CML Chart: 6/1-6/7

Number 1:  Brad Paisley- “I’m Still A Guy”  (3rd week in a row; 12th CML Chart #1)

Making Noise: Sugarland- “All I Want To Do” (#54 last week to #26 this week, +22.6 point increase in rating)

New Songs: Chris Young- “Voices” at #55, Kellie Pickler- “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” at #60

Returning Songs: Kid Rock- “All Summer Long” at #59 (spent one week at #58 a few weeks ago)

Leaving Songs: Garth Brooks- “Midnight Sun,” Jake Owen- “Something About A Woman,” Eddy Arnold- “To Life”

The CML Top 60

Chris Young- “Voices”

Chris Young, the 2006 winner of Nashville Star, is back with his brand new single, “Voices.”  The song talks about how he hears the voices of the main influences in his life (his dad, his mom, his grandpa, etc.) that help him to be the man that he is.  It’s a well written song that really pays tribute to the positive role models in his life. 

Vocally, Chris has a unique voice and sounds pretty polished for someone who is about to turn 23.  He had two Top 50 singles (“Drinkin’ Me Lonely” and “You’re Gonna Love Me”) off his debut album.  This song is much better than those offering and could very well get him a Top 20 single.  At this point, I’m not sure whether he’s going to be able to get significant airplay with the fact that there are so many new male acts all fighting for a “piece of the pie.”  My initial impression of the song was that it was a Top 40 single, but I’m going to predict it go higher than that.

Initial Impression- Top 40
Chart Prediction- Top 20

To hear “Voices” visit Chris’ MySpace Page.

Kellie Pickler- “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful”

I happen to be writing this review shortly after listening to the song for the first time.  I’ve been really busy the past week and a half, so my internet time has been down enough that I’ve neglected to listen to all the new songs that I normally listen to.  This week, Kellie’s song debuts at #60 on my chart, but would have probably been higher had I heard it before I “did the math” this week.  She now joins Eddy Arnold’s “To Life” as the only songs to do this since I began a Top 60 chart.

Personally, I’ve never heard Kellie sound better.  Her voice fits this song perfectly.  I’m not sure many artists of Kellie’s tenure could pull this song off both from a vocal standpoint and from a “message” standpoint.  I even think Taylor Swift would have a hard time pulling off the entire song like Kellie does.  The song is aiming mostly at the teenage girl crowd stressing to them that you are beautiful the way they are.  I think the girls of today need to be reminded of this fact.  As an educator, I see too many girls trying to fit in with the “beauty” crowd, compromising who they truly are just to fit in.  The same goes with teenage boys, so it’s not just a girl thing.  Hopefully, Kellie connects with many teenage girls with this song and that they let the lyrics inspire them to be themselves and not go along with the crowd.

As far as chart success with this single, I think Kellie will break into the Top 10 for the first time.  I still think she’s a little underappreciated to guarantee Top 5 with this, but I think this will be the song that establishes Kellie as a force on Country radio (much like I said fellow Season 5 American Idol Contestant Bucky Covington would be doing with his current single “I’ll Walk“).  It’s definitely good enough to be a Top 20 song now.

Initial Impression- Top 20
Chart Prediction- Top 10

To listen to Kellie’s new single, visit her MySpace page.

CML Chart- 5/25-5/31/08

New:

Taylor Swift- “Should’ve Said No” at #41
Ashton Shepherd- “Sounds So Good” at #43
Sugarland- “All I Want To Do” at #54
Eddy Arnold- “To Life” at #60

Leaving The Top 60:

George Strait- “I Saw God Today”
Ashton Shepherd- “Takin’ Off This Pain”
Point of Grace- “How You Live (Turn Up The Music)”
Randy Travis- “Faith In You”

Overview:

Brad Paisley spends his second week at #1 this week with “I’m Still A Guy” and reaches #1 on the Billboard chart as well.  Phil Vassar’s “Love Is A Beautiful Thing” spends its second week at #2 while Kenny Chesney’s “Better As A Memory” climbs up to #3.  Rascal Flatts’ “Every Day” and Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name” round out my Top 5 for the week.  Making the most noise this week is Taylor Swift’s “Should’ve Said No,” which debuts at #41 after a nearly 50 point increase in rating from last week.  Starting next week, the Making Noise portion of my chart (the 5 songs making the most increase in rating from last week to this week) will exclude any song not in the Top 60 as I want to recognize songs that were previously in the Top 60 that made the highest increase in ratings.

The CML Chart Top 60 for 5/25-5/31/08 

Eddy Arnold- “To Life”

Intial Impression- Top 50

Prediction- Top 50

Review:

In memory of the passing of Country Music legend Eddy Arnold, his record company released a song of his to radio.  It is a perfect tribute to the legend, and not surprisingly has been played enough to reach #49 on the Billboard chart in it’s first week out.  The song toasts “life” and how good it has been to him, which makes it an even more fitting song to be released.

I am listening to the song for the first time as I write this entry, which is rare.  Normally, I hear a song before it makes The CML Chart Top 60, but it received so much airplay that the math worked out to make this the #60 song of the week.  I am honored to have a legend like Eddy Arnold be the first person to do this.

To hear the song, go to Country Universe’s review of the song.

