BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 1 OF 23

Country UpdateBILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE Tom.Roland@billboard.comINSIDE

Wallen Swarms Hot Country Songs

>page 4

Garth Brooks On Insurrection, Healing

>page 12

Eric Church: Super Man

>page 14

Paisley, Shelton, Opry Hit TV

>page 14

Makin’ Tracks: HARDY, ‘Heaven’

And ‘Hell’>page 20

Country Coda: When Nail Tacked Up

A No. 1 >page 23

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It’s a new year, thankfully, and it may turn out to be a signifi-cant one for several new artists taking important first steps in their career paths.

At least 13 acts have their first album or EP set for release during the first half of the year, with the field including a couple of former contestants from The Voice, a teenage female who earned attention by posting bedroom vocal performances on Facebook and a singer-songwriter who caught Nashville’s ears with a good old-fashioned appearance on a heritage media platform: terres-trial radio.

With streaming pro-v idi ng more mea ns of exposure, the volume of individual, introductory tracks released by labels and indie acts is way up, but many of those come and go after one or two releases. This list specifically looks at artists who have inspired enough confidence that a label is committing to a first album or EP.

The class features plenty of quality, from the self-proclaimed “bell-bottom country” of Lainey Wilson to the western-fused percolations of Ian Munsick to the smooth centrist sound of Nate Barnes, who ended the last year by releasing his debut single, “You Ain’t Pretty.”

New artists are a roll of the dice for labels, but the career path is likewise enveloped in uncertainty and risk for the acts.

“I left an amazing career working at a nuclear power plant,”

says Barnes. “I had an amazing life, but I knew in my heart this is where I needed to be. God put all this together in the right time, and I had to say yes to it.”

Release schedules can change, but here’s a look at 13 country artists planning their first album or EP for a label of significance before June 30:

• Nate Barnes (Quartz Hill) — Signed to former BBR founder Benny Brown’s new label, Barnes owns a classic country voice

with a reedy filter shading Jimmy Wayne’s tone. He weaves Southern rock in-f luence and a touch of moder n prog ra m m i ng into a mainstream coun-try framework. The sin-gle “You Ain’t Pretty” pre-cedes a debut EP.

• Troy Cartwright (Warner Music Nashville)

— Emerging from the Texan club circuit, Cartwright applies a slight snarl to a variety of sounds: burning Southern blues in “Hammer,” light pop-country in “Hung Up on You” or Doobie-like rhythms in the dance track “Cake for Breakfast.” Look for an EP, perhaps in April.

• Callista Clark (Big Machine) — A 17-year-old from Zebulon, Ga., Clark has amassed over 65 million views on Facebook, many featuring inventive, unpredictable mash-ups. With Aretha Franklin and Jennifer Nettles among her icons, she puts a fresh spin on soul phrasing, leading to her first EP in March.

What’s New In 2021? 13 Country Acts With Debut Projects Through June

CLARK CARTWRIGHT HOOT

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 2 OF 23

• Hannah Dasher (Sony Music Nashville) — Dasher was still working at Bass Pro when she earned her first cut as a songwriter on a Brad Paisley project. Her ability to twist a phrase — “Guys buy the drinks, girls call the shots” — mirrors Paisley’s, and she brings a stark country resonance to her first EP.

• Alex Hall (Monument) — Hall’s smoky tones convey a brightness and optimism, mixing blues and pop influence with his brand of country. He has definitely engaged fellow Nashville musicians: Guests on his Six Strings EP, due Feb. 5, include Vince Gill, Tenille Townes, Old Dominion’s Brad Tursi and Brothers Osborne guitarist John Osborne.

• Joey Hendricks (Sony Music Nashville) — The influence of modern trou-badours John Mayer and Keith Urban is evident in Hendricks’ first single, “Yours or Mine,” which was unleashed last July. A former Phoenix club singer, Hendricks won a Parallel publishing deal before landing his Sony contract. An EP is currently in the works.

• Jake Hoot (self-released) — “Soy capitan!” A 2019 winner on The Voice, Hoot certainly takes command in a remake of “La Bamba,” a highlight from his debut EP, Love Out of Time, arriving Jan. 27. Hoot’s roots are undeniably country, and his voice is big, illustrated in a Kelly Clarkson duet, “I Would’ve Loved You.”

• Ian Munsick (Warner Music Nashville) — Wyoming-bred with a tinge of Josh Abbott twang, Munsick ties country, western, J.J. Cale pulse and modern pop phrasing into an inventive ball of ragged hooks. His first album, Coyote Cry, is due Feb. 26 and compelling enough to keep feet stomping until at least July.

• Pryor & Lee (Black River) — Roommates while competing on NBC’s The Voice in 2018, Pryor Baird and Kaleb Lee lit a Southern-rock fire in their label debut, “Y’allsome.” Their affinity for Brooks & Dunn and Montgom-ery Gentry points to more burning country in other forthcoming material, expected in a March EP.

• Restless Road (Sony Music Nashville) — The harmony-based trio made its arena debut opening for Kane Brown last January, only to see the pandemic shunt its tour exposure. The group quietly released an indie EP, but is about to announce a signing with Brown’s imprint and plans its first album during Q2.

• Teddy Robb (Monument) — His sophomore radio single, “Heaven on Dirt,” rides the Country Airplay chart at No. 54, putting a nostalgic spin on Robb’s subtle scratch. Arriving in Nashville after honing his live chops in Colorado, his easy-going vocal confidence landed a 2020 debut EP. A first full album is in production.

• Heath Sanders (Valory) — An Arkansas-bred oil worker, Sanders addresses music with a natural blue-collar grit. Produced by Dann Huff (Thomas Rhett, Brantley Gilbert), Sanders got his break when iHeartMedia’s Bobby Bones spotted a video and brought the then-unsigned singer onto his show. A debut EP, Common Ground, will arrive Jan. 29.

• Lainey Wilson (BBR) — Raised on a farm in northeast Louisiana, Wilson inherited her Southern accent and her get-it-done attitude naturally. Produced by Jay Joyce (Miranda Lambert, Eric Church), she has a prior indie album under her belt, but her first with an established label arrives Feb. 19.

Brett Young (left) will roll out the BY40 Challenge on Jan. 25, encouraging fans to join the 10-week fitness program, featuring celebrity trainer Don Saladino (Jake Gyllenhaal, Emily Blunt).

Phil Vassar welcomes Lonestar, Tracy Lawrence and Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey among his guests for season three of Phil Vassar’s Songs From the Cellar podcast, which launched Jan. 15. From left: Lonestar’s Dean Sams, Vassar and Lonestar members Richie McDonald, Keech Rainwater and Michael Britt.

Luke Combs (left) appeared in the Jan. 11 edition of USA Network’s Straight Up With Steve Austin.

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F O R Y O U R A C M® C O N S I D E R A T I O N

“THE MOST PROMISING AND INFLUENTIAL NEW

COUNTRY STAR OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS”

– THE NEW YORK TIMES

“COMBS IS PROBABLY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

SUPERSTAR IN THE GENRE AT THE MOMENT”

– THE WASHINGTON POST

“THIS IS COMBS’ TIME, AND HE’S SEIZING THE

MOMENT.” - BILLBOARD

“ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS GOING IN COUNTRY

MUSIC RIGHT NOW” – STEREOGUM

“ONE OF COUNTRY’S BRIGHTEST STARS”

- VULTURE

BILLBOARD TOP COUNTRY ARTIST & TOP MALE COUNTRY ARTIST OF 2020ENTERTAINER

OF THE YEAR ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— —— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— —————

MALE ARTISTOF THE YEAR

———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— —— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— —————

SINGLEOF THE YEAR

“BETTER TOGETHER” ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— —— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— —————

MUSIC EVENTOF THE YEAR

“DOES TO ME”(FEAT. ERIC CHURCH) ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— —— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— —————

VIDEOOF THE YEAR

“LOVIN’ ON YOU”

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 4 OF 23

Morgan Wallen’s second LP, Dangerous: The Double Album (Big Loud/Republic), blasts in atop the all-genre Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts dated Jan. 23.

The 30-song set, released Jan. 8, launches with 265,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Jan. 14, according to MRC Data.

Wallen earns his first Billboard 200 leader, after his inaugural LP, If I Know Me, debuted in May 2018 and reached No. 13 in August 2020. With Dangerous, he adds his second Top Country Albums No. 1, with If I Know Me having reached the summit last August in its record-breaking 114th week; on the latest list, it ranks at No. 5 (17,000, up 6%).

“This is absolutely insane,” Wallen tells Billboard. “When we decided to go for it with a double album, I knew we were taking a risk, but I believed in the music.”

Of the 265,000 opening-week units, streaming equiva-lent albums comprise 184,000 (equaling 240.2 million on-demand streams of Dangerous’ songs), album sales contrib-ute 74,000, and track-equivalent albums equal 7,000. The set scores the largest streaming week for a country album, more than doubling the 102.3 million streams that Luke Combs’ second LP, What You See Is What You Get (Nov. 7, 2020), achieved.

Dangerous also boasts the biggest week for a country album since Car-rie Underwood’s Cry Pretty arrived with 266,000 units in September 2018. Wallen achieves the largest week for a solo male since Luke Bryan’s Kill the Lights opened with 345,000 in August 2015.

Meanwhile, Wallen becomes the first artist ever to debut simultaneously at No. 1 on Top Country Albums and the airplay-, streaming- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart, where Dangerous track “Wasted on You” launches at the peak. He’s also the only artist with multiple No. 1 Hot Country Songs debuts in the chart’s 62-year history, as the new set’s “7 Summers” opened in the top spot on Aug. 25, 2020. With “Wasted,” Wallen earns his third chart-topper; he first led with “Whiskey Glasses” for two weeks starting in May 2019.

“Wasted” begins with 17.9 million U.S. streams and 10,000 downloads

sold, and flies in atop Country Streaming Songs (marking his fifth No. 1) and Country Digital Song Sales (third).

Wallen makes even more history by swarming the Hot Country Songs top 10 with a one-week record six titles, all from Dangerous. Previously, seven acts (including Wallen) placed as many as three tracks in the top 10 at once. Join-

ing “Wasted,” “More Than My Hometown” ranks at No. 3, followed by “7 Summers” (No. 4), “Somebody’s Problem” (No. 6), “Sand in My Boots” (No. 8) and “Warning” (No. 10). Wallen has now earned 11 such top 10s.

Overall, 27 of Dangerous’ 30 tracks chart on the 50-position Hot Country Songs list, also a new weekly best. Previously, Combs claimed the most with 16 (Nov. 23, 2019).

‘BETTER’ IS BEST Luke Combs banks his record-extending 10th consecutive career-opening No. 1 on Country Airplay (encompassing his properly promoted singles) as “Better Together” (River House/Columbia Nashville) rises 2-1. It gained by 7% to 29.4 million audience impressions in the week ending Jan. 17.

The Combs, Dan Isbell and Randy Montana co-write is the fifth single from Combs’ What You See Is What You

Get. The set dips to No. 2 on Top Country Albums after 37 weeks at No. 1. Combs now has five Country Airplay No. 1s from the album, matching the five leaders from his first LP, This One’s for You. Luke Bryan’s six No. 1s from 2015’s Kill the Lights remain the most from one album.

Combs’ last Country Airplay No. 1, “Lovin’ on You,” reigned for four weeks starting last September. His latest leader reaches the top in its 16th week, wrap-ping the speediest coronation since “Lovin’,” which needed just 12.

‘DOWN’ IS UP Luke Bryan lands his 31st Country Airplay top 10 as “Down to One” (Capitol Nashville) ascends 11-9 (19.3 million impressions, up 8%). Bryan ties Rascal Flatts for the 13th-most top 10s since the chart launched in January 1990. George Strait leads with 61.

Wallen Makes Record-Setting Start With Dangerous: The Double Album; It Gets Even

‘Better’ For Combs On Country Airplay

ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER jim.asker@billboard.com

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TUES, JAN 19 - TUES, JAN 26!

