1983-chart wise, his biggest hit). He switched llllllllabelllllllls one more time to MCA/Curb in 1985. His first CD for them was Allllllllllllllll Tied Up In llllllllove. Allllllllllllllll Tied Up peaked at #6 in 1986. When You Hurt, I Hurt hit #37 whilllllllle his 1987 was started with a #30 peaker in llllllllovin' That Crazy Feellllllllin'. It was just Curb relllllllleasing CDs and singlllllllles from here on out. I'm Stillllllllllllllll Missing You was relllllllleased in 1988. llllllllead singlllllllle, It's Onlllllllly Make Bellllllllieve was relllllllleased in January. McDowellllllllllllllll sings two verses whilllllllle Twitty does the bridge and it's back to McDowellllllllllllllll to finish it up. It is a speeded up version versus the Twitty or Campbellllllllllllllll versions. It hit #8 in Aprillllllll, becoming McDowellllllllllllllll's 14th and finallllllll top ten. Because Twitty's contribution is major, I consider it one of his 76 top ten hits. The duet came at a pivotallllllll time for Twitty. He was between CDs as That's My Job from Borderlllllllline peaked at #6 whilllllllle he was ready to rellllllllease the first Stillllllllllllllll In Your Dreams singlllllllle, Goodbye Time (#7 and a #10 hit for Bllllllllake Shellllllllton in 2005). It was during this time that Twitty won the lllllllliving llllllllegend Award from Music City News. Getting back to McDowellllllllllllllll, the singlllllllles started to find lllllllless favor with country radio as the titlllllllle track peaked at #36 and Suspicion hit #27. The era ended on a #50 note with Never Too Olllllllld To Rock 'n' Rollllllllllllllll with Jerry llllllllee llllllllewis in 1989. 1989 saw McDowellllllllllllllll rellllllllease American Music. Two chart appearances were made with Sea Of Heartbreak (#39) and Who'llllllllllllllll Turn Out The llllllllights (#69). The Best Of Ronnie McDowellllllllllllllll was relllllllleased in 1990 and a #50 singlllllllle was produced with She's A llllllllittlllllllle Past Forty. His llllllllast chart appearance came in 1991 with the titlllllllle track of his CD, Unchained Mellllllllody (#26). McDowellllllllllllllll's llllllllast CD was relllllllleased in 2009 calllllllllllllllled llllllllost In Dirty Dancing. This is what the chart llllllllooked llllllllike back then:

BIllllllllllllllllBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING APRIllllllll 2, 1988:
1. llllllllove Willllllllllllllll Find Its Way To You-Reba McEntire-MCA
2. Famous llllllllast Words Of A Foollllllll-George Strait-MCA
3. I Wanna Dance With You-Eddie Rabbitt-RCA
4. I'llllllllllllllll Allllllllways Come Back-K.T. Osllllllllin-RCA
5. Santa Fe-Bellllllllllllllllamy Brothers-MCA
6. Timelllllllless And True llllllllove-the McCarters-Warner Bros.
7. It's Such A Smallllllllllllllll Worlllllllld-Rodney Crowellllllllllllllll and Rosanne Cash-Collllllllumbia
8. IT'S ONllllllllY MAKE BEllllllllIEVE-RONNIE MCDOWEllllllllllllllll AND CONWAY TWITTY-CURB
9. Cry, Cry, Cry-Highway 101-Warner Bros.
10. Strangers Again-Holllllllllllllllly Dunn-MTM

P.S.:  Happy Easter!

[countrychartnut]

1. ZAC'S #1 AGAIN: The Zac Brown Band continue to have the #1 song in Homegrown. It is their debut on the Big Machine label. It is their first multi week #1 since Goodbye In Her Eyes ruled for three weeks in 2013.
2. SHELTON'S FAST: Sangria by Blake Shelton takes a ten point jump to #37, earning the title of fastest climbing song of the week.
3. HIGH DEBUTS: Over on the country albums chart, we have two CDs making their debuts in the top five. They are:
#3. On The Record Vol. 2-Nashville Cast-13,000 sold
#4. A.C.M. Zine Pak 2015-Various Artists-9,000 sold
4. #1 CDS: These were the chart topping CDs in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: Need You Now-Lady Antebellum-Capitol
2005: Songs About Me-Trace Adkins-Capitol
2000: Fly-the Dixie Chicks-Monument
1995: John Michael Montgomery-John Michael Montgomery-Atlantic
1990: RVS III-Ricky Van Shelton-Columbia
5. A BLAST FROM THE PAST: Kenny Rogers was at the United Artists/Liberty label between 1975-1983. His last #1 for them, We've Got Tonight with Sheena Easton was our top song 32 years ago this week.
In 1982, Rogers starred in a movie called Six Pack. While the movie did not generate big box office business, Rogers' singing career did not suffer because of it. Love Will Turn You Around emerged as the theme song and it hit #1 country, #13 pop, and #1 adult contemporary. Rogers thought he was big enough to star in a movie and would do decent business (he probably thought that way after Billboard named him the #1 country and pop artist for 1980 and 1981). A second single from the parent album, Love Will Turn You Around, A Love Song, written by Lee Greenwood peaked at #3 country, #47 pop, and #10 A.C.. Rogers went to work on his final album for Liberty called We've Got Tonight. It was written by Bob Seger, who took his version to #13 pop and #29 A.C. in 1978. Dottie West cut a version in 1979 and Conway Twitty did the same in 1980. Rogers recorded his version with Sheena Easton, figuring he had enough duets with West (their last one was What Are We Doin' In Love in 1981). Released as the lead single in January, We've Got Tonight hit the top ten on three charts: country (#1), pop (#6), and A.C. (#2). It should be noted that Seger was scoring a crossover hit in Shame On The Moon, a #2 pop and #1 A.C. hit that surprisingly hit #15 country. That tune was written by Rodney Crowell, explaining its country success. Getting back to Rogers, two more singles became hits on various charts. They are:
1. All My Life-#13 country, #37 pop, and #2 A.C.
2. Scarlet Fever-#5 country and #94 pop
Rogers switched labels to RCA and his debut for them, Eyes That See In The Dark started with a bang when his duet with Dolly Parton, Islands In The Stream topped country, pop, and A.C. charts, becoming the last to do so. Other songs became hits in 1984. They are:
1. Buried Treasure-#3 country
2. This Woman-#23 pop and #2 A.C.
3. Eyes That See In The Dark-#30 country, #79 pop, and #4 A.C.
4. Evening Star-#11 country
That did not stop Liberty from releasing singles, hoping to capitalize on Rogers' popularity. Those hits are:
1. You Were A Good Friend-1984-#20 country
2. Together Again-with West-1984-#19 country
3. Love Is What We Make It-1985-#37 country
Twenty Greatest Hits was released in 1984. It was later expanded to 25 hits. Rogers' last chart appearance is the title track to his last CD, You Can't Make Old Friends (with Dolly Parton in 2013-#57). That was the year he was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

[countrychartnut]

