MusicRow Weekly (News, Charts, More…)

This week’s edition of The MusicRow Weekly brings major milestones, career-defining deals, heartfelt farewells, and exciting industry shakeups. Click here to see the full edition.

Country superstar Luke Combs has been officially crowned the highest RIAA-certified country artist in history, with 168 million units sold.

Meanwhile, country legend Vince Gill is reaffirming his legacy with a groundbreaking lifetime recording deal with MCA. The partnership, which spans decades, will include an EP released every month for the next year. The series, titled 50 Years From Home, will blend new songs with reimagined catalog tracks that align with the project’s theme. The first installment, 50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had, drops Oct. 17 and will include the double-Platinum hit “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”

Another country icon, Alan Jackson, has announced plans for the final full-length concert of his touring career. “Titled Last Call: One More for the Road – The Finale”, the farewell show will take place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. With a capacity crowd of over 50,000 expected, the night will be a fitting tribute to Jackson’s decades of influence. An all-star lineup, including Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack, will join him for the celebration, with more artists to be announced.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrated its 55th anniversary with a star-studded gala on Oct. 6, honoring seven new inductees. The Class of 2025 includes Steve Bogard and Tony Martin in the songwriter category; Jim Lauderdale and Brad Paisley in the songwriter/artist category; Don Cook in the veteran songwriter category; and Emmylou Harris in the veteran songwriter/artist category. The late JJ Cale was posthumously honored in the Legacy category, recognizing his lasting impact and influence as a NaSHOF-worthy candidate who is no longer living.

This week also saw the IEBA Annual Conference, which wrapped with its Honors & Awards Ceremony on Oct. 7. Brooklyn Bowl Nashville was awarded Club of the Year, while Bridgestone Arena took home Arena of the Year. Andrew Fortin of Neste Live! was named Fair/Expo Buyer of the Year, and Adam Weiser of AEG Presents earned the title of Promoter of the Year. Neste Live! also received recognition as Special Events/Corporate Buyer of the Year. The ceremony also celebrated the induction of two industry veterans, Alex Hodges and Chuck Morris, into the IEBA Hall of Fame.

In leadership news, Samantha Saturn, Chief Marketing Officer at SESAC Music Group, has exited the company after seven years of leadership.

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter made her much-anticipated Grand Ole Opry debut on Oct. 7.

Parker McCollum has renewed his global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville, while Brantley Gilbert has signed with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. Travis Wood has extended his publishing agreement with Creative Nation.

By Design, a modern music company has been launched by Josh Bailey, Jeremy Holley, Rod Riley and Josh Thompson. The company is part of a larger ecosystem that includes By Design (record label and publisher), Archetype Music (music rights acquisition), and Blueprint, a nonprofit supporting creators. The first artists signed to By Design are Frankie Ballard, Zoe Levert and Alex Jude.

Manager Autumn Ledgin has officially launched her own firm, Ledgin Management, with rising country artist Tucker Wetmore as the flagship act. The new company will work in strategic partnership with Red Light Management. Ledgin has played a key role in Wetmore’s rapid rise since 2023.

Songwriter Brinley Addington has inked a new publishing deal with SMACK.

Rachel Wein has joined MNRK Music Group as Senior Director of A&R, while Andrew Cohen has been appointed Senior Manager, Partnerships at Alltroo.

And finally, producer and songwriter Brandon Manley has signed a new publishing deal with Drumatized and EMPIRE Publishing, continuing his rise in the world of production and songwriting.

In addition, the latest MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart is included. Morgan Wallen maintains the No. 1 spot with “I Got Better.” Explore more chart data here.

The MusicRow Weekly is delivered every Friday, featuring Nashville’s top music industry news, exclusive interviews, song reviews, radio and songwriter charts and more. Sign up for free here.

IEBA Unveils Three New Scholarships

IEBA has revealed three new scholarships that total $125,000. The scholarships were revealed during the Honors & Awards Ceremony on Oct. 7.

$25,000 was presented to Middle Tennessee State University to establish the Jimmy Jay & Jann Blauw Family Scholarship. Industry veteran Jay presented the check alongside Aaron Green of Jayson Entertainment Group to Mark E. Clark, MTSU Executive Director of Development.