ACM AWARDS FIRST ROUND OF VOTING OPEN

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 7 OF 23

THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK

WKS ON

CHART TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistAUDIENCE (IN MILLIONS) PLAYS

THIS WEEK +/– THIS WEEK +/– RANK

l1 2 16 BETTER TOGETHER River House/Columbia Nashville HH No. 1 (1 week) HH Luke Combs 29.426 +1.867 7060 728 2

l2 4 25 I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED Warner Music Nashville/WAR Dan + Shay 29.211 +2.866 7382 940 1

3 3 46 LOVE YOU LIKE I USED TO Triple Tigers Russell Dickerson 23.397 -3.401 4915 -637 8

l4 7 27 HAPPY DOES Blue Chair/Warner Music Nashville/WEA Kenny Chesney 23.140 +0.013 5959 221 3

5 1 39 CHAMPAGNE NIGHT BMLG Lady A 22.278 -8.421 5111 -2205 7

6 5 26 HAPPY ANYWHERE Warner Music Nashville/WMN Blake Shelton Featuring Gwen Stefani 21.415 -3.376 4850 -715 9

l7 9 24 BEERS AND SUNSHINE Capitol Nashville Darius Rucker 21.392 +0.464 5519 403 5

l8 8 33 HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Black River Kelsea Ballerini 20.898 -0.094 5683 133 4

l9 11 14 DOWN TO ONE Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan 19.340 +1.465 4673 370 11

l10 10 40 GOOD TIME RCA Nashville Niko Moon 19.259 +0.547 5115 262 6

l11 13 10 WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG Valory Thomas Rhett 17.508 -0.061 4305 163 13

l12 14 35 JUST THE WAY Stoney Creek Parmalee x Blanco Brown 17.410 +1.001 4715 510 10

l13 12 21 STARTING OVER Mercury Nashville Chris Stapleton 17.273 -0.088 4489 125 12

l14 15 19 LONG LIVE BMLG Florida Georgia Line 15.721 -0.433 3957 77 15

l15 16 48 MOMMA’S HOUSE Broken Bow Dustin Lynch 14.359 -0.058 3973 156 14

l16 17 31 HOW THEY REMEMBER YOU Big Machine Rascal Flatts 12.749 +0.163 3612 79 16

l17 21 22 7 SUMMERS Republic/Big Loud HH Airpower HH Morgan Wallen 12.337 +2.573 3109 602 20

l18 18 38 LADY BMLG Brett Young 11.954 +0.793 3231 365 18

l19 NEW UNDIVIDED McGraw/Big Machine HH Hot Shot Debut/Breaker/Most Increased Audience/Most Added HH Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard 10.338 +10.338 2120 2120 25

l20 19 49 SOMEBODY LIKE THAT 19th & Grand Tenille Arts 10.271 +0.253 3176 99 19

l21 22 32 THE GOOD ONES Warner Music Nashville/WAR Gabby Barrett 10.236 +0.965 3381 362 17

l22 20 39 NOBODY Curb Dylan Scott 9.777 -0.114 2883 60 22

l23 23 33 ALMOST MAYBES MCA Nashville Jordan Davis 8.957 +0.386 2921 140 21

l24 24 11 HELL OF A VIEW EMI Nashville Eric Church 6.888 +0.460 2351 152 23

l25 27 35 MADE FOR YOU Big Loud Jake Owen 6.590 +0.755 2044 240 28

26 25 35 ALL NIGHT EMI Nashville Brothers Osborne 5.864 -0.515 2230 -59 24

l27 29 13 GONE Capitol Nashville Dierks Bentley 5.729 +0.114 2086 136 26

28 26 17 ONE TOO MANY Hit Red/Capitol Nashville Keith Urban Duet With P!nk 5.713 -0.250 2057 35 27

l29 28 15 BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90’S MCA Nashville Sam Hunt 5.657 +0.098 1957 54 29

l30 30 17 SETTLING DOWN Vanner/RCA Nashville Miranda Lambert 5.524 +0.769 1797 248 30

Country Airplay

RANKINGSCountry Airplay is ranked by total audience impressions for the week ending Sunday based on monitored airplay of 148 stations by MRC Data. Audience totals on the chart are derived, in part, using certain Nielsen Audio- copyrighted Persons 12+ audience estimates (under license © 2021, Nielsen Audio). The list of all Country Airplay chart reporters can be viewed on MRC Data’s platforms.

BULLETSl Awarded on Country Airplay to titles gaining audience or remaining flat from the previous week. A song will also receive a bullet if its percentage loss in

audience does not exceed the percentage of monitored station downtime for the format. Titles that decline in audience but increase in detections will also receive a bullet if the total audience erosion for the week does not exceed 3%.

TIESOn Country Airplay, if two songs are tied in total audience, the song with the larger increase in audience is placed first.

RECURRENTSOn Country Airplay, descending titles below No. 10 in either audience or detections are moved to recurrent after 20 weeks, provided that they

are not still gaining enough audience points to bullet or if they rank below No. 10 and post a third consecutive week of (non-bulleted) audience decline, regardless of total chart weeks.

HOT SHOT DEBUTAwarded to the highest-ranking new entry on Country Airplay.

MOST ADDEDThe total number of new adds officially reported to Billboard by each reporting station, or by an automatic-add threshold (seven plays for the first time in a chart tracking week, according to MRC Data) for stations that do not report adds.

MOST INCREASED AUDIENCEMost Increased Audience on Country Airplay lists the songs with the greatest week-to-week increases in total audience.

AIRPOWERAwarded on Country Airplay to titles ranking inside top 20 in plays and audience rankings for the first time, with increases in both plays and audience.

BREAKERAwarded on Country Airplay to titles achieving airplay (at least one detection) at 60% of reporting stations for the first time.

© 2021 Billboard Media, LLC

COUNTRY AIRPLAY CHART LEGEND

AIRPLAY MONITORED BY

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 8 OF 23

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HARDY Give Heaven Some Hell Big Loud

SHY CARTER Good Love Warner Music Nashville/WAR

2/1

ERIC LEE Same Dirt Road Blue Hill

JIMMIE ALLEN & BRAD PAISLEY Freedom Was A Highway Stoney Creek

2/8

GRANGER SMITH

Hate You Like I Love You Not Listed

KAMERON MARLOWE Sober As A Drunk Columbia Nashville

30

LLOYD BISHOP/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK VIA GETTY IMAGES

MIRANDA LAMBERT

Settling DownThe Lambert co-write holds at No. 30 on Country Airplay, up by 16% to 5.5 million

audience impressions.SMITH

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LAST WEEK

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CHART TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistAUDIENCE (IN MILLIONS) PLAYS

THIS WEEK +/– THIS WEEK +/– RANK

l31 31 10 BLAME IT ON YOU Macon/Broken Bow Jason Aldean 4.138 +0.042 1267 98 33

l32 33 13 WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH Valory Justin Moore 3.676 +0.303 1120 41 37

l33 32 31 HARD DAYS Valory Brantley Gilbert 3.518 -0.069 1499 54 31

l34 34 7 FAMOUS FRIENDS RCA Nashville Chris Young + Kane Brown 3.421 +0.032 894 162 40

l35 NEW MINIMUM WAGE Warner Music Nashville/WMN HH Breaker HH Blake Shelton 3.060 +3.060 612 612 48

36 36 17 NEXT GIRL Big Machine Carly Pearce 2.730 -0.159 1432 32 32

l37 39 29 SINGLE SATURDAY NIGHT Warner Music Nashville/WMN Cole Swindell 2.526 +0.196 1164 75 36

38 35 19 DEAR RODEO CoJo/Warner Music Nashville/WMN Cody Johnson & Reba McEntire 2.486 -0.362 449 -8 54

l39 37 26 WINE, BEER, WHISKEY Capitol Nashville Little Big Town 2.457 +0.064 1234 42 34

l40 40 29 WE WERE RICH Wheelhouse Runaway June 2.400 +0.241 1192 73 35

l41 42 17 JUST ABOUT OVER YOU inDent/Mercury Nashville Priscilla Block 2.228 +0.292 724 42 44

42 38 20 NEVER BE SORRY RCA Nashville Old Dominion 2.017 -0.363 914 37 38

43 41 12 WORSHIP YOU RCA Nashville Kane Brown 1.956 -0.087 860 51 41

44 43 7 DRINKIN’ BEER. TALKIN’ GOD. AMEN. Dack Janiels/BMLG/Broken Bow Chase Rice Featuring Florida Georgia Line 1.873 -0.086 781 -1 43

l45 44 15 MY BOY Wheelhouse Elvie Shane 1.837 -0.018 855 9 42

46 45 11 YOU TIME Triple Tigers Scotty McCreery 1.603 -0.109 909 31 39

l47 47 22 WHAT DO I KNOW Arista Nashville Robert Counts 1.359 +0.044 671 7 45

l48 50 18 WAITIN’ ON 5 Warner Music Nashville/WAR Chris Janson 1.349 -0.038 585 55 49

l49 49 6 COLD BEER CALLING MY NAME Combustion/River House/Columbia Nashville Jameson Rodgers Featuring Luke Combs 1.304 +0.096 444 40 55

l50 48 6 SHALLOW Pearl Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood 1.296 +0.010 492 17 52

51 46 11 MEMORY I DON’T MESS WITH Curb Lee Brice 1.253 -0.306 630 3 46

l52 52 13 WHISKEY AND RAIN Warner Music Nashville/WEA Michael Ray 0.984 +0.021 516 16 51

53 53 18 BEERS TO CATCH UP ON Wheelhouse LOCASH 0.971 -0.174 556 -32 50

54 51 7 HEAVEN ON DIRT Monument Teddy Robb 0.934 -0.052 624 21 47

l55 54 8 LADY LIKE Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville/WEA Ingrid Andress 0.811 -0.024 441 3 56

l56 55 10 IF IT WASN’T FOR TRUCKS BMLG Riley Green 0.767 +0.019 419 30 57

l57 56 4 THINGS A MAN OUGHTA KNOW Broken Bow Lainey Wilson 0.737 +0.043 413 43 58

58 57 8 WANT ME BACK Stoney Creek Lindsay Ell 0.582 -0.045 384 27 59

l59 RE-ENTRY FOREVER AFTER ALL River House/Columbia Nashville Luke Combs 0.579 +0.001 181 -28 -

60 60 10 WHERE I FIND GOD Big Loud Larry Fleet 0.556 -0.026 319 -2 -

Country Airplay

GOING FOR ADDS

AIRPLAY MONITORED BY

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 9 OF 23

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MOST ADDED®TITLE Imprint/Label Artist ADDSUNDIVIDED McGraw/Big Machine Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard 119MINIMUM WAGE Warner Music Nashville/WMN Blake Shelton 31FAMOUS FRIENDS RCA Nashville Chris Young & Kane Brown 12WE WERE RICH Wheelhouse Runaway June 107 SUMMERS Big Loud/Republic Morgan Wallen 9NEXT GIRL Big Machine Carly Pearce 8SETTLING DOWN Vanner/RCA Nashville Miranda Lambert 7WINE, BEER, WHISKEY Capitol Nashville Little Big Town 6DRINKIN’ BEER. TALKIN’ GOD. AMEN. Dack Janiels/BMLG/Broken Bow Chase Rice Feat. Florida Georgia Line 6BLAME IT ON YOU Macon/Broken Bow Jason Aldean 5

MOST INCREASED PLAYSTITLE Imprint/Label Artist GAINUNDIVIDED McGraw/Big Machine Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard +2120I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED Warner Music Nashville/WAR Dan + Shay +940BETTER TOGETHER River House/Columbia Nashville Luke Combs +728MINIMUM WAGE Warner Music Nashville/WMN Blake Shelton +6127 SUMMERS Republic/Big Loud Morgan Wallen +602JUST THE WAY Stoney Creek Parmalee x Blanco Brown +510BEERS AND SUNSHINE Capitol Nashville Darius Rucker +403DOWN TO ONE Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan +370LADY BMLG Brett Young +365THE GOOD ONES Warner Music Nashville/WAR Gabby Barrett +362

MOST INCREASED AUDIENCETITLE Imprint/Label Artist

GAIN(IN MIILIONS)

