Tim McGraw storms the Charts with his Southern Voice

Recorded three years ago, just after Let It Go was recorded – but prior to that album’s release – Southern Voice finally sees the light of day and while it didn’t move over 350,000 copies like Let It Go did, the album did move a respectable 136,574 units in its first week at retail, a number that’s higher than Toby Keith’s recent release American Ride achieved.  This tells us that there are still Tim McGraw fans out there and had the album benefitted from a Number One single the way that Toby’s album did, Tim likely could’ve gotten closer to his previous sales number.  Taylor Swift drops down to Number Two on the Nielsen SoundScan Hot Country Albums chart this week as her venerable fearless topped the four million albums sold mark this week and it’s likely to see a major increase with the Platinum Edition getting released this week.  In fact, we’d be shocked if the album didn’t sell well enough to rival the Michael Jackson This Is It film soundtrack for the Top spot on the charts.  The Zac Brown Band have never scored the #1 spot on either the Hot 200 Albums or Hot Country Albums charts but their Foundation album continues to be one of music’s top-selling albums, thanks in large part to the three Number One singles (“Chicken Fried,” “Whatever It Is” and “Toes”) featured on the record.   Keith’s American Ride and Miranda Lambert’s Revolution round out this week’s top five on the Hot Country Albums chart.

The second half the top ten country albums starts with the remarkably successful self-titled debut album from Capitol Nashville’s Lady Antebellum.  The album, which doesn’t feature their current top ten single “Need You Now,” continues to move units and actually leapfrogged a couple albums to move up to the sixth spot on the chart and it is now a virtual lock to scan one million copies at retail.  Luke Bryan’s three-week old Doin’ My Thing is nearing the 100,000 copies sold mark, not a bad place to be as his sophomore album works to avoid the sophomore jinx on both the Nielsen Soundscan charts and on the Mediabase/Billboard charts with singles like the Top 10 “Do I?.”    Alt-country star Lyle Lovett’s lattest album Natural Forces debuts on the Nielsen Soundscan Hot Country Albums chart in eighth place while also landing the 29th place on the Hot 200 Albums chart.  The Hannah Montana Movie Soundtrack dropped on the Hot Country Albums chart (to ninth place) but moved up the Hot 200 Albums chart last week a whole seven spots, not too bad for a soundtrack to a move that has long been out of the theaters and on DVD.  Jason Aldean’s Wide Open experienced a similar move down to tenth place on the Country chart while landing at 32 on the Hot 200 Albums chart after landing the fortieth spot last week.  This gives country music a remarkable share of the top albums on the charts as roughly one-third of this week’s best-selling albums fall under the country music moniker.

George Strait may not have one of this week’s top 30 albums but he’s back inside the Top 50 as Twang moves its way closer to 400,000 copies moved, while the title track rises up the charts.  Reba McEntire experienced a healthy 17 place jump on the Nielsen Soundscan Hot 200 Albums  chart as her latest album Keep On Loving You moved to the 53 rd place on the chart this week, thanks to the hot single “Consider Me Gone,” a song she’ll sing next week on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and Live with Regis and Kelly. Darius Rucker’s Learn To Live continues to be a good-selling album and it is inching ever so closely to the one million albums scanned mark.  The album features three chart-topping hits in “Alright,” “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” and “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” with fourth single “History in The Making” well on its way to following-suit.  Chris Young has scored a number one hit with “Getting You Home” and that song has helped him near the 100,000 copies sold mark with his sophomore album Man I Want To Be.  The album, which also features Top 40 hit “Voices” will soon find the tender title track running up the charts in hopes of continuing Young’s upward momentum with audiences and within the industry.  New Curb duo Bomshel debuts at 87 on the Hot 200 Albums chart with their long-awaited album Fight Like A Girl. With current single "19 and Crazy" now inside the Top 40 at country radio, the duo looks to be making inroads with radio and fans alike and will likely see an uptick of sales as the Holiday season apporaches.

Southern country rapper Colt Ford’s remarkable sales success continues as Ride Through The Country saw not only the title track remain on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart but also saw his song with Jamey Johnson, “Cold Beer” get picked up by two stations for rotational airplay. The definition of a grass-roots artist, Colt Ford is now nearing a remarkable 100,000 albums sold. 

How will next week play out?  Will Taylor Swift reclaim the top spot? Check back here next Wednesday to find out!