R ascal Flatts makes it an even dozen atop Country Songs, as “Banjo” draws 36.5 million impressions and jumps 3-1 on the audience-driven chart, according to Nielsen BDS.
That’s the first time the trio has topped the list since “Why Wait” dominated for two weeks in December 2010, although they did achieve a pair of top five peaks in between-the platinum-plus selling “I Won’t Let Go” stopped at No. 2 last June, followed by a No. 3 peak with “Easy” (featuring Natasha Bedingfield) in December.
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The trio achieved its first No. 1 with fifth single, “These Days,” which led for three weeks in the fall of 2002, and they’ve topped the charts at least once in all but two calendar years since then. Although they didn’t reach No. 1 at all in 2003 or in 2008, they were still an intrepid chart force in both of those years. The threesome took two singles into the top five in 2003, including a No. 2 peak with “I Melt,” and barely missed No. 1 twice in 2008, peaking at No. 2 with “Winner at a Losing Game” and “Every Day” that year.
In addition to their 12 No. 1 songs, Rascal Flatts’ chart history includes 10 top five singles and five other top 10 peaks. Top radio audience contributors for “Banjo” during the April 23-29 BDS tracking week are KKGO Los Angeles (1.1 million impressions), WUSN Chicago (884,000), KEEY Minneapolis (765,000), WYCD Detroit (757,000) and WKLB Boston (740,000). With 19,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan (256,000 total downloads sold), “Banjo” ranks at No. 25 in its 11th week on Country Digital Songs.
On Country Albums, the trio’s new “Changed” moves 20,000 copies and ranks at No. 6 in its fourth chart week.
Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson‘s country mix of her former top 10 pop hit “Mr. Know It All” rises 33-30 in its 12th week on Country Songs. With spins detected at 88 of the 131 stations monitored by BDS for the chart, Clarkson’s song draws 5 million audience impressions, an increase of 1.4 million during the tracking week. So far, WUSN Chicago is the overall leader in plays (363 since Feb. 10), followed by KMNB Minneapolis (306 since Feb. 12) and KMLE Phoenix (252 since Feb. 16). Clarkson’s song peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 dated Nov. 12, 2011, spent six weeks atop our Adult Pop Songs chart and peaked at No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary scorecard. The song comes from her current album, “Stronger,” which peaked where it entered at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 (Nov. 12, 2011), opening with 164,000 copies; it moves 10,000 copies and ranks at No. 42 in its 27th week on that chart (766,000 to date). The country remix has sold 9,000 downloads so far (3,000 this week).
High atop Country Digital Songs, Taylor Swift‘s “Eyes Open” leads for a sixth week (81,000 downloads).
Three new titles post top five starts on Country Albums, led by singer/songwriter Lee Brice’s second album “Hard 2 Love,” which posts the Hot Shot Debut at No. 2 with 46,000 copies sold. The album’s lead track, “A Woman Like You,” topped the April 21 Country Songs chart, and dips 5-7 this week. Meanwhile, rookie Kip Moore’s “Up All Night” pops on at No. 3 with 37,000 copies; lead single “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” bullets at No. 9 on Country Songs in its 30th chart week. Also noteworthy on Country Albums is a No. 5 start for Texas regional “Red Dirt” group, Josh Abbott Band, whose “Small Town Family Dream” opens with 21,000. The band’s current single “Touch” bullets at No. 46 in its 14th week on Country Songs.