kml567
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Post by kml567 on Jun 18, 2014 21:15:25 GMT -5
So happy that UMG Nashville is making the investment in such a talented singer/songwriter! I love how UMG Nashville Chairman & CEO Mike Dungan says, “Rarely have I met a new artist who felt so ‘ready to go,’ and yet our early efforts to take him to the market are yielding responses that are wildly beyond any expectations. We are jacked!”
Mike Dungan is a smart businessman, and he knows Sam's new brand of country-pop is going to be the latest hot new trend. It's also very smart that Sam got Shane McAnally (of Kacey Musgraves fame) to produce his album. Shane McAnally is very out-spoken against bro-country and the beer/truck/objectifying women cliches, so the end product from Sam & Shane is higher quality than many of his bro peers. He's already getting recognition from Rolling Stone Country - naming him as one of the top 10 most buzzworthy new artists to watch!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 21:25:16 GMT -5
So happy that UMG Nashville is making the investment in such a talented singer/songwriter! I love how UMG Nashville Chairman & CEO Mike Dungan says, “Rarely have I met a new artist who felt so ‘ready to go,’ and yet our early efforts to take him to the market are yielding responses that are wildly beyond any expectations. We are jacked!” Mike Dungan is a smart businessman, and he knows Sam's new brand of country-pop is going to be the latest hot new trend. It's also very smart that Sam got Shane McAnally (of Kacey Musgraves fame) to produce his album. Shane McAnally is very out-spoken against bro-country and the beer/truck/objectifying women cliches, so the end product from Sam & Shane is higher quality than many of his bro peers. He's already getting recognition from Rolling Stone Country - naming him as one of the top 10 most buzzworthy new artists to watch! Yes, Mike Dungan and UMG are very strong but this has more to do with Sam's radio tour and Clear Channel's On The Verge program. You posted earlier that you were worried for Sam's career prospects since he'd signed with MCA rather than Big Machine or Warner Music Nashville. Honestly, while I agree that Big Machine and WMN have done great at breaking new artists lately, don't underestimate UMG. They are still the biggest and most powerful label in town. Sure, Kip Moore is struggling pretty badly right now, but I feel that it's because "Dirt Road" and "Young Love" before it weren't the best songs for today's radio. I'm honestly quite surprised that those 2 songs are the best ones Kip could come up with to lead off his 2nd album. Anyway, to MCA's credit they did score 3 really big hits with Kip...I just don't think his new material has been 'right' for radio, nor do I think it's as high quality as much of the material from his debut album. Back to Sam, I don't mind this song, but I can't call it "country-pop". It's straight-up pop music, from the Train "Drops Of Jupiter" reference to the beat and rapid-fire delivery of the chorus...there is literally nothing about this song or Sam himself that is country. So it bothers me to see "country" radio really embracing this while artists like Charlie Worsham, Easton Corbin, Kellie Pickler, Kacey Musgraves, etc. struggle so much.
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Kanenrá:ke
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Post by Kanenrá:ke on Jun 18, 2014 23:50:21 GMT -5
I like this but honestly it has no place in Country music. I can recognize the talent on show in this song, it's a really great song but if you had told me it was someone like Kris Allen singing it I wouldn't have given it a second thought. There's literally nothing country about this song and I have a bigger problem with this song than most of the Hick-Hop stuff because at least those try to mix some country elements into the songs (usually minor and/or done horribly but still there). This has nothing that defines what is country music to it.
I'm not a strict traditionalist by any means, but please at least have 1 element of your song beable to be traced to country if you're going to be part of the industry. Weather people like it or not "Country music" does have a set of elements that decide weather or not something can be classified as country. There's no arguing to be done about it, if it has it it's in, if not it's not. I may hate songs like "This Is How We Roll" or "Donkey" but I can pick out the tiny parts that qualify them to me as country (begrudgingly qualify, but qualify non the less). With "Leave The Night On" I get nothing, just really strong pop.
I can grin and bear the other stuff because I can hear those microscopic influences but this song has me mad. I'm mad because the music I love, the music that almost defines me is being taken away from people who deeply care for it. I know there's still great traditional country music being made out there and I love that stuff, but pop music masquarading as country harms that music because the real stuff has lost it's home on radio and no longer can reach the audiences that would help support so many great musicians.