UNDIVIDED McGraw/Big Machine Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard +10.338MINIMUM WAGE Warner Music Nashville/WMN Blake Shelton +3.060I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED Warner Music Nashville/WAR Dan + Shay +2.8667 SUMMERS Republic/Big Loud Morgan Wallen +2.573BETTER TOGETHER River House/Columbia Nashville Luke Combs +1.867DOWN TO ONE Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan +1.465JUST THE WAY Stoney Creek Parmalee x Blanco Brown +1.001THE GOOD ONES Warner Music Nashville/WAR Gabby Barrett +0.965LADY BMLG Brett Young +0.793SETTLING DOWN Vanner/RCA Nashville Miranda Lambert +0.769

TEXAS REGIONAL RADIO REPORTWEEK ENDING JANUARY 17, 2021

THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK

WKS ON CHART TITLE (Label) ARTIST

TW SPINS

SPINS +/–

l1 3 14 STILL A LITTLE COUNTRY LEFT (Independent) HH 1 Week at 1 HH Curtis Grimes 2051 313

l2 2 13 DRINKING MONEY (Tommy Jackson/Thirty Tigers) Randy Rogers Band 1927 114

l3 4 19 WANT TO WITH YOU (Independent) Jamie Richards 1878 150

l4 7 20 ANOTHER TOWN (Independent) Jon Stork 1639 78

5 1 15 I DO THING (Independent) Kylie Frey 1620 -346

l6 9 10 SILVERADO SATURDAY NIGHT (BIG Label ) Aaron Watson 1599 183

l7 13 12 DEVIL’S RED HOT SAUCE (Independent) James Lann 1507 273

l8 8 14 FOOL’S LOVE AFFAIR (117 Music) Randy Travis 1507 58

9 5 28 THE LUCKIEST (Independent) Josh Abbott Band 1410 -187

l10 10 21 RHYTHM OF YOU (Independent) Holly Tucker 1404 21

THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK

WKS ON CHART TITLE (Label) ARTIST

TW SPINS

SPINS +/–

l11 11 8 CALLIN’ ALL HEARTS (Independent) Terry McBride 1403 55

l12 12 21 MISSIN’ YOU, MISSISSIPPI (Independent) Dustin Sonnier 1271 27

13 6 17 HEART TO STEAL TONIGHT (Independent) Jon Wolfe 1239 -353

l14 16 14 OLD SCHOOL (Independent) David Adam Byrnes 1192 45

l15 18 22 ONE DAY (Independent) Triston Marez 1140 56

16 15 18 DEAR RODEO (COJO/Warners Nashille) Cody Johnson 1112 -64

17 17 18 BAD GUY (Almost Country) Casey Donahew 1052 -36

l18 19 10 OUTSIDE LOOKIN IN (Little Red Truck) Deryl Dodd 1050 70

l19 20 13 HONKY TONK IN HEAVEN (Independent) Kin Faux 1027 114

20 14 23 TOO MANY LOVE SONGS (Independent) Kaitlyn Kohler 991 -213

RECURRENTSTHIS

WEEK TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistTOTAL AUD.

(IN MILLIONS)1 MORE THAN MY HOMETOWN Republic/Big Loud Morgan Wallen 21.134

2 ONE OF THEM GIRLS Curb Lee Brice 21.049

3 BIG, BIG PLANS Big Loud Chris Lane 20.812

4 LOVIN’ ON YOU River House/Columbia Nashville Luke Combs 12.671

5 I HOPE Warner Music Nashville/WAR Gabby Barrett 12.467

6 PRETTY HEART MCA Nashville Parker McCollum 12.361

7 GOT WHAT I GOT Macon/Broken Bow Jason Aldean 11.319

8 CHASIN’ YOU Big Loud Morgan Wallen 11.007

9 SOME GIRLS Combustion/River House/Columbia Nashville Jameson Rodgers 10.861

10 NOBODY BUT YOU Warner Music Nashville/WMN Blake Shelton Duet With Gwen Stefani 10.430

Country AirplayNEW AND ACTIVE

TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistTOTAL

AUDIENCETOTAL

STATIONS ADDSHOME SWEET Triple Tigers Russell Dickerson 0.471 11 5

TEQUILA LITTLE TIME Capitol Nashville Jon Pardi 0.466 5 5

MARTHA DIVINE Warner Music Nashville/WMN Ashley McBryde 0.397 20 0

WHISKEY’S FINE Arista Nashville Adam Doleac 0.378 21 3

HUNG UP ON YOU Warner Music Nashville/WAR Troy Cartwright 0.362 10 1

NO BODY, NO CRIME Republic/MCA Nashville Taylor Swift Feat. Haim 0.336 6 2

Texas Regional Radio Report Top 100 is compiled from weekly online playlist reports from 86 radio stations located in Texas and surrounding states, including reports from specialty shows, internet and satellite radio outlets. Songs are ranked by total plays. For tracking, complete chart methodology and more information, visit www.texasregionalradio.com, or contact Dave Smith at 972-252-8777. Copyright 2021, Texas Regional Radio Report

AIRPLAY MONITORED BY

https://www.tribute.co/crs--bbr-throwback-thursday/

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 12 OF 23

COUNTRY WADES INTO POLITICSAn embarrassingly contentious transition of power will end on Jan. 20 when Democrat Joe Biden takes the oath as the 46th president of the United States.

Garth Brooks will perform during the inaugural ceremony, where healing the nation’s divide will be front and center on the agenda. Brooks, who believes he “might be the only Republican” involved in the inauguration, is making a return performance of sorts. He was part of the lineup for a 2009 concert at the Lincoln Memorial when Barack Obama began his eight-year run in the Oval Office.

Obama’s administration began under the dark clouds of a Wall Street-led recession, but Biden’s will start during even more ominous circumstances, after insurrectionists stormed the Capitol in a Jan. 6 demonstration. Brooks, in a virtual Jan. 18 press conference, called the attack “misguided,” while holding out hope that it spurs a national renewal.

“It felt like it was in some other country, but it was here, and now we deal with it,” he said. “Now we do our best to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again.”

Brooks’ appearance is just one among numerous developments in which country and politics intersected in the last week. They include:

• Big Machine released “Undivided,” a Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard duet with a theme that mirrors Brooks’ sentiments, proclaiming that “it’s time to come together.”

• Toby Keith and Ricky Skaggs each received the National Medal of Arts in a quiet ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 13. The event occurred just minutes after Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice.

• Brooks was unveiled among the class of recipients in the Kennedy Center Honors. Typically handed out in December, this round will be presented in May and turned into a June 6 CBS special.

• A Tennessee state legislator introduced a bill on Jan. 13 calling for a statue of Dolly Parton that would be placed on the Capitol grounds in Nashville.

RADIO & RECORDS®Curb bumped R.J. Meacham to senior vp promotion from vp. Reach him here … Warner Music Nashville promoted five executives in multiple depart-ments. Danny Bess was raised to CFO from vp finance, while Brad Walker rose to senior director of finance from director. Jenni Tay was bumped to di-rector of streaming from manager. Mary Catherine Rebrovick was promoted to senior director of publicity from director, and Victoria Chaitoff was upped to director of publicity from manager … Black River handed out promotions to three members of the marketing department. Nikki Abbamont rose to associate director of project management from marketing manager, Ainsley Barry shifted to social media coordinator from copyright and licensing co-ordinator, and Megan Hazeltine was branded marketing coordinator after joining the team as publicity coordinator in January 2020 … Benny Brown’s new Quartz Hill label signed singer-songwriter Ben Gallaher to a recording contract … RECORDS Nashville/Columbia signed Lathan Warlick to a record-ing deal. Warlick was introduced to the country market through a rap section

in a remix of Granger Smith’s “That’s What I Love About Dirt Roads” … Bea-sley Media/Boston promoted Kari Talieri and Jesse Carbone to general sales manager for the cluster, including country WKLB. Both served as local sales managers for other stations in the group … KNUC Seattle installed Premiere’s The Bobby Bones Show as its morning team, RadioInk.com reported … Icicle Broadcasting is selling country KZAL and adult contemporary KOZI, accord-ing to RadioInsight.com. The ownership group is giving preference to local buyers … Trophies for last year’s Country Radio Hall of Fame honorees, whose original inductions were delayed by the pandemic, will now be presented daily during CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience Feb. 17-20 … Former Capitol vp A&R Larry Willoughby died Jan. 14 following a bout with COVID-19. Before working for labels, he served as a songwriter, penning Eddy Raven’s “Opera-tor, Operator,” Waylon Jennings’ “The Devil’s on the Loose” and “Building Bridges” by Brooks & Dunn with Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill.

’ROUND THE ROWGreg Thompson was named president/partner of Big Loud Management. The Los Angeles-based executive was previously Maverick Management president. Reach him here … WME Nashville added Aaron Tannenbaum as a partner. He arrives from CAA, where he was a music agent … Mallory Mason joined King Business & Financial Management as a business manager. She segues from Wiles + Taylor, where she was an account manager. Reach her here … Stephanie Taylor Law made associate attorney Rachel Guttmann a partner and changed the company name to Taylor Guttmann. Reach Guttmann here … Nashville-based PCG Artist Development established an Austin-based branch. Orb Recording Studios co-owner Matt Noveskey will act as PCG Austin president, with songwriter Drew Womack (“She’s Got It All,” “Whatever Comes First”) — formerly a member of Sons of the Desert — tabbed as director of A&R … R&R Bait & Tackle, a Nashville-based marketing firm whose clients include the Country Music Association and Opry Entertainment Group, has been absorbed by parent company FishBait Marketing as part of a restructuring that creates a new umbrella, FishBait Solutions, with clients in multiple industries. With the move, R&R partner Ron Cook becomes chairman of FishBait Solutions. Rob Temple arrives as FishBait CEO, moving from ESPN senior vp programming and acquisitions. FishBait founder Rick Jones is retitled as chief creative officer … Little Big Town extended its publishing deal with Warner Chappell Nashville … Singer-songwriter Peytan Porter signed a joint publishing deal with Jody Williams Songs and Warner Chappell Nashville … Plaid Flag Music added singer-songwriter Mae Estes to its publishing roster … SOURCE Nashville set its 2021 board. Top officers include president Kari Barnhart, Regions Bank; vp Mallory Mason, King Business & Financial Management; treasurer Greta Day, Sussman & Associates; and secretary Erica Rosa, FBMM … Lindsay Ell became an artist ambassador for the CMA Foundation’s Unified Voices for Music Education program … “Wall of Sound” producer Phil Spector, who was incarcerated for murder in 2009, died Jan. 16 in a hospital in Stockton, Calif. Known for his work on sessions with The Beatles, The Crystals and The Righteous Brothers, Spector penned “To Know Him Is To Love Him,” a pop hit that likewise rose to No. 1 in country through a 1987 single by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.

NASHVILLE & NATIONAL TOM ROLAND

Chris Lane (left) tackled a microphone stand project with woodworker Ben Napier on the Jan. 13 edition of HGTV’s Home Town.

Seaforth appeared Jan. 14 on iHeartMedia’s syndicated The Bobby Bones Show. From left: Seaforth members Mitch Thompson and Tom Jordan, Bones and Bones Show producer Eddie Garcia.

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 14 OF 23

Jan. 19• 2016 — Big Machine releases Tim McGraw’s

“Humble and Kind” to radio.• 1971 — T h e Na s hv i l le S o n g w r it e r s

Association International names Kris Kristofferson songwriter of the year. His composition “For the Good Times” receives song of the year.

Jan. 20• 1981 — Mel Tillis and Charley Pride are among the celebrities who

play at inaugural ceremonies for President Ronald Reagan. Others include: Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell, Donny & Marie Osmond, Ray Charles, Patti Page, Pat Boone and Debby Boone.

Jan. 21• 2006 — Carrie Underwood parks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Coun-

try Songs chart for the first of six weeks with “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”

Jan. 22• 2020 — The RIAA issues a gold certification for “What Happens in

a Small Town,” by Brantley Gilbert + Lindsay Ell.• 1976 — Reba McEntire has her first recording session for Mercury

Records at Nashville’s Woodland Sound Studios.

Jan. 23• 2018 — The World Wildlife Fund launches a campaign to battle the

poaching of snow leopards, with the Rascal Flatts song “I Won’t Let Go” providing musical support.

