Each week we take a look the Billboard Country Airplay chart and grade the top 30 songs. The grading format I use each week is every song will receive one of the following scores: +5, +4, +3, +2, +1, 0, -1, -2, -3, -4, -5. These will then be tallied up for an overall score, or pulse of the current top thirty country songs, with the highest possible score being a +150 and the lowest possible score being a -150. How do I determine the score for the song? The review grade it received on the site or myself will determine this. If it hasn’t been reviewed yet, then I will make the call. The grade it has received or I would give it determines its Pulse score. The grading key: 10 [+5], 9 [+4], 8 [+3], 7 [+2], 6 [+1], 5 [0], 4 [-1], 3 [-2], 2 [-3], 1 [-4], 0 [-5].
The goal of this exercise is to evaluate the current state of mainstream country music and determine if it’s improving or getting worse. Let’s take a look at this week’s top thirty…
- Chris Young (feat. Vince Gill) – “Sober Saturday Night” +1 (Up 1)
- Jon Pardi – “Dirt on My Boots” +1 (Up 3)
- Michael Ray – “Douchey Pickup Song” -5
- Brad Paisley – “Today” +2
- Little Big Town – “Better Man” +2 (Down 4)
- Luke Bryan – “Fast” -1 (Up 1)
- Lauren Alaina – “Road Less Traveled” -2 (Up 2)
- Eric Church (feat. Rhiannon Giddens) – “Kill A Word” +4 [Best Song]
- Jason Aldean – “Any Ol’ Barstool” 0 (Up 1)
- Blake Shelton – “A Guy With A Girl” -1 (Down 4)
- Kelsea Ballerini – “Yeah Boy” -5
- Brantley Gilbert – “The Weekend” -5
- Josh Turner – “Hometown Girl” 0
- Sam Hunt – “Body Like a Back Road” -5 (Up 1) [Worst Song]
- Kenny Chesney – “Bar at the End of the World” -3 (Down 1)
- Garth Brooks – “Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance” 0
- High Valley – “Make You Mine” -2 (Up 1)
- Dierks Bentley – “Black” -2 (Down 1)
- Luke Combs – “Hurricane” -1
- Dan + Shay – “How Not To” +1 (Up 2)
- Chris Janson – “Holdin’ Her” +4 (Down 1)
- Trent Harmon – “There’s A Girl” +1 (Down 1)
- Darius Rucker – “If I Told You” 0
- Lady Antebellum – “You Look Good” -4 (Up 2)
- Rascal Flatts – “Yours If You Want It” -2 (Down 1)
- Craig Campbell – “Outskirts of Heaven” +3 (Down 1)
- Keith Urban (feat. Carrie Underwood) – “The Fighter” -5 (Up 1)
- Brett Young – “In Case You Didn’t Know” -2 (Re-Enters Top 30)
- Zac Brown Band – “My Old Man” +4 (Up 1)
- Miranda Lambert – “We Should Be Friends” +2 (Down 3)
The Current Pulse of Mainstream Country Radio: -24
The pulse drops five spots this week.
Songs That Dropped Out of the Top 30 This Week:
- Runaway June – “Lipstick” +3
Songs That Entered The Top 30 This Week:
- Brett Young – “In Case You Didn’t Know”
Biggest Gainers This Week:
- Jon Pardi – “Dirt on My Boots” – Up 3 from #5 to #2
- Brett Young – “In Case You Didn’t Know” – Up 3 from #31 to #28
Biggest Losers This Week:
- Runaway June – “Lipstick” – Out of the Top 30 & Done
- Little Big Town – “Better Man” – Down 4 from #1 to #5
- Blake Shelton – “A Guy With A Girl” – Down 4 from #6 to #10
Songs I See Going Recurrent & Leaving The Top 30 Soon:
- Blake Shelton – “A Guy With A Girl” (Radio and Blake just can’t bear the thought of one week in the top 30 without a single from him, so chart jacking!)
- Eric Church (feat. Rhiannon Giddens) – “Kill A Word” (This one appears to be out of gas now. We’ll see if EMI fights to keep it alive)
- Garth Brooks – “Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance” (The Fritos song finally appears done. No one will remember it)
- Chris Janson – “Holdin’ Her”
- High Valley – “Make You Mine” (54 weeks. I bet it’ll reach the top 10 in another 25 weeks)
- Trent Harmon – “There’s A Girl”
On The Hot Seat:
- Craig Campbell – “Outskirts of Heaven”
- Miranda Lambert – “We Should Be Friends” (You can start panicking and worrying, Miranda fans. I’m being generous putting it here and not above because this is surrounded by radio darlings. Not good.)
Next Four Songs I See Entering Top 30:
- Florida Georgia Line (feat. Backstreet Boys) – “God, Your Mama, and Me”
- Cole Swindell – “Flatliner”
- Blake Shelton – “Every Time I Hear That Song”
- Brothers Osborne – “It Ain’t My Fault”
As always be sure to weigh-in with your thoughts in the comments below.