I don't blame Sam or UMG for this at all infact I even encourage them to keep doing what they're doing. They need to make a living and this is working, the one's to blame are the radio stations who play the songs. Sam would be played at AC stations if country was allowed to be country. Country and I mean real country still sells. Look at what Dolly Parton did just last week without any radio play. Look at Kacey Musgraves, Ashley Monroe, Alan Jackson & Brandy Clark have been able to sell without radio getting on board (for the most part.) The music sells, there's a big audience for it and there's no reason radio shouldn't be trying to tap that market, but for some reason they are ignoring an audience that could potentially be even bigger than what they're currently aiming for.
Here's to hoping for a better future for this once great genre. /end rant.
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jferstler
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Post by jferstler on Jun 18, 2014 23:50:31 GMT -5
Absolutely shocked how well this has started out.
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sabre14
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Post by sabre14 on Jun 19, 2014 0:03:28 GMT -5
Absolutely shocked how well this has started out. Like jhomes87 said, this got iHeartradio's "On The Verge" deal which means the Clear Channel stations have jumped all over this song and it will have a much faster rise up the singles charts than a newcomer normally would. I also completely echo Jamie and Kanenrá:ke's comments. This is a good song, and Sam is talented, but in no way is this song or really most of Sam's material as a solo artist country.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2014 0:08:53 GMT -5
Absolutely shocked how well this has started out. I'm not. As soon as I heard it I figured it would do well, and then when I heard he was the new On The Verge artist for Clear Channel, I knew this would fly up the charts. I'm expecting it to be well into the 30's by Monday, probably higher on BB than on MB but easily top 40 on both charts. It's an organizational decision. It doesn't really have anything to do with any individual stations. The Clear Channel CEO and head honcho type people picked Sam and this song and therefore all Clear Channel stations are basically required to give this one substantial more airplay than they would a typical new artist. Check out the "leaders" report on AllAccess (you need to log-in, but if you don't have an account it's free): www.allaccess.com/mediabase/q/report/leaders/song/HUNTLTLO/format/C1If you google the station call letters you will find that almost every station listed there is owned by Clear Channel. WSIX Nashville is Clear Channel, WDXB Birmingham is CC, WUBL Atlanta, WYNK Baton Rouge, KZSN Wichita, WFUS Tampa, KSD St. Louis, KHGE Fresno, etc. Out of all the stations listed on the leaders report, only 2 of them (out of 20) are non-Clear Channel stations (WJVC Long Island and WKHX Atlanta). WSIX in Nashville has played this 42 times this past week...that's high rotation already. It's very evident that this is corporate programming and not even really up to the local stations anymore. I'm mad because the music I love, the music that almost defines me is being taken away from people who deeply care for it. I know there's still great traditional country music being made out there and I love that stuff, but pop music masquarading as country harms that music because the real stuff has lost it's home on radio and no longer can reach the audiences that would help support so many great musicians. I agree with your whole post but especially this part. ^^ The one thing I will say though is that I think the blame should fall on other parts of the industry as well and not just radio. If labels and artists didn't slowly start rolling out the more "pop" songs, radio would've never started to play those songs. But record companies are signing the more pop-oriented acts and the whole industry is just in a funk. I think Vince Gill said it really well in this great Rolling Stone article: I really think it's a full circle type thing. The labels and artists need to start giving radio some more country-flavored stuff if they want the pendulum to start swinging back towards country a bit.
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No Brake$
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Post by No Brake$ on Jun 19, 2014 8:17:50 GMT -5
I have yet to hear this, but the numbers are looking like this will end up being one of the biggest hits of the year; huge bullet and barely even on 20% of the monitored stations.
edited by jhomes87 to remove double post
Nevermind, I'm an idiot, just read some earlier posts and the "deals" this song has. Really annoying when that happens.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2014 16:41:56 GMT -5
Lol, up 146 spins and 1.1 million on Mediabase in today's update. It jumps 5 spots to #44.
At this rate he'll sail right past the likes of David Nail, Kacey Musgraves, and Easton Corbin in the next week or two at most, and be battling with Cole Swindell and the Zac Brown Band for a top 20 berth.
This reeks of corporate programmed playlists.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jun 20, 2014 12:44:36 GMT -5
Loving this song. It is so unbelievably well-tailored for country radio. While the On the Verge program might have helped Katy Tiz get airplay she never could have gotten, I feel like this song could have been a hit no matter what. It just "gets" what works on radio right now.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2014 21:24:55 GMT -5
Loving this song. It is so unbelievably well-tailored for country radio.How so? I would be very interested to hear your reasons here. Edit: KNIX (Phoenix's Clear Channel station) is playing this a ton...I heard it 3 times today and every time the song concluded a little recording said "iHeartRadio On The Verge, sponsored by MCA Nashville". The 'sponsored' part is what really intrigues me (and not in a good way).
