SALES OF 2009
And the dip goes on.
Total album sales in the U. S. dipped from 428 million in 2008 to 373 million in 2009, according to year-end sales totals compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. This amounts to a decrease of 12.7 percent.
Country album sales also suffered, sliding from nearly 48 million copies to just over 46 million. With this 3.2-percent shrinkage, however, country fared much better than every other format except jazz, which receded a mere 0.1 percent. Among the declines in other genres: alternative rock (15.7 percent), Christian-gospel (6.6 percent), classical (8.9 percent), Latin (34.3 percent), metal (23.3 percent), new age (20 percent), R&B, 9.3 percent), rap (20.9 percent), rock (11.1 percent) and soundtracks (8.9 percent).
Overall music sales -- which count all physical and digital configurations (including music videos) -- were up 2.1 percent to 1.54 billion units in 2009.
The music industry's guardian angel, of course, was Taylor Swift. She was second only to Michael Jackson on the 2009 list of best-selling artists, and her Fearless was the year's best-selling album, moving 3,217,000 units.
Jackson, whose sales were spurred last year by his sudden death, sold a total of 8,286,000 albums, while 4,643,000 of Swift's albums moved across the scanners.
Carrie Underwood was the ninth best-selling artist of the year, accounting for 1,895,000 purchases.
No matter how and where the pie was sliced, Swift seemed to get her share. She was the fourth best-selling digital artist, andFearless was the fourth top-selling digital album. Fearless was also the third best-selling CD during the 2009 holiday buying season, beaten out only by Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream and Andrea Bocelli's My Christmas.
Swift's The Holiday Collection was the third best-selling seasonal album, racking up 445,000 copies. Sugarland's Gold and Greencame in at fifth place with sales of 256,000.
In addition, Fearless was the third highest selling Internet album of 2009.
Swift scored big as well when it came to airplay. By Nielsen's Broadcast Data System's count, her "You Belong With Me" and"Love Story" were the first and second most played songs, respectively, on the radio in 2009. No other country song made the Top 10 list.
Swift was the No. 1 airplay artist of the year, followed, in order, by Beyoncé and Black Eyed Peas. Toby Keith clocked in at No. 4, with Rascal Flatts and Tim McGraw winning the No. 9 and No. 10 spots.
"You Belong With Me" and "Love Story" ranked No. 1 and No. 6 on the BDS tally of the Top 10 songs streamed on the Internet.
Nielsen SoundScan also enumerated its top sellers of the 2000-2009 decade -- and country came off well here, too. Among the Top 10 best-selling artists, McGraw came in third (after Eminem and the Beatles) with sales of 24,769,000 albums. Keith was No. 4 (24,469,000) and Kenny Chesney No. 6 (22,034,000).
McGraw was the decade's most-played artist, accumulating 7,965,000 spins. Country artists dominated this category, with Keith (No. 2), George Strait (No. 3), Alan Jackson (No. 4), Chesney (No. 6), Rascal Flatts (No. 7), Brooks & Dunn (No. 8) and Garth Brooks (No. 9). The only non-country acts were Nickelback (No. 5) and Green Day (No. 10).
Faith Hill had two of the decade's 10 most-played songs -- "Breathe" (No. 4) and "The Way You Love Me" (No. 6). Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" was No. 7.
The remaining most played songs were Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" (No. 1), Train's "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (No. 2), Lifehouse's "Hanging by a Moment" (No. 3), 3 Doors Down's "Kryptonite" (No. 5), the Calling's "Wherever You Will Go" (No. 8), Santana's "Smooth," featuring Rob Thomas (No. 9) and Hoobastank's "The Reason" No. 10.
Kid Rock's "All Summer Long" and Jason Aldean's "Big Green Tractor" made Nielsen RingScan's Top 10 mastertones of 2009. (A mastertone is a ringtone excerpted from the original hit recording). "All Summer Long" sold 672,000 copies to come in at No. 6, and "Big Green Tractor" sold 611,000 to win the No. 10 rank. Soullja Boy's "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" was No. 1 with downloads of 1,289,000.
SWIFT, UNDERWOOD AND KEITH WIN AWARDS
The People's Choice Awards were held on Wednesday, January 6 in Los Angeles. Three country artists took home trophies: Carrie Underwood for Favourite Country Artist, Taylor Swift for Favourite Female Artist and Keith Urban for Favourite Male Artist. According to statistics, over 60 million votes were cast this year.
FAITH HILL SIGNS TO RED LIGHT MANAGEMENT
Faith Hill parted ways with Borman Entertainment after 16 years. She has now signed to Red Light Management, to which her husband Tim McGraw also signed to, back in April, 2009. Will Botwin and Coran Capshaw will now represent her. The management is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and also represents the Dave Matthews Band. Faith Hill is expected to release an album later this year.
FEARLESS BEST SELLING ALBUM
Taylor Swift's Fearless, released in late 2008, sold 3, 217, 000 copies in US in 2009, making it the best selling album of the year, according to Billboard. She is right behind Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream, which sold 3, 104, 000 copies, while it was released only in November, 2009. These are the only two albums to sell more than 3 million copies in 2009.