1. ZAC BROWN TRIFECTA: For the third week, the Zac Brown Band has the top song in Homegrown. If it stays on top for a fourth week, it will match their biggest hit to date, Keep Me In Mind, which ruled for four weeks in late 2011-early 2012.
2. THEIR FIRST: The Big Machine label is doing well with their groups. Not only does the Zac Brown Band have the top song, but new group A Thousand Horses (on Republic Nashville) collect their first top ten with Smoke at #10.
3. RHETT'S FOLLOW UP: Thomas Rhett has the Hot Shot Debut this week with Crash And Burn at #38. It is the lead single to his upcoming CD. His first CD, It Goes Like This produced a quintet of major hits. They are:
1. Something To Do With My Hands-2012-#15
2. Beer With Jesus-2013-#19
3. It Goes Like This-2013-#1
4. Get Me Some Of That-2014-#1
5. Make Me Wanna-2015-#1
4. STRAIT'S BACK: Debuting at #52 is George Strait and Let It Go. It is the lead single to his upcoming CD. He is currently the reigning A.C.M. Entertainer of the Year.
5. BLAKE'S DONE IT AGAIN: Blake Shelton has the fastest climbing song of the week with Sangria (#37 to #28).
6. RUCKER'S PERFECT: Darius Rucker has four country CDs to his name. The fourth, Southern Style debuts at #1 on the country albums chart with 52,000 sold. This CD joins his other three chart topping discs. They are:
1. Learn To Live-2008
2. Charleston, SC 1966-2010
3. True Believers-2013
7. 50 YEARS IS #4: NOW That's What I Call A.C.M. Awards: 50 Years enters the country albums chart at #4 with 11,000 sold.
8. #1 HITS: These were the chart topping hits in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: Highway 20 Ride-Zac Brown Band-Atlantic
2005: That's What I Love About Sunday-Craig Morgan-Broken Bow
2000: How Do You Like Me Now-Toby Keith-DreamWorks
1995: The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter-Reba McEntire-MCA
1990: Love On Arrival-Dan Seals-Capitol
9. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: Restless Heart released seven studio albums between 1985-2004. Only one of those, Wheels reached the top of the country albums chart. It did so 28 years ago this week.
Restless Heart signed to RCA Records in 1984. Their self-titled debut CD was released in 1985. It should be noted that Alabama heard all the songs on their CD, but passed it on to Restless Heart. The CD reached #10 on the strength of its four singles. They are:
1. Let The Heartache Ride-1985-#23
2. I Want Everyone To Cry-1985-#10
3. Back To The Heartbreak Kid-1986-#7
4. Til I Loved You-1986-#10
With their debut CD being a success, they went to work on their second called Wheels. Four #1 country hits were generated. Those will be discussed along with two other songs from the CD. Ready?
1. That Rock Won't Roll-This song reinforced the stereotype of Restless Heart: Were they too country for pop or too pop for country? In any case, That Rock Won't Roll was released in August, 1986 and found its way to the top in November. They became the second act to land their first #1 in 1986 following Judy Rodman's ONLY #1, Until I Met You. They were followed by:
1. Paul Davis-You're Still New To Me-with Marie Osmond
2. T. Graham Brown-Hell And High Water
3. Tom Petty and Reverend Ike-Mind Your Own Business-with Hank Williams, Jr., Reba McEntire, and Willie Nelson
For the next two years, Restless Heart saw the top of the chart an additional five times.
2. I'll Still Be Loving You-The first of four crossover hits for Restless Heart. This is their ultimate love song. Released in December 1986, it became their second chart topper in March, 1987. It also peaked at #33 pop and #3 adult contemporary. The next single to make top 40 appearances on all three charts was Bruce Hornsby and the Range's Mandolin Rain (#38 country, #4 pop, and #1 A.C.). Coincidentally, BOTH groups were on RCA Records.
3. Why Does It Have To Be Wrong Or Right-I love the layered chorus on this one. This one really shows how tight the harmonies were with Restless Heart. Released in May, it topped the chart in August. It became their second hit on the A.C. chart at #11.
4. Wheels-The title track and fourth #1 from the CD. This one was originally recorded by the Bellamy Brothers for their 1985 CD, Howard And David, which produced a trio of #2 hits. They are:
1. Old Hippie-1985
2. Lie To You For Your Love-1985
3. Feelin' The Feelin'-1986
Wheels was released in October, 1987 and completed their perfect record of four for four releases hitting the top in February, 1988. They celebrated their feat around the same time as Exile collecting their fourth #1 from Hang On To Your Heart (She's Too Good To Be True-1987) and Always & Forever by Randy Travis (I Told You So-1988).
5. New York Hold Her Tight-After I'll Still Be Loving You and Why Does It Have To Be Wrong Or Right were crossover hits, RCA decided to send this one to A.C. only. It peaked at #23 there. It was the b-side to Wheels. Restless Heart would have two more crossover hits: When She Cries in 1992 (#9 country, #11 pop, and #2 A.C.) and Tell Me What You Dream with Warren Hill in 1993 (#43 pop and #1 A.C.).
6. Hummingbird-This was the b-side to Why Does It Have To Be Wrong Or Right. Ricky Skaggs cut a version that was his fourth Kentucky Thunder single in 1990 (#20). To this day, I'm torn to whose version I like better.
The Wheels CD became the first of four gold CDs for Restless Heart. The others are: Big Dreams In A Small Town (1988), Fast Movin' Train (1990), and Big Iron Horses (1992). Their last chart appearance was in 2004 with Feel My Way To You (#29). Their last CD was released in 2013 called A Restless Heart Christmas. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING APRIL 18, 1987:
1. WHEELS-RESTLESS HEART-RCA
2. Hank Live-Hank Williams, Jr.-Warner Bros.
3. Ocean Front Property-George Strait-MCA
4. Heartland-the Judds-RCA
5. Trio-Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt-Warner Bros.
6. Wine Colored Roses-George Jones-Epic
7. Storms Of Life-Randy Travis-Warner Bros.
8. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.-Dwight Yoakam-Reprise
9. Sweethearts Of The Rodeo-Sweethearts of the Rodeo-Columbia
10. The O'Kanes-the O'Kanes-Columbia

[countrychartnut]

