Billboard Introduces New Chart Methodology

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Billboard has revealed a new methodology for a handful of its charts, including Hot Country Songs, that will give a “major consumer-influenced facelift” to its measurement tools. Other charts undergoing the change include Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Latin Songs.

Since the advent of BDS in 1990, Hot Country Songs ranked titles entirely monitored airplay data. Going forward, the chart will incorporate digital download sales (measured by Nielsen SoundScan) and streaming data (measured by Nielsen from Spotify, Muve, Slacker, Rhapsody, Rdio and Xbox Music) along with the BDS monitored airplay measurement. The new chart will also incorporate data from over 1200 stations of all genres for songs receiving crossover airplay.

“The way people consume music continues to evolve and as a result so do our genre charts, which now track the many new ways fans experience, listen to and buy music,” says Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard Director of Charts. “We’re proud to be offering updated genre charts that better reflect the current music landscape.”

Factoring in these new metrics will likely mean some big changes, week-to-week. And indeed, Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” reaps the immediate benefits of dominating both the streaming and download worlds and lands at No. 1 on the new chart. Interestingly, “Never Ever” sits at No. 36 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, which will measure only BDS airplay and continue to appear on Mondays.

The change also coincides with the launch of a second weekly Billboard Country Update product, which will be distributed on Thursdays.

Chesney To Perform at Sammy Hagar’s Birthday Bash

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Kenny Chesney will perform a one-night sold-out concert this Friday (10/12) celebrating the 65th birthday of rocker Sammy Hagar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

The four-day event kicked off October 7 with Hagar and his band, the Wabos and runs through Hagar’s official birthday, October 13.

VIP winners, as part of a charity package auctioned off at Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans Carnivale du Vin fundraiser, will dine at Hagar’s beachfront home with preparations by Chef Lagasse, followed by VIP access to a private balcony at Cabo Wabo Cantina for Chesney’s concert.

For over 20 years, the annual birthday event has included many of Hagar’s celebrity friends. This year, in addition to Chesney and Lagasse, Michael Anthony (Van Halen), Joe Satriani (Chickenfoot), Matt Sorum (Velvet Revolver and Guns N’ Roses) and Denny Carmassi (Montrose) will attend. Chesney first played at Hagar’s bash in 2004, setting a club record for a performance that lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Tickets for the event went on sale on yesterday and have already sold out.

A livestream of the events is available here.

Sugarland Member Sells Out Solo Shows

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Photo: Dana Tynan

Kristian Bush, half of country music duo Sugarland, is adding an encore performance after selling out two solo Thanksgiving weekend shows at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA.

“Kristian Bush and Friends” will be two shows (6:30 and 9:30 pm) on Sunday, Nov. 25, with special guests Ellis Paul and Canaan Smith. The newly added show is set for Monday, Nov. 26 with guest singer-songwriter Patrick Davis.

“I’ve been a songwriter my entire life, and Eddie’s is the club where I got my start, so I’m happy to keep on playing for as long as people want to listen,” Bush says.

Bush will make his third appearance on the CMA Songwriter Series when it returns to Nashville Oct. 31 at Marathon Music Works as part of Country Music Month, leading up the annual CMA Awards on Nov. 1. Along with his Sugarland partner Jennifer Nettles, Bush is nominated for CMA Vocal Duo of the Year.

Bush started his career with folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim in the early ’90s. He has garnered five CMA Vocal Duo awards as part of Sugarland, exceeding sales of more than 22 million units with eight No. 1 singles. In 2011, Bush founded the music publishing company Songs of the Architect, recently working with Boys Like Girls frontman Martin Johnson and Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, as well as Canaan Smith, Lauren Alaina, Jaida Dreyer and Alana Springsteen.

For more information, visit www.kristianbush.com

Streamsound Records Signs New Artist

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(L-R): Streamsound co-founder and producer Byron Gallimore, artist Austin Webb, Streamsound’s radio department exec, Mike Wilson. Photo: AristoMedia

Nashville independent label Streamsound Records has announced the signing of new country artist Austin Webb to its roster. Webb’s debut single “It’s All Good” will be released in December.

A Nashville resident and native of South Carolina, Webb aims to combine influences of his favorite artists from country and soul. He is currently on the road visiting radio stations in advance of his single release.

