Country

1. Music City Mourns Country Legend George Jones

   May 02, 2013 11:30 AM EDT Thousands of fans who had been waiting in line since the wee hours joined some of country's biggest stars Thursday to pay their respects to George Jones at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. An overflow crowd began lining up at 3 a.m. t ...

2. George Jones' Album Sales Increase 1,002% Following Death

   May 01, 2013 5:30 PM EDT The late country icon George Jones is remembered on the Billboard charts this week, following his his death on April 26. As Nielsen SoundScan's sales tracking week ended on April 28, Billboard's new sales charts reflect only three day ...

3. Kenny Chesney on Course for Seventh No. 1 Album on Billboard 200

   May 01, 2013 4:34 PM EDT On next week's Billboard 200 chart, watch for country superstar Kenny Chesney to claim his seventh No. 1 as his new Life On a Rock should debut atop the list. Industry sources suggest the set could move around 140,000 or so by the end of th ...

4. Chart Alert: Michael Bublé Tops Billboard 200; Fantasia Arrives At No. 2

   May 01, 2013 11:00 AM EDT As reported yesterday (April 30), pop singer Michael Bublé earns his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 this week with the arrival of To Be Loved . The set sold 195,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Bublé's ...

5. Curb Records Sues Tim McGraw in Federal Court

   April 30, 2013 1:19 PM EDT Curb Records is suing Tim McGraw. Again. Court of Appeals Sides with Tim McGraw in Curb Records Case The Nashville, Tenn.-based label has filed a lawsuit against the country music star and Big Machine Records in federal court, alleging copyright ...

6. Backbeat: Kenny Chesney Previews New Album 'Life on a Rock' in New York City for His Biggest Fans

   April 30, 2013 10:45 AM EDT In a production orchestrated much like a major live television show, a studio audience of about 90 fans sat within feet of country superstar Kenny Chesney to hear songs from his new album, ( Life On A Rock , out Tuesday, April 30th) and the stor ...

7. Country Music Marathon, First Big U.S. Race Since Boston, Brings Tens of Thousands (and Millions) to Nashville

   April 29, 2013 10:54 AM EDT While “Boston Strong” was everywhere for Saturday’s St. Jude Country Music Marathon in Nashville -- the first major race in the U.S. since the Boston Marathon was curtailed following the bombing -- there’s nothing like American flags and lots of ...

8. Grand Ole Opry To Hold Public Funeral For George Jones

   April 29, 2013 6:38 AM EDT A public funeral will be held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville for country music superstar George Jones, who died Friday at the age of 81. Brad Paisley, Mel Tillis and Other Grand Ole Opry Stars Honor George Jones Publicist Kirt Webster ...

9. George Jones Survived ‘No Show’ Period Because Fans Identified With Him

   April 29, 2013 12:11 AM EDT George Jones, who died April 26 in Nashville at the age of 81, worked hard—or rather, played hard—to earn the nickname “No Show Jones.” The moniker came from Jones’ propensity to miss concerts due to his well-chronicled affinity for alcohol and ...

10. Brad Paisley, Mel Tillis and Other Grand Ole Opry Stars Honor George Jones

    April 28, 2013 1:47 AM EDT Grand Ole Opry member and Country Music Hall of Famer George Jones, who died April 26 at the age of 81, last played the Grand Ole Opry in 2011, but he was fondly remembered by stars of the venerable institution on the night of his death. Opry ...

11. George Jones Radio Airplay Soars in the Hours After His Death

    April 27, 2013 7:02 PM EDT Although written as a chilling tragedy ballad with a surprise ending, the chorus of George Jones’ 1989 hit “Radio Lover” could conversely be interpreted as posthumous consolation for the legions of fans he left grieving in the wake of his dea ...

12. Chart Moves: Sarah Brightman, Olly Murs Make Top 20 Debuts on Billboard 200

    April 26, 2013 9:28 PM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Fall Out Boy replaced Paramore at No. 1, as the former's new "Save Rock and Roll" debuted with 154,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In the runner-up position, Kid Cudi bowed wi ...

13. George Jones Remembered by Trisha Yearwood

    April 26, 2013 8:40 PM EDT 0 7.057 k 48 0 0 George Jones, considered by many to be the greatest country singer of all time, died Friday morning at the age of 81. Fellow country singer and friend Trisha Yearwood shared her memories of the singer with Billboard this afternoon. George ...

14. George Jones: Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Shelia Shipley, Evelyn Shriver, Many More Share Memories

    April 26, 2013 5:57 PM EDT George Jones, considered by many to be the greatest country singer in history, died Friday morning (April 26) in Nashville after a brief hospitalization. He was 81. In the hours after his death, Billboard.biz spoke with some of his friends, fel ...

15. Chart Moves: Daft Punk Scores Biggest Hot 100 Hit, Black Sabbath Returns and More

    April 26, 2013 4:54 PM EDT As previously reported, P!nk's "Just Give Me a Reason" (featuring fun.'s Nate Ruess) spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Who else makes noteworthy moves on the Hot 100 and other song charts this week?   -- ...

16. Exclusive: George Jones Remembered by Garth Brooks

    April 26, 2013 4:11 PM EDT George Jones, considered by many to be the greatest country singer of all time, died Friday morning at the age of 81. Longtime fan and friend Garth Brooks, who recorded a duet with Jones in 2001 called “Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?) ...

17. George Jones Was King of the Country Charts

    April 26, 2013 11:16 AM EDT He may have been known as the Possum, but on Billboard's country charts, George Jones was a king. Jones passed away this morning at 81. Jones holds the record for the most entries on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart - 166 - from 19 ...

18. George Jones Dead at 81

    April 26, 2013 10:23 AM EDT George Jones – the singer who defined an era of country music and along the way, influenced almost every artist that followed into the format – died this morning at Nashville's Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He was 81. Jones enter ...

19. Lady Antebellum Teams With Citi For 'Golden' Release In NYC

    April 24, 2013 2:31 PM EDT Lady Antebellum will partner with Citi in a record release show for the group’s new album “Golden” at the McKittrick Hotel in New York City on May 7. The McKittrick Hotel is the home of Punchdrunk’s immersive play “Sleep No More.” In a deal brok ...

20. ASCAP Expo: Ralph Murphy’s Laws of Songwriting

    April 22, 2013 1:29 PM EDT A room full of eager songwriters piled into the Mt. Olympus Ballroom of Hollywood's Lowes Hotel on Friday, all hoping to pick up a few tips and tricks from ASCAP's VP of Membership/International and songwriting veteran, Ralph Murphy ...

21. Taylor Swift, fun., Maroon 5 Lead 2013 Billboard Music Awards Finalists

    April 22, 2013 11:00 AM EDT Taylor Swift, fun. and Maroon 5 lead the finalists for the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, which will air live on Sunday, May 19 beginning at 8/7c on ABC from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. CLICK FOR COMPLETE LIST OF BBMA FINALISTS • M ...

22. Carly Rae Jepsen, Rush, Leonard Cohen, Weeknd, Grimes Among 2013 Juno Award Winners

    April 21, 2013 10:20 AM EDT Rush, Leonard Cohen, Carly Rae Jepsen, Metric and The Weeknd were among the winners at the 2013 Juno Gala Dinner & Awards in Regina, Sask., last night (April 20), during a private, untelevised, non-webcast evening attended by 1,150 members o ...

23. Willie Nelson Turns 80th B'day Concert Into Texas Blast Benefit

    April 19, 2013 3:50 AM EDT Willie Nelson said Thursday that he will turn an upcoming Texas concert into a benefit for victims of the explosion at a fertilizer plant not far from where he grew up. The country music icon still has a home in Abbott, Texas, about five miles ...

24. Country Icon George Jones Hospitalized, His 'Grand Tour' Halted

    April 19, 2013 2:23 AM EDT Country star George Jones has been hospitalized. Jones postponed weekend concerts in Atlanta and Salem, Va., after doctors admitted him to a Nashville hospital on Thursday. A news release says Jones had a fever and irregular blood pressure duri ...

25. Canada's 'First Lady of Song' Rita MacNeil Dies

    April 18, 2013 6:22 AM EDT Award-winning country and folk singer Rita MacNeil, a beloved Canadian icon who hosted her own variety show in the 90s, was a member of the Order of Canada, and had 10 albums certified gold, platinum to triple platinum,died last evening (April ...