Belmont University accepted the other two endowments, each totaling $50,000. These were established to honor Buddy Lee and Erv Woolsey. Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont’s Senior Associate Dean, Sarita Stewart and Senior Development Director Phil Shay accepted the check given to them by donor representatives Joey Lee (Co-Head of WME Nashville and son of Buddy Lee), Tony Conway (Founder and CEO, Conway Entertainment Group), and Kevin Neal (Partner, WME Nashville).

“Supporting education has always been at the heart of IEBA’s mission,” said Todd Boltin, President of the IEBA Educational Outreach Fund Board. “These new endowments honor industry legends who not only built careers for artists but also paved the way for the next generation of live entertainment professionals. Their legacies of mentorship, leadership, and generosity will continue to inspire students for years to come.”

“The scholarships these endowments create will open doors for aspiring professionals and ensure that IEBA’s educational mission thrives for generations to come,” added IEBA Executive Director Brian Wagner.

Wags & Walks Hosts Benefit Show Celebrating Sixth Anniversary

Tucker Wetmore. Photo: Laura Moll

Wags & Walks hosted a benefit show Tuesday night (Oct. 7) at the Skydeck on Broadway. The celebratory evening with over 1,000 attendees recognized six years of Wags & Walks Nashville and 6,000 dogs saved.

Bellah Mae opened the evening with a mix of originals and covers, setting the tone for the night. Tiera Kennedy followed with a high-energy set that included “I’d Look Good In That Truck,” “Can’t Help My Country,” “Better Than Me” and “Shut It Down.”

Bellah Mae. Photo: Laura Moll

Ashland Craft brought songs from her new record, Dive Bar Beauty Queen, before Chris Lane took the stage for a set packed with hits, including fan-favorite “I Don’t Know About You.” American Authors kept the crowd energized with their anthem “Best Day of My Life.”

Closing out the evening, Tucker Wetmore delivered a crowd-pleasing performance featuring “Wine Into Whiskey,” “Break First,” “Casino,” “3, 2, 1,” his first No. 1 single at country radio, “Wind Up Missing You” and more. “This song needs no introduction,” Wetmore quipped before wrapping the night with “Brunette.”

Ashland Craft. Photo: Laura Moll

Between performances, Kate Pettersen, Morgan Huelsman, Lauren Lane, Dan and Abby Smyers and Jason Tartick each took the stage to share their support for the cause.

“The energy at this year’s Benefit Concert was pure magic,” shares Kathryn Hurley, Founder of Wags & Walks Nashville. “To see our community come together to celebrate rescue and raise lifesaving funds for dogs in need was incredibly special. We’re so grateful to our artists, sponsors, and community for helping us continue to make a difference.”

Chris Lane. Photo: Laura Moll

Photo: Laura Moll

Tiera Kennedy. Photo: Laura Moll

Tucker Wetmore. Photo: Laura Moll

Muscadine Bloodline Surprise Announces New Album With Vinyl Drop

Muscadine Bloodline. Photo: Jay Siske

Muscadine Bloodline has announced their latest album will be available on vinyl first today, (Oct. 10), without any fanfare or advance hype or tracks pre-released.

The new vinyl album will be limited to 3,000 pieces, with every copy signed, and the album will eventually be released digitally, but the only way for fans to hear it currently will be to purchase the vinyl edition. The group is releasing it straight to vinyl without teasing any tracks or unveiling the album cover as a special surprise to fans.

The announcement follows the release of the band’s latest single “My Meridian” that was released last month along with a video which features the Alabama boys traveling West to Meridian, Mississippi, the city co-lead singer Charlie Muncaster’s wife hails from. Muscadine Bloodline is currently on tour with Lainey Wilson, and just announced a run of dates with HARDY for next summer.

YouTube video

Trisha Yearwood Celebrates ‘The Mirror’ With Intimate Conversation With Liz Rose

Liz Rose & Trisha Yearwood. Photo: Tess Schoonhoven

Trisha Yearwood celebrated her new album The Mirror Wednesday night (Oct. 8) with an in-depth Q&A alongside songwriter Liz Rose at Anzie Blue in Nashville.

