BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS EDITED BY TOM ROLAND, JANUARY 29, 2015 PAGE 1 OF 7

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1 Country MID- UPDATE BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS EDITED BY TOM ROLAND, JANUARY 9, 05 PAGE OF 7 INSIDE Makin Tracks: Parmalee s Already Callin You Mine >page WADE JESSEN wade.jessen@billboard.com Luke Bryan s Party Still Rocking; Sam Hunt s Album Holds At No. Stark Report: Broadcasters Evaluate Radio Promo Tours >page 3 Questions Answered: Borman Digital Queen Cameo Carlson >page 4 Five Festivals Fight For Face Time >page 4 The Waiting Almost Over For Carrie Underwood >page 4 Luke Bryan banks his fourth Billboard Hot Country Songs leader from his 03 album Crash My Party (Capitol Nashville/ Universal Music Group Nashville), as I See You rises -. The set yielded its first No. with second single That s My Kind of Night, which led BRYAN for weeks beginning Aug. 3, 03. Play It Again (nine weeks) and Drink a Beer (five) followed in 04. (The album s title track and lead single reached No., while fifth single Roller Coaster climbed to No. 5.) Bryan has scored nine No. s overall. Crash My Party is the first album to generate four No. s since Zac Brown Band s You Get What You Give in 00-. The most Hot Country Songs No. s that were ever spawned from one album is five. It was first accomplished by Rodney Crowell s Diamonds& Dirt (988-89), and it was matched by Brad Paisley s 5th Gear (007-08). Bryan s new No. halts a seven-week run atop Hot Country Songs by Carrie Underwood s Something in the Water (9/ Arista Nashville), which dips to No.. The single still controls Hot Christian Songs chart for a 7th week, extending the record for the list s longest reign by a woman. Sam Hunt s Montevallo (MCA Nashville/UMGN) leads Top Country Albums for a second straight week (and third cumulative frame) with 6,000 copies sold (down percent), according to Nielsen Music. In anticipation of Hunt s Lipstick Graffiti Tour launch (Jan. 9) in West Hollywood (his first as a headliner; it sold out its first 5 markets in minutes), second single Take Your Time returns to No. for a second week on Country Digital Songs, posting his second-largest weekly digital sum (48,000, up 3 percent). He notched his best digital week when lead Montevallo single Leave the Night On sold 50,000 (Sept. 6, 04). With top Digital and Streaming Gainer honors, Time flies 3-6 on Hot Country Songs. It shoots 0- on Country Streaming Songs with. million U.S. streams (up 37 percent), below Night, which rules the chart for a sixth cumulative week (.4 million, up 5 percent). Keith Urban nabs the Hot Shot Debut on Hot Country Songs at No. 43 with Raise Em Up (featuring Eric Church) (Hit Red/Capitol Nashville). The track is the fifth single from Urban s Fuse, which debuted at No. on Top Country Albums in September 03. It has sold 430,000 copies.

2 BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 9, 05 PAGE OF 7 MAKIN TRACKS TOM ROLAND tom.roland@billboard.com After A Late Start, Parmalee Finds An Uptempo Groove With the burning guitar chords in the intro, the hooky melodicism in the chorus and the insistent backbeat throughout the performance, it s easy to view Parmalee s new single, Already Callin You Mine, as a throwback to 980s power pop/rock. Don t think for a second, though, that the track s target lies anywhere outside of the present moment. The lyrics are grounded in urgency, and urgency is all about now. We ve all had that moment when you re into somebody and you finally PARMALEE decide, OK, I m all in, and this is what this song is all about, says lead vocalist Matt Thomas. It s like that moment when you change your Facebook status from single to in a relationship. That s kind of the whole theory behind the title. Modern digital platforms, of course, are not foolproof, and a tech-related snafu laid the foundation for some very real urgency when Already Callin You Mine was created two years ago. Thomas and bassist Barry Knox were hosting a songwriting session in the basement studio at Parmalee s home on the west side of Nashville. It s kind of a band house, says co-writer Wade Kirby ( All Over the Road, I Saw God Today). It s real conducive to a bunch of guitar players. Everywhere you look is music stuff. Even with his GPS, songwriter Phil O Donnell ( Doin What She Likes, She Won t Be Lonely Long ) had trouble finding the place and needed an extra phone call to locate it. Philbilly, as he s better known, in turn texted the address to Kirby, but he mistakenly inserted an extra digit. So when Kirby headed out, he went at least 30 miles past his destination. I swear he must have drove to Memphis, says O Donnell. He almost went to Dickson on Highway 70. That led to some frantic tension for Kirby. I don t get nervous in co-writes, but I get nervous when I m late and I was sooo late, he notes with a laugh. That s the nuts part on this song. Matt s a nice guy, and anybody else would have went on without