Weekly Register: Luke Bryan’s ‘Farm Tour’ Tops Country Album Chart

Luke Bryan Farm Tour EP

Luke Bryan‘s Farm Tour…Here’s To The Farmer tops the country albums chart this week (and lands at No. 4 on the overall albums rankings) for its debut, with 32K sold. Jason Aldean‘s latest, They Don’t Know, follows at No. 2 with 21K, 185K RTD. Florida Georgia Line‘s Dig Your Roots lands at No. 3 this week, with 21K, surpassing the 200K mark since its Aug. 26 release.

Last week’s No. 1, Aaron LewisSinner, drops to No. 4 this week, with 9.5K, nearing it to a total of 50K. Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller rounds out the Top 5 this week, with 9.4K, and a total approaching 1.6M.

Top country debuts this week also include Dwight Yoakam‘s Swimming Pools, Movie Stars, landing just outside the top 5, ranking at No. 6 with 8.8K. Bradley Walker lands at No. 9 with Call Me Old-Fashioned moving 4.5K. Reckless Kelly‘s Sunset Hotel is at No. 12, with 3.8K sold. William Clark Green lands at No. 31 with Live At Gruene Hall selling 1.1K.

Overall album sales are down 14.6 percent year to date, while overall digital album sales have declined 19.5 percent. Country album sales have dropped 8.2 percent year to date, while country digital album sales have declined 13 percent.

forever-country-730x456

The Country Music Association’s event song, “Forever Country,” remains atop the country tracks rankings in its second week of release, selling 61K (155K RTD).

Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” lands at No. 2 this week, with 31K. Kenny Chesney (featuring Pink)’s “Setting The World On Fire” lands at No. 3 with 26K. Florida Georgia Line holds the final two slots in this week’s Top 5, with “May We All” (featuring Tim McGraw) selling 21K and landing at No. 4, and “H.O.L.Y.” landing at No. 5, selling 19K.

The top debut single is Hunter Hayes’ “Yesterdays Song,” landing at No. 29 on the country tracks rankings with 5.8K.

Overall digital track sales are down 24.7 percent YTD, while country track sales are down 22.8 percent.

Songwriter Hugh Prestwood To Release First Full-Length Album

hugh-prestwood

Hugh Prestwood, known for penning songs recorded by Judy Collins (“Hard Times For Lovers”) and Trisha Yearwood (“The Song Remembers When”), is set to release his first full-length album, I Used To Be The Real Me (Wildflower/Cleopatra Records), on Nov. 18. Prestwood’s songs have also been recorded by Randy Travis (“Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart”), Crystal Gayle (“The Sound Of Your Goodbye”), in addition to Shenandoah and Alison Krauss (“Ghost In This House”).

I Used To Be The Real Me is being released on Collins’ Wildflower Records. Prestwood was discovered by Collins in 1978 when she recorded his “Hard Times For Lovers.” Collins join Prestwood on the new project for “Untie These Lines” and “Charlie.”

“I received Hugh’s CD, listened to it and practically fell over,” Collins said. “It blew me away. All of Hugh’s songs are unusual and tinged with magic, and it was a pleasure singing them with my old friend.”

“Working with Judy on this record is closing a very big circle,” Prestwood said. “I Used To Be The Real Me is my songs recorded from my demos, whittled down from 30 songs I had in my catalog. I’m so pleased to share it.”

Prestwood continues to teach songwriting workshops for the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) in various locations throughout the country.

I Used To Be The Real Me Track Listing:

1. So Sweet Sixteen
2. Charlie (Feat. Judy Collins)
3. Another Way to Feel Alive
4. Reflected Back
5. The Suit
6. September Song
7. Untie These Lines (Feat. Judy Collins)
8. So Are We
9. I Used to Be the Real Me
10. Laura Nadine
11. April Fool
12. Carolina Season
13. The Song Remembers When

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Confirm Ryman Auditorium Concert

Faith Hill, Tim McGraw.

Faith Hill, Tim McGraw.

 

[Updated]: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Nashville concert, slated for Tuesday (Oct. 4) has sold out, according to the Ryman Auditorium.

[Original post]: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have confirmed a surprise concert in Nashville, set for tomorrow (Oct. 4), at the Ryman Auditorium. Tickets go on sale today (Oct. 3) at 10 a.m. CT and are $20 each. There is a four ticket limit per purchase.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Rumors began swirling last week that the superstar couple might be performing a surprise concert after the Ryman Auditorium’s website listed a concert date from Sam & Audrey for Oct. 4. Diehard fans of McGraw and Hill recognized the listing as including the names for Samuel Timothy McGraw and Audrey Faith Perry.

Monday morning, McGraw called in to The Bobby Bones Show to confirm the concert.

Also this week, McGraw and Hill will be inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The couple will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on Thursday, Oct. 6.

The couple is known for their hit duets over the years, including “It’s Your Love,” “I Need You,” and more. In 2012, the couple began a 20-show residency at the Venetian Las Vegas. The show ran through 2014.

In Fall 2017, Hill, alongside former “Oprah” co-executive producer and OWN executive Lisa Erspamer, will co-produce an innovative new daytime lifestyle show based in Nashville. Meanwhile, McGraw and Hill are rumored to be recording a duets album.