Billboard Hot 100 – Top 3 all country songs
Aug 5, 2023 17:43:39 GMT -5
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Post by briguy52748 on Aug 5, 2023 17:43:39 GMT -5
For the first time since the Billboard Hot 100 became the industry's standard in August 1958, the top three positions are occupied by country songs.
The song that helped turn the trick was Jason Alden's song, "Try That In a Small Town," the song that generated mainstream buzz because of its video content.
Morgan Wallen was at No. 2 with "Last Night" and at No. 3 was Luke Combs' cover of "Fast Car."
More about the whole thing can be found here: www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-number-one-hot-100-country-hits-top-three-1235382220/
Several years ago, I had a thread detailing Hot 100 accomplishments of country songs. With this latest feat, this had me thinking of past chart accomplishments involving country songs.
A few that I immediately thought of:
* * *
Prior to this week's Hot 100 chart, the last time country songs dominating the top 5 – that is, songs that charted high on both the Hot Country Songs (and predecessor charts) and Hot 100) – was Dec. 17, 1977. That week, the Nos. 1, 2 and 4 positions, and one country argue, the No. 5 song as well, on the Hot 100 were country songs. That week's top 5:
5. "It's So Easy" – Linda Ronstadt. Not really a country hit, but I'd guess this'n got a ton of unsolicited country airplay, maybe in part due to Linda's other successes.
4. "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" – Crystal Gayle. A No. 1 hit back in August, Lorretta's kid sister had just peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and was on its way down.
3. "Blue Bayou"– Linda Ronstadt. This actually was a bigger country hit, reaching No. 2 just a few weeks earlier, and was this week fell to No. 32. On the Hot 100, Linda had reached its peak position.
2. "How Deep Is Your Love" – The Bee Gees. The only non-country connected hit of the top 5. Feeding off "Saturday Night Fever," the brothers Gibb were just a week from reaching No. 1.
1. "You Light Up My Life" – Debby Boone. In its 10th week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, the song had just come off its No. 4 peak on the Hot Country Singles chart.
In addition, Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again," which was spending its third week at No. 1 on the country chart, reached the top 10 on the Hot 100 this week, entering at No. 10, on its way to a No. 3 peak.
* * *
A couple of weeks were the top 2 were both country songs had happened prior to the Aug. 5, 2023 top 3:
May 31, 1975: That week's No. 1 song was Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," with John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" at No. 2.
And for three weeks, from Feb. 21-March 7, 1981, the top 2 was Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" and Eddie Rabbitt's "I Love a Rainy Night." Dolly took No. 1 and Eddie No. 2 on Feb. 21, and then on Feb. 28 and March 7, it was Eddie at the top, followed by Dolly in the runner-up spot. A fourth week was denied when Eddie fell to No. 5 on March 14 as Dolly returned to No. 1.
Although not a top-2 sweep, the Nos. 1 and 3 positions on March 11, 2000 were country songs: "Amazed" by Lonestar at No. 1, and "Breathe" by Faith Hill at No. 3. Faith would go on to reach No. 2, but only after Lonestar fell from No. 1.
There were multiple other charts, most of them 1975 and 1981, where several country songs were in the top 10, and some of those had two songs in the top 5, but never the top 2.
* * *
In the Billboard article, the list of previous songs reaching No. 1 on both the country and Hot 100 charts was not complete. Omitted were these three songs:
* "The Three Bells (Les Trois Cloches)" – The Browns (1959).
* "Harper Valley PTA" – Jeannie C. Riley (1968).
* "I Can Help" – Billy Swan (1974).
Prior to the Hot 100, there were several songs reaching No. 1 on a component country (best sellers, most jukebox plays, and most played by jockeys) and a component pop chart (including the Top 100, and the sales, jukebox and radio airplay charts). The first song to go No. 1 both country and pop was Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama," from January 1944. Then came:
* "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)" – Tex Williams and His Western Caravan (1947).
* "Slippin' Around" – Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely (1949).
* "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" – Red Foley (1950).
* "Slow Poke" – Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys f. Redd Stewart (1951).
* "Sixteen Tons" – Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955); the first to do so during the rock n' roll era.
* "Heartbreak Hotel" – Elvis Presley (1956).
* "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" – Elvis Presley (1956).
* "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel" – Elvis Presley (1956).
* "Young Love" – Sonny James (1957).
* "All Shook Up" – Elvis Presley (1957).
* "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" – Elvis Presley (1957).
* "Wake Up Little Susie" – Everly Brothers (1957).
* "Jailhouse Rock" – Elvis Presley (1957).
* "All I Have To Do Is Dream" – Everly Brothers (1958).
* "Bird Dog" – Everly Brothers (1958).
And then there were a few songs that, although not reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100, would reach No. 1 on a component chart, such as the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40, and its Radio & Records/Mediabase 24/7 equivalent would be used on AT40. A few of those songs:
* "Breathe" – Faith Hill (1999-2000).
* "Love Story" – Taylor Swift (2008-2009).
* "Need You Now" – Lady A (2009-2010).
* "Meant To Be" – Bebe Rexha w/Florida Georgia Line (2018).
* "I Hope" – Gabby Barrett (2020, pop version a remix with Charlie Puth).
* * *
Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" had just spent its 14th (non-consecutive) week at No. 1 before being knocked off by Jason Aldean's "Try That In a Small Town." With Wallen's 14th week, he displaced Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life," from October to December 1977, as country song with the most weeks at No. 1 (10) since the start of the Hot 100 chart. Pre-Hot 100 included, though, and the title goes to Elvis Presley, who had 11 weeks (on the jukebox chart) with "Don't Be Cruel"/"Hound Dog" in 1956.
