Billboard Hot 100 Question

[travelrocks24]

I tried a google on this, but I wasn't having much luck.  

What was the last country song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100?  The best I could find was Carrie Underwood back in 2005 with "Inside Your Heaven" according to this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Underwood_discography

[Libra]

While Billboard may technically give you an answer of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" if you posed this question to them...

...a more realistic answer is that Carrie's is indeed the most recent one to do it. Or failing that (since hers was an Idol coronation single that got there off the sales rush), the last one before hers was Lonestar's "Amazed" in March 2000.

[travelrocks24]

I ran across the Lonestar song in question as well. I was trying to see if there was anything else.

That is really sad, there has been some really good country songs that should have hit #1 on that chart. I think there are more millennials that listen to country that people realize.

Thanks for the help.

[seak05]

It's virtually impossible to hit #1 on the hot 100 without being played across multiple radio formats. Most country songs don't get significant radio play outside of country radio. Most top pop songs also get play at AC, HAC, Rythmic and/or urban etc.

[Todd]

Achy Breaky Heart came close (#4).

[.indulgecountry]

Dec 29, 2017 11:03:16 GMT -5 seak05 said:

It's virtually impossible to hit #1 on the hot 100 without being played across multiple radio formats. Most country songs don't get significant radio play outside of country radio. Most top pop songs also get play at AC, HAC, Rythmic and/or urban etc.

While this is true, I think country music's digital sales and streaming numbers hold it back even more than the lack of crossover airplay, too.

[Naos]

Dec 30, 2017 2:23:30 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Dec 29, 2017 11:03:16 GMT -5 seak05 said:

It's virtually impossible to hit #1 on the hot 100 without being played across multiple radio formats. Most country songs don't get significant radio play outside of country radio. Most top pop songs also get play at AC, HAC, Rythmic and/or urban etc.

While this is true, I think country music's digital sales and streaming numbers hold it back even more than the lack of crossover airplay, too.

If it does happen, it'll end up being a pop country artist. Because they're the ones who can get those streaming and sales numbers. But even for them, it may be difficult.

[.indulgecountry]

Dec 30, 2017 3:05:50 GMT -5 Naos said:

Dec 30, 2017 2:23:30 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

While this is true, I think country music's digital sales and streaming numbers hold it back even more than the lack of crossover airplay, too.

If it does happen, it'll end up being a pop country artist. Because they're the ones who can get those streaming and sales numbers. But even for them, it may be difficult.

Sam Hunt is literally the only artist who I think could pull it off, and even then "Body Like a Back Road" *only* peaked at #6 despite being the biggest country hit of the year and even one of the biggest all-genre singles of 2017, too.

Anything's possible, but I don't know if I see it happening. Sam Hunt would be the best -- likely only -- chance of accomplishing this though.

[recordyear]

It seems that it is easier for a duet to be an enormous hit than a solo song, if it happens at the right time (see What Ifs, Remind Me, Islands in the Stream), so if Sam Hunt finds a female vocal (whether country or not) for his next single, it will possibly reach #1 all-genre.

[dajross6]

The way the Hot 100 formula has changed does little in the way of helping country artists who wish to be #1. Streaming accounts for the majority of points now, so good luck getting past mediocre hip-hop/rap songs as they are kings of streaming these days.

[onebuffalo]

Dec 29, 2017 5:56:36 GMT -5 Libra said:

While Billboard may technically give you an answer of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" if you posed this question to them...

...a more realistic answer is that Carrie's is indeed the most recent one to do it. Or failing that (since hers was an Idol coronation single that got there off the sales rush), the last one before hers was Lonestar's "Amazed" in March 2000.

Someone could say We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together is Taylor Swift's 'pop debut' single.

[onebuffalo]

Dec 29, 2017 22:21:45 GMT -5 Todd said:

Achy Breaky Heart came close (#4).

Breathe by Faith Hill peaked at #2 in 2000. Billboard named it the biggest hit of the year.

[.indulgecountry]

Dec 30, 2017 13:12:15 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Dec 29, 2017 5:56:36 GMT -5 Libra said:

While Billboard may technically give you an answer of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" if you posed this question to them...

...a more realistic answer is that Carrie's is indeed the most recent one to do it. Or failing that (since hers was an Idol coronation single that got there off the sales rush), the last one before hers was Lonestar's "Amazed" in March 2000.

Someone could say We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together is Taylor Swift's 'pop debut' single.

But they'd be wrong because she had like 2-3 pop hits off each of her first three albums before that was released.

[onebuffalo]

Dec 30, 2017 13:55:03 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Dec 30, 2017 13:12:15 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Someone could say We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together is Taylor Swift's 'pop debut' single.

But they'd be wrong because she had like 2-3 pop hits off each of her first three albums before that was released.