Hosted by FEMco’s Leslie Fram, the event offered an intimate look at The Mirror, the first album Yearwood has both co-written and co-produced herself. Yearwood was joined by many of her co-writers from the project at the special event, including Beth Bernard, Jim “Moose” Brown, Erin Enderlin, Matt Rossi, Bridgette Tatum, and Rachel Thibodeau, plus the album’s co-producer, Grammy-winner Chad Carlson.

Throughout the evening, Yearwood reflected on the creative process behind The Mirror, sharing that it is the most meaningful album of her storied career.

Pictured (L-R): Liz Rose, Trisha Yearwood and Leslie Fram.

Pictured (L-R): Jim “Moose” Brown, Rachel Thibodeau, Chad Carlson, Trisha Yearwood, Bridgette Tatum, Beth Bernard, Matt Rossi and Erin Enderlin.

Dasha Releases ‘Anna’ EP

Dasha has released her new EP, Anna, via Warner Records.

The eight-track project spans a range of styles and subjects, from the introspective “Train” to her upbeat recent single, “Work On Me.”

Dasha co-wrote seven of the eight tracks alongside Ashley Gorley, Chris LaCorte, Emily Weisband, Hillary Lindsey and Josh Kear, among others. The outside cut, “Train,” was solo-written by Kyle Sturrock.

Dasha broke out with the 2023 release of “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” from her debut country album, What Happens Now?. The song amassed more than 1.7 billion streams.

Dasha is currently amidst her headline tour, and will open for Kane Brown at Wembley Stadium tonight (Oct. 10).

Anna Track List:
1. “Work On Me” (Amy Allen, Dasha, John Ryan)
2. “Not At This Party” (Anna Dasha Novotny, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson)
3. “Please Stop Changing” (Anna Dasha Novotny, Ben Johnson, Jules Paymer, Travis Heidelman)
4. “Gimmie A Second” (Ali Tamposi, Ammo, Anna Dasha Novotny, Jake Torrey)
5. “Don’t Mean To” (Anna Dasha Novotny, Hillary Lindsey, Josh Kear)
6. “Train” (Kyle Sturrock)
7. “Like It Like That” (Dasha, David Garcia, Gian Stone, J Kash)
8. “Oh, Anna” (Anna Dasha Novotny, Chris LaCorte, Emily Weisband, Hillary Lindsey)

Morgan Wallen Claims Sixth Week Atop MusicRow Radio Chart

Morgan Wallen; Photo: Matt Paskert

Morgan Wallen claims a sixth consecutive week at No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart with his hit, “I Got Better.”

The track appears on his 2025 album I’m The Problem, and was written by Wallen, Michael Hardy, Chase McGill, Blake Pendergrass, Ernest Smith, Charlie Handsome and Joe Reeves.

Last week, (Oct. 1) Wallen released the official music video for track. Directed By Justin Clough, the video for “I Got Better” uses a car accident as a metaphor for the messy end to a relationship. The story follows the singer walking away from the crash, gradually healing in the process.

“I Got Better” currently sits at No. 3 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 4 on the Mediabase chart.

Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.

Apple Music Returns With Season 2 Of Lost & Found Series

ERNEST. Photo: Courtesy of Apple Music

Apple Music is launching the second season of its Lost & Found series, which makes previously unreleased tracks available to fans. The original demo tracks (“Lost”) are released first, followed by their newly recorded counterparts (“Found”).

Every month a new song will be released, starting with “End Of The Night,” written by Toby Keith, Bobby Pinson and David Lee Murphy. The demo is available now, and the new version was released today (Oct. 10), recorded by ERNEST.

Bobby Pinson and David Lee Murphy. Photo: Courtesy of Apple Music

“This was always one of my favorites, and it was ERNEST’s favorite too,” says Pinson. “He did a great job on it. When [Apple Music] asked me about this project and said ‘what do we have,’ it was like Christmas. It was like finding a dollar in your pocket.”

“The day we wrote it, we were laughing so hard, feeling like it was a hit,” adds Murphy.