1. HUNT'S TIME IS #1: Sam Hunt collects his second #1 hit with his second single this week with Take Your Time. His first, Leave The Night On topped the chart last November. His third single, House Party re-enters at #59. All are from his debut CD, Montevallo.
2. A.C.M. CHART: This year's winners on this week's chart:
2. Say You Do-Dierks Bentley-Video of the Year
4. Drinking Class-Lee Brice-Single of the Year
9. Sippin' On Fire-Florida Georgia Line-Vocal Duo and Vocal Event
10. Wild Child-Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter-Milestone Award for Chesney
18. Little Red Wagon-Miranda Lambert-Female, Album, Song, and Milestone Award
19. Girl Crush-Little Big Town-Vocal Group of the Year
21. Sangria-Blake Shelton-A.C.M. Host
24. Tonight Looks Good On You-Jason Aldean-Male Vocalist
27. Games-Luke Bryan-Entertainer, Vocal Event, and A.C.M. Host
31. Going Out Like That-Reba McEntire-Milestone Award
47. Let It Go-George Strait-Milestone Award
53. Let Me See Ya Girl-Cole Swindell-New Artist
3. TURN IT FAST: The Eli Young Band have the fastest climbing song of the week as Turn It On turns it eight to #37.
4. THOMPSON'S CAR: Thompson Square debuts a song from an upcoming CD. It is Trans Am and it is the Hot Shot Debut at #50. Their last CD, Just Feels Good yielded a quartet of singles. They are:
1. If I Didn't Have You-2013-#1
2. Everything I Shouldn't Be Thinking About-2014-#4
3. Testing The Water-2014-#55
4. I Can't Outrun You-2014-#52
5. ON HIS OWN: Kristian Bush, one half of Sugarland, debuts his solo CD, Southern Gravity at #16. 4000 copies were sold.
6. #1 CDS: These were the top selling CDs in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: Need You Now-Lady Antebellum-Capitol
2005: The Right To Bare Arms-Larry the Cable Guy-Warner Bros.
2000: Fly-the Dixie Chicks-Monument
1995: John Michael Montgomery-John Michael Montgomery-Atlantic
1990: RVS III-Ricky Van Shelton-Columbia
7. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: Dottie West has five chart topping hits. Three of them are with Kenny Rogers, her duet partner of the late 1970s to early 1980s. Her first solo #1, A Lesson In Leavin' was our top song 35 years ago this week.
West was on the RCA label between 1963-1975. She shared the label with Skeeter Davis and Connie Smith during the 'pre Dolly Parton era' (before 1967). I feel some of her work during that time gets overlooked in favor of her pop sounding records of the late 1970s-early 1980s. Her major hits during this time are:
1. Love Is No Excuse-with Jim Reeves-1964-#7
2. Here Comes My Baby-1964-#10
3. Would You Hold It Against Me-1966-#5
4. What's Come Over My Baby-1967-#17
5. Paper Mansions-1967-#8
6. Like A Fool-1967-#13
7. Country Girl-1968-#15
8. Reno-1969-#19
9. Rings Of Gold-with Don Gibson-1969-#2
10. There's A Story Goin' 'Round-with Don Gibson-1970-#7
11. Country Sunshine-1973-#2 (also #49 pop and #37 adult contemporary)
12. Last Time I Saw Him-1974-#8
She signed to United Artists in 1976. Her debut album for them, When It's Just You And Me yielded four chart singles. They are:
1. When It's Just You And Me-1977-#19
2. Every Word I Write-1977-#28
3. Tonight You Belong To Me-1977-#30
4. That's All I Wanted To Know-1977-#57
Then, a chance meeting with Kenny Rogers in late 1977 led to an impromptu duet. That ended up being West's biggest hit. It was Every Time Two Fools Collide in 1978 (#1 country and #44 A.C.). That was the title track of their duet album which also yielded Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight (#2 country). West and Rogers would win Vocal Duo of the Year from the C.M.A. in 1978 (and 1979). During this time, West charted solo singles in Come See Me And Come Lonely (#17 in 1978) and Reaching Out To Hold You (#49 in 1979). 1979 saw two more West/Rogers duets from the Classics album: All I Ever Need Is You (#1 country and #38 A.C.-originally a #7 pop and #1 A.C. hit for Sonny & Cher in 1971) and Til I Can Make It On My Own (#3 country-originally a #1 country, #84 pop, and #41 A.C. hit for Tammy Wynette in 1976). With West's career going up a notch due to Rogers, so did her choice of outfits. She went from a traditional style to a more sensual style, wearing the likes of Bob Mackie (as witnessed on her Wild West and High Times albums). Her final album of the 1970s, Special Delivery reflected a more pop sounding Dottie. Lead single, You Pick Me Up And Put Me Down peaked at #12 country and #50 A.C.. A Lesson In Leavin' was released in February, 1980. It topped the chart in April, becoming her third #1 overall and first solo chart topper (not bad after being a recording artist for 17 years). It crossed over to #73 pop and #42 A.C.. A third single, Leavin's For Unbelievers peaked at #13 country only.
Not only did West's career change, but so did her label. In 1980, United Artists became Liberty Records. Her first album under the new name was Wild West. Are You Happy Baby was released just before the year was over. It became her fourth chart topping single in February, 1981. Her biggest crossover hit was next and it was What Are We Doin' In Love. It is technically a duet with Rogers, even though his name is not on the vinyl single. It reached #1 country, #14 pop, and #7 A.C.. A third Wild West single, I'm Gonna Put You Back On The Rack peaked at #16 country. After Wild West, her popularity took a gradual decline on the charts. Her 1981 album, High Times yielded It's High Time (#16 in 1982-her last major solo hit) and You're Not Easy To Forget (#26 in 1982). She Can't Get My Love Off The Bed (#29 in 1982) and If It Takes All Night (#63 in 1983) came from the 1982 album, Full Circle. Her swan song for Liberty, New Horizons (1983) saw her charting with Tulsa Bedroom, her last solo top 40 hit (#40 in 1983). Her last was a duet with Rogers called Together Again (#19 in 1984 off the Rogers' album, Duets which features We've Got Tonight, his duet with Sheena Easton I discussed a few weeks ago).
After eight years at United Artists/Liberty, West signed to Permian Records in 1984. Only one album was released and it was Just Dottie. Three singles were released and they were the last few chart appearances she made. They are:
1. What's Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander-1984-#77
2. Let Love Come Lookin' For You-1985-#67
3. We Know Better Now-1985-#53
That was the last album she would release. A host of personal, business, and legal woes would follow her throughout the late 1980s to early 1990s. She got divorced in 1990 and she declared bankruptcy. She was sued by a variety of people for a variety of reasons. Her bank foreclosed on her home and the IRS said she owed over a million dollars in back taxes. She was involved in one car accident during the summer of 1991. She was involved in another one on her way to the Grand Ole Opry (a member since 1964) in August, 1991. After several surgeries, West succumbed to her injuries in September. She was 58. Her funeral was attended by a who's who in country music, including Steve Wariner who joined her band while he was in high school.
In 1995, CBS aired a movie about West's life called Big Dreams And Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story. In 1996, RCA released The Essential Dottie West while in 1997, Razor & Tie released Are You Happy Baby: The Dottie West Collection (1976-1984). Those two CDs represent just about 99% of her work for the two decades she had hits. In 1999, Jo Dee Messina released her version of Lesson In Leavin'. Pulled as the fourth single from her I'm Alright CD, it spent seven long weeks at #2, unable to dislodge Amazed by Lonestar from the top of the chart. We miss you, Dottie. Thanks for bringing some country sunshine to country music!  This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING APRIL 26, 1980:

1. A LESSON IN LEAVIN'-DOTTIE WEST-UNITED ARTISTS

2. Are You On The Road To Lovin' Me Again-Debby Boone-Warner Bros.

3. Beneath Still Waters-Emmylou Harris-Warner Bros.

4. Two Story House-George Jones and Tammy Wynette-Epic

5. It's Like We Never Said Goodbye-Crystal Gayle-Columbia

6. Gone Too Far-Eddie Rabbitt-Elektra

7. The Way I Am-Merle Haggard-MCA

8. Morning Comes Too Early-Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius-RCA

9. Let's Get It While The Gettin's Good-Eddy Arnold-RCA

10. Starting Over Again-Dolly Parton-RCA

[ozbest1]

Thanks for all your statistics and chart rankings, CCN, not to mention the link. Dottie indeed had a great voice and I loved her ETTFC with KR--saw them in concert. Great chemistry. She had such a tragic life in so many ways, esp. toward the end and her life ended under horrible circumstances. I miss that great voice too.

[countrychartnut]

Apr 22, 2015 15:38:47 GMT -6 ozbest1 said:

Thanks for all your statistics and chart rankings, CCN, not to mention the link. Dottie indeed had a great voice and I loved her ETTFC with KR--saw them in concert. Great chemistry. She had such a tragic life in so many ways, esp. toward the end and her life ended under horrible circumstances. I miss that great voice too.

You can say that again.  Dottie West deserved a lot more recognition during her time as a recording artist (28 years).  She also deserved to be happy, which I think eluded her most of her life.  Anyway, someone was kind enough to provide the top ten chart, so my post has been amended.  Enjoy!  I can sing the Kenny Rogers' part to What Are We Doin' In Love. 