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Post by countrymusic20 on Jun 20, 2014 23:14:57 GMT -5
Loving this song. It is so unbelievably well-tailored for country radio.How so? I would be very interested to hear your reasons here. Edit: KNIX (Phoenix's Clear Channel station) is playing this a ton...I heard it 3 times today and every time the song concluded a little recording said "iHeartRadio On The Verge, sponsored by MCA Nashville". The 'sponsored' part is what really intrigues me (and not in a good way). I'm still scratching my head every time I hear this song cuz I can't understand half the lyrics ... and the song hook is kind of a dud ... and no, repeating it doesn't make it better. I'm starting to get a "trying way to hard to be different" vibe from Sam Hunt. I've heard a few of his other songs that are significantly better than this one IMO. So I sure don't understand why Iheart picked this song to do an On The Verge on.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2014 23:23:28 GMT -5
I'm still scratching my head every time I hear this song cuz I can't understand half the lyrics ... and the song hook is kind of a dud ... and no, repeating it doesn't make it better. I'm starting to get a "trying way to hard to be different" vibe from Sam Hunt. I've heard a few of his other songs that are significantly better than this one IMO. So I sure don't understand why Iheart picked this song to do an On The Verge on. I agree (and of course I simply don't like the On The Verge corporate-controlled programming). My biggest problem with "Leave The Night On" is that I can't pick out a single country aspect from the song. Nothing in the lyrics, vocals, production...I just don't hear anything country. It sounds like a song I'd expect to hear from Ed Sheeran or One Direction or somebody like that.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jun 21, 2014 19:39:19 GMT -5
Loving this song. It is so unbelievably well-tailored for country radio.How so? I would be very interested to hear your reasons here. Edit: KNIX (Phoenix's Clear Channel station) is playing this a ton...I heard it 3 times today and every time the song concluded a little recording said "iHeartRadio On The Verge, sponsored by MCA Nashville". The 'sponsored' part is what really intrigues me (and not in a good way). Spiritually and structurally, it reminds me a lot of "Runnin' Out of Moonlight" by smash machine Randy Houser. And while Hunt does not have as distinctive a voice, he has a smoother one - and he has a marketable look. The lyrics are very easy to follow and repeatable - and it features the requisite, cheesy-if-this-wasn't-country namedrop (to Train in this case). The beat during the chorus is really punchy as well, even if I wish there were slightly more to the "Leave the Night On" hook. It also has enough of the party country vibe to feel current but doesn't go quite so aggressive into "bro country" territory. You don't get the impression this guy is trying to be a country purist, but he also doesn't come off like a douche. The title/hook is the perfect amount of cutesy.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2014 19:58:54 GMT -5
^Fair enough. To me, that description reads as if it's well-tailored for pop radio, though, and not country radio. I don't get a party vibe from this song at all, and even if I did, partying is certainly not exclusive to country radio. In fact I'd say it's more popular at CHR, where songs like "Last Friday Night", "Party Rock Anthem", "We Are Young", and others have become huge hits in the last couple of years. If anything, "Leave The Night On" seems more like a cousin to those songs and not at all similar to the values/culture/story-driven nature of country music.
All of the above is the main reason why I'm not a big fan of Florida Georgia Line, as their lyrics/songs sound more like Nickelback meets LMFAO and not at all like George Strait meets Miranda Lambert (or sub in any 2 other popular country names here, but I hope you see my point). The FGL boys do have that southern/southeastern accent to their singing but to me that's not enough to define them as country. But alas, the country music industry disagrees with me.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jun 21, 2014 23:50:09 GMT -5
^Fair enough. To me, that description reads as if it's well-tailored for pop radio, though, and not country radio. I don't get a party vibe from this song at all, and even if I did, partying is certainly not exclusive to country radio. In fact I'd say it's more popular at CHR, where songs like "Last Friday Night", "Party Rock Anthem", "We Are Young", and others have become huge hits in the last couple of years. If anything, "Leave The Night On" seems more like a cousin to those songs and not at all similar to the values/culture/story-driven nature of country music. All of the above is the main reason why I'm not a big fan of Florida Georgia Line, as their lyrics/songs sound more like Nickelback meets LMFAO and not at all like George Strait meets Miranda Lambert (or sub in any 2 other popular country names here, but I hope you see my point). The FGL boys do have that southern/southeastern accent to their singing but to me that's not enough to define them as country. But alas, the country music industry disagrees with me.But wouldn't that prove that a song of that mold WOULD be tailor-made for country radio? I don't personally think of FGL when I hear the Sam Hunt song, but if I were trying to make a surefire country radio smash in 2014, I'd probably hope my song sounded more like FGL or Luke Bryan than George Strait.