me. Instead, they noodled a bit in the studio while waiting for Kirby. The band was in the process of collecting and recording songs for its debut album and needed an uptempo love song. The Parmalee guys already had a bit of what became the foundational rhythm We call it the money beat, says Thomas and when Kirby finally arrived, he tossed the Already Callin You Mine title into the soup. Knox and Thomas wanted a song that embraced love at first sight, and once the title, the beat and the direction were set, it was a group effort to find the right words and melody. It was almost like passing a hot potato around the room, observes O Donnell. We all just start throwing stuff. Everybody was singing, and I don t think it took a couple hours. It helped that the band s lead singer was part of the process. He knows better than anybody knows where his wheelhouse is, says O Donnell. Thomas made slight revisions in the melody, the phrasing and the words as they pushed through it, shaping it for his range and the band s point of view. Philbilly is a pretty country dude, explains Knox. He s always in his overalls, and he s got his glasses on, and a lot of times his lyrics come out real country. I remember us saying a few times, Nah, we wouldn t say that that s too country for us, Phil. I can t remember exactly what it was, but I do remember that happening. As the end of the session neared, Thomas insisted that the song have a bridge. They needed just two lines If you like the way that sounds/we can leave this place right now, right noooow to lift the energy a final notch before a compact, 80s-like guitar solo. It s a really short bridge, allows Knox. But it says a lot. They made an iphone work tape that day with all four guys playing guitar, and O Donnell used that as the basis for a demo at Legends Studio. The demo amped up the energy and incorporated a steel guitar, and it set the tone for the master session when the NV production team David Fanning and three Jason Aldean sidemen: bassist Tully Kennedy, guitarist Kurt Allison and drummer Rich Redmond stepped into the studio with Parmalee during sessions for the Feels Like Carolina album. Scheduling was a problem Aldean and Parmalee were both touring and they cut a bunch of songs in a blur. Already Callin You Mine was relatively easy to finish, since so much of it had already been laid out during the writing session and the demo. When you have a good demo to start off with, your job is just to give it a little face-lift, make it pop a little bit more, says Fanning. Parmalee s Josh McSwain added a Hammond B-3 for texture, NV put echo effects on the vocals in the bridge, and they wedged additional instruments into empty spaces to give the track more momentum. We always go a little more aggressive more guitars, you know, says Fanning. After he sings in the chorus, the guitars add a little drive. And where there s holes, we try to create different [signature] licks everywhere. The track was built one instrument at a time, and the interplay between Knox s bass and Scott Thomas drums became a central, powerful building block. Almost every kick drum you hear in our music, I m playing a bass note with that kick drum, says Knox. I don t normally skip em, and I don t normally hold out the notes as he plays the kick drum. I m playing right along with him. As they started playing it live, Parmalee could see people in the crowd who weren t familiar with the song trying to mouth the words to the chorus, a good sign that the audience was responding. Stoney Creek wanted something uptempo for the next single, and Already Callin was an easy choice. It changes things up a bit from the midtempo nature of the band s two previous singles, but Parmalee does hope Callin will repeat its chart success. Carolina hit No. on Country Airplay, and Close Your Eyes reached No. 4. The release schedule certainly re-establishes a very familiar timeline for the act: Carolina was shipped to radio via Play MPE on Jan. 4, 03; Close Your Eyes followed on Jan. 3, 04; and Already Callin was released Jan., 05. I think this song defines us more than just about any of them on that record, says Matt Thomas. It s not going to throw anybody for a loop, but once the chorus hits, it sounds like a Parmalee song. A little power pop during the Facebook era. Much like Kirby, this one arrives a little late in the process. But it might be right on time. PARMALEE:ED RODE

3 BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 9, 05 PAGE 3 OF 7 THE STARK REPORT PHYLLIS STARK phyllis.stark@billboard.com Are Country Radio Tours Still Worth Labels Investment? If you re having trouble getting a country radio programmer on the phone right now, it s likely because he or she is in the station s conference room watching one of many new potential stars belt out a few songs. Introductory radio tours largely unique to the country format go on year round, but this time of year the traffic is particularly heavy as label promotion reps brave potentially snowy weather in an effort to get their artists in front of radio early on and make what they hope will be a lasting impression. But with costs to labels typically in the tens of thousands of dollars, are radio tours still an effective tool? To answer that question, we reached out to various country radio programmers for their opinions. For the most part, programmers remain bullish on radio tours. iheartmedia San Antonio operations manager Don Gosselin calls them a fantastic way to be introduced to new artists, get a feel for their personality and learn about their history. Mike James, operations manger for Hall Communications Lakeland, Fla., cluster, also feels that such visits still have great value. We believe that we can get a much better sense of the artist s true talent and personality when we get a chance to meet them face to face and hear them perform acoustically. Sue Wilson, vp operations for Rubber City Radio Group in Akron, Ohio, agrees. When the PD and MD and staff experience an artist early in their career and feel invested, then I believe it does encourage airplay Sometimes the live performance and engagement is the tipping point. WDAF Kansas City PD Wes Poe says such visits also show commitment from the labels these artists are on that they are worth the trouble and hassle associated with shuffling around the country through over 00 stations... It does affect new-music decisions here. However, WCTK Providence, R.I., PD Bob Walker is less convinced. To be blunt, most radio tour stops are a waste of time, he says. We add songs based on what comes out of the speakers, not how they sound singing in our POE SCHUMANN JORDAN conference room or in my office. With so many new artists knocking on doors and a limited amount of time in any given week to see them, programmers have to curb such visits to between one and three a week, depending on the station. Words like crazy and extreme are how programmers describe the volume of requests for visits they re getting from Nashville. Says KSCS and KPLX Dallas operations manager J.R. Schumann, It seems like we re getting hammered with requests every week for artists to come by. Any more than one per week is tough, and having one every week is also tough. WQDR Raleigh, N.C., station manager/ PD Lisa McKay says that even though the artist visits are usually the best part of my day, she loses track after more than three new acts in a week. We do need a traffic light, that s for sure, says KUZZ AM/FM Bakersfield, Calif., PD Tom Jordan. At times it is overload. I have figured out we can do two conference room visits a week, but any more than that, and I ve started shutting people down I do have a regular schedule to adhere to. Says KILT Houston assistant PD/music director Chris Huff, I always try to be as respectful to the artist as possible, and never lose sight of the fact that, for many, these radio tours are a really big deal That being said, when we start getting requests for third or fourth visits in one week, it really becomes too much. Poe has a different reason for limiting artist visits that he thinks labels should consider: The volume of what is coming through far exceeds the amount of space I have to add new music from untested, unfamiliar artists, he says. In the Feb. 5 issue, we will examine the common mistakes artists make on radio tours and what labels and artists should be doing to make the best possible impression. We ll also share a few radio-tour-gone-wrong stories and hear from programmers about whether these outings forge long-lasting friendships with artists and why some programmers actually hope they don t. Country UPDATE THE COUNTRY MUSIC INDUSTRY S MUST-HAVE SOURCE FOR NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INFO EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY Get your message front and center with top country radio programmers and other key music influencers TO ADVERTISE, CONTACT: Lee Ann Photoglo, , laphotoglo@gmail.com

4 BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 9, 05 PAGE 4 OF 7 QUESTIONS Answered Cameo Carlson Head, digital business After working at itunes and the Universal Motown Republic Group, Cameo Carlson moved to Nashville in 0 to work with Gary Borman s management firm, Borman Entertainment. She guides the division s clients including Keith Urban, Alison Krauss, Mickey Guyton and Clayton Anderson in their digital and online outreach. And, despite relocating in Tennessee Titans territory, she remains a Seattle Seahawks fan. It s a good time to catch up with her, given a come-from-behind victory against Green Bay that put them in the upcoming Super Bowl (Feb. ). You came to Nashville from New York about four years ago. How has your experience with the town been so far? I ran the label relations and editorial teams at itunes, so there s been a long-standing relationship there with Nashville. I felt kind of comfortable, but it was a different position because I was going into management. There s some things that are misnomers