• 1996 — Epic releases Patty Loveless’ album The Trouble With the Truth.

Jan. 24• 2019 — Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors,” Jeannie C. Riley’s

“Harper Valley P.T.A.” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” are announced as new entries in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

• 2015 — Thomas Rhett writes “Die a Happy Man” with Joe Sparger and Sean Douglas on his bus at the Verizon Arena in Little Rock, Ark., then performs it onstage for the first time the same night.

Jan. 25• 2011 — Songwriters Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey

and Troy Verges earn an Oscar nomination for best original song for “Coming Home,” performed by Gwyneth Paltrow in the movie Country Strong.

Source: RolandNote.com, the Ultimate Country Music Database

Eric Church will join R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan to perform the national anthem before Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7 in Tampa Bay, Fla. The NFL announced Church’s participation on Jan. 19, making it the eighth time that “The Star-Spangled Banner” is handled by one or more country artists for the event. The first was Charley Pride in 1974. Others have included Luke Bryan, Garth Brooks and Dixie Chicks (now known as The Chicks). Elsewhere in sports, Big Machine Label Group president/CEO Scott Borchetta established the Big Machine Racing Team, with Nashville driver Jade Bu-ford competing in NASCAR events.

Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton will host when NBC airs the two-hour spe-cial Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Coun-try Music, on Feb. 14. The production combines original performances with archival footage and interviews, giv-ing the network a fresh show while still observing COVID-19 safety protocols. The special comes three days prior to Paisley’s 20th anniversary as an Opry member.

On the heels of her Christmas album, My Gift, Carrie Underwood offers an-other themed project with her next release, embracing gospel hymns with My Savior, due March 26. The album reteams her with producer David Garcia (Lauren Alaina, Avenue Beat), who brings an extensive history in contem-porary Christian music. Also on the docket is a deluxe version of Kip Moore’s Wild West, which enhances the original project with four additional tracks. The expanded version arrives Feb. 12.

Adding a hopeful chapter to a tragic storyline, Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn both revealed through photos that they had received COVID-19 vaccines. As freelancer Joyce Rizer wrote on Twitter: “Willie got the Dolly vaccine. All is right in the country music world.” Underscoring the dangers that the coronavirus represents to the population — and to the concert business — a woman who knowingly tested positive attended a Cody Johnson concert and may have exposed hundreds of people to the coronavirus, according to KSAT-TV San Antonio.

CHURCH

NASHVILLE & NATIONAL TOM ROLAND

Music Companies Among Those Backing Away From Republicans Who Voted Against Election Certification

Is Morgan Wallen Country’s Next Global Star?

How The Recording Academy And Its Industry Allies Scored Big Wins In The Pandemic Relief Bill

DOJ Ends Consent Decree Review Without Action

The MLC Is Open For Business — Now The Hard Part Begins

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MUSIC NOTES

Top Headlines from .comClick on headlines below for more details

ON THIS DATE IN COUNTRY MUSIC

KRISTOFFERSON

Lee Greenwood (center) announced plans to roll out a signature bourbon whiskey during 2021 through a partnership with Omaha, Neb.-based Soldier Valley Spirits. He’s shown with Soldier Valley president David Mark Young (left) and founder Jeff Hadden.

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 16 OF 23

KALE

Hot Country SongsTHIS

WEEKLAST WEEK

TWO WEEKS

AGOWKS ON CHART

TITLE Artist PRODUCER (SONGWRITER) IMPRINT / PROMOTION LABEL

COUNTRY AIRPLAY

RANKPEAK

POSITION

l1 NEW 1 WASTED ON YOU HH No. 1 (1 week)/Hot Shot Debut HH Morgan Wallen J.MOI,J.DURRETT (M.WALLEN,E.K.SMITH,J.THOMPSON,CHARLIE HANDSOME) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD

- 1

2 1 1 90 I HOPE Gabby Barrett R.COPPERMAN,Z.KALE (Z.KALE,J.M.NITE,G.BARRETT) WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE/WAR RC 1

l3 3 3 39 MORE THAN MY HOMETOWN Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.W.HARDY,E.K.SMITH,CHARLIE HANDSOME,M.WALLEN) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD RC 2

l4 12 13 22 7 SUMMERS Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,S.MCANALLY,J.OSBORNE) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD 17 1

l5 2 2 32 BETTER TOGETHER Luke Combs S.MOFFATT (L.COMBS,D.ISBELL,R.MONTANA) RIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 1 2

l6 20 21 8 SOMEBODY’S PROBLEM HH Digital & Streaming Gainer HH Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,R.CLAWSON,J.DURRETT,E.K.SMITH) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD

- 3

l7 4 5 25 I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED HH Airplay Gainer HH Dan + Shay D.SMYERS (D.SMYERS,S.MOONEY,S.M.DOUGLAS,J.G.EVIGAN) WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE/WAR

2 4

l8 NEW 1 SAND IN MY BOOTS Morgan Wallen J.MOI (A.GORLEY,M.W.HARDY,J.OSBORNE) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 8

9 5 4 21 STARTING OVER Chris Stapleton D.COBB,C.STAPLETON (C.STAPLETON,M.HENDERSON) MERCURY NASHVILLE 13 4

l10 NEW 1 WARNING Morgan Wallen J.MOI,CHARLIE HANDSOME (E.K.SMITH,A.GORLEY,CHARLIE HANDSOME) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 10

l11 10 12 33 GOOD TIME Niko Moon N.MOON,J.MURTY (N.MOON,J.MINTON,A.MOON,J.MURTY,M.TRUSSELL) RCA NASHVILLE 10 10

l12 26 27 8 STILL GOIN DOWN Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,M.W.HARDY,CHARLIE HANDSOME) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 8

l13 NEW 1 865 Morgan Wallen J.MOI (J.BYRON,B.PENDERGRASS) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 13

14 9 11 31 HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Kelsea Ballerini J.FRASURE,K.BALLERINI (K.BALLERINI,S.JONES,H.LINDSEY,J.FRASURE,A.GORLEY) BLACK RIVER 8 9

l15 RE-ENTRY 23 COVER ME UP Morgan Wallen J.MOI,D.COHEN (M.J.ISBELL) BIG LOUD - 15

16 6 7 25 HAPPY ANYWHERE Blake Shelton Featuring Gwen Stefani S.HENDRICKS (R.COPPERMAN,J.OSBORNE,M.JENKINS) WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE/WMN 6 3

l17 NEW 1 DANGEROUS Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,E.K.SMITH) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 17

l18 NEW 1 NEON EYES Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,M.L.HOLMAN,B.BURGESS) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 18

l19 NEW 1 MORE SURPRISED THAN ME Morgan Wallen J.MOI (N.MOON,B.BURGESS,L.T.MILLER) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 19

20 11 10 12 FOREVER AFTER ALL Luke Combs CHIP MATTHEWS,J.D.SINGLETON,L.COMBS (L.COMBS,D.PARKER,R.WILLIFORD) RIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 59 1

21 15 16 26 HAPPY DOES Kenny Chesney B.CANNON,K.CHESNEY (B.CLAWSON,J.PAULIN,B.BERRYHILL,G.JAMES) BLUE CHAIR/WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE/WEA 4 15

l22 40 47 8 LIVIN’ THE DREAM Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,B.BURGESS,J.DURRETT,M.W.HARDY) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 19

23 14 15 10 WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG Thomas Rhett D.HUFF,J.FRASURE (THOMAS RHETT,R.AKINS,J.FRASURE,A.GORLEY,P.WELLING) VALORY 11 14

24 13 14 23 BEERS AND SUNSHINE Darius Rucker R.COPPERMAN (D.RUCKER,R.COPPERMAN,J.T.HARDING,J.OSBORNE) CAPITOL NASHVILLE 7 13

25 19 22 19 LONG LIVE Florida Georgia Line C.CROWDER,T.HUBBARD,B.KELLEY (T.HUBBARD,B.KELLEY,C.CROWDER,D.A.GARCIA,J.MILLER) BMLG 14 19

Hot Country Songs

1 #1 5 WKS MORGAN WALLEN

2 ERNEST KEITH SMITH

3 CHARLIE HANDSOME

4 HARDY

5 JOSH OSBORNE

6 ASHLEY GORLEY

7 JOSH THOMPSON

8 JASON ISBELL

9 BEN BURGESS

10 LUKE COMBS

1 #1 37 WKS JOEY MOI

2 ROSS COPPERMAN

3 SCOTT MOFFATT

4 DAN SMYERS

5 ZACH KALE

6 JACOB DURRETT

7 ZACH CROWELL

8 SCOTT HENDRICKS

9 JESSE FRASURE

10 DANN HUFF

COUNTRY PRODUCERSTMCOUNTRY SONGWRITERSTM

The weekly Country Songwriters and Country Producers charts are based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on the Hot Country Songs chart. As with Billboard’s yearly recaps, multiple writers or producers split points for each song equally (and the dividing of points will lead to occasional ties on rankings).

SALES, AIRPLAY & STREAMING DATA COMPILED BY

SALES, AIRPLAY & STREAMING DATA COMPILED BY

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 17 OF 23

The week’s most popular country songs, ranked by radio airplay audience impressions as measured by MRC Data, sales data as compiled by MRC Data and streaming activity data from online music sources tracked by MRC Data. Descending titles below No. 25 are moved to recurrent after 20 weeks.

Hot Country SongsTHIS

WEEKLAST WEEK

TWO WEEKS

AGOWKS ON CHART

TITLE Artist PRODUCER (SONGWRITER) IMPRINT / PROMOTION LABEL

COUNTRY AIRPLAY

RANKPEAK

POSITION

26 16 18 13 DOWN TO ONE Luke Bryan J.STEVENS,J.STEVENS (K.FISHMAN,D.DAVIDSON,J.EBACH) CAPITOL NASHVILLE 9 16

l27 NEW 1 WHISKEY’D MY WAY Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.DRAGSTREM,J.MILLER,THOMAS RHETT,J.THOMPSON) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 27

l28 NEW 1 YOUR BARTENDER Morgan Wallen J.MOI,M.DRAGSTREM (M.DRAGSTREM,R.AKINS,THOMAS RHETT,J.THOMPSON) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 28

l29 NEW 1 OUTLAW Morgan Wallen Featuring Ben Burgess J.MOI (B.BURGESS,P.DAVIS,J.KERR,J.REYNOLDS) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 29

30 17 19 48 JUST THE WAY Parmalee x Blanco Brown D.FANNING (M.THOMAS,K.BARD,N.W.SIPE) STONEY CREEK 12 17

31 18 20 30 THE GOOD ONES Gabby Barrett R.COPPERMAN,Z.KALE (G.BARRETT,E.LANDIS,J.MCCORMICK,Z.KALE) WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE/WAR 21 18

l32 NEW 1 ONLY THING THAT’S GONE Morgan Wallen Featuring Chris Stapleton J.MOI (M.WALLEN,R.C.MCGILL,M.DRAGSTREM,J.THOMPSON) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 32

l33 NEW 1 WONDERIN’ BOUT THE WIND Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,E.K.SMITH) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 33

l34 NEW 1 SILVERADO FOR SALE Morgan Wallen J.MOI (D.DAVIDSON,M.GREEN,B.HAYSLIP) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 34

35 23 28 12 HELL OF A VIEW Eric Church J.JOYCE (E.CHURCH,C.BEATHARD,M.CRISWELL) EMI NASHVILLE 24 23

36 22 25 18 ONE TOO MANY Keith Urban Duet With P!nk K.URBAN,PHD,CUTFATHER (D.H.DAVIDSEN,P.WALLEVIK,M.H.HANSEN,J.NORTON,C.TIGHE) HIT RED/CAPITOL NASHVILLE 28 13

37 21 24 34 MOMMA’S HOUSE Dustin Lynch Z.CROWELL (D.SCHNEIDER,M.LOTTEN,R.CLAWSON,J.T.WILSON) BROKEN BOW 15 21

l38 NEW 1 ME ON WHISKEY Morgan Wallen J.MOI (R.CLAWSON,M.L.HOLMAN,E.K.SMITH) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 38

l39 NEW 1 BEER DON’T Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,M.W.HARDY,J.MITCHELL) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 39