Admittedly so. Taylor Swift has been a crossover artist since her first single, Tim McGraw. However, her first real Hot 100 hit was Teardrops On My Guitar, which peaked at #13 (also #2 country and #5 adult contemporary). However, I consider her 'pop era' to start when Red came out in 2012 and not necessarily when 1989 came out in 2014.

[Deleted]

Dec 30, 2017 13:55:03 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Dec 30, 2017 13:12:15 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Someone could say We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together is Taylor Swift's 'pop debut' single.

But they'd be wrong because she had like 2-3 pop hits off each of her first three albums before that was released.

"Love Story", "You Belong With Me", "Teardrops On My Guitar" are the only immediate songs that come to mind when it comes to pop hits before "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together". I feel like there was more but I'm completely blanking on them lol.

[.indulgecountry]

Dec 30, 2017 14:03:30 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Dec 30, 2017 13:55:03 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

But they'd be wrong because she had like 2-3 pop hits off each of her first three albums before that was released.

Admittedly so. Taylor Swift has been a crossover artist since her first single, Tim McGraw. However, her first real Hot 100 hit was Teardrops On My Guitar, which peaked at #13 (also #2 country and #5 adult contemporary). However, I consider her 'pop era' to start when Red came out in 2012 and not necessarily when 1989 came out in 2014.

The. Hot 100. Is. Not. The. "Pop." Chart.

I'm referring to promoting her singles to CHR/Mainstream Top 40 radio. She did that with 2-3 singles each off her first three albums and most of them were pretty successful. Red was the beginning of her transition away from the country scene, but she'd already been having pop hits for several years before "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."

Dec 30, 2017 14:03:47 GMT -5 raylatch98 said:

Dec 30, 2017 13:55:03 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

But they'd be wrong because she had like 2-3 pop hits off each of her first three albums before that was released.

"Love Story", "You Belong With Me", "Teardrops On My Guitar" are the only immediate songs that come to mind when it comes to pop hits before "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together". I feel like there was more but I'm completely blanking on them lol.

"Our Song," "Mine," "Back to December," and "The Story of Us" were all hits on the pop charts, too.

[Deleted]

.indulgecountry I don't think some of those songs were truly big pop hits at pop radio though. I recall "Story Of Us" flopped overall from what I recall, like it underperformed overall at pop radio. I also think "Our Song" was more remembered as a country hit than a pop hit. The other two I will give you as both did kind of slip my mind. I don't think any of those songs compare to the massive duo that is "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me".

[.indulgecountry]

Dec 30, 2017 14:22:38 GMT -5 raylatch98 said:

.indulgecountry I don't think some of those songs were truly big pop hits at pop radio though. I recall "Story Of Us" flopped overall from what I recall, like it underperformed overall at pop radio. I also think "Our Song" was more remembered as a country hit than a pop hit. The other two I will give you as both did kind of slip my mind. I don't think any of those songs compare to the massive duo that is "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me".

I didn't say any of them were massive hits and will be remembered as well as either of those (they aren't), but it's a factual statement that they were all pop hits. "Mine and "Back to December" peaked in the Top 10/15 of multiple charts (CHR, HAC, AC) and "Our Song" was a Top 20 CHR hit. "The Story of Us" peaked just outside the Top 20, so it was the least successful, but it was hardly a flop.

[Deleted]

Dec 30, 2017 14:31:34 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Dec 30, 2017 14:22:38 GMT -5 raylatch98 said:

.indulgecountry I don't think some of those songs were truly big pop hits at pop radio though. I recall "Story Of Us" flopped overall from what I recall, like it underperformed overall at pop radio. I also think "Our Song" was more remembered as a country hit than a pop hit. The other two I will give you as both did kind of slip my mind. I don't think any of those songs compare to the massive duo that is "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me".

I didn't say any of them were massive hits and will be remembered as well as either of those (they aren't), but it's a factual statement that they were all pop hits. "Mine and "Back to December" peaked in the Top 10/15 of multiple charts (CHR, HAC, AC) and "Our Song" was a Top 20 CHR hit. "The Story of Us" peaked just outside the Top 20, so it was the least successful, but it was hardly a flop.

See I mysled find "The Story of Us" to be a flop. I just don't see Top 15/20/25 end result as a "hit" at the very least. It's not an outright flop "The Story Of Us" but in my opinion I consider it more of a flop than hit and the others only hitting Top 10 to Top 20 don't sound like real hits to me. In my opinion.

[.indulgecountry]

Dec 30, 2017 14:36:45 GMT -5 raylatch98 said:

Dec 30, 2017 14:31:34 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

I didn't say any of them were massive hits and will be remembered as well as either of those (they aren't), but it's a factual statement that they were all pop hits. "Mine and "Back to December" peaked in the Top 10/15 of multiple charts (CHR, HAC, AC) and "Our Song" was a Top 20 CHR hit. "The Story of Us" peaked just outside the Top 20, so it was the least successful, but it was hardly a flop.