about Nashville and how we work, particularly as it pertains to digital. There are some of the stereotypes for the fan base and certain artists that live up to that stereotype. But it s a community, which is so different from the rest of the music industry. People are connected, so you can t just rush through things. Coming straight out of New York, that was sort of my M.O. You ve got to slow down a little bit and have conversations and make connections here. The town sort of requires that from you. When Keith took the American Idol role, how did that change the parameters for what you can do? It gave us another platform that we could market to and talk to on the digital front. Keith has ob- viously done extremely well in country and has some crossover, but this put him in front of a different audience on television two nights a week. I was really excited about that. Plus, I knew that people would fall in love with Keith, so it made it very easy for us to genuinely go in there and make those connections with the fan base and make sure they were connecting it back to the music. As the recording business has shifted from sales to streaming, does that change how you conduct business, or where you are trying to drive people? There s sort of a micro and a macro answer for this. The macro is yes, we have to make sure that we strategize around streaming and what makes sense for each artist, and part of our job as management is education, making sure that our artists understand how it works specific to them, because every contract is different. Then micro, it s been a really interesting case study with Mickey Guyton. There were a lot of partners that were interested in her early on, and we wanted to really work the streaming services to make sure that people weren t able to put her in a box when it came time for radio. We were really big on playlisting and that content was in the right place and that people have a way to explore it. We took an artist that was virtually unknown and got to a place where she was a little over 4 million streams before she went to radio with her first single. A couple years ago at an Americana conference panel, you were talking about social media as helpful, but you said an list is a retirement plan. I still believe that is a retirement plan because that s data that you own. Those are the people that you can talk to that are going to buy tickets, buy merchandise, well after the peak of a radio career or the peak of hit singles. It s great to use social media, it s incredibly important you can have dialogue, you can build communities but ultimately if you don t own that relationship in some way, you are selling yourself short. When that hit song is gone, if you don t have a way to talk to people other than that same format, you re going to be missing out on people who would still buy a ticket and buy a T-shirt and support you financially. It s a very fleeting thing in social media. It looks like, from reading your Twitter account, that you re a Seattle Seahawks fan. I m assuming you re very happy at the moment. I m a huge Seahawks fan. [The Packers game] was simultaneously the best and worst game of the entire season. So, yes, I m very happy, although I have to admit that I had sort of lost hope. I wasn t thinking [the Super Bowl] was going to happen. Tom Roland MID NEWS UPDATE COUNTRY GETS ULTRA-FESTIVE The competition is on for consumers festival dollars. In a scant 4 hours Jan. 7-8, five country events were either announced or added more talent: Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., April - (The Band Perry, Josh Turner); the Key West Songwriters THE BAND PERRY Festival, May 6-0 (Chris Young, Kacey Musgraves); the Shaky Boots Festival in Atlanta, May 6-7 (Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley); the Taste of Country Music Festival in Hunter, N.Y., June -4 (Billy Currington, Eli Young Band); and the Windy Lake Shake in Chicago, June 9- (Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line). After waiting all year for the Super Bowl, NFL fans will get one last look at Carrie Underwood on Feb. when she rolls out the season s final edition of the NBC Sunday Night Football theme. Waiting All Day for Sunday Night has been rerecorded as Waiting All Day for a Super Bowl Fight with a special set design and revamped lyrics that reference the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Streamsound has assigned an April 7 release date to the solo debut by Sugarland s Kristian Bush. The lead single from Southern Gravity, Trailer Hitch, is currently No. 5 on Hot Country Songs. Ovation TV will celebrate the Man in Black s Feb. 6 birthday with at least 0 back-to-back shows about Johnny Cash. The mini-marathon includes six editions of Song by Song, each focusing on one specific title, such as Ring of Fire, I Walk the Line and Sunday Morning Coming Down. Johnny Cash in San Quentin and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison will also be included in the programming.