“Austin Webb is one of those artists that is hard to categorize in conventional terms,” says Streamsound co-founder and Grammy-winning producer Byron Gallimore. “I can tell you that he is a truly gifted and creative force that has been driven solely by his music and his songs since he first picked up a guitar at 16 years old.”

More on Webb here.

Streamsound Records was founded in February 2012 by Gallimore with Jim Wilkes and includes  up-and-coming artist Jaida Dreyer. The label also has an exclusive distribution deal through Sony Music Nashville.

Symphony Names Harmony Award Recipient

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Photo by Jeff Lipsky

Keith Urban will receive the 2012 Harmony Award at the Symphony Ball on Dec. 8 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Each year the honor goes to an individual who exemplifies the harmonious spirit of Nashville’s thriving musical community.

“Music City is home to so many talented people who live and work here, and Keith Urban has been such a vital force in this community,” says Nashville Symphony CEO and President Alan Valentine. “What he brings to Nashville, his passion for music, his presence at Symphony concerts and his involvement in this community, is precisely what the Harmony Award symbolizes. There’s such a wide variety of music in Nashville. Whether it’s country, classical or jazz, this is the essence of what makes our city and its music so distinctive and special.”

Urban has been instrumental in providing support for a number of charities, including his renowned “All for the Hall” annual concert, which has raised millions for the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. In addition, he has participated in efforts to raise money for victims of the 2010 Nashville flood, and has given generously to causes as diverse as Artists for Peace and Justice, Live Earth, Habitat for Humanity and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, to name a few.

The Symphony Ball is co-chaired by Mrs. Ansel Lewis Davis (Jana) and Mrs. Orrin Henry Ingram II (Lee Ann).

Past recipients of the Harmony Award include Amy Grant, LeAnn Rimes, Michael W. Smith, Mike & Linda Curb, Lyle Lovett, Trisha Yearwood, Dolly Parton, The Judds, Steve Winwood, Vince Gill, Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Chet Atkins, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and Marty Stuart.

Two Exit UMG Nashville

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Ken Robold and Beverly Keel

MusicRow has confirmed the exits of Universal Music Group executives Beverly Keel and Ken Robold. These are the first staff changes following UMG’s acquisition of EMI’s recorded music division.

Robold served as Executive VP/GM, and Keel worked as Sr. VP Artist & Media Relations. Both had contracts that were up for renewal.

Robold had been with the company over 21 years where he oversaw day to day operations including sales, digital, production, finance and administration.

Keel joined the label group in 2010 and has over 20 years experience as a journalist and 15 as a music industry professor at Middle Tennessee State University. Reach her at 615-310-5602 or email her here.

More staff and artist changes are expected as UMG integrates EMI’s operations including Capitol Records Nashville. This ongoing process will likely take place in the coming weeks, and possibly into the new year.

Former Capitol Nashville head Mike Dungan took on the Chairman & CEO post at Universal Music Nashville Entertainment on May 1, in anticipation of the buyout’s regulatory approval. He succeeded Chairman & CEO Luke Lewis.

MusicRowPics: Parmalee Artist Visit

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Yesterday (10/09), Stoney Creek Records’ Parmalee stopped by MusicRow headquarters before heading back out on the road. The North Carolina based group is made up of member Matt Thomas, Scott Thomas, Barry Knox and Josh McSwain. The band, who is still in the process of recording their upcoming album, played several songs including “Carolina,” “Wanna Take You Home,” “Another Day Gone,” and their single “Musta Had a Good Time.”

Their single “Musta Had a Good Time,” which is based on true events, is now at country radio. It’s been voted by fans as the no. 1 song on The Highway’s The Hot 30 Live for four consecutive weeks.

Parmalee is currently giving fans a chance to submit their crazy “good time” moments through Facebook and Twitter. All photos will be uploaded into an exclusive musical digital photo frame that plays “Musta Had A Good Time.”