[ozbest1]

CCN, how about you singing Kenny's part and posting it on YouTube for us? That would be another side of you we haven't seen. Who knew?

BTW, I remember she wrote and sang the song about Coca Cola that was played in Coke ads for a long time. When she opened for Kenny, that was the first song she sang--guess she wanted to make sure everybody realized who she was. The crowd loved it.

[countrychartnut]

Apr 23, 2015 9:54:06 GMT -6 ozbest1 said:

CCN, how about you singing Kenny's part and posting it on YouTube for us? That would be another side of you we haven't seen. Who knew?

BTW, I remember she wrote and sang the song about Coca Cola that was played in Coke ads for a long time. When she opened for Kenny, that was the first song she sang--guess she wanted to make sure everybody realized who she was. The crowd loved it.

Uh...no on the first. On the second, that was Country Sunshine, her best known hit until she did duets with Kenny Rogers.

[ozbest1]

Disappointed on the first--you are absolutely right about the 2nd. I just remember her calling herself "the Coca Cola girl" when she introduced the song. And of course, we heard it with every Coke ad on TV or radio.

[countrychartnut]

1. BENTLEY DID: For the thirteenth time in his career, Dierks Bentley has the top song in country music. This week it is the third Riser single, Say You Do. The Riser CD has been perfect so far in generating #1 hits. The first two singles hit the top last year: I Hold On and Drunk On A Plane. Riser starts like his previous CD, Home in generating a trio of chart topping hits. Home had Am I The Only One (2011), Home (2012) and 5-1-5-0 (2012) at the top.
2. Z.B.B. HIGH: The Zac Brown Band debut their second Jekyll + Hyde single, Loving You Easy at #30, grabbing Hot Shot Debut honors as well. Their first, Homegrown started at #23. It went to #1 for three weeks and is currently at #9.
3. NEW ELDREDGE: Brett Eldredge debuts a new single from an upcoming CD in Lose My Mind at #34. His debut CD, Bring You Back produced a trio of chart toppers:
1. Don't Ya-2013
2. Beat Of The Music-2014
3. Mean To Me-2015
4. HIS GIRL IS FAST: Cole Swindell has the fastest climbing song of the week with Let Me See Ya Girl. It goes up eight to #45.
5. REBA'S DOZEN: Reba McEntire lands the 12th #1 album in her career with Love Somebody. Her Nash Icon debut sold 59,000 copies last week. She now has more #1 albums than any female artist. Her chart topping CDs are:
1. Whoever's In New England-1986
2. What Am I Gonna Do About You-1987
3. Reba-1988
4. Sweet Sixteen-1989
5. It's Your Call-1993
6. Greatest Hits Volume Two-1994
7. Starting Over-1995
8. What If It's You-1996
9. Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm A Survivor-2001
10. Reba: Duets-2007
11. Keep On Loving You-2009
12. Love Somebody-2015
6. YOAKAM'S HERE TOO: Debuting at #2 on the country albums chart is Dwight Yoakam's Second Hand Heart. It sold 21,000 copies last week. His last CD, 3 Pears debuted at #3 in 2012. He has three chart topping CDs. They are:
1. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.-1986
2. Hillbilly Deluxe-1987
3. Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room-1988
7. A 00S LOOK: These were the chart topping hits during the last week of April during the 2000s:
2000: The Best Day-George Strait-MCA
2001: Ain't Nothing 'Bout You-Brooks & Dunn-Arista
2002: My List-Toby Keith-DreamWorks
2003: Have You Forgotten-Darryl Worley-DreamWorks
2004: When The Sun Goes Down-Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker-BNA
2005: Anything But Mine-Kenny Chesney-BNA
2006: What Hurts The Most-Rascal Flatts-Lyric Street
2007: Wasted-Carrie Underwood-Arista
2008: I Saw God Today-George Strait-MCA
2009: It's America-Rodney Atkins-Curb
8. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: Marty Robbins was the first recipient of the Artist of the Decade by the A.C.M. for the 1960s. He entered the 1970s by collecting his 14th #1 hit, My Woman, My Woman, My Wife, our top song 45 years ago this week.
Robbins ended the 1960s with the It's A Sin album. Two singles became hits in 1969: the title track (#5) and I Can't Say Goodbye (#8). It was during this time he suffered the first of three heart attacks. He had surgery and continued to tour and record. A single release only in Camelia reached #10 in early 1970. My Woman, My Woman, My Wife was written by Robbins and dedicated to his wife, Marizona (married in 1948). The single was released in January and climbed all the way to the top in May. It became the title track and ONLY single from the album. With it, Robbins topped the charts during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, becoming the second artist to do so after Sonny James topping the chart in February with It's Just A Matter Of Time. Robbins still had some crossover appeal in 1970 by having My Woman, My Woman, My Wife peak at #42 pop. Next up for Robbins was a greatest hits album which contained Jolie Girl (#7 in 1970) and Padre (#5 in 1971). After Padre peaked, Robbins would win a Grammy Award for My Woman, My Woman, My Wife. That was his second Grammy after winning one in 1961 for El Paso (#1 country and #1 pop between 1959-1960). Robbins would stay at Columbia until 1972. His other hits for the label are:
1. The Chair-1971-#7
2. Early Morning Sunshine-1971-#9
3. The Best Part Of Living-1972-#6
4. I've Got A Woman's Love-1972-#32
Robbins would then sign to Decca Records in 1972. In a box set of his, he said the biggest mistake he made was to leave Columbia Records. Robbins would do well with Decca (later MCA). His major hits for them are:
1. This Much A Man-1972-#11
2. Walking Piece Of Heaven-1973-#6-his biggest hit for them
3. Love Me-1973-#9
4. Twentieth Century Drifter-1974-#10
5. Don't You Think-1974-#12
He returned to Columbia in 1975. His career received a jump start with the El Paso City album of 1976. The title track and Among My Souvenirs became his 15th and 16th chart topping hits, respectively. Those became the last times he would see his name at the top of the page. He continued to have major hits until 1982. Those hits were:
1. Adios Amigos-1977-#4
2. I Don't Know Why I Just Do-1977-#10
3. Don't Let Me Touch You-1977-#6
4. Return To Me-1978-#6
5. Please Don't Play A Love Song-1978-#17
6. Touch Me With Magic-1979-#15
7. All Around Cowboy-1979-#16
8. Some Memories Just Won't Die-1982-#10
In 1982, Robbins was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in October. On December 1, Robbins suffered his third heart attack (second one was in 1981). A week later he died of complications after surgery. He was 57 years old. A movie he starred in called Honkytonk Man (also starring Clint Eastwood) debuted after his death. Honkytonk Man was the first single to his Some Memories Just Won't Die album. It peaked at #10 in 1983, becoming his final top ten and final top 40 hit. His last chart appearance was in 1983 with What If I Said I Love You (#57) and his last CD was released in 2005 called The Essential Marty Robbins. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING MAY 2, 1970:
1. MY WOMAN, MY WOMAN, MY WIFE-MARTY ROBBINS-COLUMBIA
2. Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone-Charley Pride-RCA
3. The Pool Shark-Dave Dudley-Mercury
4. Tennessee Bird Walk-Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan-Wayside
5. Love Is A Sometimes Thing-Bill Anderson-Decca
6. I Do My Swinging At Home-David Houston-Epic
7. I Know How-Loretta Lynn-Decca
8. You Wouldn't Know Love-Ray Price-Columbia
9. Rise And Shine-Tommy Cash-Epic
10. Stay There Till I Get There-Lynn Anderson-Columbia