40 25 32 37 LADY Brett Young D.HUFF (B.YOUNG,R.COPPERMAN,J.M.NITE) BMLG 18 22

l41 NEW 1 REDNECKS, RED LETTERS, RED DIRT Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.DRAGSTREM,R.C.MCGILL,J.THOMPSON) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 41

l42 NEW 1 BLAME IT ON ME Morgan Wallen J.MOI (A.GORLEY,CHARLIE HANDSOME,E.K.SMITH) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 42

43 24 29 35 ALMOST MAYBES Jordan Davis P.DIGIOVANNI (J.DAVIS,J.FRASURE,H.LINDSEY) MCA NASHVILLE 23 24

44 27 31 16 SOMEBODY LIKE THAT Tenille Arts A.KLINE (T.ARTS,A.KLINE,A.M.CRUZ) 19TH & GRAND 20 27

l45 NEW 1 COUNTRY A$$ SHIT Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,R.C.MCGILL,J.M.SCHMIDT) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 45

l46 NEW 1 QUITTIN’ TIME Morgan Wallen J.MOI (E.CHURCH,L.LAIRD,J.THOMPSON) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 46

l47 NEW 1 SOMETHIN’ COUNTRY Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,M.W.HARDY,D.ROSS,E.K.SMITH) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 47

l48 NEW 1 WHATCHA THINK OF COUNTRY NOW Morgan Wallen J.MOI (D.DAVIDSON,D.DAWSON,K.FISHMAN,M.L.HOLMAN,J.T.WILSON) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 48

49 30 33 13 GONE Dierks Bentley D.GARCIA (N.GALYON,B.JOHNSON,N.MOON) CAPITOL NASHVILLE 27 30

50 32 35 13 BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90’S Sam Hunt Z.CROWELL (S.L.HUNT,C.LA CORTE,Z.CROWELL,E.K.SMITH,J.OSBORNE) MCA NASHVILLE 29 32

For inquiries about any MRC Data, please contact Josh Bennett at 615-807-1338 or jbennett@mrcentertainment.com

COUNTRY MARKET WATCHA Weekly National Music Sales Report

ALBUM CONSUMPTION

AUDIO ON-DEMAND

VIDEO ON-DEMAND

This Week 1,360,000 1,418,742,000 128,444,000

Last Week 1,103,000 1,212,723,000 116,860,000

Change 23.3% 17.0% 9.9%

This Week Last Year 1,000,000 1,070,589,000 148,476,000

Change 36.0% 32.5% -13.5%

WEEKLY UNIT COUNT YEAR-OVER-YEAR

2019 2021 CHANGE

Album Consumption 2,037,000 2,464,000 21.0%

Album Sales 308,000 391,000 26.9%

Audio On-Demand 2,167,453,000 2,632,415,000 21.5%

Video On-Demand 297,883,000 245,388,000 -17.6%

YEAR-TO-DATE

ALBUM CONSUMPTION’20

’21

TOTAL ON-DEMAND STREAMS’20

’21

24.65 billion

20.37 million

28.77 billion

24.64 million

All data measures U.S. activity as of the week ending January 14, 2021. All units counts are rounded to the nearest thousand. Album consumption units — also known as albums plus TEA plus SEA — consists of album sales; track-equivalent album (TEA) sales whereby 10 tracks equal one consumption unit; and stream equivalent albums (SEA) whereby 1,250 paid and/or 3,750 ad-supported audio on-demand streams (OAD) equal one consumption unit. MRC Data has reprocessed year-to-date figures to account for a change in methodology, resulting in a restatement in streaming data from a provider, which has resulted in a shift in some previously reported data, most notably for video streams.

SALES, AIRPLAY & STREAMING DATA COMPILED BY

https://morganwallen.lnk.to/Dangerous

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 19 OF 23

The week’s top-streamed and top-selling paid download country songs, respectively, from sales reports collected and provided by MRC Data. Charts update weekly on Tuesdays at www.Billboard.Biz/charts. Copyright 2021, Billboard Media, LLC and MRC Data. All rights reserved.

TOP COUNTRY ALBUMS COUNTRY DIGITAL SONG SALES

Top Country Albums ranks the most popular country albums of the week, as compiled by MRC Data, based on multi-metric consumption (blending traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums). Copyright 2021, Billboard Media, LLC and MRC Data. All rights reserved.

Americana/Folk Albums ranks the most popular Americana/folk albums of the week, as compiled by MRC Data, based on multi-metric consumption (blending traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums). Copyright 2021, Billboard Media, LLC and MRC Data. All rights reserved.

AMERICANA/ FOLK ALBUMS

THIS

W

EEK

LAST

W

EEK

2 W

EEKS

A

GO

WEE

KS

ON

CH

T

ARTIST TITLEIMPRINT & NUMBER / DISTRIBUTING LABEL

CERT

.

PEA

K

POS.

l1 NEW 1 MORGAN WALLEN DANGEROUS: THE DOUBLE ALBUMBIG LOUD 033180*/REPUBLIC 1

2 1 1 62 LUKE COMBS WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GETRIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 595687*/SMN 1 1

l3 NEW 1 BARRY GIBB BARRY GIBB & FRIENDS: GREENFIELDS: THE GIBB BROTHERS SONGBOOK, VOL. ICAPITOL 032878* 3

4 2 3 9 CHRIS STAPLETON STARTING OVERMERCURY NASHVILLE 032689*/UMGN 1

l5 4 5 137 MORGAN WALLEN IF I KNOW MEBIG LOUD 783* 1 1

6 3 4 189 LUKE COMBS THIS ONE’S FOR YOURIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 538883*/SMN 3 1

7 5 9 298 CHRIS STAPLETON TRAVELLERMERCURY NASHVILLE 019405*/UMGN 4 1

8 7 13 8 LEE BRICE HEY WORLDCURB 79537* 7

9 6 12 30 GABBY BARRETT GOLDMINEWARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE 629930/WMN 4

10 8 14 22 KANE BROWN MIXTAPE, VOL. 1 (EP)RCA NASHVILLE DIGITAL EX/SMN 2

l11 25 33 32 DIPLO PRESENTS THOMAS WESLEY CHAPTER I: SNAKE OILMAD DECENT DIGITAL EX/COLUMBIA 6

l12 RE-ENTRY 244 GEORGE STRAIT 50 NUMBER ONESMCA NASHVILLE 000459/UMGN (25.98) 7 1

13 9 17 41 SAM HUNT SOUTHSIDEMCA NASHVILLE 031776*/UMGN 1

14 10 34 157 EAGLES HOTEL CALIFORNIAASYLUM/ELEKTRA 103*/RHINO (18.98) 5

l15 21 40 15 RASCAL FLATTS TWENTY YEARS OF RASCAL FLATTS: THE GREATEST HITSLYRIC STREET/BIG MACHINE RF0650A*/BMLG 9

16 14 22 60 JASON ALDEAN 9MACON/BROKEN BOW/BMG 32944*/BBMG 1

17 18 20 284 ZAC BROWN BAND GREATEST HITS SO FAR...HOME GROWN 546369*/BMG 3

18 12 18 79 TYLER CHILDERS PURGATORYHICKMAN HOLLER 001*/THIRTY TIGERS 0 12

19 16 23 57 BLAKE SHELTON FULLY LOADED: GOD’S COUNTRYWARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE 607343*/WMN 0 1

l20 RE-ENTRY 148 ELVIS PRESLEY ELV1S: 30 #1 HITSRCA 68079*/LEGACY (19.98/12.98) 6 1

21 19 26 63 MIRANDA LAMBERT WILDCARDVANNER/RCA NASHVILLE 597873*/SMN 1

22 20 28 215 KANE BROWN KANE BROWNZONE 4/RCA NASHVILLE 530947*/SMN 2 1

23 13 21 23 LUKE BRYAN BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERECAPITOL NASHVILLE 031777/UMGN 1

24 24 35 33 KELSEA BALLERINI KELSEABLACK RIVER 2020* 2

25 22 32 97 MAREN MORRIS GIRLCOLUMBIA NASHVILLE 590186*/SMN 0 1

COUNTRY STREAMING SONGS

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l1 NEW WASTED ON YOU MORGAN WALLEN

l2 1 3 2020 MITCH ROSSELL

l3 NEW SAND IN MY BOOTS MORGAN WALLEN

l4 NEW UNDIVIDED TIM MCGRAW & TYLER HUBBARD

5 6 29 BETTER TOGETHER LUKE COMBS

6 5 20 STARTING OVER CHRIS STAPLETON

l7 10 12 THE GOOD ONES GABBY BARRETT

8 4 72 I HOPE GABBY BARRETT

9 3 12 FOREVER AFTER ALL LUKE COMBS

10 11 16 GOOD TIME NIKO MOON

11 2 9 LIL BIT NELLY & FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

12 8 252 TENNESSEE WHISKEY CHRIS STAPLETON

l13 NEW DANGEROUS MORGAN WALLEN

l14 NEW WARNING MORGAN WALLEN

15 14 9 WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG THOMAS RHETT

l16 NEW ONLY THING THAT’S GONE MORGAN WALLEN FEAT. CHRIS STAPLETON

17 16 14 ONE TOO MANY KEITH URBAN DUET WITH P!NK

18 13 5 VILLAIN LILY ROSE

19 7 2 BUCKET LIST MITCHELL TENPENNY

20 15 28 WINE, BEER, WHISKEY LITTLE BIG TOWN

l21 NEW 865 MORGAN WALLEN

l22 22 5 HOLE IN THE BOTTLE KELSEA BALLERINI

23 17 25 HAPPY ANYWHERE BLAKE SHELTON FEAT. GWEN STEFANI

l24 20 6 HELL OF A VIEW ERIC CHURCH

25 19 20 I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED DAN + SHAY

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l1 NEW WASTED ON YOU MORGAN WALLEN

l2 10 8 SOMEBODY’S PROBLEM MORGAN WALLEN

l3 8 22 7 SUMMERS MORGAN WALLEN

l4 NEW SAND IN MY BOOTS MORGAN WALLEN

l5 5 36 MORE THAN MY HOMETOWN MORGAN WALLEN

l6 NEW WARNING MORGAN WALLEN

l7 NEW 865 MORGAN WALLEN

l8 19 5 STILL GOIN DOWN MORGAN WALLEN

l9 RE-ENTRY COVER ME UP MORGAN WALLEN

10 2 16 BETTER TOGETHER LUKE COMBS

l11 17 71 HEARTLESS DIPLO PRESENTS THOMAS WESLEY FEAT. MORGAN WALLEN

l12 NEW NEON EYES MORGAN WALLEN

l13 NEW MORE SURPRISED THAN ME MORGAN WALLEN

l14 NEW DANGEROUS MORGAN WALLEN

15 3 64 I HOPE GABBY BARRETT

16 1 12 FOREVER AFTER ALL LUKE COMBS

17 4 20 STARTING OVER CHRIS STAPLETON

18 6 20 I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED DAN + SHAY

l19 NEW YOUR BARTENDER MORGAN WALLEN

l20 NEW WHISKEY’D MY WAY MORGAN WALLEN

l21 NEW OUTLAW MORGAN WALLEN FEAT. BEN BURGESS

l22 RE-ENTRY LIVIN’ THE DREAM MORGAN WALLEN

l23 NEW WONDERIN’ BOUT THE WIND MORGAN WALLEN

24 9 197 TENNESSEE WHISKEY CHRIS STAPLETON

l25 NEW ONLY THING THAT’S GONE MORGAN WALLEN FEAT. CHRIS STAPLETON

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l1 NEW 1 BARRY GIBB BARRY GIBB & FRIENDS: GREENFIELDS: THE GIBB BROTHERS SONGBOOK, VOL. ICAPITOL 032878* 1

2 1 1 9 CHRIS STAPLETON STARTING OVERMERCURY NASHVILLE 032689*/UMGN 1

3 2 2 244 CHRIS STAPLETON TRAVELLERMERCURY NASHVILLE 019405*/UMGN 4 1

l4 3 3 290 HOZIER HOZIERRUBYWORKS/COLUMBIA 309996*/LEGACY 3 1

5 4 4 96 TYLER CHILDERS PURGATORYHICKMAN HOLLER 001*/THIRTY TIGERS 0 2

6 5 7 249 THE LUMINEERS CLEOPATRADUALTONE 1738* 1 1

7 6 6 10 STURGILL SIMPSON CUTTIN’ GRASS, VOL. 1: THE BUTCHER SHOPPE SESSIONSHIGH TOP MOUNTAIN 58784*/THIRTY TIGERS (56285) 1

8 8 8 207 SIMON & GARFUNKEL SIMON AND GARFUNKEL’S GREATEST HITSCOLUMBIA 31350/LEGACY 3

9 7 5 146 KACEY MUSGRAVES GOLDEN HOURMCA NASHVILLE 027921*/UMGN 0 1

l10 NEW 1 AARON FRAZER INTRODUCING...EASY EYE SOUND 220*/DEAD OCEANS 10

Bluegrass Albums ranks the most popular bluegrass albums of the week, as compiled by MRC Data, based on album sales. Copyright 2021, Billboard Media, LLC and MRC Data. All rights reserved.