So that'll do it for this time.
It's now a matter of time before country takes over the entire top 5 of the Hot 100 ... right?
Brian
The song that helped turn the trick was Jason Alden's song, "Try That In a Small Town," the song that generated mainstream buzz because of its video content.
Morgan Wallen was at No. 2 with "Last Night" and at No. 3 was Luke Combs' cover of "Fast Car."
More about the whole thing can be found here: www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-number-one-hot-100-country-hits-top-three-1235382220/
Several years ago, I had a thread detailing Hot 100 accomplishments of country songs. With this latest feat, this had me thinking of past chart accomplishments involving country songs.
A few that I immediately thought of:
* * *
Prior to this week's Hot 100 chart, the last time country songs dominating the top 5 – that is, songs that charted high on both the Hot Country Songs (and predecessor charts) and Hot 100) – was Dec. 17, 1977. That week, the Nos. 1, 2 and 4 positions, and one country argue, the No. 5 song as well, on the Hot 100 were country songs. That week's top 5:
5. "It's So Easy" – Linda Ronstadt. Not really a country hit, but I'd guess this'n got a ton of unsolicited country airplay, maybe in part due to Linda's other successes.
4. "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" – Crystal Gayle. A No. 1 hit back in August, Lorretta's kid sister had just peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and was on its way down.
3. "Blue Bayou"– Linda Ronstadt. This actually was a bigger country hit, reaching No. 2 just a few weeks earlier, and was this week fell to No. 32. On the Hot 100, Linda had reached its peak position.
2. "How Deep Is Your Love" – The Bee Gees. The only non-country connected hit of the top 5. Feeding off "Saturday Night Fever," the brothers Gibb were just a week from reaching No. 1.
1. "You Light Up My Life" – Debby Boone. In its 10th week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, the song had just come off its No. 4 peak on the Hot Country Singles chart.
In addition, Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again," which was spending its third week at No. 1 on the country chart, reached the top 10 on the Hot 100 this week, entering at No. 10, on its way to a No. 3 peak.
* * *
A couple of weeks were the top 2 were both country songs had happened prior to the Aug. 5, 2023 top 3:
May 31, 1975: That week's No. 1 song was Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," with John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" at No. 2.
And for three weeks, from Feb. 21-March 7, 1981, the top 2 was Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" and Eddie Rabbitt's "I Love a Rainy Night." Dolly took No. 1 and Eddie No. 2 on Feb. 21, and then on Feb. 28 and March 7, it was Eddie at the top, followed by Dolly in the runner-up spot. A fourth week was denied when Eddie fell to No. 5 on March 14 as Dolly returned to No. 1.
Although not a top-2 sweep, the Nos. 1 and 3 positions on March 11, 2000 were country songs: "Amazed" by Lonestar at No. 1, and "Breathe" by Faith Hill at No. 3. Faith would go on to reach No. 2, but only after Lonestar fell from No. 1.
There were multiple other charts, most of them 1975 and 1981, where several country songs were in the top 10, and some of those had two songs in the top 5, but never the top 2.
* * *
In the Billboard article, the list of previous songs reaching No. 1 on both the country and Hot 100 charts was not complete. Omitted were these three songs:
* "The Three Bells (Les Trois Cloches)" – The Browns (1959).
* "Harper Valley PTA" – Jeannie C. Riley (1968).
* "I Can Help" – Billy Swan (1974).
Prior to the Hot 100, there were several songs reaching No. 1 on a component country (best sellers, most jukebox plays, and most played by jockeys) and a component pop chart (including the Top 100, and the sales, jukebox and radio airplay charts). The first song to go No. 1 both country and pop was Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama," from January 1944. Then came:
* "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)" – Tex Williams and His Western Caravan (1947).
* "Slippin' Around" – Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely (1949).
* "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" – Red Foley (1950).
* "Slow Poke" – Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys f. Redd Stewart (1951).
* "Sixteen Tons" – Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955); the first to do so during the rock n' roll era.
* "Heartbreak Hotel" – Elvis Presley (1956).
* "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" – Elvis Presley (1956).
* "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel" – Elvis Presley (1956).
* "Young Love" – Sonny James (1957).
* "All Shook Up" – Elvis Presley (1957).
* "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" – Elvis Presley (1957).
* "Wake Up Little Susie" – Everly Brothers (1957).
* "Jailhouse Rock" – Elvis Presley (1957).
* "All I Have To Do Is Dream" – Everly Brothers (1958).
* "Bird Dog" – Everly Brothers (1958).
And then there were a few songs that, although not reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100, would reach No. 1 on a component chart, such as the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40, and its Radio & Records/Mediabase 24/7 equivalent would be used on AT40. A few of those songs:
* "Breathe" – Faith Hill (1999-2000).
* "Love Story" – Taylor Swift (2008-2009).
* "Need You Now" – Lady A (2009-2010).
* "Meant To Be" – Bebe Rexha w/Florida Georgia Line (2018).
* "I Hope" – Gabby Barrett (2020, pop version a remix with Charlie Puth).
* * *
Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" had just spent its 14th (non-consecutive) week at No. 1 before being knocked off by Jason Aldean's "Try That In a Small Town." With Wallen's 14th week, he displaced Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life," from October to December 1977, as country song with the most weeks at No. 1 (10) since the start of the Hot 100 chart. Pre-Hot 100 included, though, and the title goes to Elvis Presley, who had 11 weeks (on the jukebox chart) with "Don't Be Cruel"/"Hound Dog" in 1956.
So that'll do it for this time.
It's now a matter of time before country takes over the entire top 5 of the Hot 100 ... right?
Brian