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jferstler
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Post by jferstler on Jun 21, 2014 23:56:16 GMT -5
I just wish they would have released Raised On It
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2014 1:08:47 GMT -5
But wouldn't that prove that a song of that mold WOULD be tailor-made for country radio? I don't personally think of FGL when I hear the Sam Hunt song, but if I were trying to make a surefire country radio smash in 2014, I'd probably hope my song sounded more like FGL or Luke Bryan than George Strait. Perhaps I wasn't clear. I don't find Sam's style of music similar to FGL's. I merely stated why I think Sam's song isn't country, and why I think Florida Georgia Line doesn't sound country. The 2 artists themselves sound very different from one another, but equal parts not country. I'm on record earlier in this thread saying I expected this song to be a big hit. So in that regard, perhaps it is well-tailored for today's country radio. However, sonically and lyrically, it has nothing in common with the country music of the last 50 years. That's all I was saying--that I think it would sound much more at home at CHR, along with much of FGL's music. I don't think Sam and FGL are of a similar style of music, but both of them simply do not fit my definition of country music. I understand why country radio is (unfortunately) embracing it, but what I do not understand is what aspects of this song make it a country song. In other words, I really haven't seen others explain why it's a country song; rather, I've seen a bunch of people--myself included--saying this will be a big hit at country radio. But country radio's decision to play a song doesn't necessarily mean that the song in question is a country song. But anyway...I hope we do get a bunch of artists trying to emulate FGL and Luke, because that will mean the death of bro-country sooner rather than later.
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McCreerian
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Post by McCreerian on Jun 22, 2014 10:51:46 GMT -5
After 1 recurrent tonight... This song is going to debut this week at #36 with a +921 bullet. Sam is a new artist who mainstream listeners have never heard of nationwide. KC's song is going to debut this week at #31 with a +1219 bullet. Kenny is modern day legend in his 3rd decade of his career.
For Sam's song to be treated the same way as Kenny's is a real life illustration of everything that is wrong with Country radio today. This looks like some kind of juvenile joke but the sad thing is it is all true. Something about this stinks worse than a hog pen in Georgia in the middle of July. $hit like this takes all the fun out of listening to the radio, watching charts, and even being a fan of Country music in the first place. Pathetic!
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Post by countrymusic20 on Jun 22, 2014 11:46:47 GMT -5
How so? I would be very interested to hear your reasons here. Edit: KNIX (Phoenix's Clear Channel station) is playing this a ton...I heard it 3 times today and every time the song concluded a little recording said "iHeartRadio On The Verge, sponsored by MCA Nashville". The 'sponsored' part is what really intrigues me (and not in a good way). Spiritually and structurally, it reminds me a lot of "Runnin' Out of Moonlight" by smash machine Randy Houser. And while Hunt does not have as distinctive a voice, he has a smoother one - and he has a marketable look. The lyrics are very easy to follow and repeatable - and it features the requisite, cheesy-if-this-wasn't-country namedrop (to Train in this case). The beat during the chorus is really punchy as well, even if I wish there were slightly more to the "Leave the Night On" hook. It also has enough of the party country vibe to feel current but doesn't go quite so aggressive into "bro country" territory. You don't get the impression this guy is trying to be a country purist, but he also doesn't come off like a douche. The title/hook is the perfect amount of cutesy. Couple of points. First off - subject matter wise this song is bit like Runnin' Out Of Moonlight, but it is a far cry from being that caliber of song - both lyrically and melodically. Secondly, the lyrics are not easy to follow and repeatable. I've heard the song on the radio about 5 times and still have no idea what half the lyrics are. I knew the word train was in the song but had no idea that if was referencing Drops Of Jupiter until you just explained that in your post (and I love Drops Of Jupiter). Sam is trying to cram so many lyrics into the song that in one line of the song - it might be in the chorus - he can't even sing all the words in time to get them all in - he has to get out of the groove/beat to fit them all in. Hits me weird every time. Third - there is no country vibe at all to this song IMO. Fourth - the song title/hook is very forgettable to me.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jun 22, 2014 14:48:08 GMT -5