Fearless is nominated for Album of the Year, and Best Country Album at the upcoming Grammys.
ERIC CHURCH AND JOSH THOMPSON WILL LAUNCH A TOUR
Critically acclaimed country singer Eric Church will embark on a nationwide headlining tour in early 2010, beginning February 9 at the Ram’s Head in Baltimore, MD. The “Jagermeister Country Tour featuring Eric Church” follows the recent “Young & Wild Tour,” which included 50 sold out shows and performances on NBC’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Church’s raucous live shows have earned him a dedicated fan base, which he lovingly dubbed “the Church Choir” and, despite breaking his foot during a recent performance, Church has continued to play to enthusiastic audiences across the country. Country artist Josh Thompson will provide direct support for the tour. Please see below for complete dates.
Source: www.ericchurch.comFebruary 09 Ram’s Head Live Baltimore, MD February 10 Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza New York, NY February 11 Trocadero Philadelphia, PA February 12 Northern Lights Clifton Park, NY February 13 Rapids Theatre Niagara Falls, NY February 15 House of Blues Boston, MA February 16 9:30 Club Washington, D.C. February 18 Joe’s Chicago, IL February 19 Civic Auditorium Knoxville, TN February 20 Wild Bill’s Duluth, GA February 21 Music Farm Charleston, SC February 27 Lyric Theatre Oxford, MS March 03 Walton Arts Center Fayetteville, AR March 04 Midland Theatre Kansas City, MO March 05 The Pageant St. Louis, MO March 06 Gillioz Theatre Springfield, MO March 07 Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK March 10 The Barn Sanford, FL March 12 Marina Civic Center Panama City, FL March 13 Maverick’s Jacksonville, FL March 17 Orpheum Theatre Madison, WI March 18 Tom, Dick & Harrys Green Bay, WI March 19 State Theatre Kalamazoo, MI March 20 Royal Oak Music Theatre Royal Oak, MI March 21 Prairie Capital Convention Center Springfield, IL March 25 State Theatre Minneapolis, MN March 26 Cotillion Ballroom Wichita, KS March 27 Boulder Theatre Boulder, CO
CARRIE UNDERWOOD TO MAKE HER ACTING DEBUT
Carrie Underwood is set to appear on CBS's Emmy-nominated show, How I Met Your Mother, the episode to air in March. Underwood will play the role of Tiffany, a pharmaceutical sales representative and a love interest for Ted (Josh Radnor).
STEPHEN KING FEATURED ON BLACK RIBBONS
Stephen King will be featured on Shooter Jennings' upcoming album, Black Ribbons, to be released on March 2. King will serve as a radio talk-show host, "Will O' The Wisp", who is being kicked out of his job due to government censorship. Shooter Jennings told the Associated Press that the concept album was inspired by the economic crisis in 2008, and he and King haven't met in person yet., although they did collaborate on Stephen King's spoken dialogue.
KELLIE PICKLER PLANNING USO TOUR
Recently, Kellie Pickler tweeted: "Started packing for my USO Tour. Think I'm gonna leave the Red High Heels at home for this trip. It's easier to jump in/out of helicopters in flats". The trip will be made in early 2010, although there have been no details of the tour revealed yet. She will be joined by Randy Houser and Jamey Johnson to support the troops.
COUNTRY ARTIST FEATURED ON GRAMMY NOMINEES CD
Many country artists are featured on the 2010 Grammy Nominees CD. They include Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me", Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Friend", Lady Antebellum's "I Run To You", Sugarland's "It Happens" and Rascal Flatt' "Here Comes Goodbye". The CD will be released on January 19 by EMI Music, with some part of the proceeds going to MusiCares Foundation and the Grammy Foundation.
ZAC BROWN BAND TO PERFORM ON GRAMMYS
The upcoming Grammy awards, that are to be held on January 31, Los Angeles, have added Zac Brown Band on their list of performers, along with previously announced Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum. The group is nominated for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for "Chicken Fried" while their album, The Foundation, is nominated for Best Country Album.
REBA MCENTIRE TO APPEAR ON THE SINGING BEE
Reba McEntire is set to cameo-appear on season premiere of The Singing Bee on January 15. The show is hosted by Melissa Peterman, and is the CMT networkds highest-rated show. It tests people of how well they know the lyrics of country and pop songs, and if they are wrong, they are eliminated.
BROOKS AND DUNN TO RECEIVE CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The biggest-selling duo in country music history will cease to exist after its 2010 tour, and audiences and industry members are lining up to show appreciation.
On Feb. 23, Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.will offer up the year’s first prize, giving Brooks & Dunn a Career Achievement Award during the annual Country Music DJ and Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Ceremony, a kickoff to the industry-only Country Radio Seminar.
“Brooks & Dunn has spent the last 20 years giving country fans and country radio amazing music and incredible live shows,” said Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. president Becky Brenner. “They have been terrific ambassadors for country music worldwide. We thank them for allowing us to present this Career Achievement Award.”
