Billboard Hot 100 taken over by country stars
**Related Video Above: All about the Cleveland Orchestra Blossom Concert Season this summer.**
(WJW) — For the first time in Billboard Hot 100 chart history, the Top 3 slots are taken up by country artists, including one song that’s caused quite a bit of controversy, the publication announced.
For the week of Aug. 5 — in looking at streaming data, radio audience impressions and sales numbers — here’s how the top of the chart stands:
Jason Aldean – “Try That in a Small Town” Morgan Wallen – “Last Night” Luke Combs – “Fast Car” (Tracy Chapman cover)
The Aldean tune, which was written by Neil Thrasher, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, and Kelley Lovelace and came out in May, has steadily moved up the charts over the past weeks after Country Music Television (CMT) chose to remove the video from its air. Some reportedly took issue with its lyrics and setting, even calling it pro-lynching.
Jason Aldean arrives at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
FILE – Luke Combs performs during CMA Fest 2022 in Nashville, Tenn., on June 11, 2022. Comb’s latest album, “Growin’ Up,” releases Friday, July 1. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
FILE – Morgan Wallen performs on the first night of the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival, on Sept. 23, 2022, in Las Vegas. Thousands of country music fans were awaiting the singer when he suddenly canceled his performance Sunday night, April 23, 2023, at Vaught Hemingway Stadium. WTVA-TV reported that video boards inside the Ole Miss football stadium showed a message that said the singer had lost his voice and was unable to perform, adding that people would be refunded their money where they bought their tickets. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Following its removal, Aldean took to Twitter last month, saying: “There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.”
For those who haven’t listened to the song yet, here’s a sample of the lyrics: “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough. Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that (expletive) might fly in the city, good luck / Try that in a small town.”
During a concert in Cincinnati two weeks ago, Aldean addressed the audience saying in part (as seen in a TikTok video), “Cancel culture is a thing… which means try and ruin your life, ruin everything. One thing I saw this week was a bunch of country music fans that could see through a lot of the bulls—, all right?”
But now, as his wife Brittany noted in a recent Instagram post, Aldean has achieved his first No. 1 on this particular chart.
Wallen, whose “Last Night” single debuted in February, is also no stranger to controversy and not everyone is thrilled about Combs’ “Fast Car” cover. However, together, the three have made history.
Aldean’s Blossom Music Center show was postponed last month due to thunderstorms. A new show has been rescheduled for Sunday, Sept. 17. Find out more right here.
Source: WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland
