Country music today has witnessed something that has never happened before! For the first time in 65 years, the genre has occupied all top three positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart – with Jason Aldean leading the trio of country musicians presently making history.
Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” has ascended to the peak from its No. 2 debut on the said chart. It marks Aldean’s first all-genre chart-topper in his nearly two-decade career as a top Nashville hitmaker.
The feat comes after the song has stirred debate for its lyrical content – which fans and even fellow singers criticize for promoting violence – and its accompanying video that features news footage from robberies, police brutality, and protests.
The music video no longer airs on Country Music Television (CMT) but remains available on YouTube. A new version has also recently been released, which no longer shows footage of the Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.
On the other hand, Aldean denied that his controversial single is “a pro-lynching song” or that race plays any part in its lyrics. He has called the allegations of racism “not only meritless but dangerous.”
Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs Joining Jason Aldean on The Top
Following Jason Aldean closely at No. 2 is Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” which has had an impressive streak ever since it was released in February 2023 as the third single off Wallen’s third studio album, One Thing at a Time.
In fact, “Last Night” notched a record-breaking fourteen weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 when it ascended to the top in March 2023. It makes it Wallen’s first No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 and is also the first country song by a solo male to top the chart for more than four decades.
The album that produced “Last Night” is also holding its own as it debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and maintained its spot for a staggering fifteen weeks.
On the other hand, Luke Combs’ country cover of the Tracy Chapman classic “Fast Car” rides to No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100. “Fast Car” was huge when it was first released in 1988. It ranked No. 6 on the same chart, helping Chapman take home one of the three Grammy Awards nominations she received that year, but it’s just as big now. It did not only soar at Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 2 for three weeks but also climbed all the way to the top of Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
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Chapman had already opened up about the resurgence of her hit song, saying she’s grateful that new fans have found and embraced “Fast Car.”
Well, it’s truly remarkable to witness three country hits sharing space atop the Billboard Hot 100.
Also in the chart are Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” Travis Scott’s “K-Pop” featuring Bad Bunny and The Weeknd, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire,” and Jung Kook’s “Seven” featuring Latto, which debuted at No. 1, making each act’s first leader. There’s also the collaboration between Nicki Minaj and American rapper Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” which reimagines Aqua’s 1997 hit, “Barbie Girl.”
Billboard Hot 100 is based on streaming data from all genres across the United States. It includes official audio and video streaming as well as radio airplay. Another metric is the sales data composed of physical singles and digital tracks from all-inclusive digital musical retailers.
Truly, county music’s growth over the past year has been absolutely remarkable. In fact, music and entertainment data provider Luminate reported that the genre’s consumption in the United States had increased by 20.3% in 2023 when there was only 2.5% growth in 2022.
Isn’t it just amazing? We are pretty sure every country fan now is celebrating the rise in popularity of the country genre.
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