CML Chart for 9/21-9/27

A little delayed, but here we go…

Number One:
Darius Rucker scores his first CML #1 with his first country single “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.”

Highest Debut:
Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” debuts this week at #25. 

Other Debuts:
Brad Paisley & Keith Urban- “Start A Band” at #35
Eli Young Band- “Always The Love Songs” at #50
Dierks Bentley- “Feel That Fire” at #51
Jeremy McComb- “Cold” at #60

The Top Sixty

 

I neglected to make this post last week although I did do a lot of single reviews to get caught up.  I should be able to do my next few single reviews and get the new chart updated in the next couple of days.

Brad Paisley and Keith Urban- “Start A Band”

You have to give Brad Paisley credit–he has a knack for writing.  Following in the suit of “I’m Gonna Miss Her,” “Alcohol,” “Celebrity,” “Online,” etc., Brad has now released a tongue-in-cheek, really funny song off his upcoming Play album.  To top it all off, Brad got Keith Urban to sing it with him as a duet.  And you know what, that’s the best decision he made with the entire song. 

While I disagree with the whole part where they are basically encouraging people to “blow school off,” the rest of the song is clever.  I think Brad’s streak of consecutive #1 singles (currently at eight in a row) might have come to an end if he sung this by himself because it would’ve had a complete “been there, done that” feeling to it.  Add Keith Urban, and that alone adds enough intrigue to the song to make it a sure bet to make it to #1.  The fact that Keith’s vocals make this song a lot of fun to listen to and that I am sure both of them play guitar on the song, and you’ve got a song that could be worthy of recognition beyond the charts (does anyone smell a Vocal Event of the Year nomination coming at next year’s ACM and CMA awards?).

Chart Prediction- #1

To listen to a bit of the song, visit Brad’s MySpace Page.

Rascal Flatts- “Here”

Every so often, an artist/group has a song that isn’t tearing up the charts as quickly as they thought it would.  Rascal Flatts had that with “Bob That Head,” which I remember reading a few reviews that were not so positive about the song.  Without any warning, “Bob That Head” was usurped by “Here” and to be honest, it was a smart move.  “Here” is a much better song and would relate to more people than “Bob That Head” could.  The song talks about how, after a lot of searching, a man has found that everything he needed was “here” in front of him.  It’s a well sung and well written song that has already begun to fly up the charts.  I see Rascal Flatts making it back into the Top 5 with it, but I think they’ll ultimately end up short of #1.

Chart Prediction- Top 5

To listen to “Here” visit Rascal Flatts’ MySpace Page.

Chris Cagle- “Never Ever Gone”

Chris Cagle had success with a song with gone in the title, so he’s trying to do it again.  After “What Kinda Gone” got Chris in the Top 5 again for the first time in five years, he had a lackluster effort in “No Love Songs” which peaked at #53 (I had said that radio had to give the song time for it to grow on their listeners and shouldn’t try to “shove it down their throats,” but it looks like radio didn’t have the patience).  “Never Ever Gone” is a catchy song that has more substance to it than his previous single.  The only concern I have is that radio is still playing “What Kinda Gone” a lot and they may be turned off by another “Gone” song.  While the subject is different (this time the lyric is about how a woman is never ever gone from a man no matter what happens), I don’t know if radio is going to give it much a chance.  I think it’s good enough to chart and think it’s better than “No Love Songs.”  I’m coming to go out on a limb with my prediction and say that it’ll may the Top 20.

Chart Prediction- Top 20

To listen to “Never Ever Gone” visit Chris’s MySpace Page.

Jessica Simpson- “Remember That”

Now that Jessica Simpson has gone country (for the time being), she’s now “branching out” with the material of her music.  “Remember That” talks about emotional and physical abuse.  Jessica is encouraging  a friend of hers to remember how the man her friends loves belittles her endlessly when he comes back to beg for forgiveness and her to get back together with him.  The song accurately portrays what a lot of women experience who are in abusive relationships.  The song is sure to connect with a lot of people because if they haven’t experienced it, they know someone who has. 

I said it in my review of “Come On Over” that Jessica has a country voice and it sounds good on this song.  I think Jessica will find some success with this song on the charts, but I don’t see it getting much higher than the Top 20.

Chart Prediction- Top 20

To listen to “Remember That” visit Jessica’s MySpace Page.

Dierks Bentley with Sarah Buxton- “Sweet and Wild”

I just wanted to give a shout out to a song of Dierks that, through unsolicited airplay, made the Billboard Top 60, and hence my Top 60.  Dierks’ sung this on The Today Show and even had Sarah Johns with him to sing her background.  While this is a catchy tune, I have to wonder why it was not officially released.  It must have something to do with the fact that they had new music ready for him and didn’t want to release anything else off his Greatest Hits album.

