Beyonce and Country Radio

[Reese K Rickards]

I am amused by Network News talking heads who keep gushing over Beyonce's Country Album. I haven't heard any of it save clips from Texas Hold Em and Jolene. But Jolene was a number one hit 50 years ago. That was 3 or 4 eras ago in the format.

The talking heads talk about Beyonce's #1 country hit. As my knowledgeable colleagues know she has had no such thing.

Beyonce doesn't appear on the I Heart Media Charts. And the black female artist from the 60's....never heard of them. The only influential black artist of the era was Charlie Pride.

[MWmetalhead]

You're wrong. Texas Hold 'Em is #1 on the Billboard country chart right now. It's been #1 for six straight weeks.

https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs/

[Reese K Rickards]

Respectfully incorrect. It has next to zero airplay. The song achieves it's status with downloads and other factors that doesn't include country airplay.

[MWmetalhead]

So, some racist country radio PDs refuse to add the song. Who cares.

Billboard's charts consider radio airplay, digital streaming and music sales combined. When considering all of the above, her song is #1.

Artists that appeal to folks under age 40 don't necessarily need radio to be successful.

WYCD here in Detroit does play it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnew ... try-radio/

Might the song appeal more to pop music fans than the typical country radio listener? Certainly.

Tim Roberts puts it well:

"It got off to a H*** start on the sales side and went to number one on Billboard, which is amazing. But it shows the popularity of Beyonce just as an artist and universally worldwide. The question is are they country consumers, are they pop consumers, and time will tell."

That said, that song sounds more "country" than many singles I've heard country radio play over the past decade.

[Barry Sanders]

It has next to zero airplay. The song achieves it's status with downloads and other factors that doesn't include country airplay.

Completely false. The song has been a Top 30 song (Mediabase) for at least 2 weeks now. It’s averaging about 1,600 spins per week, similar to the newest Tim McGraw single.

[TC Talks]

Beyonce doesn't appear on the I Heart Media Charts. And the black female artist from the 60's....never heard of them. The only influential black artist of the era was Charlie Pride.

I Heart charts? Is that like Sam's Cola?

Since all the music is dictated from one place, doesn't that become the I Heart mandate?

[zzand]

As I type this the song sits at 30 on the Mediabase Country Chart which is pure airplay. Country radio is playing it nationwide and as a country programmer I have had it programmed for 3 weeks now. I am not sure where you got your information but it is dead wrong.

[ChrisWL1980]

Keep in mind also how long it takes for songs to build at the country format these days. Even songs by established stars spend months climbing the the airplay chart before they peak. Just because it isn't Top 10 yet isn't a reason to label it a flop.

That said, I do agree that calling it the most popular song in the entire country music genre is a stretch, since the Hot Country Songs chart includes pop airplay and I would bet most of the streams/downloads aren't coming from country music fans. It's the same phenomenon that enabled "Meant to Be" and "Body Like a Back Road" to stay at #1 for so long. There is a difference between being "the most popular song in country music" and "the most popular country song."

[Barry Sanders]

It’s probably also worth noting that radio success isn’t the absolute indicator it used to be. An artist and/or song can be massively successful in 2024 without an ounce of help from radio. The best example in country music at the moment is Zach Bryan. He’s as successful as any big “radio” name right now but with essentially zero support from radio.

It sounds cliche but radio is not as powerful or even necessary as it once was in regards to being a succesful artist.

[since16]

This is a "no clue what's going out there string." Radio stations across the country have added it because they actually understand streaming and downloads factor into your weekly music adds. Let alone, as others have said mediabase and other charts direclty reflect it's climbing to BOTH the country and pop charts. We added it to our country station (and a week later to our pop stations) not because it's a great song, but because in this particular case it's not what appeals to us, but what appeals to the listeners... that's what matters and the data backs it up.

[Realist]

Not a country music listener but heard it when with my wife and she had SXM’s The Highway on. It’s not a bad song at all and sounds more country than the other current being played on country radio

[audiophile]

Respectfully incorrect. It has next to zero airplay. The song achieves it's status with downloads and other factors that doesn't include country airplay.

I have to agree with Reese Richards. Besides Billboard has always been about the money, which in order to be a reporter you have to pay! Plus if you don't do what Nashville tells you to do, they'll kick you off.

Most of the broadcasters I'm associated with have dumped them, because they tired of the "machine".

This song is light years better country than the C.Rap from R:


PS I polled a houseful of modern Country listeners and they thought R's song was nasty.

[audiophile]

It’s probably also worth noting that radio success isn’t the absolute indicator it used to be. An artist and/or song can be massively successful in 2024 without an ounce of help from radio. The best example in country music at the moment is Zach Bryan. He’s as successful as any big “radio” name right now but with essentially zero support from radio.

It sounds cliche but radio is not as powerful or even necessary as it once was in regards to being a succesful artist.

They probably don't play because his audio sounds like it was recorded in his kitchen, hiss and all.

[TC Talks]

PS I polled a houseful of modern Country listeners in my very white community and they thought R's song was nasty.

What do they think of Darius Rutger?

[Taco]

Nobody gives two shits about Beyonce. Has no business on country radio. The genre is already polluted enough as it is. This would be like Eminem going on country radio.