Spiritually and structurally, it reminds me a lot of "Runnin' Out of Moonlight" by smash machine Randy Houser. And while Hunt does not have as distinctive a voice, he has a smoother one - and he has a marketable look. The lyrics are very easy to follow and repeatable - and it features the requisite, cheesy-if-this-wasn't-country namedrop (to Train in this case). The beat during the chorus is really punchy as well, even if I wish there were slightly more to the "Leave the Night On" hook. It also has enough of the party country vibe to feel current but doesn't go quite so aggressive into "bro country" territory. You don't get the impression this guy is trying to be a country purist, but he also doesn't come off like a douche. The title/hook is the perfect amount of cutesy. Couple of points. First off - subject matter wise this song is bit like Runnin' Out Of Moonlight, but it is a far cry from being that caliber of song - both lyrically and melodically. Secondly, the lyrics are not easy to follow and repeatable. I've heard the song on the radio about 5 times and still have no idea what half the lyrics are. I knew the word train was in the song but had no idea that if was referencing Drops Of Jupiter until you just explained that in your post (and I love Drops Of Jupiter). Sam is trying to cram so many lyrics into the song that in one line of the song - it might be in the chorus - he can't even sing all the words in time to get them all in - he has to get out of the groove/beat to fit them all in. Hits me weird every time. Third - there is no country vibe at all to this song IMO. Fourth - the song title/hook is very forgettable to me. Most of these things are either opinions or have some merit, so I can't get TOO upset. I can't, however, follow the comment about the lyrics. They're so basic and straightforward - and the reason I used "cutesy" rather than "clever" to describe the punchlines is because they smack you over the head with their meaning ("We'll be rolling down the windows, I bet you we're catchin' our second wind" -- get it, when you roll down the windows, you catch some wind...just like when you're trying to rally to stay out even after getting tired, you need a "second wind"). We'll see how this one is able to sustain its performance - I'm pretty confident though.
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McCreerian
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Post by McCreerian on Jun 22, 2014 16:22:44 GMT -5
Interesting tweet from Sam...
Sam Hunt @samhuntmusic 9m
Most of the time I can connect the dots between hard work and opportunity but lately the stars are just lining up and I'm going with it.
(Sam, I think it's more like backroom deals lining up...)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2014 20:51:06 GMT -5
Since Monday this song is up 6.035 million in audience. Let's compare that to other new artists gains since Monday.
Easton Corbin's "Clockwork": +67k Cassadee Pope's "I Wish I Could Break Your Heart": -19k Dan + Shay's "Show You Off": +202k Kacey Musgraves' "Keep It To Yourself": +530k Brothers Osborne's "Rum": +127k Jon Pardi's "What I Can't Put Down": -4k Scotty McCreery's "Feelin' It": +266k Gloriana's "Best Night Ever": +449k David Nail's "Kiss You Tonight": +117k Love and Theft's "Night That You'll Never Forget": +63k Natalie Stovall & The Drive's "Baby Come On With It": +41k Randy Houser's "Like A Cowboy": -39k Hunter Hayes' "Tattoo": +202k Josh Thompson's "Wanted Me Gone": -162k Jana Kramer's "Love": +341k Kip Moore's "Dirt Road": -44k Danielle Bradbery's "Young In America": +106k John King's "Tonight, Tonight": +175k Leah Turner's "Pull Me Back": -46k
The preferential treatment being shown to Sam is absolutely ridiculous and quite simply not fair. I know that this business isn't always fair but this is taking it way too far. What makes Sam's song 'more deserving' than these others songs that have all been struggling up the charts for weeks and months? I understand that there's some hype around him and he's built a bit of an 'underground' fan-base but to the average radio listener, he's someone that they've never heard before. And he's getting A-list and VIP treatment here.
I am just disgusted by this stunt from Clear Channel.
ETA: The published Mediabase chart is now up on AllAccess, and this song moved from 60-36 this week on MB. Unbelievable.
Look for a 20-spot jump on Billboard tomorrow as well.
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McCreerian
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Post by McCreerian on Jun 22, 2014 21:12:13 GMT -5
I have been following charts since 1995. This is the biggest load of bulls**t I've ever witnessed, hands down!
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sabre14
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Post by sabre14 on Jun 22, 2014 21:14:23 GMT -5
I don't even want to look at those numbers because it will put me in a more foul mood than I already was before today. Sam is a very talented singer/songwriter and he certainly has earned a record deal, but the fact that he is getting the same treatment as artists such as Brad, Carrie, Kenny, Flatts, Jason, and Luke is utterly absurd. The last thing I want to do is have a rotten taste in my mouth for a brand new song before it even makes it's official debut but somehow, someway, CC managed to do that in spades. I do understand the argument of having "On The Verge" help artists who might otherwise be struggling like Craig a couple months back (though I still disagree with it), but how bout a brand new artist with a debut single. Those artists he bi-passed to get to #36 on MB, have been pouring their hard earned time, money, and effort to make it this far and have been doing radio tours, promoted their music, made special radio station run appearances, etc. to get their music heard and a debut single can just easily breeze past them in one single week just like that.
