I'm redoing my predictions so Lets go (I'm gonna go by labels and 5 artists per prediction number similar to what I have seen
jhomes87 do)
This will be a very long post so sorry in advance!
First up Warner Bros.
1. Brett Eldredge leafoff single off his third album will be a soulful country like song and will be met with decent acclaim and finally hit #1 in the late fall. The album will be released in November. Aubrie Sellers and Bailey Bryan will see heavy resistance from country radio. Aubrie Sellers won't chart at all and Bailey Bryan will only scratch the Top 50. After "A Guy With A Girl" reaches #1 in January, Blake Shelton will release "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" which will be a Top 10 but not a #1. The 5th and final single will be another lightweight radio fluff single which will get Blake Shelton's #1 streak back as that'll hit #1 in October.
- "Something I'm Good At" was certainly not soulful. Also it was met with mixed acclaim from what I saw. The album was released in the summer. Good news is that "The Long Way" is looking to be a future #1. Both Aubrie Sellers and Bailey Bryan did see heavy resistance from country radio. Aubrie Sellers didn't bother to release anything, while Bailey Bryan barely scraped the Top 60 with "Own It". Blake Shelton didn'
release "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" instead he released "Everytime I Hear That Song" which did continue his #1 streak and it looks like "I'll Name The Dogs" will do the same.
2. Brandy Clark will spend the year getting more writing credits but no singles hitting radio. Charlie Worsham will release a new lead single in April or May and the song will be Top 30 by the end of the year. Chris Janson "Holdin Her" will peak in January and he will have a new lead single in April. The song will sell really well and be Top 20 by years end. Cole Swindell will pick up 2 #1s with "Flatliner" in June and will wrap up the year with "No Can Left Behind" the latter will be a huge seller. Dan + Shay will score a rare MB only #1 with "How Not To" in November. They will release "Already Ready" as the final single in December.
- Did Brandy Clark even write this year? She had nothing this year. Charlie Worsham did release a lead single. Didn't chart though. Chris Janson didn't peak with "Holding Her", til March. "Fix a Drink" was released in May and peaked in November. We'll see how "Drunk Girl" does. Cole Swindell did get a Top 5 with "Flatliner" but who knows how his current single will do. No comment on Dan + Shay.
3. Frankie Ballard will be quitely let go of Warner Bros. Hunter Hayes will score a Top 30 but not Top 20 with "Yesterday's Song" which leaves his future up in the air. High Valley will join Chris Janson and peak in January the followup will be Top 30 but the Top 20 will still be unobtainable. Jana Kramer will release a ballad like song in March (once "Circles" is done with soon in January) and the song will be Top 10 by the end of the year as it'll be a high selling song that radio will have to play. Michael Ray will hit #1 with "Think A Little Less" in March. New single in the summer with Top 40 by years end.
- Frankie Ballard did release "You'll Accomp'ny Me" but that went nowhere and his future is still uncertain. Hunter Hayes is in the same boat. Jana Kramer was dropped by the label. Nailed the Michael Ray prediction.
4. Raelynn will go Top 20 with "Love Triangle" and the album will be released in April. The followup will fail to hit the Top 40. Ryan Kinder will fail to hit the Top 50 with "Close". The Railers and The Last Bandoleros will remain silent in 2017. William Michael Morgan will hit Top 30 with "Missing" by the end of the year after a very long chart climb.
- Raelynn went Top 30, not Top 20. The followup failed to chart outright. Railers did release "11:59 Central Standard Time" but it faied and they were let go of soon after. Ryan Kinder failed to hit the Top 50 with "Close". Last Bandoleros did nothing. William Michael Morgan did enter the Top 30 on Billboard while the followup looks dead in the water.
Next Up Sony Nashville
5. Brad Paisley will score a MB only #1 (Luke Bryan "Fast" will block) with "Today". The albums 3rd single goes Top 20 while the 4th only scratches the Top 30. Cam will release a new lead single in August and will be Top 40 by years end. Carrie Underwood will hit #1 on both charts with "Dirty Laundry" and will not release any more singles off Storyteller. Instead she will be on "The Fighter" which will keep her in the public spotlight. Chase Rice will scratch the Top 40 with "Everybody We Know Does" and will not be heard of for the rest of the year. Chris Young will have a MB only #1 with "Sober Saturday Night" and the rest of the year he will be on the down low.
-Brad Paisley did have a MB only #1. The followup did go Top 20 "Last Time For Everything". The 4th single will be lucky to hit the Top 30. Cam just released a new lead single in October and we will see in 2018 how it does. Carrie Underwood left Sony and outside of being on "The Fighter", she was quiet in 2017. Chris Young scored a #1 outright with "Sober Saturday Night" while his current single approaches the Top 10. Chase Rice jumped labels.