26. Paramore Earn First No. 1 Album On Billboard 200

    April 17, 2013 10:57 AM EDT Rock band Paramore nabs its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 this week, beating out Brad Paisley, who debuts at No. 2. The former's self-titled set starts with 106,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while Paisley's Wheelho ...

27. Garth Brooks Sued by Ex-Partner, Claims Singer Ruined Opportunities in TV, Film

    April 16, 2013 3:49 AM EDT Garth Brooks is being sued by his former partner, who alleges that she was induced to work on his behalf with the promise of great rewards. The lawsuit comes from Lisa Sanderson, who has worked with Merv Griffin and Richard Mulligan and has a ...

28. Faith Hill Leaves 'Sunday Night Football'

    April 15, 2013 9:16 PM EDT When Sunday Night Football returns this fall, it will be without Faith Hill, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. Since 2007, the country singer has sung the opening theme for NBC's primetime football program, a reworked version of Joan Jett&# ...

29. Brad Paisley Headed For Eighth Top 10 Album On Billboard 200 Chart

    April 12, 2013 6:58 PM EDT Country super star Brad Paisley is aiming for his eighth top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week. The singer's new Wheelhouse could bow at either No. 2 or No. 3, depending on how the rest of the week shakes out. Industry sources s ...

30. Taylor Swift's Fan Date to ACMs Aids Social Chart Climb

    April 11, 2013 6:44 PM EDT Taylor Swift ascends 5-1 on the Social 50 to helm the chart (her second time a No. 1) concurrent with buzz generated by the Academy of Country Music Awards (April 7). Despite not taking home any trophies, including the fan-voted Entertainer of t ...

31. Brad Paisley 'Accidental Racist' Controversy Sends Streams Into High Gear

    April 11, 2013 3:08 PM EDT The controversy around the Brad Paisley-LL Cool J collaboration on Paisley new album has helped drive online streams of the track as it generates a massive amount of attention from writers and critics. The much-derided "Accidental Racist,&q ...

32. Billboard Expands Streaming Charts With Seven Genre-Specific Rankings

    April 11, 2013 9:00 AM EDT Less than two months after launching the Streaming Songs chart, which blends data from a variety of streaming services into one ranking, Billboard today unveils seven genre-specific charts utilizing the same methodology.   Rankings for country, ...

33. Paramore Aiming for First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

    April 10, 2013 7:36 PM EDT Rock band Paramore is aiming for its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as its new self-titled set should bow atop the list next week. Industry sources project that the album, the group's first since 2009, may sell around 110,000 ...

34. ACM Awards Give Band Perry, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton and More Big Chart Boosts

    April 10, 2013 11:15 AM EDT While the Academy of Country Music Awards were staged on the final day of the most recent Nielsen SoundScan tracking week (April 7), the show's impact can still be felt all over the latest Billboard charts. The most visible beneficiary of t ...

35. Justin Timberlake Earns Third Week At No. 1; Band Perry Debuts At No. 2; Tyler, the Creator at No. 3

    April 10, 2013 11:00 AM EDT Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience holds at No. 1 for a third straight week on the Billboard 200, selling another 139,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan (down 56%). It's the first set to spend it first three weeks at No. ...

36. 'Alabama & Friends' Tribute to Feature Luke Bryan, Toby Keith & More (Exclusive)

    April 08, 2013 9:15 PM EDT Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney are among the artists paying tribute to Alabama on the legendary country group’s “Alabama & Friends.” The album, which will feature members of Alabama duetting with the acts on some of ...

37. Backbeat: ACM Afterparties Rock Vegas

    April 08, 2013 4:53 PM EDT On Sunday, Las Vegas was abuzz with ACM afterparties, including fetes from the Big Machine Label Group, UMG Nashville, Sony, and possibly even Broken Bow. VIEW OUR FULL PHOTO GALLERY HERE Big Machine Label Group president and CEO Scott Borchetta ...

