April 17, 2017, Issue 546
Power Gold 2017
The year-to-year rate of change in Country radio’s Top 100 Power Gold list appears to have slowed a bit. In fact, the 2017 PG 100 is more similar to the prior year’s list than any two-year comparison in the last six years. There are only 14 titles on this year’s list that weren’t on the 2016 Top 100. That compares to 36 new titles in 2016, 31 in ‘15, 39 in ‘14, 22 in ‘13 and 33 in ‘12. For a smaller influx of new Power Gold, you have to go back to 2011 when 13 songs that weren’t on the 2010 list appeared in the Top 100. The year prior, 2010 saw 10 new tracks hit the Top 100 for the first time. The 2017 Top 100 Power Gold is culled from Mediabase 24/7 and the Country Aircheck/Mediabase reporting panel for the week of March 12-18 is on page 9, but here’s the Top 10. 1. Jake Owen/Barefoot Blue Jean Night 2. Florida Georgia Line/Cruise 3. Darius Rucker/Wagon Wheel 4. Zac Brown Band/Chicken Fried 5. Miranda Lambert/Mama’s Broken Heart 6. Blake Shelton/Honey Bee 7. Kenny Chesney/American Kids 8. Randy Houser/Runnin’ Outta Moonlight 9. Eric Church/Drink In My Hand 10. Eric Church/Springsteen
Pickin’ On The CEO: Roasters gather around TJ Martell Foundation 2017 Ambassador of the Year, WMN’s John Esposito, prior to a “roasting & toasting” in Nashville Monday (4/17). Pictured (l-r) are WMN’s Matt Signore, McGhee Entertainment’s Doc McGhee, WME’s Greg Oswald, Esposito, John Oates, TJM’s Laura Heatherly, CAA’s John Huie, Sony ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, UMG/Nashville’s Mike Dungan and Live Nation’s Brian O’Connell. Jake Owen
Also slowing down this year is the number of songs debuting at the lofty heights we’ve seen in recent years. The highest debut this year is Thomas Rhett’s “Make Me Wanna,” which comes in at No. 29. In 2016 and 2015, five songs debuted in the Top 10 and in 2014 an amazing six songs made their first PG appearances inside the Top 10. The last year that no song debuted inside the Top 10 is 2013; and, you have to go back to 2011 to find a year when no new titles debuted in the Top 25. The 2017 Top 100 features 73 songs from 31 different male artists, seven songs from two women, six songs from a pair of duos and 14 songs from six groups. That compares to last year’s 69 titles from 25 men, six songs from two women and 25 songs (continued on page 7)
Big Label Plans For Radio
Texas artists don’t cross over well. Radio’s barely got time for established labels. Single-artist promo teams seem to be going out of style, not the other way around. So what’s the deal with Aaron Watson’s Big Label Records launching a promotion team? (Breaking News, 3/31.) How’s this going to be different? In a lot of ways, apparently. And not just when it comes to Watson. In fact, if his manager Anthony “Gino” Genaro and Head/ Promotion Tony Morreale have their way, the label’s flagship artist will prove a business model and establish an approach to radio Anthony rarely seen from “new” artists. “Gino” Genaro
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