BLUEGRASS ALBUMS

SALES, DATA COMPILED BY

STREAMING & SALES DATA COMPILED BY

SALES DATA COMPILED BY

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1 1 1 13 STURGILL SIMPSON CUTTIN’ GRASS, VOL. 1: THE BUTCHER SHOPPE SESSIONSHIGH TOP MOUNTAIN 58784*/THIRTY TIGERS (56285) 1

2 3 4 28 GARY BREWER & THE KENTUCKY RAMBLERS 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONSTRETCH GRASS 4050 1

3 2 2 5 STURGILL SIMPSON CUTTIN’ GRASS, VOL. 2: THE COWBOY ARMS SESSIONSHIGH TOP MOUNTAIN DIGITAL EX/THIRTY TIGERS 2

4 4 3 68 BILLY STRINGS HOMEROUNDER 610063*/CONCORD 1

5 5 5 30 YO-YO MA/STUART DUNCAN/EDGAR MEYER/CHRIS THILE NOT OUR FIRST GOAT RODEOSOUND POSTINGS/SONY CLASSICAL 973855*/SONY MASTERWORKS 1

l6 RE-ENTRY 2 NORA BROWN CINNAMON TREEJALOPY 007 6

7 6 11 65 OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW LIVE AT THE RYMANCOLUMBIA NASHVILLE 98*/OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW 1

l8 9 7 66 THE DEAD SOUTH SUGAR & JOYSIX SHOOTER 129* 1

l9 RE-ENTRY 3 STRUNG LIKE A HORSE WHOA!TRANSOCEANIC 100770107005 2

l10 11 15 36 SIERRA HULL 25 TRIPSROUNDER 6100579*/CONCORD 1

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 20 OF 23

Google the phrase “paintings of Heaven,” and you’ll encounter a range of elaborate images: golden roads, gauzy angels ascending staircases into the sky or lush, brightly colored meadows.

You won’t spot motorcycles or rednecks doing donuts in muddy fields.Those kinds of pictures are reserved for HARDY’s “Give Heaven Some Hell,”

a percussive track about a good ol’ boy who has moved on to the hereafter. The dearly departed was not a particularly reverent person in this world, and the song envisions him remaining a rebel spirit even after his transition.

“When you get deep into what heaven is and all of that, there’s all kinds of perspectives or opinions,” says HARDY. “But I think that peo-ple hope that the people that they miss are up there doing what they love.”

The image of a heavenly hellraiser is a by-product of another song: “Truck,” the opening track on HARDY’s album A Rock. He co-wrote that piece with Hunter Phelps (“Talk You Out of It,” “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen”) and Track45 member Ben Johnson (“One of Them Girls”), and their work on the second verse yielded a phrase that stood out.

“The original line we threw out was like, ‘I bet there’s stories about his best friend that he can barely tell/Because he’s givin’ heaven some hell,’ ” says HARDY. “I can’t remember who said the line, but we all were like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, give heaven some hell is a great line. We need to write that song.’”

They set that line aside, then pulled it back out when they did a two- or three-day mini-retreat a few weeks later at the home of Ashley Gorley (“Dirt on My Boots,” “I Lived It”), beginning just before 10 p.m. on July 15, 2019. And the title pretty much dictated the rest of the exercise.

“Everybody just kind of knew where the song was going to go as soon as the title was out,” recalls Phelps.

HARDY kicked into a “droney guitar thing,” as Gorley calls it, creating a heaviness with a four-chord progression that includes two minor triads.

“It feels like it’s a chord progression that would have been used a lot in post-Nirvana grunge stuff or like 2000s rock power-ballad kinds of things,” notes Johnson.

And HARDY spilled what became the opening line: “Can’t believe that you got me in a suit and tie,” a subtle way to convey that the singer is a casual man, reluctantly talking to his late friend at the funeral. The opening verse focused primarily on the singer’s sense of loss, but as “Give Heaven Some Hell” broke into the chorus, the lens returned to the deceased, picturing him sneaking beer into the Promised Land and cranking his music at unholy levels.

“People pass on, and they do it at random ages,” suggests Gorley. The song “can be about your high school buddy or your cousin or your dad, or your brother or sister or anybody like that, that just has that wildfire spirit about them. It’s hard to imagine those people singing on clouds with harps and wings.”

The second verse highlights the dead guy building a crew in his new home, but the bridge makes him a vulnerable man of faith, recalling the moment of his conversion: “I was there when you raised your hand/Heads bowed sing-ing ‘Just As I Am.’ ”

“We had to prove that he’s in heaven in the song, and that’s just the perfect way to do it,” notes HARDY. “There’s that question while you’re listening to the

whole song of ‘How do you know he’s in heaven?’ And then that bridge hits you.”Phelps, who practices a more progressive form of Christianity, was not fa-

miliar with the evangelical altar call, and his co-writers noticed that he held back during that section.

“Whenever they were talking about all that stuff,” he says, “I was like, ‘Man, I need to freaking get to church more.’ ”

Joh nson produced a dy na m ic demo, building an intro around a pulsing guitar sound, enhanced with delays, that recalls Pete Townshend’s extended organ passage in The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Publishers started pitching “Give Heaven Some Hell” immediately, though not everyone agreed with that decision.

“Hunter and I talked afterward,” recalls Johnson, “and we’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh, no one should sing this but HARDY because he’s the only one who can pull this vocal off.’ Thank-fully, we got an email saying, ‘Stop pitching this. If anyone does this but HARDY, we’re going to be pissed.’ That was great.”

When HARDY cut it at Ocean Way with producers Joey Moi (Florida Georgia Line, Morgan Wallen) and Derek Wells (Scotty McCreery, Maddie & Tae), the initial takes were good, but HARDY and Moi encouraged the band to amp up the rock components sug-gested in the chord structure. Drummer Jerry Roe took control, delivering a part that Moi compares with a Dave Grohl workout.

“HARDY’s musical brand has kind of a rock wrapping paper, which ultimately to me is always very drum-heavy,” says Moi. “We kind of do that on all of his music.”

They struggled with the ending, which originally faded after the third cho-rus. But during HARDY’s final vocal session, they decided to tack on another version of the bridge.

“I love repeating that to say that he was, again, this good Christian kid, and [the singer] was there when he got saved in church,” says Moi. “They were there together, and it just felt neat to go back to that at the very end.”

HARDY asked to run that section through an electronic filter, and it gives the final stanza a ghostly, otherworldly effect.

Johnson subsequently played the departed friend in a video directed by Justin Clough that also features HARDY, Phelps and Jameson Rodgers.

“I wanted to have my friends be in the video,” says HARDY. “And when we were carrying the casket — that scene — it was weird, man. Like, we didn’t say a word, and I think in the back of our minds, we all were kind of thinking, ‘This could be one of us one day.’ ”

Big Loud released “Give Heaven Some Hell” to country radio via PlayMPE on Dec. 10, and it officially goes for adds Jan. 25, taking a powerful swipe at a difficult topic.

“The Big Loud team, I love,” says Gorley. “They’re killing it right now, and they’re not afraid to take chances. Even from the time we turned that in, there were emails from the label saying this could be a career song for him.”

“Some people might not necessarily love that we’re using a D-level swear word in reference to being in heaven,” adds HARDY, “but we didn’t want to have to tiptoe around it. If anything, I think it’s real. And I think that there are way fewer people that would be offended than people who would really connect to that.”

MAKIN’ TRACKS TOM ROLAND tom.roland@billboard.com

HARDY

HARDY Tackles Eternal Questions In ‘Give Heaven Some Hell’

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 21 OF 23

Country Airplay Index7 SUMMERS Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace

Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Tempo Investments-Smack Hits, GMR/Smackstreet Music, GMR/Warner Geo Met Ric Music, GMR/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (M.Wallen, S.McAnally, J.Osborne) 17

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ALL NIGHT All The Kings Pens, ASCAP/Trampy McCauley, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Songstein Publishing, ASCAP/Songs In The Key Of Claire, ASCAP/Patriot Games Publishing, ASCAP/DTCM Ave, ASCAP (J. Osborne, T.J. Osborne, A.DeRoberts) 26

ALMOST MAYBES Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Jordan Davis Music, ASCAP/Anthem Entertainment, ASCAP/Roc Nation WC Publishing Designee, BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/BIRB Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP (J.Davis, J.Frasure, H.Lindsey) 23

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BEERS AND SUNSHINE Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/GrowingMusic Publishing, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Iris In The Sky With Diamonds, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Detroit Records And Tapes, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (D.Rucker, R.Copperman, J.T.Harding, J.Osborne) 7

BEERS TO CATCH UP ON Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Real Big Red Tunes, ASCAP/Universal Music Corp., ASCAP (R.Akins, J.S.Stover, P.DiGiovanni) 53

BETTER TOGETHER Big Music Machine, BMI/50 Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Sullivan S Guns Music, BMI (L.Combs, D.Isbell, R.Montana) 1

BLAME IT ON YOU Makena Cove Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Zona Blue Music, BMI/Lee 45 Music Publishing, BMI/Irishsonmusic, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Peertunes, Ltd., SESAC/MTNoize, SESAC/SB21 Music Publishing, SESAC/BW Tunes, SESAC (K.M.Allison, J.Edwards, T.Kennedy, M.Tyler, B.White) 31

BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90’S Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Between the Pines, LLC, ASCAP/BIPOD, ASCAP/Spirit Two Nashville, ASCAP/Miller Crow Music, ASCAP/Kyler’s Kinda Night, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Tree Vibez Music, LLC, BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (S.L.Hunt, C.La Corte, Z.Crowell, E.K.Smith, J.Osborne) 29

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CHAMPAGNE NIGHT WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Haywoodja Cut That Song, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/RADIOBULLETSPublishing, BMI/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/EKT Publishing, SESAC/Sllaight Music Publishing, SOCAN/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Dat Damn Dean Music, BMI/Songs In The Key Of Claire, ASCAP/Patriot Games Publishing, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/G23 Publishing, SESAC/Eligible Music dba Songland Television Publishing, SESAC/BMG Cicada, SESAC/Tempo Investments-Smack Hits, GMR/Smackwood Music, GMR/Warner Geo Met Ric Music, GMR/MerloJamsPublishing, ASCAP/Deluge Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Write Me A Song Publishing, GMR/Downtown Global Two, GMR (D.Haywood, C.Kelley, H.Scott, P.Conroy, E.R.Dean, A.DeRoberts, T.A.Gemza, S.McAnally, M.R.Merlo, R.B.Tedder, D.Thomson) 5

COLD BEER CALLING MY NAME Highly Combustible Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/One77 Songs, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Sonofgroceries Music, BMI/Extremely Combustible Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Castle Bound Music, Inc., SESAC (J.Rodgers, H.Phelps, Brett Tyler, A.Vanderheym) 49

D

DEAR RODEO Songs From The Couch, BMI/Cori’s Daddy’s Publishing, BMI (D.Couch, C.D.Johnson) 38

DOWN TO ONE Play It Again Entertainment, BMI/Kyle Fishman Music, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Natalia’s Music Money, BMI/Memory Days, SESAC/Curb Wordspring Music, SESAC (K.Fishman, D.Davidson, J.Ebach) 9