38. Backbeat: Warner Nashville's ACM Party Draws New Talent – RaeLynn, Angie Johnson – and Top Managers to MGM Grand

    April 08, 2013 11:36 AM EDT The buzz of Hunter Hayes rightfully permeated the Warner Nashville party held outdoors at the MGM Grand after the ACM Awards concluded. Warner Nashville president John Esposito was thrilled to hear that Hayes had been hanging out with Stevie W ...

39. Backbeat: Show Dog Universal Music Shows Off Its New Crop of Talent During ACMs

    April 08, 2013 10:36 AM EDT Show Dog Universal Music, the independent label founded by Toby Keith in 2005 and which merged with Universal Records South in 2007, hosted its 3rd annual brunch at the ACMs today in Las Vegas. Held at Craftsteak at the MGM Grand, the event dr ...

40. Miranda Lambert Is Big Winner at ACM Awards, But Luke Bryan Scores Upset

    April 07, 2013 11:33 PM EDT The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards proved to be one fine education in partying, country style. Many of the evening's performances from Las Vegas proved to be very much attitude laden -- and the winners reflected this, with Luke ...

41. Backbeat: Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Hunter Hayes, Sheryl Crow Rock ACM’s Party For A Cause Day Two

    April 07, 2013 3:22 PM EDT The Academy of Country Music and its charitable arm ACM Lifting Lives presented $25,000 each to Wounded Warrior Project and Folds of Honor plus another $10,000 to Nellis Air Force Base Force Support Squadron on the second day of the ACM' ...

42. The Band Perry and Tyler, the Creator Aiming for Top Three on Billboard 200 Chart

    April 05, 2013 8:22 PM EDT While Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" is set for a third straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week, a number of new arrivals should grace the top 10. The Band Perry's sophomore album, " ...

43. ACM Awards 2013: Who Will Walk Away With Biggest Honors?

    April 05, 2013 3:36 PM EDT The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on Sunday. Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan will host the festivities live over the CBS Television Network. Who will walk away with the evening’s biggest honors? P ...

44. Justin Timberlake Heading for Third Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart

    April 03, 2013 8:52 PM EDT It looks like Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" will spend a third consecutive week atop the Billboard 200 chart next week. The set could sell in the range of 150,000 to 170,000, Billboard estimates, based on the sales pa ...

45. SoundScan Q1: Track and Album Sales Down, Digital Album Sales Jump

    April 03, 2013 8:41 PM EDT For the second time since SoundScan started counting downloads in 2003, track sales suffered a sales decline, something that occurred in the first three quarters of 2010. So far this year, track sales are down 1.3% as of March 31, according to N ...

46. Justin Timberlake's '20/20' Spends Second Week At No. 1 on Billboard 200, Lil Wayne Enters at No. 2

    April 03, 2013 10:44 AM EDT Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience easily spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 318,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's more than 100,000 ahead of the No. 2 album, the debuting I Am Not a Human ...

47. Blake Shelton Set for Best Sales Week Ever on Billboard 200 Chart

    March 29, 2013 7:47 PM EDT Led by Lil Wayne's "I Am Not a Human Being II," the Billboard 200 chart's top 10 should welcome six new entries next week. The rap star's latest release is on course to sell around 200,000 copies by the end of the tracki ...

48. Backbeat: The Band Perry Preview New LP for Exclusive Audience of Media, Label Execs

    March 29, 2013 1:51 PM EDT NEW YORK -- The last time we saw the Band Perry perform was before an audience of millions during the Grammy nominations concert in December. On Wednesday night, we saw them perform for about two dozen people in a large living room, eight feet i ...

49. Gordon Stoker, Member of the Jordanaires, Dies at 88

    March 27, 2013 8:50 PM EDT You might not have known the name Gordon Stoker, but odds are you probably have an album in your collection with his vocals represented on it. Stoker, who passed away Wednesday at the age of 88, was a member of Country Music Hall of Fame vocali ...

50. Lil Wayne Set for Top Debut Next Week on Billboard 200 Chart

    March 27, 2013 7:39 PM EDT Lil Wayne should earn the highest debut on next week's Billboard 200 chart, as the rapper's new album, "I Am Not a Human Being II," is on course to arrive at No. 2. Industry sources suggest the set could sell between 190,000 ...

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