‘Rock’ Star: Hardy Debuts in Top Country Albums Top Five & Scores First Hot Country Songs Top 10
Plus new top 10s for Morgan Wallen, Matt Stell.
Hardy’s LP A Rock (Big Loud) enters Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart (dated Sept. 19) at No. 4.
In its first tracking week, ending Sept. 10, the set earned 18,000 equivalent album units, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. On the all-genre Billboard 200 it opens at No. 24.
The 12-song set features 10 tracks co-written by Hardy, who hails from Philadelphia, Miss. (and whose full name is Michael Wilson Hardy).
Hardy makes his second appearance on Top Country Albums, after Hixtape Vol. 1 started and peaked at No. 35 in September 2019.
Concurrently, the lead single from A Rock, “One Beer,” featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson, jumps 15-10 on the airplay-, streaming- and sales-powered Hot Country Songs chart.
On Country Airplay, “One Beer” lifts 16-12, up by 10 percent to 16.3 million audience impressions in the week ending Sept. 13. It also sold 4,000 downloads (up 50 percent) and climbs 16-7 on Country Digital Song Sales, awarding Hardy his first top 10, and drew 6.2 million U.S. streams (up 13 percent) in the week ending Sept. 10.
For Hardy, “One Beer” is his first Hot Country Songs top 10 as an artist. His first billed entry as an artist, “Rednecker,” reached No. 23 in May 2019.
As a songwriter for other acts, Hardy has scored hits starting with Morgan Wallen‘s “Up Down” (featuring Florida Georgia Line), which peaked at No. 5 on Hot Country Songs in June 2018 and led Country Airplay for a week that month. Hardy also co-penned Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country,” which ruled Hot Country Songs for seven frames beginning in May 2019. It led Country Airplay for two weeks starting in July 2019.
“One Beer” marks Alaina’s third Hot Country Songs top 10 and her first since her featured turn on Kane Brown‘s “What Ifs,” which dominated for five weeks starting in October 2017. That hit followed “Road Less Traveled,” which reached No. 8 in April 2017.
Dawson adds his second Hot Country Songs top 10, after “All on Me” rose to No. 6 in March 2018.
‘HOMETOWN’ NEWS Morgan Wallen’s “More Than My Hometown” (Big Loud), which was co-written by Hardy, ascends into the Hot Country Songs top 10, rising 13-7.
On Country Airplay, it pushes 18-17 (13.5 million, up 24 percent). It also collected 7.7 million streams and sold 3,000 downloads in the tracking week.
The song, due to appear on Wallen’s forthcoming second LP, marks his sixth Hot Country Songs top 10 (a sum that includes two No. 1s) and his second in the past four weeks. On the Aug. 29 dated list, “7 Summers” debuted atop the chart, marking just the fifth start at the summit in the history of the tally, which began as an all-encompassing genre survey in 1958.
On the latest Country Airplay chart, “7 Summers” bumps 37-34 (3.4 million, up 12 perccent).
‘WHERE’ STELL IS Matt Stell banks his second Country Airplay top 10 as “Everywhere but On” (Records/Arista Nashville) rises 14-10 (17.5 million, up 10 percent).
The song is Stell’s sophomore Country Airplay entry, after “Prayed for You” led for two weeks in October 2019. On Hot Country Songs, “Prayed for You” reached No. 2.
COMBS TRIPLES UP Country Airplay is controlled for a third week by Luke Combs‘ “Lovin’ on You” (River House/Columbia Nashville), up by 11 percent to 35.5 million in audience.
“Lovin'” on You,” which became Combs’ record-extending ninth straight career-opening No. 1 Country Airplay single on the Sept. 5-dated ranking, marks the first hit to lead for three weeks in 2020. The last song to lead for more than two weeks was also Combs: “Even Though I’m Leaving,” which became his seventh No. 1 in November 2019, held the summit for five weeks.