Source: The Tennessean
ELVIS PRESLEY'S LIVE ALBUM BEING REISSUED
1970 live album, On Stage, will be reissued in an expanded format on March 23 by RCA/Legacy. The original album's 10-track playlist will also include three rarely performed songs from the same Las Vegas engagement that produced the album: "Don't Cry Daddy," "Kentucky Rain" and "Long Tall Sally." The double-disc set will also feature audio recordings of an afternoon rehearsal prior to the concert taping. The platinum-selling album initially produced the hit, "The Wonder of You." Presley would have celebrated his 75th birthday on Jan. 8, 2010. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1998.
Source: www.cmt.com
WAYLON JENNINGS' SIX ALBUMS BEING RE-RELEASED
Waylon Jennings' six classic albums from the 1960 and 70's will be released on 3 CDs on the Collector's Choice label on January 12. The original re-releasing date was November 24, 2009. The albums being re-released include Folk Country, Waylon Sings Ol' Harlan, Love of the Common People, Hangin' On, Waylon and Singer of Sad Songs.
KENNY CHESNEY'S TOUR GROSSES HIGH
Kenny Chesney's Sun City Carnival tour of 2009 grossed about $71 millions worth of tickets, as Pollstar reported on Wednesday. In the country genre, he was placed first in the category, and sixth on the all-genre list.
On the all-genre list, U2's tour sold the most: $123 million, followed by Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band with $94.5 million, and Elton John and Billy Joel's co-headlining tour with $88 million. The comes Britney Spears with $82.5 million, AC/DC $77.9 million, Kenny Chesney, Jonas Brother $69.8 million, Dave Matthews Band $56.9 million, Fleetwood Mac $54.5 million and Metallica $53.4 million.
COUNTRY CELEBRATES NEW YEARS EVE
Gary Allan, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Jack Ingram and Montgomery Gentry are among the country artists who will be ringing in the new year with their fans at concerts throughout the U.S.
Allan will be appearing Thursday (Dec. 31) at House of Blues in Las Vegas. Johnson is headlining at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville, Ky., while his recent CMT on Tour partner, Randy Houser, will be at Wild Bill's in Duluth, Ga. Also in the southland, Justin Moore is in his home state of Arkansas for a show at the Village in Little Rock. Much farther north, Gloriana will be visiting Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash.
One of the most interesting pairings of talent and venue is Montgomery Gentry's appearance at Agua Caliente Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (No offense to Eddie Montgomery, but can you picture him at a spa?)
As always, Texas claims the highest concentration of country music concerts on New Year's Eve. In Houston, the live music offerings include Cross Canadian Ragweed at House of Blues and the Eli Young Band at the Verizon Wireless Theater. The overachievers of the day are the members of Reckless Kelly, who will be playing an afternoon show at Reliant Stadium in Houston as part of the Texas Bowl pre-game festivities before heading to Dallas to close the night at House of Blues.
Also in the DFW area, Chris Young will be at Cowboys Dancehall in Dallas, Roger Creager is set for Cowboys in Arlington and Texas favorite Kevin Fowler will be headlining at one of the nation's biggest country nightspots -- Billy Bob's Texas.
Jack Ingram's New Year's Eve show takes place at Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio.
In Austin, Robert Earl Keen, the Randy Rogers Band, the Band of Heathens and Wade Bowen will be at the Austin Music Hall. Also in Austin, Joe Ely and Dale Watson will be sharing the bill at Antone's, and Austin mainstay Alvin Crow will be at the Broken Spoke.
In Nashville, Rodney Atkins headlines an event touted as the Bash on Broadway, a free street party taking place downtown on Broadway between First and Third avenues. The music also features the Gabe Dixon Band, Tommy Sims and Friends and the Dirt Drifters (with scheduled guest appearances by Marc Broussard and Jonny Lang).
For those preferring to do their celebrating indoors in Nashville, Old Crow Medicine Show and former BR549 member Chuck Mead are appearing at the Ryman Auditorium. Singer-songwriter Jeffrey Steele will rock in 2010 at the Wildhorse Saloon, and former Mavericks frontman Raul Malo will be offering a midnight toast at 3rd & Lindsley.
If you're out and about on New Year's Eve, do everybody a favor -- including the artists -- and enlist a friend as your designated driver. Or call a taxi or contact one of the many organizations offering free rides to those who have overindulged. One prominent artist, who will remain unidentified, no longer performs anywhere on New Year's Eve because of the danger in getting to and from the gig. We wouldn't want that to become a trend.
SIGNED GUITARS STOLEN FROM STORAGE
Over 60 autographed guitars were stolen from a storage unit facility, Uncle Bob's Self Storage, in Garland, Texas on December 24. They were being stored prior to a fundraiser by Brian Hughes, the owner of the organization, for five years to raise money for the Friends of Curtis Creek State Part. The money would be used to entertain children with various equipments and activities.
Stars who had signed guitars included Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift.