[countrychartnut]

1. DIERKS SAYS: For the second week, Dierks Bentley is tops with Say You Do. So far, Bentley has ruled for five weeks with his three chart toppers from Riser: one week for I Hold On (2014), two weeks for Drunk On A Plane (2014), and so far, two weeks for Say You Do. If Bentley manages a third week at #1 for Say You Do, it will match his longest reigning chart topper, Come A Little Closer from 2005.
2. MAYBE?: Easton Corbin is at #11 with Baby Be My Love Song. He has not seen the top ten in two years since All Over The Road hit #3. If Baby Be My Love Song hits the top ten, it will be Corbin's fifth to do so. His top tens are:
1. A Little More Country Than That-2010-#1
2. Roll With It-2010-#1
3. Lovin' You Is Fun-2012-#5
4. All Over The Road-2013-#3
3. RHETT IS FAST: Thomas Rhett has the fastest climbing song of the week as Crash And Burn flies up ten to #30.
4. ROGERS/BOWEN: Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen come together on the country albums chart this week at #4 with Hold My Beer, Vol. 1. 13,000 copies were sold.
5. A 00S LOOK PART II: These were the top selling CDs during the first week of May during the 2000s:
2000: Fly-the Dixie Chicks-Monument
2001: Steers & Stripes-Brooks & Dunn-Arista
2002: O Brother, Where Art Thou-Soundtrack-Lost Highway
2003: Have You Forgotten-Darryl Worley-DreamWorks
2004: When The Sun Goes Down-Kenny Chesney-BNA
2005: The Right To Bare Arms-Larry the Cable Guy-Warner Bros.
2006: Me And My Gang-Rascal Flatts-Lyric Street
2007: Bucky Covington-Bucky Covington-Lyric Street
2008: Troubadour-George Strait-MCA
2009: Hannah Montana: The Movie-Soundtrack-Walt Disney
6. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: Lightning has struck twice. I had saluted Brooks & Dunn's He's Got You earlier this year. The #2 hit from 1998 came from their first greatest hits CD. Now, I am saluting It's Getting Better All The time, a #1 hit from their second hits survey. It was our top song just a decade ago this week.
The track listing to The Greatest Hits Collection II is as follows:
1. That's What It's All About-2004-#2
2. How Long Gone-1998-#1
3. Ain't Nothing 'Bout You-2001-#1-chart wise, their biggest hit
4. The Long Goodbye-2002-#1
5. My Heart Is Lost To You-2002-#5
6. I Can't Get Over You-1999-#5
7. Red Dirt Road-2003-#1
8. Husbands And Wives-1998-#1
9. That's What She Gets For Loving Me-2004-#6
10. You Can't Take The Honky Tonk Out Of The Girl-2004-#3
11. It's Getting Better All The Time-2005-#1
12. Only In America-2001-#1
13. A Man This Lonely-1997-#1
14. Independent Trucker
15. I'll Never Forgive My Heart-1995-#6
16. If You See Him/If You See Her-with Reba McEntire-1998-#1
17. South Of Santa Fe
The CD features three new songs. The first, That's What It's All About was released in July, 2004. It climbed all the way to #2, unable to topple Mr. Mom by Lonestar in November. It became their fifth #2 hit. It's Getting Better All The Time debuted in December and went to #1 in May, 2005 becoming their 19th chart topping hit. The CD is certified platinum. After the success of that CD, Brooks & Dunn released Hillbilly Deluxe. The first single, Play Something Country became their 20th and final chart topping hit. They went a 180 with their next release, Believe. Released just before 2005 ended, the gospel tinged single peaked at #8 in 2006. Between those singles, Brooks & Dunn won their thirteenth and final C.M.A. Award for Vocal Duo of the Year. Building Bridges received vocal support from Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill. It peaked at #4. Hillbilly Deluxe interrupted their string of eight consecutive top tens at #16. The final studio CD that Brooks & Dunn would release was Cowboy Town in 2007. Four major hits were pulled from the CD:
1. Proud Of The House We Built-2007-#4
2. God Must Be Busy-2008-#11
3. Put A Girl In It-2008-#3
4. Cowgirls Don't Cry-2009-#2
Cowgirls Don't Cry was performed at the 2008 C.M.A. Awards with McEntire. After their performance, Arista reissued it as a duet. By the time it hit #2 in early 2009, it became the final top ten of Brooks & Dunn's career. Shortly after that song peaked, Brooks & Dunn announced a farewell tour. They would tour between 2009-2010. In the meantime, Arista released a chart toppers CD called #1s...And Then Some. Two new songs climbed into the top 20, peaking at #16: Indian Summer and Honky Tonk Stomp with Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. After their tour ended in 2010, they went to work on solo CDs. Ronnie Dunn has been more successful than Kix Brooks. Dunn's self-titled CD from 2011 has produced two major hits in Bleed Red (#10 in 2011) and Cost Of Livin' (#19 in 2011). Brooks' biggest hit during this time is the title track to his New To This Town CD (#31 in 2012 with Joe Walsh).
The chart toppers CD was rereleased in 2012 as The Essential Brooks & Dunn. This year has been exciting if you are a fan of Brooks & Dunn. They announced they were getting back together again after a five year hiatus. They will be joining McEntire in Las Vegas for a series of concerts. Furthermore, McEntire and Dunn have signed to the Nash Icon label (O.K. Brooks, why aren't you signed yet?). This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING MAY 7, 2005:
1. IT'S GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME-BROOKS & DUNN-ARISTA
2. Anything But Mine-Kenny Chesney-BNA
3. Gone-Montgomery Gentry-Columbia
4. That's What I Love About Sunday-Craig Morgan-Broken Bow
5. My Give A Damn's Busted-Jo Dee Messina-Curb
6. Homewrecker-Gretchen Wilson-Epic
7. If Heaven-Andy Griggs-RCA
8. Songs About Me-Trace Adkins-Capitol
9. What's A Guy Gotta Do-Joe Nichols-Universal South
10. Honky Tonk U-Toby Keith-DreamWorks

[countrychartnut]