DRINKIN’ BEER. TALKIN’ GOD. AMEN. Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Nontypical Music, ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/Cale Dodds Publishing, ASCAP (C.Rice, C.Crowder, H.Phelps, C.Dodds) 44

TITLE Publishing-Licensing Org. (Songwriter) Chart Position

F

FAMOUS FRIENDS Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/They’ve Gone To Plaid Publishing, BMI/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Roc Nation US Music, SESAC/Bennett’s Dad’s Songs, SESAC/Songs Of Rhythm House Black, SESAC/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP (C.Young, C.R.Barlowe, C.Crowder) 34

FOREVER AFTER ALL Big Music Machine, BMI/50 Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Works For RHA Music, BMI/Rowdy Rob Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Oak Tree Swing Publishing, BMI (L.Combs, D.Parker, R.Williford) 59

G

GONE Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/A Boy Named Ford, BMI/Ben There Wrote That Publishing, BMI/Artist 101 Publishing Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Hits From The Tape Room, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC (N.Galyon, B.Johnson, N.Moon) 27

THE GOOD ONES GBF Music Global, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/BMG Blue, BMI/Fox Landis Lyrics, BMI/Songs Of Jim McCormick, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Revinyl House, BMI (G.Barrett, E.Landis, J.McCormick, Z.Kale) 21

GOOD TIME W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC/Here Comes The Boom Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Anna Moon Publishing, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Joshua Murty Publishing, ASCAP/Mark Trussell Music, ASCAP/Future Heartbeat Publishing, ASCAP (N.Moon, J.Minton, A.Moon, J.Murty, M.Trussell) 10

H

HAPPY ANYWHERE EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Endurance Romeo Charlie, BMI/Highly Combustible Music, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/One77 Songs, ASCAP/Combustion Five, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Big Blue Nation Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (R.Copperman, J.Osborne, M.Jenkins) 6

HAPPY DOES Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Murphy The Wolf Music, BMI/Five Miles West Songs, BMI/Mandy’s Favorite Songs, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Songsfortatum Publishing, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Hold On Can I Get A Number 1 Music, BMI (B.Clawson, J.Paulin, B.Berryhill, G.James) 4

HARD DAYS Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Indiana Angel Music, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Spirit Of Nashville One, BMI (B.Gilbert, J.Bell, B.Berryhill, J.Brunswick, L.Wall) 33

HEAVEN ON DIRT Haus Of Kings, ASCAP/Twin Spires, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/King Pen Songs, SESAC/Smackworks Music, SESAC/Kobalt Group Music Publishing, SESAC/Ben Lau, BMI (B.Ratcliff, P.Good, A.J.Babcock, B.Foster) 54

HELL OF A VIEW Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Seven Ring Circus Songs, BMI/Little Louder Songs, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Spirit Of Nashville One, BMI/Tunes Of Fluid, BMI/Rust And Chrome Music, BMI (E.Church, C.Beathard, M.Criswell) 24

HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Vistaville Music, ASCAP/Steph Jones Who Music, ASCAP/Big Deal Hits, ASCAP/410 Music, ASCAP/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Roc Nation WC Publishing Designee, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (K.Ballerini, S.Jones, H.Lindsey, J.Frasure, A.Gorley) 8

HOW THEY REMEMBER YOU Son Of Ron Songs, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Built On Rock Music, ASCAP (M.Beeson, J.Osborne, A.Shamblin) 16

I

IF IT WASN’T FOR TRUCKS Peermusic III, Ltd., BMI/Sullivan S Guns Music, BMI/Back 40 Publishing International, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI (R.Green, Erik Dylan, R.Montana) 56

I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED Beats And Banjos, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Shay Mooney Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Eastman Pond Publishing, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Bad Robot Music, BMI (D.Smyers, S.Mooney, S.M.Douglas, J.G.Evigan) 2

J

JUST ABOUT OVER YOU Scilla’s Song Shop Publising, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/91 Dogs Publishing, BMI/Emily Kroll Music, ASCAP (P.Block, S.Jones, E.K.Kroll) 41

JUST THE WAY Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/JM Thomas Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, ASCAP/Kevin Bard Music, ASCAP/Margetts Road Music, ASCAP/Nolan W. Sipe Music, ASACP (M.Thomas, K.Bard, N.W.Sipe) 12

L

LADY Super Big Music, ASCAP/Caliville Publishing, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Iris In The Sky With Diamonds, BMI/Nite Writer Music, ASCAP (B.Young, R.Copperman, J.M.Nite) 18

LADY LIKE Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/What Is An Ingrid, BMI/Straight From The Art Music, BMI/Songs For A Stone Heart, BMI/Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Happy Rock Publishing, ASCAP (I.Andress, S.Ellis, D.Southerland) 55

LONG LIVE Big Loud Mountain, BMI/T Hubb Publishing, BMI/Pranch Ringle Music, BMI/Round Hill Works, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Spirit Two Music Inc., ASCAP/4TheKidz Music, ASCAP/Spirit Vault Songs, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Jack 10 Publishing, BMI/Songs Of The Corn, BMI (T.Hubbard, B.Kelley, C.Crowder, D.A.Garcia, J.Miller) 14

LOVE YOU LIKE I USED TO BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Kailey’s Dream, BMI/Blue Corolla Oklahoma, SESAC/Feel Your Creative Pulse Music, SESAC/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Songs Of Home Team Music, BMI/Tunes Of TrailerParker, BMI (R.Dickerson, C.Brown, P.Welling) 3

M

MADE FOR YOU Plaid Flag Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Dixie Stars Music, ASCAP/Son Of a Carl Music, ASCAP/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., ASCAP (B.Davis, J.Hyde, N.A.Medley) 25

MEMORY I DON’T MESS WITH Love Cannons Publishing, SESAC/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Mike Curb Music, BMI/Is That The Train Music, BMI/Anthem Music Publishing I, BMI/Twangville Music, BMI/Songs About Jack, BMI/Write Or Die Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI (L.Brice, B.Montana, B.Davis) 51

MINIMUM WAGE A Boy Named Ford, BMI/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Songs Of Roc Nation Music, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI (C.Crowder, N.Galyon, J.Frasure) 35

MOMMA’S HOUSE Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Two Black Dogs, ASCAP/ole Music Of Parallel, BMI/Lucky Mic Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Ford Drives A Chevy, BMI/Shirt At Work, BMI/Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/BMG Cicada, SESAC (D.Schneider, M.Lotten, R.Clawson, J.T.Wilson) 15

MY BOY Rome Phrey Songs, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Rome Phrey Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Nick Columbia Publishing, ASCAP/Block Of Marble Music, BMI/Lee Starr Publishing, BMI/SNG Music, LLP, BMI (E.Shane, R.Sutton, N.Columbia, L.Starr) 45

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NEVER BE SORRY Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Rezsongs, ASCAP/MeGusta Music, ASCAP/Reehits World, ASCAP/Smacktown Music, ASCAP/Smack Blue, LLC, ASCAP/Unfair Entertainment, ASCAP/We’re Really Doin’ It Publishing, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Tempo Investments-Smack Hits, GMR/Warner Geo Met Ric Music, GMR/Universal Music Corp., ASCAP (M.Ramsey, T. Rosen, B.F.Tursi, S.McAnally, J.Osborne) 42

NEXT GIRL Smackborne Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Warner Geo Met Ric Music, GMR/Tempo Investments-Smack Hits, GMR/Smackwood Music, GMR/For The Kids Gold, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP (C.Pearce, S.McAnally, J.Osborne) 36

NOBODY Curb Congregation Songs, SESAC/Good Vibes, Good Times Music, SESAC/Curb Songs, ASCAP/Songs Of Riser House, BMI (D.Scott, M.Alderman, D.Wilson) 22

O

ONE TOO MANY Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Reservoir 416, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/James Norton Publishing Designee, ASCAP (D.H.Davidsen, P.Wallevik, M.H.Hansen, J.Norton, C.Tighe) 28

S

SETTLING DOWN Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Pink Dog Publishing, BMI/Emileon Songs, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Wrucke For You Publishing, BMI (M.Lambert, L.Dick, N. Hemby) 30

SHALLOW Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI/Warner-Barham Music LLC, BMI/SG Songs Worldwide, BMI/Warner-Olive Music LLC, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Concord Publishing, BMI/Zelig Publishing, BMI/Stephaniesays Music, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/White Bull Music Group, BMI/Downtown DMP Songs, BMI (S.G.Germanotta, M.D.Ronson, A.Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt) 50

SINGLE SATURDAY NIGHT Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP/Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Art In The Fodder Music, BMI/Hark Molman Songs, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Ju Jettsu Music, BMI/Rednecker Music, BMI (A.Gorley, M.W.Hardy, M.L.Holman) 37

SOMEBODY LIKE THAT Oven Music Inc., BMI/Ziggys Z Music, SESAC/Tunes Of Big Deal Music, SESAC/Songs Of Porterfied Music, SESAC (T.Arts, A.Kline, A.M.Cruz) 20

STARTING OVER I Wrote These Songs, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Straight Six Music, BMI/Wixen Music Publishing, BMI (C.Stapleton, M.Henderson) 13

T

THINGS A MAN OUGHTA KNOW Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Super Big Music, ASCAP/Jett Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI (L.Wilson, J.D.Singleton, J.Nix) 57

U

UNDIVIDED T Tree Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Straight Outta Georgia Songs, SESAC/Tree Vibez Bus Vibez, SESAC/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC (T.Hubbard, C.Loocke) 19

W

WAITIN’ ON 5 ole Red Vinyl Music, BMI/Buckkilla Music, BMI/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Red Toe Rocker, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Songs Of XO, BMI/We In Good Company, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI (C.Janson, Shy Carter, T.Cecil, C.Wiseman) 48

WANT ME BACK Magic Mustang Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Kane Brown Music, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Koala T Tunes, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/McGinntellectual Property, SESAC/Kobalt Group Music Publishing, SESAC/True Blue Works, SESAC (L.Ell, K.Brown, L.Rimes, M.J.McGinn) 58

WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Paulywood Music, ASCAP/Sullivan S Guns Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Tunes From The Red White And Blue School, ASCAP/Anthem Music Publishing II, ASCAP (P.DiGiovanni, R.Montana, J.S.Stover) 32

WE WERE RICH EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Endurance Romeo Charlie, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI (R.Copperman, A.Gorley, N.Galyon) 40

WHAT DO I KNOW Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Dos Hobos Music, ASCAP/Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, BMI/West Pass Music, BMI (R.Counts, M.W.Hardy, J.Mitchell) 47

WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Songs Of Roc Nation Music, BMI/Tunes by TrailerParker, BMI/Songs Of Home Team Music, BMI/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (Thomas Rhett, R.Akins, J.Frasure, A.Gorley, P.Welling) 11

WHERE I FIND GOD Jolly To the Roger, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Make It Better Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI (L.Fleet, C.R.Harrington) 60

WHISKEY AND RAIN Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Songs Of Roc Nation Music, BMI/Big Music Machine, BMI/Two Laine Collections, BMI (J.Frasure, J.Thompson) 52

WINE, BEER, WHISKEY Razor And Tie Music Publishing, BMI/Tofer The Musical, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Silent Desert Music, BMI/Self Made Entertainment, BMI (T.Brown, K.Fairchild, S.McConnell, K.Schlapman, P.Sweet, J.Westbrook) 39

WORSHIP YOU Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Kane Brown Music, BMI/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/AIX Publishing, ASCAP/Kobalt Group Music Publishing, SESAC/McGinntellectual Property, SESAC/True Blue Works, SESAC/Krispy Pork Gang, BMI (K.Brown, A.Izquierdo, M.J.McGinn, Charlie Handsome) 43

Y

YOU TIME Dagum Music, BMI/Spirit Two Nashville, ASCAP/Fluid Tunes, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (S.McCreery, F.Rogers, A.Eshuis) 46

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 22 OF 23

Hot Country Songs Index7 SUMMERS Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace

Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Tempo Investments-Smack Hits, GMR/Smackstreet Music, GMR/Warner Geo Met Ric Music, GMR/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (M.Wallen, S.McAnally, J.Osborne) 4

865 Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Blake Pendergrass Publishing Designee, BMI (J.Byron, B.Pendergrass) 13

