July 12, 2021, Issue 764
Combs, Capitol, “Better” Lead 2021
Capitol, Luke Combs and his song “Better Together” are the Country leaders as we enter the final third of the 2021 chart-share year. Capitol has been Country’s Label of the Year for the last 12 years and appears to be well on its way to making it a baker’s dozen considering the 11.3 to 7.8 chart share lead it currently enjoys over second place BMLGR. Big Loud, RCA and MCA round out the top 5, according to chart data compiled by our friends and partners at Mediabase 24/7 for Luke Combs the chart year 11/8/20-11/6/21. Combs continues his airplay domination and appears poised to repeat as our 2021 Top Performer on the strength of two songs – “Better Together” and Forever After All” – that have each spent three weeks at No. 1 this year. Following Combs in the top 5 artists of the year thus far are Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan and Russell Dickerson. The year’s top woman is Gabby Barrett, who ranks eighth Blake Shelton overall. Dan + Shay are the top duo at No. 7; Parmalee ranks as the top group at No. 6. Combs’ “Better Together” is the most-heard song at this point in the chart year, leading Rhett’s “What’s Your Country Song” by a mere 3,500 points. Parmalee with Blanco Brown are third with “Just the Way,” Luke Bryan is fourth with “Down To One,” and Gabby Barrett completes the top five with “The Good Ones.” Gabby Barrett Check out the Top 10 labels, Top 15 Artist and Top 30 songs on page 9. –Lon Helton (continued on page 9)
Plot Twix: Curb’s Dylan Scott (l) with WGTY/York, PA’s Scott Donato at Hersheypark Stadium.
Bring On Tomorrow
The audience’s excitement to be at a live show was eclipsed only by the joy emanating from the performers Thursday (7/8) on opening night of Brad Paisley’s 2021 tour in Jacksonville. WQIK morning host John Scott reports Paisley and openers Jimmie Allen and Kameron Marlowe expressed their happiness to be back onstage — and more importantly, in front of an audience — throughout the night. “You’re just as beautiful as I remember you,” Paisley laughed. “You gained 15 pounds, but you’re beautiful!” “That boy’s gonna be a star,” Paisley later said of Marlowe, whose opening set included what Scott labels as a “cool, slow-burn version of ‘Folsom Prison Blues.’” “Jimmie John Scott commanded our attention the moment he
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