Good for Carrie considering the iTunes sale is over?

Reporting in from Billboard Country Update and Country Aircheck:

There was 1 recurrent at Billboard and Mediabase (Blake Shelton’s Over). There should be a Billboard recurrent extravaganza with 4 songs (Keith Urban’s For You, Big & Rich’s That’s Why I Pray, Lady A’s Wanted You More, and Zac Brown Band’s The Wind) going recurrent. At MB/Aircheck it should just be Zac Brown Band going recurrent, with Keith, Big & Rich, and Lady A joining Little Big Town in recurrency next week. 

Brad Paisley will be debuting a new single at 11 PM Central time Thursday (midnight Eastern). Seeing as he’s playing the Iheartradio festival this weekend (which is a Clear Channel thing) that virtually guarantees his single will be getting the CC hourly treatment all day Friday. Faith Hill’s new single American Heart has also been sent to radio though it’s not getting the CC treatment. 

Carrie’s Blown Away had a very strong week gaining 2.855 million AIs at Billboard to move 2 spots to #7. BA extended its lead over Easton Corbin’s Lovin You Is Fun to 1.772 million and outgained Dustin Lynch’s Cowboys & Angels by 1.063 million AIs so that BA now trails C&A by 3.452 million AIs. I don’t expect BA to pass C&A, which is acting like it will hit #1 but, BA could continue to close the gap. BA should pass LBT’s Pontoon (which was peaked) next week to move up to #6. Josh Turner’s Time Is Love is on its way down as of yesterday but I don’t think it’ll drop hard enough for BA to pass this week. 

At MB/Aircheck BA was the week’s top spin, points, and AI gainer, gaining 2106 points to move up 2 spots to #7. BA extended its points lead on LYIF by 987 points and leads LYIF by 1082 points. BA also outgained C&A by 870 points and now trails C&A by 1491 points. BA should move up to #6 by the end of the week by passing LBT’s Pontoon.

CaseyJ’s COAS had a good week at Billboard gained 715k AIs and moving up 2 spots to #28 because of a recurrent and passing Eden’s Edge. There’s going to be a ton of stuff going on in COAS’s part of the chart so bear with me here. Four recurrents in front of COAS are obviously going to move him up. Those recurrents may be partly offset by Darius Rucker’s True Believers repassing COAS because TB only trails COAS by 158k and outgained COAS by 529k this week. There’s also Kenny Chesney’s new one El Cerrito Place that’s moving up fast: it’s 1.717 million AIs behind COAS and outgained COAS by 3.770 million AIs this week. So, the trend favors COAS moving up 2 spots to #26 Billboard this week. I don’t think Brad Paisley’s debuting single will pass CaseyJ based on 3 days of airplay but, look for that song to pass next week. 

At MB/Aircheck COAS had a solid week gaining 594 points to move up to #25 in its 14th week. COAS led Florida-Georgia Line’s Cruise by 199 points as of Sunday but F-GL passed this morning as expected. There won’t be any recurrents in front of COAS at MB this week but, COAS has a pretty good chance of passing Lady A on its way down. So, look for COAS to hold at #25 MB this week before next week’s recurrent extravaganza pushes him closer to the MB t20.

Lauren’s 18 Inches had a decent week gaining 245k at Billboard despite losing 2 spots to drop to #38 as Kenny Chesney, Kacey Musgraves, and Eli Young Band all passed. The bad news will come in a couple weeks, when 18 Inches will take a hit from its pretty much guaranteed loss of t40 MB countdown spins this week. The good news is this week’s Billboard recurrent extravaganza will help 18 Inches to make up some of the ground lost this week despite Brad Paisley and possibly Gary Allan passing (that may or may not happen). The other good news is looking at how 18 Inches is holding up compared to several other songs around and behind it. 18 Inches outgained Rodney Atkins’s single slightly, extending its lead to 463k AIs, and Maggie Rose had a flat week losing 40k AIs. Other than Gary Allan, 18 Inches outgained the 10 songs behind it, 5 of which actually took solid AI hits. And, Maggie Rose (whose single her promo team is advertising like crazy) is likely to take the same countdown hit as 18 Inches. 

At MB/Aircheck 18 Inches didn’t have as solid a week, gaining only 76 points, allowing Rodney Atkins (who got a major leg up from Dial Global) to pass and putting her in line to be passed by Eli Young Band (who passed this morning) and Kacey Musgraves (who will pass later this week). Brad Paisley’s new single will also debut ahead of 18 Inches, which is going to push her down to #42 this week and temporarily lose her some countdown spins. 18 Inches should make it back with Mediabase’s recurrent extravaganza next week, as long as it can hang on to its other spins. It’s not setting the world on fire as a single and losing the countdown spins is definitely bad luck, but basically Lauren has to keep hanging in there, gaining what she can so she’s in the position to move up when recurrents go. It’s a brutal time in that part of the chart, and there’ll be more singles coming with the new one from Faith Hill, the new one from Zac Brown Band, the new one from Little Big Town, and so on. I’m not seeing signs of 18 Inches catching fire yet, but it is showing some strength compared to some other songs in the same part of the chart.

Idol-related ads: None

Recommended read: Nothing new but Billboard Country Update’s lead article is about Keith Urban joining Idol and the recent ties between the country world and singing competitions. Talking about Kelly, the article notes:

Clarkson, in a twist of fate, is currently the first person ever nominated for the Country Music Assn.’s female vocalist of the year award without having accrued a solo country hit.