I too understand it's probably only going to get worse before it gets better (and just to clarify, in no way do I feel this is Sam's fault), but I can't help but feel ticked off by this practice.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jun 22, 2014 21:40:51 GMT -5
I don't even want to look at those numbers because it will put me in a more foul mood than I already was before today. Sam is a very talented singer/songwriter and he certainly has earned a record deal, but the fact that he is getting the same treatment as artists such as Brad, Carrie, Kenny, Flatts, Jason, and Luke is utterly absurd. The last thing I want to do is have a rotten taste in my mouth for a brand new song before it even makes it's official debut but somehow, someway, CC managed to do that in spades. I do understand the argument of having "On The Verge" help artists who might otherwise be struggling like Craig a couple months back (though I still disagree with it), but how bout a brand new artist with a debut single. Those artists he bi-passed to get to #36 on MB, have been pouring their hard earned time, money, and effort to make it this far and have been doing radio tours, promoted their music, made special radio station run appearances, etc. to get their music heard and a debut single can just easily breeze past them in one single week just like that. I too understand it's probably only going to get worse before it gets better (and just to clarify, in no way do I feel this is Sam's fault), but I can't help but feel ticked off by this practice. I'll obviously seem biased because I like this song, but I completely disagree with your premise. The *exclusive* purpose of on the verge-type programs should be to give new artists the same chance to break at radio as big names (I mean, that's actually the definition of "on the verge"). Radio needs more variety, and it's utter nonsense that being a big name *should* get you more guaranteed airplay than having a great song. I mean, look at what's breaking on pop now -- nearly all of the biggest and/or fastest rising songs are by relative newcomers. Meanwhile, the newest release from big name Lady Gaga flopped and the newest release from hit machine Katy Perry is moving slowly because the songs ARE NOT THAT GOOD. That's fairness! That should be the attitude at country as well. I usually like all of the veteran names you mentioned, but the format tends to take it too far sometimes. A poor, phoned-in effort like "Somethin' Bad" has gotten such an easy time because it features the two of the three biggest female country names. Virtually all of the songs between 30 & 50 are better, but they're not from a "big artist" so they don't get the chance. And while people are focusing on the unfair treatment given to Sam Hunt, look at how Kenny's "American Kids" has flown into the #31 spot in its first weekend. And that song is certainly not anything special. When On the Verge is being used the way it is with Sam Hunt, it creates some welcome opportunity for talented newcomers.
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McCreerian
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Post by McCreerian on Jun 22, 2014 21:47:21 GMT -5
I don't even want to look at those numbers because it will put me in a more foul mood than I already was before today. Sam is a very talented singer/songwriter and he certainly has earned a record deal, but the fact that he is getting the same treatment as artists such as Brad, Carrie, Kenny, Flatts, Jason, and Luke is utterly absurd. The last thing I want to do is have a rotten taste in my mouth for a brand new song before it even makes it's official debut but somehow, someway, CC managed to do that in spades. I do understand the argument of having "On The Verge" help artists who might otherwise be struggling like Craig a couple months back (though I still disagree with it), but how bout a brand new artist with a debut single. Those artists he bi-passed to get to #36 on MB, have been pouring their hard earned time, money, and effort to make it this far and have been doing radio tours, promoted their music, made special radio station run appearances, etc. to get their music heard and a debut single can just easily breeze past them in one single week just like that. I too understand it's probably only going to get worse before it gets better (and just to clarify, in no way do I feel this is Sam's fault), but I can't help but feel ticked off by this practice. I'll obviously seem biased because I like this song, but I completely disagree with your premise. The *exclusive* purpose of on the verge-type programs should be to give new artists the same chance to break at radio as big names (I mean, that's actually the definition of "on the verge"). Radio needs more variety, and it's utter nonsense that being a big name *should* get you more guaranteed airplay than having a great song. I mean, look at what's breaking on pop now -- nearly all of the biggest and/or fastest rising songs are by relative newcomers. Meanwhile, the newest release from big name Lady Gaga flopped and the newest release from hit machine Katy Perry is moving slowly because the songs ARE NOT THAT GOOD. That's fairness! That should be the attitude at country as well. I usually like all of the veteran names you mentioned, but the format tends to take it too far sometimes. A poor, phoned-in effort like "Somethin' Bad" has gotten such an easy time because it features the two of the three biggest female country names. Virtually all of the songs between 30 & 50 are better, but they're not from a "big artist" so they don't get the chance. And while people are focusing on the unfair treatment given to Sam Hunt, look at how Kenny's "American Kids" has flown into the #31 spot in its first weekend. And that song is certainly not anything special. When On the Verge is being used the way it is with Sam Hunt, it creates some welcome opportunity for talented newcomers. On the Verge is unfair because all the newcomers don't get an equal chance. It's like a backroom deal chooses a "blessed one" to unfairly leap ahead of the other newcomers. I do agree that the top names shouldn't be given as free of ride as they do. But how do you think new artists whose songs have been stuck around the same place on the chart for 3+ months now feel? A lot are stuck there because they are being passed by the A list big names, now a "no name" to the public are passing them too? That just has a bad smell to it!