Sugarland- “All I Want To Do”

Initial Impression- Top 20

Prediction- Top 10

Review:

Sugarland is back with a brand new song that I assume is the lead single from their upcoming third album (which I don’t know the name of).  I heard the song on the radio this week and was confused because it sounded like Sugarland, but I thought they were committed to “Life In A Northern Town,” their collaborative single with Little Big Town and Jake Owen.  “All I Want To Do” is a much better song than that one, so it really doesn’t surprise me that they are releasing it now instead of waiting for “Life…” to run its course.

The lyric talks about how all the singer wants to do is spend time with the one they love.  The chorus, which is just the title over and over (with “love you” at the end), is catchy, but can get a little annoying if you just hear it over and over and don’t think of the entire song as a whole.

Definitely another big hit on the way for Sugarland as I see it easily getting to the Top 20.  It probably will find it’s way to the Top 20 really soon and then will “join the crowd” and slowly climb into the Top 10.  I don’t see it catching on enough to fly right through the Top 20 and make the Top 5.  I see it picking up a lot of play early and then steadily climbing, eventually ending up somewhere between 6 and 10 on the charts.  I think the chorus might turn enough people off that eventually it’ll come up short of being a Top 5 single.

To hear a portion of the song, go to Sugarland’s MySpace page.  I’m not sure if there’s a full version out there yet, but hopefully we’ll be able to find one soon.

Ashton Shepherd- “Sounds So Good”

Initial Impression- Top 20

Prediction- Top 20

Review:

The woman who brought us “Takin’ Off This Pain” returns with her second single “Sounds So Good.”  Ashton has the potential to score another Top 20 single with this song, which sings about how taking a drive out in the country at night sounds so good.  Musically, her voice conveys the love of a night out in the fresh air of the country.  From a standpoint of timing, this song has the potential to connect with people as the subject of the lyric is “summery.”

Ashton has such a good voice, and it was a shame to see “Takin’ Off This Pain” only make it to #20 on the Billboard Charts.  Hopefully, “Sounds So Good” will help her get established in the business.

The full version of the song is not on Ashton’s MySpace page, but you get to hear the first two verses and the chorus twice.  A full version of the song can be found at Country Universe’s review of the song.

Taylor Swift- “Should’ve Said No”

Initial Impression- Top 20

Prediction- #1

Review:

When you’re hot, you’re hot.  Fresh off of her 4th Top 10 single, Taylor Swift and company are releasing her 5th single from her debut album.  “Should’ve Said No” is a guarantee smash hit that continues to show how good of a songwriter Taylor really is.  Many people want a new album from Taylor, and I can’t blame them.  However, I think this song deserves to be on the radio and not left as an album cut.  The song is about how her man cheated on her and how she turns the man away when he comes begging back to her.  Taylor sings it so well and you can feel some real anger from her in this song.

What an awesome song.  I hope the young men who daydream about Taylor listen to this song and take it to heart.  Cheating is wrong and is probably the most hurtful thing that one person can do to another.

I’m going out on a limb here saying that this will be another #1 single for Taylor (joining “Our Song”), but I really think it’s a much better song than her recent Top 5 “Picture To Burn” and sounds like what radio is looking for nowadays.  Overall, a really great song.

I’m sure this song will be on her Myspace page soon, but just in case you’re reading this and it’s not, you can go to Country Universe’s review of the song to hear it.

CML Chart for 5/18-5/24/08

New Songs:

Craig Morgan- “Love Remembers” at #57
Rissi Palmer- “No Air” at #58

Leaving The Top 60:

Trace Adkins- “You’re Gonna Miss This”
Kid Rock- “All Summer Long”

Overview:

There is a brand new #1 song on the CML Chart this week as Brad Paisley claims the top spot with his guy anthem “I’m Still A Guy.”  The song is Brad’s 12th CML Chart #1 and is poised to be his 11th Billboard #1 and 7th in a row.  As you can see, Brad has had some big hits recently.  Coming in at #2 is Phil Vassar with “Love Is A Beautiful Thing.”  James Otto’s former #1 slides back to #3 this week while Taylor Swift also slides back to #4.  Lady Antebellum’s debut single “Love Don’t Live Here” enters the Top 5 for the first time this week.  The song making the “Biggest Noise” on the chart this week is Craig Morgan’s “Love Remembers” as it enters the Top 60.

To see the entire chart, please visit The CML Chart Top 60

Rissi Palmer- “No Air”

Initial Impression- Top 60

Prediction- Top 50

Review:

Have you heard of Rissi Palmer?  I only have because I pay close attention to the charts.  This is Rissi’s third single, the first two being “Country Girl” (#54 on Billboard) and “Hold On To Me” (#59).  “No Air” has already surpassed her previous single on the charts in a shorter period of time, so maybe this will be the song that everyone will get to know Rissi Palmer with.  This, I would assume, is a big song for Rissi because if she can’t get some radio success with it, she may find herself without a recording contract.

The lyric is about how everytime she’s not around the man she loves that she can’t breathe because she has “no air.”  Musically, the song sounds alright.  Combined with her voice, the entire song is just not very strong.  It may pick up more play than her previous singles considering she’s getting a little visible press for it (performing on mlb.com I believe).  I just don’t see this song talking off.  She may make the Top 50 with it, but I would be surprised if she got any higher than that.

To listen visit Rissi’s MySpace page.