1. #1 RAISE: Keith Urban and Eric Church have the top song this week in Raise 'Em Up. It is the fifth single from Urban's Fuse CD and the fourth chart topping hit from the CD following:
1. Little Bit Of Everything-2013
2. We Were Us-with Miranda Lambert-2013
3. Somewhere In My Car-2014
4. Raise 'Em Up-with Eric Church-2015
Third single, Cop Car peaked at #8 in 2014. Fuse is the second Urban CD to contain a quartet of chart topping hits. Golden Road was first with these #1s:
1. Somebody Like You-2002-chart wise, his biggest hit and Billboard's top single of the decade
2. Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me-2003
3. You'll Think Of Me-2003
4. You Look Good In My Shirt-2008-rerecorded for Urban's first greatest hits CD
The Fuse CD is the 35th in country music to have four #1s on it. The others:
1. Don't Make It Easy For Me-Earl Thomas Conley
2. Roll On-Alabama
3. Why Not Me-the Judds
4. Rockin' With The Rhythm-the Judds
5. Lost In The Fifties Tonight-Ronnie Milsap
6. Hang On To Your Heart-Exile
7. Wheels-Restless Heart
8. Always & Forever-Randy Travis
9. King's Record Shop-Rosanne Cash
10. The Heart Of It All-Earl Thomas Conley
11. Southern Star-Alabama
12. Killin' Time-Clint Black
13. No Fences-Garth Brooks
14. Don't Rock The Jukebox-Alan Jackson
15. Brand New Man-Brooks & Dunn
16. I Still Believe In You-Vince Gill
17. Alibis-Tracy Lawrence
18. Who I Am-Alan Jackson
19. The Woman In Me-Shania Twain
20. Everywhere-Tim McGraw
21. A Place In The Sun-Tim McGraw
22. Lonely Grill-Lonestar
23. Set This Circus Down-Tim McGraw
24. If You're Going Through Hell-Rodney Atkins
25. Golden Road-Keith Urban
26. Time Well Wasted-Brad Paisley
27. Carnival Ride-Carrie Underwood
28. The Foundation-Zac Brown Band
29. You Get What You Give-Zac Brown Band
30. Hemingway's Whiskey-Kenny Chesney-BNA
31. Red River Blue-Blake Shelton
32. Barefoot Blue Jean Night-Jake Owen
33. Here's To The Good Times-Florida Georgia Line
34. Night Train-Jason Aldean
35. Fuse-Keith Urban
Furthermore, Raise 'Em Up is Urban's third #1 duet following:
1. Start A Band-with Brad Paisley-2009
2. We Were Us-with Miranda Lambert-2013
3. Raise 'Em Up-with Eric Church-2015
This is Church's second #1 vocal collaboration following The Only Way I Know with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan from 2013.
2. MMM MOTOR BOATIN': Chris Janson's third charted single, Buy Me A Boat debuted at #60 last week. This week it is at #29 making it the fastest climbing song of the week.
3. FIRST AS A COUNTRY ARTIST: Kid Rock debuts at #59 with First Kiss. This is his first time charting as a country artist since signing to Warner Bros. this year. His biggest hit in country is All Summer Long from 2008 (#4).
4. JEKYLL + HYDE ARE (IS) #1: The Zac Brown Band have the top selling CD with their fourth CD, Jekyll + Hyde. 214,000 copies were sold last week.
5. NOT SUFFERING: Tyler Farr debuts at #2 on the country albums chart with Suffer In Peace. 42,000 were sold.
6. A CORRECTION: Last week, I had stated that Brooks & Dunn won their final C.M.A. Award for Vocal Duo in 2005. Not so. They won their fourteenth and final award in 2006. I apologize for the error.
7. #1 HITS: These were the chart topping hits in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: Gimmie That Girl-Joe Nichols-Show Dog/Universal
2005: My Give A Damn's Busted-Jo Dee Messina-Curb
2000: Buy Me A Rose-Kenny Rogers-Dreamcatcher
1995: I Can Love You Like That-John Michael Montgomery-Atlantic
1990: Help Me Hold On-Travis Tritt-Warner Bros.
8. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: 2015 marks the tenth anniversary of Carrie Underwood winning American Idol and the release of her debut CD, Some Hearts (Billboard's top country album of the decade). Six years ago this week, Underwood was joined by Randy Travis for their duet, I Told You So that peaked at #2.
As we all know, Underwood drew a record amount of votes while on American Idol. She literally crushed the competition every week until she met Bo Bice in the finals. Nothing changed there as she was crowned the fourth Idol winner. Striking while the iron was hot, she signed to Arista Records and went to work on her debut CD, Some Hearts. Arista tested the waters by releasing a promo single called Inside Your Heaven. It ended up debuting at #1 on the pop chart, interrupting the reign of Mariah Carey's We Belong Together. That made Underwood the first country artist to debut at the top there (Bice's version debuted at #2). It became a crossover hit by peaking at #52 country and #12 adult contemporary. Some Hearts was released and it debuted at #1 country and #2 top 200 when 315,000 copies were sold. Jesus, Take The Wheel was next. Released during the fall of 2005, it became Underwood's first country chart topper in January, 2006. It became her biggest hit at six weeks at the top. That too became a crossover hit, peaking at #20 pop and #23 A.C.. The title track was released to A.C. only and it peaked at #12 there. Don't Forget To Remember Me became her first #2 hit (#49 pop), unable to dislodge Brad Paisley's The World from the top. Before He Cheats lodged as an album cut for months on the charts. Arista finally released it as a single and it became her biggest crossover hit (#1 country, #8 pop, and #6 A.C.). At the 2006 C.M.A.s, Underwood won the Horizon Award and Female Vocalist Award (I can still see Faith Hill saying, 'What?'). Underwood kicked off her 2007 with her third #1, Wasted (#37 pop). While Wasted was on the chart, Underwood picked up her first two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Female Country Vocal Performance for Jesus, Take The Wheel. She won the Top New Female Vocalist, Female Vocalist, and Single of the Year for Jesus, Take The Wheel at the 2007 A.C.M.s.
With her debut CD being a runaway success, she went to work on her Carnival Ride CD. It became her first CD to debut at the top of the country and top 200 charts when 527,000 copies were sold. Underwood won C.M.A. Awards for Female Vocalist and Single of the Year for Before He Cheats. So Small was the lead single and it became her fourth chart topping hit (#17 pop). 2008 saw All-American Girl hit the top (#27 pop). While that single was on the chart, Underwood won her third Grammy for Before He Cheats. A trio of A.C.M. Awards followed Underwood: Female Vocalist, Album of the Year for Some Hearts, and Video of the Year Before He Cheats. Last Name (#19 pop) and Just A Dream (#29 pop) became country chart toppers in 2008. Underwood won her third Female Vocalist of the Year form the C.M.A.. During the year, Underwood played the Grand Ole Opry on several occasions. On one memorable night, Underwood performed the Randy Travis classic, I Told You So (for the record, Underwood was five years old when Travis hit #1 in 1988 with his version). After her performance, the audience went crazy. Travis surprised Underwood by making an appearance. Underwood was startled when she saw him and thought the standing ovation was for her. Travis told her he was going to do that song later that night and that the song was far better suited for her vocals than his. Then, Travis extended an invitation for her to join the Opry (she said yes). The crowd went bonkers. She cried and hugged Travis. Arista released I Told You So at the beginning of 2009. Underwood would win another Grammy Award for Last Name. Travis met Underwood at her playground at Idol and performed I Told You So together. After their performance, Arista reserviced it as a duet. It climbed all the way to #2, first blocked by Jason Aldean's She's Country and then being shut out by It Happens by Sugarland (see chart below). It also peaked at #9 pop, becoming her third top ten and Travis' first. At the 2009 A.C.M.s, she won Female Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year Awards.
CD #3, Play On started with a bang when it debuted at #1 on both country and top 200 charts when 318,000 copies were sold. The rocking Cowboy Casanova returned Underwood to the top for the eighth time in her career while reaching #11 pop. Her 2010 started with her winning a Grammy Award with Travis for I Told You So for Country Collaboration With Vocals. She became a repeat winner at the A.C.M.s for Entertainer of the Year, becoming the first woman to repeat as Entertainer. Temporary Home topped the chart (#41 pop) while Undo It did the same (#23 pop). Mama's Song was the fourth and final single. It peaked at #2 country and #56 pop in early 2011. The video naturally features her mother and Mike Fisher (married in 2010). 2011 saw Underwood chart on someone else's single for the first time as her duet with Brad Paisley, Remind Me (from his This Is Country Music CD) hit the top of the country chart while becoming a #17 pop hit. It should be noted that starting in 2008, Underwood and Paisley hosted the C.M.A. Awards.
The fourth chapter in Underwood's career (in 2012) is called Blown Away. It was another double #1 CD for her after 267,000 copies were sold. Good Girl was the first single and it hit #1 country and #18 pop. The title track peaked at #1 country and #20 pop. 2013 saw Underwood pick up another Grammy Award for Blown Away. She also collected a pair of #2 hits in Two Black Cadillacs (#41 pop) and See You Again (#34 pop). She remained very quiet throughout the rest of 2013 into 2014 until Miranda Lambert released her duet with Underwood from the Platinum CD, Somethin' Bad (#7 country and #19 pop).
With a wall of back to back hits for ten consecutive years (2005-2014), Arista released Greatest Hits: Decade #1 (#1 country and #4 top 200 CD with 94,000 copies sold). After eighteen consecutive top two hits, the string was broken when Something In The Water peaked at #3 country and #24 pop in early 2015. It won a Grammy Award, becoming Underwood's seventh win. She is currently on the chart with the second single, Little Toy Guns. This past February, she gave birth to her first child, Isaiah Michael Fisher. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING MAY 16, 2009:
1. She's Country-Jason Aldean-Broken Bow
2. I TOLD YOU SO-CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND RANDY TRAVIS-ARISTA
3. It Happens-Sugarland-Mercury
4. It's America-Rodney Atkins-Curb
5. Here Comes Goodbye-Rascal Flatts-Lyric Street
6. Then-Brad Paisley-Arista
7. Kiss A Girl-Keith Urban-Capitol
8. One In Every Crowd-Montgomery Gentry-Columbia
9. Out Last Night-Kenny Chesney-BNA
10. Sideways-Dierks Bentley-Capitol