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2014 21:54:18 GMT -5
A poor, phoned-in effort like "Somethin' Bad" has gotten such an easy time because it features the two of the three biggest female country names. Virtually all of the songs between 30 & 50 are better, but they're not from a "big artist" so they don't get the chance. And while people are focusing on the unfair treatment given to Sam Hunt, look at how Kenny's "American Kids" has flown into the #31 spot in its first weekend. And that song is certainly not anything special. These are your opinions. You might not personally like the Miranda/Carrie and Kenny tunes, but your argument falls apart here. Kenny's song is the #1 country song on iTunes right now. I don't agree with his Clear Channel once-an-hour special treatment from Friday, but the fact is that "American Kids" was going to debut very high anyway. It's Kenny. He has millions of fans. Sam has a few thousand. I don't mind the idea of On The Verge, but when Sam is out-gaining other new artists 20 to 1, that's simply not right. How do they justify this? Does Clear Channel think Sam's song is 20x better than other new artists who are struggling for airplay? On The Verge takes the decisions out of the hands of local radio folks and the listeners in their areas...the decisions are made by a couple big CEO-level people at Clear Channel headquarters. On The Verge gives preferential treatment to one song and hurts other songs badly. All of the airplay that Sam is gaining could have been spread out among a lot of those other artists, but instead it's all gone to Sam while others have had to move backward this week. I get frustrated sometimes at how slowly new artists move up the charts, but I don't see a solution for that. They have to earn their way and Sam is essentially getting a free pass here. Bottom line is, the average radio listener has no clue who Sam Hunt is. But when they hear that Kenny or Brad or Miranda has a new single out, they are going to want to hear it right away, so that's why the big names debut high. It took Kenny years before he was a huge hit-maker...he had some decent hits in the 90's but he never really broke out until the early 2000's. And Miranda has worked hard for years to get to where she's at. If songs like "Somethin' Bad" and "American Kids" research poorly with listeners, then I would be ok with them peaking lower. But when it comes to debuts, they are of course going to debut high.
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dm2081
7x Platinum Member
Joined: April 2014
Posts: 7,029
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Post by dm2081 on Jun 22, 2014 22:02:05 GMT -5
The On The Verge program would be a lot better if it was fan voted in my opinion, and maybe a little less frequent. It would make things a bit more exciting. For example, for the first part of the year, fans would be able to vote for either Dustin, Craig, or Sam for the On The Verge selection in my imaginary scenario. I think people would have less of an issue with it then. Or why not expand the category/vote to all new country artists with a new single? There could be 2 winners a year and it would give a good read as to which songs are actually deserving of this Clear Channel treatment.
