Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay are charts that rank the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. Hot Country Songs ranks songs based on digital downloads, streaming, and airplay not only from country stations but from stations of all formats, a methodology introduced in 2012. [1] Country Airplay, which was published for the first time in 2012, is based solely on country radio airplay, a methodology which had previously been used for several decades for Hot Country Songs. [1] In 2016, nine different songs topped the Hot Country Songs chart and 40 different songs topped Country Airplay in 52 issues of the magazine.
In the first issue of Billboard of the new year, Thomas Rhett was at number one on both charts with "Die a Happy Man". On Hot Country Songs, the song would continue to hold the top spot through the issue of Billboard dated March 19, finishing with a total of 17 weeks at number one. [2] The song spent six consecutive weeks atop Country Airplay, twice as long as any other song in 2016. Additionally, it was the longest run at number one on Billboard's airplay-based country chart since 2008. [3] The longest run at number one on the Hot Country Songs during the year was 18 weeks, achieved by the song "H.O.L.Y." by Florida Georgia Line. This figure was also the highest total number of weeks spent in the top spot by any act, as no act achieved more than one chart-topper during the year. On the airplay listing, ten acts reached the top spot with more than one song; Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line each achieved three number ones during the year. Rhett's total of seven weeks at number one was the highest for any act.
In the issue of Billboard dated October 8, the song "Forever Country", credited to Artists of Then, Now and Forever, achieved the rare feat of entering the chart at number one. The song, a one-off collaboration between 30 country stars from various eras released to mark the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards, was only the third track to enter at the top spot in the history of the Hot Country Songs listing. [4] [5] [6] A number of acts achieved their first number ones in 2016. Pop/rock singer P!nk gained a number one with her first song to appear on the country charts when she was featured on Kenny Chesney's song "Setting the World on Fire", [7] which topped both charts. Six other acts gained their first number ones on the Country Airplay chart, beginning with Granger Smith, who topped the chart in February with "Backroad Song". [8] Two female vocalists gained their first country number ones as featured vocalists on songs by more established male stars: Cassadee Pope with Chris Young on "Think of You", [9] and Elle King with Dierks Bentley on "Different for Girls". [10] The other first-time chart-toppers were Chris Lane with "Fix", [11] Jon Pardi with "Head Over Boots", [12] and the duo LoCash with "I Know Somebody". [13] Additionally, Karen Fairchild made her first appearance at number one under her own name when she was featured on Luke Bryan's song "Home Alone Tonight", [14] although she had previously reached the top spot as a member of the group Little Big Town. [15] At the end of the year, Keith Urban's "Blue Ain't Your Color" was at number one on Hot Country Songs, and Brett Eldredge topped Country Airplay with "Wanna Be That Song".
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in Billboard magazine. Billboard biz, the online extension of the Billboard charts, provides additional weekly charts, as well as year-end charts. The charts may be dedicated to a specific genre such as R&B, country, or rock, or they may cover all genres. The charts can be ranked according to sales, streams, or airplay, and for main song charts such as the Hot 100 song chart, all three data are used to compile the charts. For the Billboard 200 album chart, streams and track sales are included in addition to album sales.
The Radio Songs chart is released weekly by Billboard magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout the United States across all musical genres. It is one of the three components, along with sales and streaming activity, that determine the chart positions of songs on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Mainstream Top 40 Airplay is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the United States. The rankings are based on radio airplay detections as measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, a subsidiary of the U.S.' leading marketing research company. Consumer researchers, Nielsen Audio, refers to the format as contemporary hit radio (CHR).
Brett Ryan Eldredge is an American country music singer, songwriter and record producer, signed to Warner Music Group Nashville. Eldredge has had five No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, three of which came from his debut studio album, Bring You Back: "Don't Ya", "Beat of the Music", and "Mean to Me".
American country music singer and songwriter Chris Young has released eight studio albums, twenty two singles, and nineteen music videos. Ten of his singles have reached number one on either the US Billboard Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay charts. In 2006, Young rose to fame as the winner of season four of American reality singing competition Nashville Star. He released his debut self-titled album in October of that year, which produced two singles that failed to reach the Top 40 of the Country Songs chart.
"Dirt on My Boots" is a song recorded by American country music artist Jon Pardi. It was released to radio on September 19, 2016 as the second single to his second studio album California Sunrise. The song was written by Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure and Ashley Gorley.