[ozbest1]

Thanks for this great read and info, CCN. Enjoyed reading it! Happy for Keith, for sure.

[countrychartnut]

1. FARR'S BAR: Well, after seeing his previous two singles hit #3, Tyler Farr collects his first #1 this week with A Guy Walks Into A Bar. It is the lead single from his recent #2 CD, Suffer In Peace. It is his fourth single overall following:
1. Hello Goodbye-2012-#47
2. Redneck Crazy-2013-#3
3. Whiskey In My Water-2014-#3
Furthermore, Farr becomes the second artist in Billboard 2015 (since December, 2014) to collect their first #1. Maddie & Tae did it in December with Girl In A Country Song.
2. AEROSMITH COUNTRY: Steven Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith makes his debut this week at #33 with Love Is Your Name, the ONLY debut on the chart. This is the third time he is influencing country music.  Garth Brooks recorded an Aerosmith song called The Fever and took it to #23 in 1995. Aerosmith recorded a song for the Armegeddon soundtrack called I Don't Want To Miss A Thing. It was a #1 pop and #13 adult contemporary hit in 1998. Shortly after that, Mark Chesnutt recorded his version that went to #1 country and #17 pop in 1999.
3. Z.B.B. FAST: The Zac Brown Band have the fastest climbing song of the week as Loving You Easy eases up seven to #21.
4. HALFWAY THERE: Billboard 2015 is halfway over. Let us review those songs that hit #1 during the first six months of the chart year:
1. Somewhere In My Car-Keith Urban-2 weeks
2. Girl In A Country Song-Maddie & Tae-1
3. Shotgun Rider-Tim McGraw-3
4. Perfect Storm-Brad Paisley-2
5. Til It's Gone-Kenny Chesney-1
6. Talladega-Eric Church-1
7. I See You-Luke Bryan-2
8. Sun Daze-Florida Georgia Line-1
9. Make Me Wanna-Thomas Rhett-1
10. Lonely Tonight-Blake Shelton-1
11. Just Gettin' Started-Jason Aldean-1
12. Mean To Me-Brett Eldredge-1
13. Ain't Worth The Whiskey-Cole Swindell-1
14. Homegrown-Zac Brown Band-3
15. Take Your Time-Sam Hunt-1
16. Say You Do-Dierks Bentley-2
17. Raise 'Em Up-Keith Urban and Eric Church-1
18. A Guy Walks Into A Bar-Tyler Farr-1 so far
5. STAPLETON TRAVELS TO #2: Chris Stapleton debuts at #2 on the country albums chart with Traveller. 27,000 copies were sold last week.
6. #1 CDS: These were the top selling CDs in 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1990:
2010: Need You Now-Lady Antebellum-Capitol
2005: Delicious Surprise-Jo Dee Messina-Curb
2000: Fly-the Dixie Chicks-Monument
1995: John Michael Montgomery-John Michael Montgomery-Atlantic
1990: Killin' Time-Clint Black-RCA
7. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: You take two singer-songwriters hellbent on simplicity and throw some bluegrass into the mix and you get the O'Kanes. They released nine singles between 1986-1990 (seven of them charted). Their biggest, Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You was our top song 28 years ago this week.
Prior to joining forces, Kieran Kane had a solo career with Elektra/Warner Bros.. He made his debut in 1981 with The Baby (#80). His first album was a self-titled one and it produced a quartet of top 40 hits. They are:
1. You're The Best-1981-#14-his biggest hit
2. It's Who You Love-1982-#16
3. I Feel It With You-1982-#26
4. I'll Be Your Man Around The House-1982-#26
Then, Warner Bros. just released singles in: Gonna Have A Party (1983-#45), It's You (1983-#30), and Dedicate (1984-#28-his last chart appearance as a solo artist). Jamie O'Hara moved to Nashville during the 1970s and started writing songs. His first success came when Ronnie McDowell recorded Older Women, which became McDowell's first #1 hit in 1981. O'Hara did not have any other songwriting successes until the Judds recorded Grandpa Tell Me 'Bout The Good Ol' Days. That went to #1 in 1986. The Judds were the first recipients of a song that O'Hara and Kane wrote called Bluegrass Blues. O'Hara and Kane decided to form a duo by combining their names and signed to Columbia Records in 1986. Their first CD (self-titled) was released in late 1986. The first single, Oh Darlin' was written by them and broke top ten at #10 just before the year ended. January, 1987 saw them release their second single, Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You. Four months later, they collected their ONLY #1 as artists. They managed to dethrone To Know Him Is To Love Him by the law firm of Parton/Harris/Ronstadt. Daddies Need To Grow Up To hit #9 during the summer while Just Lovin' You peaked at #5 in early 1988. Billboard named the O'Kanes Top New Country Artist for 1987 (besting Highway 101, K.T. Oslin, and Ricky Van Shelton).
1988 was their third and final year on the charts. Their second CD, Tired Of The Runnin' started with One True Love (#4) and their final top ten, Blue Love (#10). Their final chart appearance was Rocky Road (#71). Columbia released their last CD, Imagine That in 1990. Two singles were released, but did not chart (Why Should I and Diddy All Night Long). After that, the O'Kanes were no more. I find it ironic that the O'Kanes were popular for as long as other new duos of the late 1980s like Sweethearts of the Rodeo and Foster & Lloyd.
O'Hara has released a trio of albums since the O'Kanes disappeared. They are:
1. Rise Above It-1994
2. Beautiful Obsession-2001
3. Dream Hymns-2012
Several singles have been released, but none charted. Kane recorded an album for Atlantic called Find My Way Home (1993). He founded Dead Reckoning Records with other singer-songwriters and has released the following albums:
1. Dead Reckoning-1995
2. Six Months, No Sun-1998
3. 11-12-13: Live From Melbourne, Australia-2000
4. The Blue Chair-2000
5. Shadows On The Ground-2002
6. You Can't Save Everybody-2004
7. Lost John Dean-2006
8. Kane Welch Kaplin-2007
9. Somewhere Beyond The Roses-2009
Like O'Hara, Kane released singles, but did not chart with them. The O'Kanes had some memorable moments during the late 1980s. Too bad it did not last very long. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING MAY 23, 1987:
1. CAN'T STOP MY HEART FROM LOVING YOU-THE O'KANES-COLUMBIA
2. It Takes A Little Rain To Make Love Grow-Oak Ridge Boys-MCA
3. Julia-Conway Twitty-MCA
4. I Will Be There-Dan Seals-EMI America
5. Domestic Life-John Conlee-Columbia
6. Too Many Rivers-Forester Sisters-Warner Bros.
7. Baby's Got A Hold On Me-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band-Warner Bros.
8. Til I'm Too Old To Die Young-Moe Bandy-MCA
9. You're My First Lady-T.G. Sheppard-Columbia
10. Hard Livin'-Keith Whitley-RCA