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sabre14
Diamond Member
Vince Gill & the Muppets make everything better
Joined: October 2013
Posts: 26,915
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Post by sabre14 on Jun 22, 2014 22:38:38 GMT -5
I don't even want to look at those numbers because it will put me in a more foul mood than I already was before today. Sam is a very talented singer/songwriter and he certainly has earned a record deal, but the fact that he is getting the same treatment as artists such as Brad, Carrie, Kenny, Flatts, Jason, and Luke is utterly absurd. The last thing I want to do is have a rotten taste in my mouth for a brand new song before it even makes it's official debut but somehow, someway, CC managed to do that in spades. I do understand the argument of having "On The Verge" help artists who might otherwise be struggling like Craig a couple months back (though I still disagree with it), but how bout a brand new artist with a debut single. Those artists he bi-passed to get to #36 on MB, have been pouring their hard earned time, money, and effort to make it this far and have been doing radio tours, promoted their music, made special radio station run appearances, etc. to get their music heard and a debut single can just easily breeze past them in one single week just like that. I too understand it's probably only going to get worse before it gets better (and just to clarify, in no way do I feel this is Sam's fault), but I can't help but feel ticked off by this practice. I'll obviously seem biased because I like this song, but I completely disagree with your premise. The *exclusive* purpose of on the verge-type programs should be to give new artists the same chance to break at radio as big names (I mean, that's actually the definition of "on the verge"). Radio needs more variety, and it's utter nonsense that being a big name *should* get you more guaranteed airplay than having a great song. I mean, look at what's breaking on pop now -- nearly all of the biggest and/or fastest rising songs are by relative newcomers. Meanwhile, the newest release from big name Lady Gaga flopped and the newest release from hit machine Katy Perry is moving slowly because the songs ARE NOT THAT GOOD. That's fairness! That should be the attitude at country as well. I usually like all of the veteran names you mentioned, but the format tends to take it too far sometimes. A poor, phoned-in effort like "Somethin' Bad" has gotten such an easy time because it features the two of the three biggest female country names. Virtually all of the songs between 30 & 50 are better, but they're not from a "big artist" so they don't get the chance. And while people are focusing on the unfair treatment given to Sam Hunt, look at how Kenny's "American Kids" has flown into the #31 spot in its first weekend. And that song is certainly not anything special. When On the Verge is being used the way it is with Sam Hunt, it creates some welcome opportunity for talented newcomers. Did I say "American Kids" debut was fine? Like jhomes87 said, Kenny has been doing this for close to 20 years and had millions of fans. Sam has has his debut single at radio for 2 weeks. You have the opinion that "Somethin' Bad" is a "phoned in effort" and didn't deserve the treatment it got. Yet Sam's song is good quality and deserves this treatment because Sam's song is of good quality. There are plenty of people who think the opposite; that Carrie and Miranda's song is good and Sam's is not. I could personally care less about song quality when it comes to this practice. I was a big fan of "Keep Them Kisses Comin'", but when it was the first single getting the "On The Verge" treatment I without hesitation put the practice down because I have the opinion that is isn't fair. That is why I have a problem. I have nothing against Sam Hunt, but this practice is unfair to the countless other artist that have singles charting right now. We can debate who's a better artist and who's songs are better at another time but that's not my concern as of now unfortunately. When Sam's song gets this treatment it artificially pushes those other songs in the 30's through the 50's down in spins, audience, and MB points. Nothing will change how slow newcomers songs move up the chart, but star veterans singles will always get way more adds out of the gate. That's the nature of the beast. Listeners know who those artist are and want to hear their song anytime it's brand new, and country radio has for the most part has worked that way for many years, and I can't see a solution for that. If this were some fantasy world where, God forbid, the quality of songs can determine where they peak at, and how many adds they get out of the gate, then point me to the magic wand and I'll gladly wave it for the better. Until then, even though country radio is far from perfect, it's possible to not make things worse, and in my opinion, a debut single from a new artist who 95% of the average listener having no clue who he is, getting to debut at #36 and bi-pass numerous songs from other artists who have been clawing their way up the charts is simply unfair.
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kanimal
3x Platinum Member
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,043
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Post by kanimal on Jun 22, 2014 22:51:37 GMT -5
A poor, phoned-in effort like "Somethin' Bad" has gotten such an easy time because it features the two of the three biggest female country names. Virtually all of the songs between 30 & 50 are better, but they're not from a "big artist" so they don't get the chance. And while people are focusing on the unfair treatment given to Sam Hunt, look at how Kenny's "American Kids" has flown into the #31 spot in its first weekend. And that song is certainly not anything special. These are your opinions. You might not personally like the Miranda/Carrie and Kenny tunes, but your argument falls apart here. Kenny's song is the #1 country song on iTunes right now. I don't agree with his Clear Channel once-an-hour special treatment from Friday, but the fact is that "American Kids" was going to debut very high anyway. It's Kenny. He has millions of fans. Sam has a few thousand. But the argument that radio is forcing "Leave the Night On" on a disinterested public also falls apart. It, a song from a no-name artist, is already in the Top 100 on iTunes. Clearly this isn't as universally hated as Pulse would have you suggest. This is a business - there is no way it is going to be completely fair to everyone. The question is whether On the Verge, by giving new/unknown artists at least some chance of competing against the big boys, makes things fairER. I think it does.
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