To see him perform it on The Today Show, click here.

Dierks Bentley- “Feel That Fire”

Alright!  Talk about a catchy song that is well written, well sung, and sure to catch on fire (pun definitely intended).  This is already one of my favorite Dierks Bentley songs and I feel myself scratching my head wondering why I’ve never bought one of his albums before.  The song talks about how his woman loves to “feel that fire” and likes to live on the edge and likes a man that would do anything for her.

“Feel That Fire” is the lead single off of Dierks’ upcoming studio album and is sure to “burn” up the charts.  The only song Dierks never had make the Top 10 was his second single “My Last Name,” which I’m sure the casual fan doesn’t remember (mostly because they were probably still requesting “What Was I Thinkin’” a lot).  “Feel That Fire” definitely has the potential to become Dierks’ sixth #1 single and probably will have to compete with some other good songs to make it (and may keep a deserving song out of the #1 spot).

Chart Prediction- #1

To listen to “Feel That Fire,” visit Country Universe’s review of the song.

Joey + Rory- “Cheater, Cheater”

So, did you watch any of “Can You Duet?”  I saw bits and pieces, but didn’t see enough to even recall the name of any of the groups.  Well, let me introduce you to Joey + Rory (it’s Joey and Rory, but they use “+” instead of “&” which is unique).  These were the 3rd place competitors, but the furthest who have a record deal and have music out.  The top 2 have yet to release anything, which seems to happen a lot nowadays with these reality shows.

“Cheater, Cheater” upon first listen was a little bit boring to me, but I guess I just wasn’t paying that much attention.  Upon second listen, I can hear how the husband/wife duo sound very good together and how much fun people could have with their single.  While it has made the Top 60 already, I don’t see it getting much higher than the Top 40.

Chart Prediction- Top 40

To listen to “Cheater, Cheater,” visit Joey + Rory’s MySpace Page.

Josh Gracin- Unbelievable (Ann Marie)

Josh Gracin has had some decent success on the radio over the past four years.  After three singles that were Top 5, including the #1 “Nothin’ To Lose,” it took four years for him to get his second album (We Weren’t Crazy) out.  He had a Top 20 in 2006 (“Favorite State of Mind”) and a Top 30 in 2007 (“I Keep Coming Back”) that finally found their way onto We Weren’t Crazy but were not good enough to launch albums of their own.  Then, Josh released the eventual title track, grabbing him a Top 10.  It’s been a long road for the former American Idol contestant, but he’s finally gotten his career on track again.

“Unbelievable (Ann Marie)” is a love ballad where he declared how amazing the woman he loves is and how unbelievable the love is.  Not surprising, Josh wrote the song about his wife Ann Marie and the timing with its release comes shortly after the couple announced that they were expecting their fourth child.  The connection that Josh has with this song is amazing.  I guess I am a sucker for love songs where the singer wrote it about the person he or she loves.  This is a true love song, that once people start to hear it, they are going to request it a ton.

I’m going to stop short of saying that Josh has his second #1 single.  I do think that some people are going to shy away from the song because its not breaking new ground, but how can you not play a song where the person is so obvious connected with the music?  I think it’ll probably take a long time to climb the charts just like “We Weren’t Crazy” did (roughly 40 weeks on the charts), but I ultimately think it’ll land in the Top 5.  To go #1, it’ll have to have some weak competition or grow on everyone that’s listening, including those that I’ve read that have been a little critical of the song.

Chart Prediction- Top 5

To listen to “Unbelievable (Ann Marie),” visit Josh’s MySpace Page.

Jake Owen- “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You”

I really like this song.  After Jake’s first three singles each spent a long time on the charts, Jake is now onto music from his second album, which is still untitled at this point.  The gyst of the song is simple, a simple guy who can’t buy a lot of things is convincing the woman that he can love her.  To compare, Eric Church’s “(His Kind of Money) My Kind of Love” was the same idea, but in that song he was competing with another man.  Here, Jake is just trying to convince the woman.

It was interesting to watch Jake’s previous song slowly climb the charts, each spending at least 6 month doing so.  I don’t think this song is going to spend that long climbing the charts.  While I don’t think it rocket up the charts like a single from George Strait, Kenny Chesney, or Tim McGraw might, I think the radio could be playing Jake’s first Top 5, with an outside chance of being his first #1.  I definitely think it may grow on people enough to get there, it’ll just be a matter of who’s up there at the top with him when he gets there.  Definitely a great song and definitely worthy of making the Top 5.

Chart Prediction- Top 5

To listen to “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You,” visit Jake’s MySpace Page.