Each week we take a look the Texas Regional Radio Report 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 Texas country radio and determine if it’s improving or getting worse. Let’s take a look at this week’s top thirty…
- Jon Wolfe – “Boots on a Dance Floor” -2 (Up 1)
- Zane Williams – “Bringin’ Country Back” -1 (Up 2)
- Casey Donahew Band – “Kiss Me” -3
- Josh Ward – “Broken Heart” +3 (Up 5)
- Curtis Grimes – “From Where I’m Standing” 0
- Whiskey Myers – “Lightning Bugs and Rain” +2 (Down 5)
- Kevin Fowler – “Texas Forever” 0 (Up 5)
- Roger Creager – “Wanna Wanna Bar” -3 (Down 1)
- Jamie Richards – “Second Hand Smoke” +1 (Down 1)
- Sam Riggs – “High On A Country Song” -3 [Worst Song]
- William Clark Green – “Old Fashioned” -2 (Up 2)
- Jake Worthington – “How Do You Honky Tonk” +1 (Up 2)
- Flatland Cavalry – “One I Want” +3 (Down 7)
- Deryl Dodd – “The Ride” +2 (Up 2)
- Jesse Raub Jr. – “She Can Forgive” +3 (Down 4)
- Troy Cartwright – “Busted” +3 (Up 1)
- Pat Waters – “Like A Radio” 0 (Up 2)
- Case Hardin – “Sign of a Fool” +3 (Up 3)
- Kaleb McIntire – “Find Another Baby” -2 (Up 3)
- Randy Rogers Band – “Tequila Eyes” +3 (New to Top 30)
- Reckless Kelly – “How Can You Love Him (You Don’t Even Like Him)” +2 (Down 3)
- Brandon Jenkins – “Shadow of a Broken Heart” 0 (Up 1)
- Aaron Watson – “Outta Style” 0 (New to Top 30)
- Luke Robinson – “She Drinks Alone” +1 (Up 2)
- Mike Ryan – “New Hometown” 0 (Up 2)
- Josh Abbott Band – “Live It While You Got It” 0 (Down 2)
- Jerrett Zoch and The OSR Band – “Everything I Need” 0 (Down 12)
- Dalton Domino – “July” +2
- Turnpike Troubadours – “Come As You Are” +5 [Best Song]
- TJ Broscoff – “Should’ve Been Mine” -1 (Down 5)
The Current Pulse of Texas Country Radio: +19
The pulse stays the same this week.
Songs That Dropped Out of the Top 30 This Week:
- Micky & The Motorcars – “Sister Lost Soul” +2
- Kimberly Dunn – “Traffic” +1
Songs That Entered The Top 30 This Week:
- Randy Rogers Band – “Tequila Eyes”
- This week we get a couple of the heavyweights from the Texas scene enter the top 30. First up is Randy Rogers Band, who after trying their hand on Music Row, have returned to the scene where they fit. MCA Nashville had no clue how to manage this band and mangled their sound. Earlier this year RRB released their “Texas comeback” album, Nothing Shines Like Neon, an album I thought deserved more credit than what fans and critics have given it. It featured some of the group’s best work I’ve heard from them and has several good songs on it. And one of those good songs is definitely “Tequila Eyes.” This is just an all-around solid drinking heartbreak song, from the descriptive lyrics to the great fiddle play. Rogers delivers a really good vocal performance too. This song is like an old pair of comfortable sneakers: nothing flashy, but always reliable and easy to put on. 8/10
- Aaron Watson – “Outta Style”
- Watson won a bunch of new fans with his last album The Underdog, specifically I noticed an unusual amount of mainstream country fans took to him. That’s probably because Watson and his team seemed to make a big push to become a more national name and to land some mainstream attention. While the album went #1 and got plenty of press for this accomplishment, Watson was unable to get any traction at mainstream radio where he sent multiple singles. But this didn’t matter because this album was laying the groundwork more for Watson to make another attempt with his next album Vaquero, due to be released on February 24. Lead single “Outta Style” is pretty much confirmation. The lyrics are the most light-weight love song fodder you’ll hear, with many common clichés in country songs and the obnoxious “Chevy to the levee” reference that’s as old as the hills. But for the most part the lyrics are just inoffensive and forgettable. Of course this is on purpose because a lot of mainstream fans will be attracted to something like this. The redeeming factor of this song and easily it’s best aspect is the fiddles, which are quite infectious. 5/10
Biggest Gainers This Week:
- Aaron Watson – “Outta Style” – New to Top 30
- Josh Ward – “Broken Heart” – Up 5 from #9 to #4
- Kevin Fowler – “Texas Forever” – Up 5 from #12 to #7
Biggest Losers This Week:
- Micky & The Motorcars – “Sister Lost Soul” – Out of the Top 30 & Done
- Kimberly Dunn – “Traffic” – Out of the Top 30 ( to #34)
- Jerrett Zoch and The OSR Band – “Everything I Need” – Down 12 from #15 to #27
Songs I See Leaving The Top 30 Soon:
- Jerrett Zoch and The OSR Band – “Everything I Need”
- TJ Broscoff – “Should’ve Been Mine”
- Reckless Kelly – “How Can You Love Him (You Don’t Even Like Him)”
On The Hot Seat:
- None
Next Four Songs I See Entering Top 30:
- Randall King (feat. Cleto Cordero) – “Hard Livin’ Illene”
- Matt Kimbrow – “Homesick Crazy”
- Reverend’s Daughter – “Caroline”
- Jody Booth – “They Found Me in a Honky Tonk”
Note: As I mentioned in The Current Pulse of Mainstream Country Radio earlier this week, both that and this Pulse will go on “winter freeze” until January 2017. Just want to assure you that this feature has no plans of going away and will continue next year.
As always be sure to weigh in on this week’s Pulse in the comments below.