“Hearing Toby on that demo specifically – and Bobby and David Lee Murphy are great songwriters – you hear a little bit of an older, weathered Toby Keith singing a song, just hanging out on the bus,” shares ERNEST. “It’s an honor and a duty as country singers to keep the spirit alive of those who went on before us. I think it is what makes country music great. We live in the greatest city for songwriting of all time, so there are an endless amount of songs. Every now and then, you get to pull a little diamond out of there and a little piece of history, and this is no exception. I’ll never be able to sing a Toby Keith song as good as Toby Keith can sing a Toby Keith song, but I’m gonna give it hell to sing it the best I can for sure.”

Lost and Found tracks can be found here.

Post Malone Shuts Down Broadway For Posty’s Grand Opening

Post Malone. Photo: Adam Degross

Global superstar Post Malone shut down Broadway in Nashville on Wednesday night (Oct. 8) to perform in front of over 30,000 people in celebration of the grand opening of his bar, Posty’s.

Photo: Daniel Magee

He started the night by cutting the ribbon to his bar alongside Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, Metro Police Chief John Drake, District Councilman Jacob Kupin and Director of Nightlife Benton McDonough. The ceremony was emceed by Wayne D of iHeartRadio.

“Posty’s represents a new era for me and how I connect with my fans,” he shared. “This place is about having a kickass time, leaving your lonelies at the door, and finding a friend inside.”

He then hit the stage to perform an array of his hits and classic country covers. In Nashville fashion, surprise guests included Dierks Bentley for “What Was I Thinking,” Lainey Wilson for their collaboration “Nosedive,” and Brooks & Dunn for “Neon Moon” and “Brand New Man.”

“It’s not every day that you get to work with an artist as dynamic, versatile, and genuine as Post, and we wanted the grand opening to match that experience. We felt the best way to do that is to include Nashville,” TC Restaurant Group Vice President of Operations Grant Burlingame said. “Our team is honored to rise to the occasion and officially welcome Posty’s – a venue we’re so proud of – to Music City.”

Posty’s is owned and operated in partnership with TC Restaurant Group.

Lainey Wilson & Post Malone. Photo: Adam Degross

Dierks Bentley & Post Malone. Photo: Adam Degross

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Braxton Keith Gives ‘Sublime Performance’ Of George Strait Classic

Braxton Keith. Photo: Benjamin Humphrey

Nostalgia and new country are on the menu today in DISClaimer.

With new/old sounds by David Frizzell & Shelly West, Dan Seals and Waylon Jennings, plus oldie revivals like “I Love You a Thousand Ways,” “The Chair” and “Three Time Loser,” country music certainly maintains its longtime reputation for nostalgia. But the youngsters are doing their part to keep things lively—I’m especially digging Gabby Barrett, Zach John King, Kane Brown, Lee Brice and Karley Scott Collins today.

Braxton Keith takes home his first Disc of the Day award for his stunning revival of “The Chair,” which manages to be both utterly fresh and deeply nostalgic.

Our DISCovery Award winner is honky-tonkin’ Trey Pendley.

ZACH JOHN KING / “Still Feel the Burn”
Writers: Matt Dragstrem/Ryan Hurd/Zach John King; Producers: Ryan Wilson, Zach John King; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– A mysterioso guitar riff jangles into a plaintive, mid-tempo heartache lament. A swirling production, soft-yet-punchy percussion and piercing vocal add up to an utterly captivating sound. This guy has something here.

ANNIE BOSKO & DARIUS RUCKER / “Old Friends”
Writers: Annie Bosko/David “Messy” Mescon/Rob Hatch; Producer: David “Messy” Mescon; Label: Stone Country Records
– Rucker kicks it off and sings lead on the choruses of this choppy rocker. Bosko’s sprightly soprano keeps up the pace. The lyric is an ode to enduring relationships. Her album containing this is California Cowgirl, dropped last Friday.

GABBY BARRETT / “Ain’t Supposed to Be”
Writers: Chase McGill/Gabby Barrett/Jon Nite/Ross Copperman; Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale; Label: Warner Music Nashville
– Sometimes love arrives in the most unexpected places. They found each other, and that’s all that matters. Barrett delivers this ballad with loads of power and intensity. Lovely listening.