6. Jake Owen "If He Ain't Gonna Love You" will die out in the 30s and he will release "LAX" that'll be his biggest hit since "Beachin'". Kane Brown will continue to see heavy resistance from radio and songs will peak in the 30s and 40s. Kenny Chesney will score a #1 with "Bar At The End Of The World". Soon after he will release "Rich & Miserable" which will die in the teens. Finally he will release "Coach" as a single and that will be Top 15 by the end of the year. LANco will not be heard from at all in 2016. Luke Combs "Hurricane" will be a slow climbing hit in 2017.
- Jake Owen failed to make the Top 30 and released "Good Company" and that flopped as well. Then he jumped labels. Bar At The End Of The World struggled to the Top 10 while the followup All The Pretty Girls was a multi week #1. Kane Brown and LANco saw big emerging years this year. Same with Luke Combs.
7. Maren Morris will release "Drunk Girls Don't Cry" and will have a Top 5 with that song but not #1. She will release "I Wish I Was" which will be Top 10 at the end of the year. Miranda Lambert will see 2 straight consecutive Top 10s with "We Should Be Friends", "Tin Man" (which will hit #1 in September) and will finally release "To Learn Her" or "Highway Vagabond" as the fourth single also her and her current boyfriend will get engaged. Old Dominion will release "Said Nobody" which will stall in the 30s. Seth Ennis will be a breakthrough artist in 2017 with "Woke Up In Nashville". Tyler Farr will be Top 20 with "Our Town" and release the album in September when the song peaks.
Old Dominion moved on to their sophomore album. Miranda Lambert struggled with radio this year and no engagement. Tyler Farr flopped with Our Town and I Should Go To Church Sometimes. Got the Maren Morris single selection completely wrong. Seth Ennis was a huge flop this year as well.
UMG Nashville is next
8. We will hear nothing from Alan Jackson, Clare Dunn, Eric Paslay, Gary Allan, Haley Georgia, George Strait, The Band Perry and Mickey Guyton.
Alan Jackson was let into the hall of fame. Clare Dunn, Eric Paslay, and Mickey Guyton did nothing. Haley Georgia was let go. Gary Allan flopped with Mess Me Up. The Band Perry went pop and failed.
9. Billy Currington will have a Top 20 with "Do I Make You Wanna" but not Top 10. Brothers Osborne will see a quick flame out with "It Ain't My Fault". Canaan Smith sees a flame out as well with his lead single. After "Parachute" peaks in the Top 15, Chris Stapleton lead song off his new album will be a huge seller and be the top song in terms of sales for 2017. Darius Rucker will limp to a Top 20 peak with "If I Told You". David Nail fails to hit the Top 40 with "Good At Tonight". Dierks Bentley will score 2 #1s with "Black" and "What The Hell Did I Say".
Billy Currington had a #1. Brothers Osborne saw a Top 15 finish with It Ain't My Fault. Canaan Smith did flame out and will probably be dropped. Parachute missed the Top 15. Chris Stapleton had great sales but Sam Hunt was the better seller.
10. Easton Corbin will release a new lead single in April or May and the song will be more traditional and will be a slow riser into the Top 20 by years end. Eric Church will score a Top 5 with "Kill A Word" and the 4th single will be "Round Here Buzz" and that'll hit #1 in September. "Dirt On My Boots" will be #1 in April and the followup will be Top 10 by the end of the year. Kacey Musgraves will have a new lead single in June. It will just barely scratch the BB Top 60. Her third album will sell very well however and will be released in September. Josh Turner will score a Top 20 but not Top 10 with "Hometown Girl" and the album will be released in April. The followup will not even scratch the Top 40. Keith Urban has 3 more #1s with "Blue Ain't Your Color", "The Fighter" and "Getting In The Way". Kip Moore will do nothing in 2017 (as he said so himself).
- Easton Corbin released A Girl Like You in January and the song is nearing Top 10. Eric Church scored two Top 10s with "Kill A Word" and "Round Here Buzz". Jon Pardi got #1 with Dirt On My Boots in March and had a Top 5 with Heartache on the Dance Floor. "She Ain't In It" is right now in the Top 40. Nothing with Kacey Musgraves. Hometown Girl did hit the Top 3, but the followup bombed badly ("All About You"). Keith Urban did hit #1 with BAYC and had a Top 5 finish with The Fighter. New lead single Female is what caught me off guard. Kip Moore saw a decent 2017.
11. Lady Antebellum new single will be a huge smash and the trio will have a constant prescence in 2017 and sneak out with the Vocal Group of the Year at the CMAs. Little Big Town and Luke Bryan will also see a huge 2017. For Little Big Town their new album will be more traditional and for Luke Bryan he will release his album in late August. Lauren Alaina will be a huge breakthrough star as "Road Less Traveled" will hit #1 and the followup "Crashing The Boys Club" will also be a Top 5 hit at the end of the year. Finally, Sam Hunt will also be another huge success for UMG Nashville and will release his sophomore album in the spring. The album will net hin 2 #1s and a third dong in the Top 20. What is important to note that Sam Hunt will sell like hotcakes while radio goes the slower route.