5 BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 9, 04 PAGE 5 OF 7 Hot Country Songs TWO S Artist AGO PRODUCER (SONGWRITER) IMPRINT / PROMOTION LABEL CERTIFIED l 4 3 I SEE YOU No. ( week) Luke Bryan J.STEVENS (L.BRYAN,L.LAIRD,A.GORLEY) 8 SOMETHING IN THE WATER Carrie Underwood M.BRIGHT (C.UNDERWOOD,C. DESTEFANO,BRETT JAMES) 9/ARISTA NASHVILLE l TALLADEGA Eric Church J.JOYCE (E.CHURCH,L.LAIRD) EMI NASHVILLE 3 l SUN DAZE Florida Georgia Line J.MOI (C.R.BARLOWE,J.FRASURE,S.BUXTON,T.HUBBARD,B.KELLEY) REPUBLIC NASHVILLE l LONELY TONIGHT Blake Shelton Featuring Ashley Monroe S.HENDRICKS (B.ANDERSON,R.HURD) WARNER BROS./WMN l TAKE YOUR TIME Digital & Streaming Gainer Sam Hunt Z.CROWELL,S.MCANALLY (S.HUNT,J.OSBORNE,S.MCANALLY) l MAKE ME WANNA Thomas Rhett J.JOYCE (THOMAS RHETT,B.BUTLER,L.MCCOY) VALORY l 8 0 DRINKING CLASS Lee Brice M.MCCLURE,K.JACOBS,L.BRICE (J.KEAR,D.FRASIER,E.M.HILL) CURB l 9 4 JUST GETTIN STARTED Jason Aldean M.KNOX (C. DESTEFANO,R.AKINS,A.GORLEY) BROKEN BOW SHOTGUN RIDER Tim McGraw B.GALLIMORE,T.MCGRAW (H.LINDSEY,M.GREEN,T.VERGES) MCGRAW/BIG MACHINE l 4 4 MEAN TO ME Brett Eldredge L.LAIRD (B.ELDREDGE,SCOOTER CARUSOE) ATLANTIC/WMN l LIKE A COWBOY Randy Houser D.GEORGE (R.HOUSER,B.LONG) STONEY CREEK TIL IT S GONE Kenny Chesney B.CANNON,K.CHESNEY (R.CLAWSON,D.L.MURPHY,J.YEARY) BLUE CHAIR/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE l LONELY EYES Chris Young J.STROUD (J.BULFORD,J.MATTHEWS,L.VELTZ) RCA NASHVILLE l AIN T WORTH THE WHISKEY Cole Swindell M.CARTER (C.SWINDELL,A.SANDERS,J.MARTIN) WARNER BROS./WMN PERFECT STORM Brad Paisley L.WOOTEN,B.PAISLEY (B.PAISLEY,L.T.MILLER) ARISTA NASHVILLE l HOMEGROWN HONEY Darius Rucker F.ROGERS (D.RUCKER,C.KELLEY,N.CHAPMAN) l HOMEGROWN Airplay Gainer Zac Brown Band J.JOYCE,Z.BROWN (Z.BROWN,W.DURRETTE,N.MOON) VARVATOS/REPUBLIC/BMLG/SOUTHERN GROUND l TAKE IT ON BACK Chase Bryant D.GEORGE,C.BRYANT (C.BRYANT,T.L.JAMES,D.ALTMAN) RED BOW l SAY YOU DO Dierks Bentley R. COPPERMAN (M.T.RAMSEY,S.MCANALLY,T. ROSEN) l 4 WHAT WE AIN T GOT Jake Owen J.MOI (T.J.GOFF,T.MEADOWS) RCA NASHVILLE l A GUY WALKS INTO A BAR Tyler Farr J.CATINO,J.KING (M.PEIRCE,J.SINGLETON,B.TURSI) COLUMBIA NASHVILLE l GIRL CRUSH Little Big Town J.JOYCE (L.ROSE,L.MCKENNA,H.LINDSEY) FREESTYLE Lady Antebellum N.CHAPMAN,LADY ANTEBELLUM (D.HAYWOOD,C.KELLEY,H.SCOTT,S.MCANALLY) l TRAILER HITCH Kristian Bush K.BUSH,T.TAPLEY (K.BUSH,B.BUSH,T.OWENS) STREAMSOUND PEAK POSITION The country music industry s must-have source for news, analysis and chart info with expert commentary from Tom Roland and Phyllis Stark, and chart analysis from Wade Jessen. Sign up for FREE delivery every Monday and Thursday. Country UPDATE

6 BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 9, 05 PAGE 6 OF 7 Hot Country Songs TWO S AGO PRODUCER (SONGWRITER) Artist IMPRINT / PROMOTION LABEL CERTIFIED l SHE DON T LOVE YOU Eric Paslay M.ALTMAN (E.PASLAY,J.WAYNE) EMI NASHVILLE l SMOKE A Thousand Horses D.COBB (M.HOBBY,J.M.NITE,R.COPPERMAN) REPUBLIC NASHVILLE l LOVE YOU LIKE THAT Canaan Smith B.BEAVERS,J.ROBBINS (C.SMITH,B.BEAVERS,J.BEAVERS) MERCURY l LITTLE RED WAGON Miranda Lambert F.LIDDELL,C.AINLAY,G.WORF (A.MAE,GINSBERG J.) RCA NASHVILLE l LAY LOW Josh