Later in the article there’s positive coverage of Kelly’s work on Duets. There’s also an encouraging comment about Skylar:

It also seems a sure bet that Skylar Laine—who regularly covered Miranda Lambert in this year’s Idols Live Tour, which wrapped Sept. 11 in Milwaukee—will get a shot at a recording career.

The article also mentions that Carrie, Kellie, Bucky, Josh, Phil Stacey, Lauren and Scotty are among the show alums to chart at country (leaving out CaseyJ, who is currently charting, and Danny). 

Too, I won’t call this a recommended read but there is an article that starts on the 1st page of Country Aircheck featuring WTHT Portland (Maine) Asst Program Director/Music Director Cory Garrison’s review of the 1st show from Carrie’s Blown Away tour. He says:

“Carrie’s always been great, but now she’s in a league of her own,” he says. “It was more than a show, it was an experience.”

“It’s obvious that she’s gained experience and is even more connected with her audience,” Garrison says. “It was interesting to see the varying demographics in the crowd, too. From young to old, they were all there. She’s definitely country’s most powerful  female voice and I’m not sure there’s anyone that represents us like she does. There’s a real value in seeing this show, and it shows that the format is stronger than ever.”

 No, it took 13 days. It climbed to #11 on september 6.

Holy cow that is fantastic news! I hope they start playing it for real, that would be perfect!

I think Brads cc deal being on a friday it wont hurt COAS as much. Because like you daid windmills you dont expect him to pass with three days. But even if he passes next week Brad will lose all those hourly spins on saturday and coas wont lose any ground in the pubs for the week.Eventually of course he will go ahead of coas but this might be a darius rucker type situation.

Just out of curiousity, anyone know what Hunter Hayes’ total album sales are now?

MEDIABASE MONITORED ADDS – ALL FORMATS – 100% REPORTED IN

97  – Christina Aguilera – Your Body
22  -  Phillip Phillips – Home (12 AC, 5 Top 40 (including Z-100 in NYC), 4 Triple A, 1 HAC)
9    -  Carrie Underwood – Blown Away
9    -  Carly Rae Jepsen – This Kiss
8    -  Maroon 5 – One More Night
8    -  Nicki Minaj – Pound the Alarm
8    -  The Wanted – Glad You Came
5    -  Owl City/Carly Rae Jepsen – Good Time
5    -  Demi Lovato – Give Your Heart A Break
4    -  Melanie Amaro – Don’t Fail Me Now
4    -  The Wanted – I Found You
4    -  Nicki Minaj & Cassie – Boys
3    -  Melanie Amaro – Love Me Now
3    -  Cher Lloyd – Want U Back
3    -  Hedley – Kiss You Inside Out
3    -  Olly Murs – Heart Skips A Beat
3    -  Maroon 5 – Payphone
3    -  Nicki Minaj – I Am Your Leader
2    -  Kelly Clarkson – Dark Side
2    -  Daughtry – Start of Something Good
2    -  Adam Lambert – Trespassing
2    -  Casey James – Crying on A Suitcase
2    -  Marcus Canty – In and Out
2    -  Mariah Carey – Triumphant
1    -  Lauren Alaina – Eighteen Inches
1    -  Casey Abrams – Get Out
1    -  Casey Abrams – Simple Life
1    -  Kristy Lee Cook – Airborne Ranger Infantry
1    -  One Direction – What Makes You Beatiful
1    -  Cher Lloyd – Oath
1    -  Nicki Minaj – Starships

NOTE: Gangnam Style got 75 adds. I haven’t heard or seen this yet, but I’m told it’s some sort of dance craze? Is that right?

Carrie, Kellie, Bucky, Josh, Phil Stacey, Lauren and Scotty are among the show alums to chart at country (leaving out CaseyJ, who is currently charting, 

Hm. Interesting. I wonder why the omission. Honest? I almost think it works better for Casey that he isn’t listed as an AI alum. Let him make his own way.

Thanks, windmills, for the splendid update. Your stuff is always stellar.

She’s definitely country’s most powerful  female voice and I’m not sure there’s anyone that represents us like she does. There’s a real value in seeing this show, and it shows that the format is stronger than ever.

Yep on both accounts. Carrie is a fabulous ambassador for country and the format is rocking with tons of great music. I honestly think the pop drift into rap and Katy Perry and monotonous boom boom (what the hell were the lyrics?) music has pushed many fans into country. 

That would include me.  

Country is now the residence of blues, rock (Southern rock), bluegrass, folk, balladeering (is this a word? lol), songs that actually tell a story…I could go on and on. I know there’s some worry about all these influences “diluting” country, but on the whole, I think it’s bringing in new fans.

I have to say that in this day in age, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, the Eagles, Bon Jovi… all of these acts would be migrating to country because the pop scene wouldn’t play them. 

I do, however, have hopes for pop.

Adele.

97 adds for Christina? Not bad. Not bad at all!

As for Home, are we witnessing the beginning of its turning into a radio hit? I suspect timing has everything to do with the Z100 add, as well as the numerous adds it got today. The LA premiere of “The Trouble with the Curve” is tomorrow. Maybe the PDs are predicting its inclusion in the movie will give it a huge boost. If the movie is popular, I think we should indeed see another huge boost at iTunes as soon as this weekend. It’s gonna be fun to follow, as always.