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Nashvillians Among Songwriters Hall of Fame Nominees

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Bobby Braddock, Vince Gill, Randy Goodrum, Bob McDill, and JD Souther are among the nominees for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York. Also up for 2013 election in the performance category are Jimmy Buffett; Elvis Costello; B.B. King; Ray Davies; Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and Christine McVie; Foreigner’s Mick Jones and Lou Gramm; Eurythmics’ Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart; Jeff Lynne; Aeromsith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry; Steve Winwood; and Bobby Womack.

Non-performing songwriters up for nomination include Don Covay (“Chain of Fools”), Holly Knight (“Love Is a Battlefield”), Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”), Rick Nowels, Tony Hatch, as well as Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, and P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri.

The induction gala will take place June 13 in New York City. This news is according to the Associated Press, which received the information prior to the official announcement set for Oct. 16.

New ‘Crossroads’ To Pair Avett Brothers and Randy Travis

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Continuing its recent theme of pairing classic country troubadours with the hippest of crossover folkies, CMT’s next new episode of Crossroads will feature country legend Randy Travis opposite Americana darlings The Avett Brothers.

Originally from North Carolina, the Avett Brothers was formed in 2001 by siblings Scott and Seth Avett with bass-playing buddy Bob Crawford. Since then, the group has released a string of acclaimed albums, including Emotionalism (2007) and I and Love and You (2009). The group’s latest album, The Carpenter, was produced by Rick Rubin and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200.

Over the course of his storied career, Randy Travis has sold over 20 million albums, notched 18 No. 1 singles and won numerous industry awards. He was inducted to the Grand Ole Opry in 1986 and awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004. He is also a three-time CMA Song of the Year winner, for “On the Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever Amen,” and “Three Wooden Crosses.”

CMT Crossroads: The Avett Brothers and Randy Travis premieres Friday, November 23 at 11 pm/ET.

Weekly Register: Tracking Swift Mania

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Question: Is it possible to sell 300,000 albums weeks before a project is released?

Answer: You betcha. In fact that is exactly what Taylor Swift and her marketing team have accomplished, which may be a country music first. Of course we are talking about TEA sales (track equivalent albums 10 tracks= 1 album).

Swift’s team released her “Never Ever…” single 8 weeks ago and RTD has sold 2.2 million copies. To further raise awareness for the Oct. 22 album launch, the label began offering a new track each week. Two weeks ago it was “Begin Again,” which now has sold almost 390k units and last week they released title track “Red” which now sits atop the Country tracks chart with debut week sales of 312k.

Summed, Swift has scanned 2,908,459 track sales from the upcoming set. Album launch is 11 days and counting with two more tracks scheduled to debut. So it is entirely possible this new album will pre-launch, Gold (TEA).

Admittedly Ms. Swift is the exception to just about every rule. In fact, her three aforementioned tracks account for almost 32% of the week’s Top 100 Country tracks total.

Also gaining honorable tracks mention this week is Florida Georgia Line at No. 4 with weekly scans of almost 68k. Gary Allan (49k) and Brad Paisley (40k) have debut tracks entering at No. 7 and 8 respectively.

Album Notes
Currently, 27% of total country album sales are digital which compares with 39.2% for all genre product. Therefore 73% of all country album sales are physical. So Walmart, Target and Best Buy–please keep those shelves loaded.

This week’s tale of country album heavyweights begins with Little Big Town’s Tornado which remains No. 1 for its 4th consecutive week racking up sales of 31k and RTD 228k. Blake Shelton’s holiday outing Cheers It’s Christmas debuts at No. 6 with 9k units. Jerrod Niemann also debuts at No. 9 with almost 8k units.

Looking to the Top 200 Top Albums list for perspective we note that Mumford and Sons turned in a second stellar week shifting 169k units for a two week total of 769k. In fact the Top 10 spots featured seven debuts— Muse, Miguel, Three Days Grace, Diana Krall, Jackie Evancho, Cher Lloyd and Van Morrison.

Country album sales (-2.7%) slipped a bit deeper into the minus column this week (see grids), but expectations are high for upcoming releases from Swift and Jason Aldean (10/16).

Aldean’s label has not released a series of tracks from his upcoming new album, but a pre-order link and free stream of the entire album went live today on iTunes. His single “Take A Little Ride,” is No. 9 on the Country tracks list after 12 weeks with RTD sales of 803k.

Stay tuned for the final 11 weeks of 2012 sales!