[countrychartnut]

1. IT DOES: Billy Currington collects his ninth #1 hit this week in Don't It, the lead single to his Summer Forever CD. It is his third consecutive #1 following Hey Girl (2013) and We Are Tonight (2014).
2. A BLACK RIVER FIRST: Kelsea Ballerini collects her first top ten with Love Me Like You Mean It at #8. This is also Black River's first top ten hit as a label. The label is owned by Terry and Kim Pegula, the owners of the Buffalo Sabres and Bills. Black River came close to getting top tens with Craig Morgan on This Ole Boy (2012-#13) and Wake Up Lovin' You(2014-#14).
3. KICKIN' HIGH: Luke Bryan blasts is way on the chart with the lead single to his upcoming CD, Kill The Lights. Kick The Dust Up is the Hot Shot Debut at #19. He has another entry, Games (at #21) peaked at #20 last week.
4. 21 IS #32: Hunter Hayes has the second highest debut at #32 with 21. That is from an upcoming CD. His last CD, Storyline produced Invisible (2014-#19) and Tattoo (2014-#24).
5. PARTY FAST: Sam Hunt has the fastest climbing song of the week as House Party rocks on eight spots to #34.
6. MORE NASHVILLE: Nashville: The Music Of Nashville Season 3, Volume 2 debuts at #3 on the country albums chart after 12,000 copies were sold last week. This is the sixth installment in the series. The others with peak positions:
1. Season 1, Volume 1-2012-#3
2. Season 1, Volume 2-2013-#5
3. Season 2, Volume 1-2013-#7
4. Season 2, Volume 2-2014-#4
5. Season 3, Volume 1-2014-#10
6. Season 3, Volume 2-2015-#3
7. HARRIS/CROWELL: Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell debut their second duets CD, The Traveling Kind at #8 after 7000 copies were sold. Their first, Old Yellow Moon peaked at #4 in 2013.
8. A 90S LOOK: These were the chart topping hits during the last week of May during the 1990s:
1990: I've Cried My Last Tear For You-Ricky Van Shelton-Columbia
1991: Meet In The Middle-Diamond Rio-Arista
1992: Achy Breaky Heart-Billy Ray Cyrus-Mercury
1993: I Love The Way You Love Me-John Michael Montgomery-Atlantic
1994: Don't Take The Girl-Tim McGraw-Curb
1995: Summer's Comin'-Clint Black-RCA
1996: My Maria-Brooks & Dunn-Arista
1997: Sittin' On Go-Bryan White-Asylum
1998: This Kiss-Faith Hill-Warner Bros.
1999: Please Remember Me-Tim McGraw-Curb
9. MILESTONE TOP TEN CHART: Johnny Cash has fourteen #1 hits. The first thirteen are solo chart toppers. The last of those, One Piece At A Time was our top song 39 years ago this week.
Cash hadn't had a chart topping hit since 1971's Flesh And Blood. In the interim, he managed to have major hits in:
1. Man In Black-1971-#3
2. Singing In Viet Nam Talking Blues-1971-#18
3. No Need To Worry-with June Carter Cash-1971-#15
4. Papa Was A Good Man-1971-#16
5. A Thing Called Love-1972-#2
6. Kate-1972-#2
7. Oney-1972-#2
8. Any Old Wind That Blows-1973-#3
9. Lady Came From Baltimore-1975-#14
10. Look At Them Beans-1975-#17
One Piece At A Time was written by Wayne Kemp. Kemp wrote the song as a novelty one where the main character works at General Motors. While working, the main character envisions himself owning a Cadillac, but because he doesn't make enough to buy one, he steals one. He decides to take one 'one piece at a time'. Smaller parts of the car are taken home in his lunchbox. He enlists a coworker to take larger parts in his motor home. That took quite a few years to do. It should be noted that Cash speaks the words of the verses while he actually sings the chorus. However, something is amiss as they get the complete car home and start assembling it (after all, different models of Cadillacs were produced in the ensuing years of the 'take home' car). He discovers he has three headlights with two on the left and one on the right. When he connects them, he is surprised ALL three come on. Another instance is when the transmission is from 1953 and the engine is from 1973. The car only has one tail fin. When the car is completed, his wife wants a ride in it. He honors her request as they take it to town to have it registered. The title to the vehicle according to the song weighed '60 pounds' and it took the 'whole staff' to type it. He returns home and as he does, a truck driver inquires about the 'psychobilly Cadillac' (first time 'psychobilly' was used-probably the basis of Big & Rich's music). In any case, the main character said 'he picked it up at the factory because it was cheaper that way'. Cash ends the song by 'rapping' the years of the vehicle. The first set of years are from 1949 to 1959 and the second set is from 1960 to 1970.
One Piece At A Time (the title track) was released in March, 1976. In May, Cash reeled in his lucky 13th chart topping hit. It also became his last crossover hit, peaking at #29 pop and #6 adult contemporary. Second and final single, Sold Out Of Flagpoles peaked at #29 country only. Cash nearly topped the chart two more times throughout the rest of the 1970s (his only other top tens that stopped at #2). They are:
1. There Ain't No Good Chain Gang-with Waylon Jennings-1978
2. Ghost Riders In The Sky-1979
He connected with the top ten in 1981 with The Baron (#10). Chart topper #14 came with his buddies Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson with Highwayman (1985). That made Cash the second artist after George Jones to have #1 hits in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. In 1980, Cash was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame while he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. His last chart appearance came in 2003 with his version of the Nine Inch Nails hit, Hurt (#56). He died that year in September at the age of 71. His last CD was released last year called Out Among The Stars, a CD he recorded during the early 1980s, but Columbia shelved it. It ended up debuting at #1 on the country albums chart. Kemp, the songwriter died this year in March. He was three months shy of 74. This is what the chart looked like back then:

BILLBOARD TOP TEN FOR WEEK ENDING MAY 29, 1976:
1. ONE PIECE AT A TIME-JOHNNY CASH-COLUMBIA
2. I'll Get Over You-Crystal Gayle-United Artists
3. After All The Good Is Gone-Conway Twitty-MCA
4. You've Got Me To Hold On To-Tanya Tucker-MCA
5. Don't Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye-Glen Campbell-Capitol
6. What Goes On When The Sun Goes Down-Ronnie Milsap-RCA
7. Hurt/For The Heart-Elvis Presley-RCA
8. Walk Softly-Billy Crash Craddock-ABC/Dot
9. I.O.U.-Jimmy Dean-Casino
10. El Paso City-Marty Robbins-Columbia