A

ALMOST MAYBES Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Jordan Davis Music, ASCAP/Anthem Entertainment, ASCAP/Roc Nation WC Publishing Designee, BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/BIRB Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP (J.Davis, J.Frasure, H.Lindsey) 43

B

BEER DON’T Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Relative Music Group, BMI/New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, BMI/West Pass Music, BMI (M.Wallen, M.W.Hardy, J.Mitchell) 39

BEERS AND SUNSHINE Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/GrowingMusic Publishing, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Iris In The Sky With Diamonds, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Detroit Records And Tapes, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (D.Rucker, R.Copperman, J.T.Harding, J.Osborne) 24

BETTER TOGETHER Big Music Machine, BMI/50 Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Sullivan S Guns Music, BMI (L.Combs, D.Isbell, R.Montana) 5

BLAME IT ON ME Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI (A.Gorley, Charlie Handsome, E.K.Smith) 42

BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90’S Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Between the Pines, LLC, ASCAP/BIPOD, ASCAP/Spirit Two Nashville, ASCAP/Miller Crow Music, ASCAP/Kyler’s Kinda Night, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Tree Vibez Music, LLC, BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (S.L.Hunt, C.La Corte, Z.Crowell, E.K.Smith, J.Osborne) 50

C

COUNTRY A$$ SHIT Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Pile Of Schmidt Songs, ASCAP/The Money Tree Vibez, ASCAP (M.Wallen, R.C.McGill, J.M.Schmidt) 45

COVER ME UP Fame Publishing Company LLC, BMI/Songs Of Emchant, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI (M.J.Isbell) 15

D

DANGEROUS Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI (M.Wallen, E.K.Smith) 17

DOWN TO ONE Play It Again Entertainment, BMI/Kyle Fishman Music, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Natalia’s Music Money, BMI/Memory Days, SESAC/Curb Wordspring Music, SESAC (K.Fishman, D.Davidson, J.Ebach) 26

F

FOREVER AFTER ALL Big Music Machine, BMI/50 Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Works For RHA Music, BMI/Rowdy Rob Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Oak Tree Swing Publishing, BMI (L.Combs, D.Parker, R.Williford) 20

TITLE Publishing-Licensing Org. (Songwriter) Chart Position

G

GONE Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/A Boy Named Ford, BMI/Ben There Wrote That Publishing, BMI/Artist 101 Publishing Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Hits From The Tape Room, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC (N.Galyon, B.Johnson, N.Moon) 49

THE GOOD ONES GBF Music Global, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/BMG Blue, BMI/Fox Landis Lyrics, BMI/Songs Of Jim McCormick, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Revinyl House, BMI (G.Barrett, E.Landis, J.McCormick, Z.Kale) 31

GOOD TIME W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC/Here Comes The Boom Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Anna Moon Publishing, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Joshua Murty Publishing, ASCAP/Mark Trussell Music, ASCAP/Future Heartbeat Publishing, ASCAP (N.Moon, J.Minton, A.Moon, J.Murty, M.Trussell) 11

H

HAPPY ANYWHERE EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Endurance Romeo Charlie, BMI/Highly Combustible Music, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/One77 Songs, ASCAP/Combustion Five, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Big Blue Nation Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (R.Copperman, J.Osborne, M.Jenkins) 16

HAPPY DOES Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Murphy The Wolf Music, BMI/Five Miles West Songs, BMI/Mandy’s Favorite Songs, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Songsfortatum Publishing, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Hold On Can I Get A Number 1 Music, BMI (B.Clawson, J.Paulin, B.Berryhill, G.James) 21

HELL OF A VIEW Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Seven Ring Circus Songs, BMI/Little Louder Songs, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Spirit Of Nashville One, BMI/Tunes Of Fluid, BMI/Rust And Chrome Music, BMI (E.Church, C.Beathard, M.Criswell) 35

HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Vistaville Music, ASCAP/Steph Jones Who Music, ASCAP/Big Deal Hits, ASCAP/410 Music, ASCAP/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Roc Nation WC Publishing Designee, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (K.Ballerini, S.Jones, H.Lindsey, J.Frasure, A.Gorley) 14

I

I HOPE Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/GBF Music Global, BMI/Revinyl House, BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Nite Writer Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI (Z.Kale, J.M.Nite, G.Barrett) 2

I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED Beats And Banjos, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Shay Mooney Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Eastman Pond Publishing, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Bad Robot Music, BMI (D.Smyers, S.Mooney, S.M.Douglas, J.G.Evigan) 7

J

JUST THE WAY Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/JM Thomas Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, ASCAP/Kevin Bard Music, ASCAP/Margetts Road Music, ASCAP/Nolan W. Sipe Music, ASACP (M.Thomas, K.Bard, N.W.Sipe) 30

L

LADY Super Big Music, ASCAP/Caliville Publishing, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Iris In The Sky With Diamonds, BMI/Nite Writer Music, ASCAP (B.Young, R.Copperman, J.M.Nite) 40

LIVIN’ THE DREAM Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Bump Into Genius Music, BMI/Mr. Buck Lucky, BMI/Relative Music Group, BMI (M.Wallen, B.Burgess, J.Durrett, M.W.Hardy) 22

LONG LIVE Big Loud Mountain, BMI/T Hubb Publishing, BMI/Pranch Ringle Music, BMI/Round Hill Works, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Spirit Two Music Inc., ASCAP/4TheKidz Music, ASCAP/Spirit Vault Songs, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Jack 10 Publishing, BMI/Songs Of The Corn, BMI (T.Hubbard, B.Kelley, C.Crowder, D.A.Garcia, J.Miller) 25

M

ME ON WHISKEY Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Ford Drives A Chevy, BMI/Shirt At Work, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Ju Jettsu Music, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Art In The Fodder Music, BMI/Hark Molman Songs, BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI (R.Clawson, M.L.Holman, E.K.Smith) 38

MOMMA’S HOUSE Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Two Black Dogs, ASCAP/ole Music Of Parallel, BMI/Lucky Mic Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Ford Drives A Chevy, BMI/Shirt At Work, BMI/Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/BMG Cicada, SESAC (D.Schneider, M.Lotten, R.Clawson, J.T.Wilson) 37

MORE SURPRISED THAN ME W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Bump Into Genius Music, BMI/Mr. Buck Lucky, BMI/The Country And Western Music, BMI (N.Moon, B.Burgess, L.T.Miller) 19

MORE THAN MY HOMETOWN Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Em Dog Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI (M.W.Hardy, E.K.Smith, Charlie Handsome, M.Wallen) 3

N

NEON EYES Big Loud Mountain, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Ju Jettsu Music, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Art In The Fodder Music, BMI/Hark Molman Songs, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Bump Into Genius Music, BMI (M.Wallen, M.L.Holman, B.Burgess) 18

O

ONE TOO MANY Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Reservoir 416, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/James Norton Publishing Designee, ASCAP (D.H.Davidsen, P.Wallevik, M.H.Hansen, J.Norton, C.Tighe) 36

ONLY THING THAT’S GONE Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Matt Drag Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Red Bandana Publishing, BMI/MV2 Music, BMI (M.Wallen, R.C.McGill, M.Dragstrem, J.Thompson) 32

OUTLAW Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/This Songs For You Pops, BMI/Patrick Davis Music, BMI/Tunes Of Black River, BMI/BNA Bangers, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Jreynmusic, ASCAP/Buckeye26, ASCAP (B.Burgess, P.Davis, J.Kerr, J.Reynolds) 29

Q

QUITTIN’ TIME Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Story Music Publishing, GMR/Suzanne James Songs, GMR/We Are Creative Nation, GMR/Red Bandana Publishing, BMI/MV2 Music, BMI (E.Church, L.Laird, J.Thompson) 46

R

REDNECKS, RED LETTERS, RED DIRT Matt Drag Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Red Bandana Publishing, BMI/MV2 Music, BMI (M.Dragstrem, R.C.McGill, J.Thompson) 41

S

SAND IN MY BOOTS Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP/Relative Music Group, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI (A.Gorley, M.W.Hardy, J.Osborne) 8

SILVERADO FOR SALE Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Natalia’s Music Money, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/All Night Linda Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Pinetucky Road Publishing, ASCAP (D.Davidson, M.Green, B.Hayslip) 34

SOMEBODY LIKE THAT Oven Music Inc., BMI/Ziggys Z Music, SESAC/Tunes Of Big Deal Music, SESAC/Songs Of Porterfied Music, SESAC (T.Arts, A.Kline, A.M.Cruz) 44

SOMEBODY’S PROBLEM Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Ford Drives A Chevy, BMI/Shirt At Work, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Em Dog Music, BMI (M.Wallen, R.Clawson, J.Durrett, E.K.Smith) 6

SOMETHIN’ COUNTRY Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Relative Music Group, BMI/Big Machine Music, LLC, ASCAP/Florida Songs Vibez, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI (M.Wallen, M.W.Hardy, D.Ross, E.K.Smith) 47

STARTING OVER I Wrote These Songs, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Straight Six Music, BMI/Wixen Music Publishing, BMI (C.Stapleton, M.Henderson) 9

STILL GOIN DOWN Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI (M.Wallen, M.W.Hardy, Charlie Handsome) 12

W

WARNING Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Tree Vibez Music, LLC, BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI (E.K.Smith, A.Gorley, Charlie Handsome) 10

WASTED ON YOU Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Em Dog Music, BMI/Red Bandana Publishing, BMI/MV2 Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI (M.Wallen, E.K.Smith, J.Thompson, Charlie Handsome) 1

WHATCHA THINK OF COUNTRY NOW Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Natalia’s Music Money, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Neon Cross Music, BMI/Black Jeans Music, BMI/Play It Again Entertainment, BMI/Kyle Fishman Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Ju Jettsu Music, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Art In The Fodder Music, BMI/Hark Molman Songs, BMI/Somebody Play It Again, SESAC/Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/404 Music Publishing, SESAC (D.Davidson, D.Dawson, K.Fishman, M.L.Holman, J.T.Wilson) 48

WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Songs Of Roc Nation Music, BMI/Tunes by TrailerParker, BMI/Songs Of Home Team Music, BMI/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (Thomas Rhett, R.Akins, J.Frasure, A.Gorley, P.Welling) 23

WHISKEY’D MY WAY Matt Drag Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Songs Of The Corn, BMI/Jack 10 Publishing, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Big Music Machine, BMI/Two Laine Collections, BMI (M.Dragstrem, J.Miller, Thomas Rhett, J.Thompson) 27

WONDERIN’ BOUT THE WIND Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI (M.Wallen, E.K.Smith) 33

Y

YOUR BARTENDER Matt Drag Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Red Bandana Publishing, BMI/MV2 Music, BMI (M.Dragstrem, R.Akins, Thomas Rhett, J.Thompson) 28

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 23 OF 23

On Jan. 21, 2012, David Nail’s “Let It Rain,” featuring Sarah Buxton, rose 2-1 on Hot Country Songs.

The song, which Nail wrote with Jonathan Singleton, was released as the first single from The Sound of a Million Dreams. The set debuted and peaked at No. 8 on Top Coun-try Albums, becoming Nail’s first of three top 10s.

At the time, the 49-week trek to No. 1 for “Rain” marked the longest to the penthouse in the history of the Hot Country Songs chart. The record now belongs to Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope”: 64 weeks, 2019-20.

“R a i n” r em a i n s Na i l ’s lo n e

leader among three top 10s, sand-wiched between “Red Light” (No. 7, 2009) and “Whatever She’s Got” (No. 2, 2014).

“Rain” is Buxton’s sole No. 1 as an artist, although she has enjoyed a more successf u l ca reer as a songwriter. She has penned two Countr y A ir play chart-toppers among six top 10s: Florida Georgia Line’s “Sun Daze” in 2015 and Chris Lane’s “Fix” in 2016.

Last December, Nail, 41, inde-pendently released the six-song EP Bootheel, named for the Missouri region in which he grew up.

Nail at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival

in Park City, Utah.

CODA

R EW I N D I N GT H E

C O U N T RY C H A R T S

FR

ED

HA

YE

S/G

ET

TY

IM

AG

ES

9 Years AgoDavid Nail’s ‘Rain’ Hit No. 1 At LastIn 2012, his collaboration with Sarah Buxton topped Hot Country Songs in its 49th week

—JIM ASKER