Turner F.ROGERS (R.COPPERMAN,T.MARTIN,M.NESLER) l DON T IT Billy Currington D.HUFF (J.JOHNSTON,A.GORLEY,R.COPPERMAN) MERCURY l BABY BE MY LOVE SONG Easton Corbin C.CHAMBERLAIN (J.COLLINS,BRETT JAMES) MERCURY l DRUNK AMERICANS Toby Keith T.KEITH,B.PINSON (B.CLARK,B.DIPIERO,S.MCANALLY) SHOW DOG NASHVILLE l LOVE ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT Kelsea Ballerini F.G.WHITEHEAD (K.BALLERINI,J.KERR,F.G.WHITEHEAD,L.CARPENTER) BLACK RIVER l MAKE YOU MISS ME Sam Hunt Z.CROWELL,S.MCANALLY (S.HUNT,J.OSBORNE,M.T.RAMSEY) l WHEN I VE BEEN DRINKIN Jon Pardi B.BUTLER,J.PARDI (J.PARDI,B.BUTLER,J.SPILLMAN) l HARD TO BE COOL Joe Nichols M.J.CONES (R.HATCH,J.SELLERS) RED BOW l EX TO SEE Sam Hunt Z.CROWELL,S.MCANALLY (S.HUNT,J.OSBORNE,M.T.RAMSEY) GOING OUT LIKE THAT Reba T.BROWN (B.HAYSLIP,R.AKINS,J.SELLERS) NASH ICON/VALORY l RIOT Rascal Flatts J.DEMARCUS,RASCAL FLATTS (J.BOYER,S.HAZE) BIG MACHINE l HOUSE PARTY Sam Hunt Z.CROWELL,S.MCANALLY (S.HUNT,Z.CROWELL,J.FLOWERS) l TROUBLE Gloriana M.SERLETIC (R.REINERT,M.GOSSIN,R.COPPERMAN,J.M.NITE) EMBLEM/WARNER BROS./WAR l 43 NEW RAISE EM UP Hot Shot Debut Keith Urban Featuring Eric Church N.CHAPMAN,K.URBAN (J.JOHNSTON,J.STEELE,T.DOUGLAS) HIT RED/ l GONNA WANNA TONIGHT Chase Rice C. DESTEFANO (S.MCANALLY,J.M.NITE,J.ROBBINS) DACK JANIELS/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE l HELL OF A NIGHT Dustin Lynch M.J.CONES (Z.CROWELL,A.SANDERS,J.BOYER) BROKEN BOW l ONE HELL OF AN AMEN Brantley Gilbert D.HUFF (B.GILBERT,M.DEKLE,B.DAVIS) VALORY l SPEAKERS Sam Hunt Z.CROWELL,S.MCANALLY (S.HUNT,B.HOOD,K.SACKLEY) GENTLE ON MY MIND The Band Perry D.HUFF (J.HARTFORD) BIG MACHINE/REPUBLIC NASHVILLE l 49 NEW FLY Maddie & Tae D.HUFF (M.MARLOW,T.DYE,T.VARTANYAN) DOT l 50 NEW KIND OF TOWN Justin Moore J.S.STOVER (A.DORFF,C.TOMLIN) VALORY The week s most popular country songs, ranked by radio airplay audience impressions as measured by Nielsen Music, sales data as compiled by Nielsen Music and streaming activity data from online music sources tracked by Nielsen Music. Descending titles below No. 5 are moved to recurrent after 0 weeks. PEAK POSITION Year-Over-Year Album Sales 4 5 DIGITAL TRACKS SALES million.9 million million 9.5 million For week ending January 5, 05. Figures are rounded. Compiled from a national sample of retail store and rack sales reports collected and provided by Nielsen Music. COUNTRY MARKET WATCH A Weekly National Music Sales Report Weekly Unit Sales ALBUMS DIGITAL ALBUMS* DIGITAL TRACKS This Week 469,000 07,000,5,000 Last Week 45,0080,000,95,000 Change 4.0% 5.0% -3.% This Week Last Year 455,0066,000,70,000 Change 3.% 4.7% -.9% *Digital album sales are also counted within album sales. YEAR-TO-DATE Overall Unit Sales CHANGE Albums,993,00,94, % Digital Tracks,663,000 9,509, % Sales by Album Format CHANGE Physical,6,00,47, % Digital 73, , % For inquiries about any Nielsen Music data, please contact Josh Bennett at or josh.bennett@nielsen.com

7 BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JANUARY 9, 05 PAGE 7 OF 7 S AGO S ON CHT ARTIST IMPRINT & NUMBER / DISTRIBUTING LABEL Title CERT. PEAK POSITION SAM HUNT Montevallo 050/UMGN JASON ALDEAN Old Boots, New Dirt BROKEN BOW 705/BBMG CARRIE UNDERWOOD /ARISTA NASHVILLE /SMN Greatest Hits: Decade # BLAKE SHELTON l4 7 7 WARNER BROS /WMN BRINGING BACK THE SUNSHINE GARTH BROOKS 5 PEARL/RCA NASHVILLE 5035/SMN Man Against Machine FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE Anything Goes REPUBLIC NASHVILLE /BMLG /UMGN Crash My Party ERIC CHURCH l EMI NASHVILLE 0940*/UMGN The Outsiders STURGILL SIMPSON Metamodern Sounds In Country Music l HIGH TOP MOUNTAIN 00*/THIRTY TIGERS 9 CHASE RICE COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 573/DACK JANIELS Ignite The Night BRETT ELDREDGE l 3 63 ATLANTIC 55855/WMN Bring You Back ZAC BROWN BAND 3 ROAR/SOUTHERN GROUND/ATLANTIC /AG Greatest Hits So Far... 5 MIRANDA LAMBERT RCA NASHVILLE 37978/SMN Platinum l4 NEW RALPH STANLEY Ralph Stanley & Friends: Man Of Constant Sorrow CB MUSIC /CRACKER BARREL 4 GEORGE STRAIT The Cowboy Rides Away: Live From AT&T Stadium /UMGN BRAD PAISLEY l6 9 6 ARISTA NASHVILLE 30558/SMN Moonshine In The Trunk KENNY CHESNEY l7 7 8 BLUE CHAIR/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 30674/SMN The Big Revival BRANTLEY GILBERT VALORY BG000A/BMLG Just As I Am LITTLE BIG TOWN Pain Killer 0360*/UMGN 3 LEE BRICE CURB 7939* I Dont Dance DUSTIN LYNCH l 8 0 BROKEN BOW 7337/BBMG Where It s At LADY ANTEBELLUM 5 7 /UMGN TIM MCGRAW Sundown Heaven Town MCGRAW/BIG MACHINE TM000A/BMLG COLE SWINDELL WARNER BROS. 5437/WMN Cole Swindell THOMAS RHETT l VALORY TR000A/BMLG It Goes Like This The week s most popular country albums, ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen Music. Albums are defined as current if they are less than 8 months old or older than 8 months but still residing in the Billboard 00 s top 00. Charts update weekly on Thurdays at Copyright 05, Prometheus Global Media, LLC and Nielsen Music, Inc. All rights reserved. ARTIST LEAVE THE NIGHT ON l 3 SAM HUNT TAKE YOUR TIME l 0 4 SAM HUNT IS HOW WE ROLL FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE FEAT I SEE YOU l DIRT FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE CRUISE l FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE SOMETHING IN THE WATER CARRIE UNDERWOOD BOTTOMS UP l BRANTLEY GILBERT PLAY IT AGAIN l l 8 TALLADEGA ERIC CHURCH TOP COUNTRY ALBUMS COUNTRY STREAMING SONGS ARTIST SUN DAZE l 3 4 FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE YOU BELONG WITH ME l 0 55 TAYLOR SWIFT GOD MADE GIRLS RAELYNN 3 SHOTGUN RIDER l4 4 TIM MCGRAW DRINKING CLASS l5 5 LEE BRICE THAT S MY KIND OF NIGHT l ROLLER COASTER l7 6 7 GIRL IN A COUNTRY SONG MADDIE & TAE MAKE ME WANNA l9 THOMAS RHETT WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER TAYLOR SWIFT Country Streaming Songs -The week s top Country streamed radio songs, on-demand songs and videos on leading online music services. Charts update weekly on Thurdays at Copyright 05, Prometheus Global Media, LLC and Nielsen Music, Inc. All rights reserved. ARTIST (IMPRINT/LABEL) TAKE YOUR TIME l 3 SUN DAZE l 6 8 FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE (Republic Nashville/BMLG) LONELY TONIGHT BLAKE SHELTON FEAT. ASHLEY MONROE (Warner Bros./WMN) SOMETHING IN THE WATER CARRIE UNDERWOOD (9/Arista Nashville/SMN) I SEE YOU (Capitol Nashville) 6 HOMEGROWN ZAC BROWN