DAN SEALS & JAMEY JOHNSON / “Three Time Loser”
Writer: Dan Seals; Producer: none listed; Label: Melody Place
– Johnson evidently agrees with me that Dan Seals was one of the all-time greats. He swaps lines with the late singer-songwriter on one of his most delightful tracks. Scampering guitars and stuttering steel underscore a delightfully frisky country-rock sizzler. Loved every second of it.

BRENDAN WALTER / “Disappearing Days”
Writers: Brendan Walter Coughlin, Jr./Gary Stanton/Grady Smith; Producer: Grady Smith; Label: Records V2
– It is rather over-produced. The loud, grinding guitars overwhelm his country boy vocal on every chorus. By the time you get to mid song, he sounds like he’s drowning in sound.

LEE BRICE / “Killed the Man”
Writers: Jared Conrad/Michael Whitworth/Troy Cartwright; Producers: Ben Glover, Jerrod Niemann, Lee Brice; Label: Curb Records 
– Terrifically compelling. This grabs hold of your attention and grips it tightly. As usual, he’s singing his face off. The lyric is dynamite, too, as he explains his rebirth as a person. Essential.

BRAXTON KEITH / “The Chair”
Writers: Dean Dillon/Hank Cochran; Producers: Alex Torrez, David Dorn; Label: Warner Music Nashville
– Keith takes this fabulous George Strait oldie out for a welcome revival. The song is a country-music masterpiece. It takes guts to go up against Strait’s iconic performance, but this man is up to the task, and then some. Hear for yourself why it has streamed two million times in a single week. A tip of the cowboy hat to a sublime performance of an undeniable classic.

KANE BROWN / “Unspoken”
Writers: Beau Bailey/Gabe Foust/Jacob Hackworth/Kane Brown; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– Live your life without regrets by speaking the truth at all times. Lyrics with meaning, delivered with heartfelt sincerity. Beautifully done. Somebody say, “Amen.”

TREY PENDLEY / “Drunk As Any Rich Man”
Writers: Jacob Bryant/John Davidson/Trey Pendley; Producers: Jacob Bryant, John Davidson; Label: Leo33
– This drawling honky-tonker is a retro blast. You say you miss real country music? Well, belly up to this bar, buddy.

WAYLON JENNINGS / “Songbird”
Writer: Christine McVie; Producers: Richie Albright, Waylon Jennings; Label: Son of Jessi
– This is the title tune of an album of previously unreleased material by this Country Music Hall of Famer. It’s the first of three such collections compiled and produced by son Shooter Jennings. The new instrumentation gives polish to Waylon’s somewhat raw scratch vocal. The song (by Fleetwood Mac’s gifted Christine McVie) is a gentle meditation on the comfort of true love. The album dropped last week.

KIMBERLY KELLY / “Modern Day Woman”
Writers: Blue Foley/Chancie Neal/Kimberly Kelly; Producer: Brett Tyler; Label: KK
– This former Next Women of Country participant and Show Dog Records artist returns with a thumping, strutting, strong-female anthem. She sounds country-and-proud throughout the performance.

DAVID FRIZZELL & SHELLY WEST / “I Love You a Thousand Ways”
Writers: Jim Beck/Lefty Frizzell; Producer: none listed; Label: StarVista
– The CMA Vocal Duo of the Year in 1981 & 1982 reunites for the first time in 40 years to revive this 1950 Lefty Frizzell classic. Of course they sounded better back in the day—didn’t we all? But even with a touch more vibrato and a little less lung power, they still sound dandy on this well-produced outing. It’s a track from a Lefty tribute album that also features Freddie Hart, Gene Watson, Merle Haggard, Bill Anderson and more.

KARLEY SCOTT COLLINS / “Denim”
Writers: Alex Kline/Karley Scott Collins/Sara Bares/Stephan Lee Benson; Producers: Karley Scott Collins, Nathan Chapman; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– Her drawled, smoky alto vocal is ultra cool, especially with the quasi-yodeled falsetto breaks. Like so much of what this lady does, this is utterly haunting.