See I mysled find "The Story of Us" to be a flop. I just don't see Top 15/20/25 end result as a "hit" at the very least. It's not an outright flop "The Story Of Us" but in my opinion I consider it more of a flop than hit and the others only hitting Top 10 to Top 20 don't sound like real hits to me. In my opinion.

Well it was a Platinum-selling single that peaked at #41 on the Hot 100 (which is better than most #1 country hits manage to do), almost Top 20 on CHR, and in the 20s/30s on two other formats, so it wasn't a total flop. I never said it was on the level of any of the others though so I'm not sure why you're bothering with debating it.

My only point (to onebuffalo, not to you) was that Taylor's debut pop hit was not "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" because it was her seventh hit single at the format, and regardless of if you think "The Story of Us" was a flop, the other three I mentioned definitely were. I just listed them off for you since you forgot them. The discussion on what you think qualifies as a hit or not wasn't needed.

[onebuffalo]

Prior to We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Taylor Swift could have put out a greatest hits album based on her major (top 20) Hot 100 hits. She had sixteen of them. They are:

1. Teardrops On My Guitar-2007-#13
2. Our Song-2008-#16-chart wise, her biggest country hit
3. Change-2008-#10
4. Love Story-2009-#4
5. White Horse-2009-#13
6. You Belong With Me-2009-#2
7. Two Is Better Than One-with Boys Like Girls-2009-#18
8. Fearless-2010-#9
9. Today Was A Fairytale-2010-#2
10. Mine-2010-#3
11. Back To December-2011-#6
12. Mean-2011-#11
13. Sparks Fly-2011-#17
14. Ours-2012-#13
15. Eyes Open-2012-#19
16. Both Of Us-2012-#18

What I meant is that Swift's transition to pop happened in 2012 with the Red album is that Swift was giving Nashville and country music the proverbial middle finger when she released We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. As I recall, many posters in that thread suggested the song title would be a divorce between Swift and country music. That finally became her first Hot 100 #1 hit. Imagine that.

[Deleted]

LMAO I don't think "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was in anyway directed towards country radio or the country industry.

[bboat11]

Literally all buffalo is trying to say is that WANEGBT was the first truly decisive step that Taylor took in the pop direction. She may have had pop hits beforehand, but they were very obviously country songs that happened to do well on pop radio. After WANEGBT, not so much. That song was geared more towards a pop audience, and even though she still had another country hit or two after that, the focus of her career very clearly started to shift from country to pop at the start of the Red era.

Regardless of how many pop hits she actually had beforehand, the statement that WANEGBT was the first major turning point in Taylor's transition into being a pop artist is not at all outlandish, and I am baffled as to why it was worth starting a half-page debate over... Especially when that is not even the topic of this thread.

[travelrocks24]

This has been an interesting discussion, thanks all for contributing.

I do agree that people tend to stream pop or R & B songs more than anything else, which hurts the country genre in general.

[seak05]

Streaming matters, sales matters, but to give you some idea of numbers, on MB the top pop song has over 110 in terms of audience shares...from pop alone. A #1 at country radio tops out at about 60 in audience. Then you have to add in other airplay, in terms of overall audience impressions the top song is above 175, often above 180. That is 3x the max you're going to get at country radio alone (now generally a country song will get some extra spins somewhere, and overall AI can get closer to 70....but it's still a massive gap). The 10th overall position is generally in the 80-85 range.

So for a non-cross over country song to lead billboard 100, it would have to be by far the biggest seller & streamer. Or all of the top overall songs would have to be sales and streaming duds.

[.indulgecountry]

Dec 31, 2017 5:36:48 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Literally all buffalo is trying to say is that WANEGBT was the first truly decisive step that Taylor took in the pop direction. She may have had pop hits beforehand, but they were very obviously country songs that happened to do well on pop radio. After WANEGBT, not so much. That song was geared more towards a pop audience, and even though she still had another country hit or two after that, the focus of her career very clearly started to shift from country to pop at the start of the Red era.

Regardless of how many pop hits she actually had beforehand, the statement that WANEGBT was the first major turning point in Taylor's transition into being a pop artist is not at all outlandish, and I am baffled as to why it was worth starting a half-page debate over... Especially when that is not even the topic of this thread.

I don't disagree with any of the points you just made here, but he said 'pop debut' single, and that was factually incorrect. I get what you're saying, but she still had become a crossover staple for like 5 years before that single came out, and WANEGBT still went to country radio. If anything, "Shake It Off" makes more sense to be her 'pop debut' single for whatever he was trying to go for because it was actually the moment she stopped being a country act. Plus, the fact that he countered and suggested she'd been a crossover artist since "Tim McGraw" because it charted on the Hot 100 proved that he didn't really even understand what he was talking about, lol.

Also, the subsequent discussion that spurred off of that comment I had made to buffalo, I didn't sign up for and it wasn't even initiated him, and found it unnecessary, too.

But it's like not that deep tho so I think everyone should just chill, lmao.