Brantley Gilbert Returns to No. 1, Luke Bryan Moves On ‘Up’
Gilbert's rerelease of "Just as I Am" spurs his return to No. 1 on Top Country Albums. Plus, Bryan blasts 49-2 on Hot Country Songs with "Kick the Dust Up."
Brantley Gilbert bounds 22-1 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart (dated June 6) with Just as I Am following the set’s first-anniversary rerelease. The album roars by 743 percent to 28,000 copies sold in the week ending May 24, according to Nielsen Music, marking its fifth week at No. 1 (in its 53rd week on the chart). The album debuted at No. 1, with 211,000 sold, on the chart dated June 7, 2014 and remained on top the following frame (65,000). It added two more weeks at No. 1 in August 2014.
In the wake of the deluxe reissue of Just, aka the Platinum Edition, which includes eight bonus tracks, the set’s sales swell to 802,000 to date. It follows Brantley’s major-label debut Halfway to Heaven, which has sold 1.1 million. Just‘s lead track, “Bottoms Up,” crowned Hot Country Songs for two weeks in March 2014; current single “One Hell of an Amen” reaches a new high, rising 18-14.
Also notable on Top Country Albums, Kelsea Ballerini‘s debut LP The First Time enters at No. 4 with 13,000 sold. The album’s first single, “Love Me Like You Mean It,” concurrently reaches the Hot Country Songs top 10 (13-8), powered in part by its new top 10 status on Country Airplay (11-8; 29.8 million in audience, up 11 percent).
Billy Currington Tops Country Airplay With “Don’t It”
Atop Hot Country Songs, Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” reigns for a fifth week. Although it dips to No. 2 after six weeks at No. 1 on Country Digital Songs, it gains by 12 percent to 96,000 downloads sold following the group’s performance of the song, with Faith Hill, on the Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on ABC, May 17. The track takes over at No. 1 on Country Streaming Songs, up by 15 percent to 2.7 million U.S. streams.
On Hot Country Songs, “Crush” fends off Luke Bryan‘s “Kick the Dust Up,” which blasts 49-2, powered most heavily by its No. 1 launch on Country Digital Songs (127,000). “Dust” previews Bryan’s album Kill the Lights, due Aug. 7.
Additionally on Hot Country Songs, Kenny Chesney collects his 47th top 10, as “Wild Child,” with Grace Potter, climbs 12-9. Dating to his first week in the region (June 24, 1995), with “Fall in Love,” Chesney passes Tim McGraw for the most top 10s in that span.