- Lady Antebellum had a fair sized hit with You Look Good. Little Big Town didn't have a huge year. Better Man was a good hit but Happy People bombed and WSSLY looks like it won't do much better. Luke Bryan released the single in August and the album in December. Lauren Alaina had a #1, but the followup will be lucky to hit the Top 40. I still think CTCB would've been huge. Sam Hunt had an amazing 2017 as Body Like A Backroad was huge and ginormous.
The fourth label up will be Big Machine
12. These artists will have next to nothing Aaron Lewis, Martina McBride, Lauren Jenkins, and Eli Young Band (I expect them to get dropped).
- Besides Eli Young Band releasing an album I got this right.
13. A Thousand Horses and Danielle Bradbery will release lead singles that go Top 40 but not quite Top 30, Danielle Bradbery actually scores a #1 as Thomas Rhett releases "Playing With Fire" as the final single. That'll hit #1 in August. He will have a lead single in September. Brett Young has a huge #1 with "In Case You Didn't Know" and the followup will be Top 25 at the end of the year. Cassadee Pope releases a new single in April and it fails to do anything (she is quitely let go at the end of the year).
-Neither Danielle Bradbery or A Thousand Horses hit Top 40. While A Thousand Horses got dipped. Cassadee Pope got dropped off the label as well. Playing With Fire didn't get released. Thomas Rhett did have a successful 2017 with 3 #1s. Brett Young also has emerged really successful as In Case You Didn't Know was arguably the second biggest country song this year.
14. Maddie & Tae see success with their lead single which will get released in March. The Church Sisters see middle of the road success and score a Top 40 by years end. Justin Moore will get a #1 with "Somebody Else Will". Drake White has a sleeper hit with "Makin Me Look Good Again". Jennifer Nettles manages to chart with "Hey Heartbreak" but nothing more.
- Maddie and Tae went to UMG Nashville. Justin Moore did go #1. Jennifer Nettles didn't chart, but Sugarland is reunited. Drake White made the Top 30 and that was it this year. Nothing on The Church Sisters.
15. Rascal Flatts come with a new lead single which will be a Top 5 but not a #1 while Tim McGraw and Faith Hill release a duets album and Faith Hill gets signed to Big Machine. Brantley Gilbert scores a Top 10 with "The Weekend" but subsequent singles fail while Zac Brown Band sees a Top 5 but no #1s in 2017 they will also release their next album. Finally Tucker Beathard "Momma and Jesus" fails to go Top 30.
- Tucker Beathard got right. Zac Brown Band left the label. Same with Tim McGraw. Brantley Gilbert did hit the Top 10 with The Weekend while the followup, might not go Top 10. Rascal Flatts hit #1 this year.
Last but not least is Broken Bow and any other acts that cross my mind.
16. Jason Aldean and Dustin Lynch both see highly successful 2017s while Jackie Lee and Jordan Rager see barely any chart action. Kristy Lee Cook and James Wesley are both finally let go of.
Dustin Lynch saw his biggest hit Small Town Boy while Jason Aldean coasted. The other 4 got let go of.
17. None of Red Bow artists see a good 2017. Joe Nichols and Brooke Eden fail to go Top 40. Craig Campbell and Chase Bryant fails to go Top 20 and the label sees there acts barely charting.
- Nailed it. Joe Nichols did get an album out.
18. Parmalee "Roots" will be done by March. Thompson Square will have nothing new. The success of Stoney Creek will come in Lindsay Ell as she will be selected for OTV and then releasing her debut album. The followup will be Top 40 by end of the year, also Randy Houser has a very successful lead single after a long chart climb. Adam Craig won't chart.
- Lindsay Ell never got OTV. She did get an album out and same with Parmalee. Adam Craig got Top 40 with Just a Phase. Thompson Square left Stoney Creek.
19. Finally Granger Smith and Runaway June see decent success and the trio will release their debut album that will be met with critical acclaim. Trace Adkins does nothing while Kristian Bush sees Top 30 by years end with a new lead single..
Kristian Bush barely charted. Granger Smith saw ok success. Trace Adkins got an album out. Runaway June saw average success. Lipstick got Top 30 and Wild West is doing fine so far.
20. Kelsea Ballerini and LoCash see huge success for their labels while Chris Lane and Morgan Wallen don't do a whole lot. Drew Baldridge gets a Top 30 with "Rebound" in the summer and Emily Weisband gets a record deal.
Kelsea Ballerini saw some success. LoCash got a Top 20 while Chris Lane got a Top 10. Drew Baldridge failed to hit the Top 30, while Morgan Wallen barley hit Top 40. His new single Up Down could be his breakthrough
21. Jessie James Decker hits top 50 with "Lights Down Low" and finally Trent Harmon sees a Top 20 with "There's A Girl" and a MB only Top 10.
- Jessie James Decker didn't chart. Trent Harmon hit the Top 20, but came nowhere close to a Top 10 finish.
I have nearly every artist covered. Sorry for the long post!