BAND (Southern Ground/Varvatos/Republic/BMLG) SHOTGUN RIDER TIM MCGRAW (McGraw/Big Machine/BMLG) DRINKING CLASS LEE BRICE (Curb) TALLADEGA ERIC CHURCH (EMI Nashville/UMGN) l 0 MAKE ME WANNA 7 THOMAS RHETT (Valory/BMLG) JUST GETTIN STARTED JASON ALDEAN (Broken Bow/BBMG) AIN T WORTH THE WHISKEY l 3 6 COLE SWINDELL (Warner Bros./WMN) GOD MADE GIRLS 3 5 RAELYNN (Valory/BMLG) GIRL CRUSH l4 6 5 LITTLE BIG TOWN (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) MEAN TO ME l5 7 BRETT ELDREDGE (Atlantic/WMN) LONELY EYES CHRIS YOUNG (RCA Nashville/SMN) PERFECT STORM 7 4 BRAD PAISLEY (Arista Nashville/SMN) A GUY WALKS INTO A BAR l8 0 TYLER FARR (Columbia Nashville/SMN) BURNIN IT DOWN JASON ALDEAN (Broken Bow/BBMG) LEAVE THE NIGHT ON l0 3 SAY YOU DO l 4 5 DIERKS BENTLEY (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) GIRL IN A COUNTRY SONG l 5 8 MADDIE & TAE (Dot/BMLG) HOMEGROWN HONEY DARIUS RUCKER (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) WHAT WE AIN T GOT JAKE OWEN (RCA Nashville/SMN) SOMEWHERE IN MY CAR KEITH URBAN (Hit Red/Capitol Nashville/UMGN) COUNTRY DIGITAL SONGS ARTIST (IMPRINT/LABEL) TIL IT S GONE l KENNY CHESNEY (Blue Chair/Columbia Nashville/SMN) LIKE A COWBOY l7 6 0 RANDY HOUSER (Stoney Creek/BBMG) SHE DON T LOVE YOU l8 3 6 ERIC PASLAY (EMI Nashville/UMGN) NEON LIGHT l BLAKE SHELTON (Warner Bros./WMN) LOVE YOU LIKE THAT l CANAAN SMITH (Mercury/UMGN) DIRT FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE (Republic Nashville/BMLG) IS HOW WE ROLL FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE FEAT. (Republic Nashville/BMLG) PLAY IT AGAIN (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) AMERICAN KIDS KENNY CHESNEY (Blue Chair/Columbia Nashville/SMN) BREAK UP IN A SMALL TOWN l BARTENDER LADY ANTEBELLUM (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) CRUISE FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE (Republic Nashville/BMLG) LAY LOW l JOSH TURNER (MCA Nashville/UMGN) TRAILER HITCH l39 4 KRISTIAN BUSH (Streamsound) l40 RE-ENTRY MAKE YOU MISS ME I DON T DANCE LEE BRICE (Curb) DRUNK ON A PLANE DIERKS BENTLEY (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) SUNSHINE & WHISKEY FRANKIE BALLARD (Warner Bros./WMN) TAKE IT ON BACK CHASE BRYANT (Red Bow/BBMG) LITTLE RED WAGON l45 RE-ENTRY MIRANDA LAMBERT (RCA Nashville/SMN) SOMETHIN BAD MIRANDA LAMBERT DUET WITH CARRIE UNDERWOOD (RCA Nashville/SMN) WAGON WHEEL l47 RE-ENTRY DARIUS RUCKER (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) DAY DRINKING LITTLE BIG TOWN (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) l49 RE-ENTRY l50 RE-ENTRY ROLLER COASTER (Capitol Nashville/UMGN) BOYS ROUND HERE BLAKE SHELTON FEAT. PISTOL ANNIES & FRIENDS (Warner Bros./WMN) Top-selling paid download country songs compiled from sales reports collected and provided by Nielsen Music. Charts update weekly on Thurdays at Copyright 05, Prometheus Global Media, LLC and Nielsen Music, Inc. All rights reserved. BUILDING AIRPLAY GAINERS Label Artist GAIN HOMEGROWN Varvatos/Republic/Southern Ground/BMLG Zac Brown Band +40 RAISE EM UP Hit Red/Capitol Nashville Keith Urban Feat. Eric Church +60 LONELY TONIGHT Warner Bros./WMN Blake Shelton Feat. Ashley Monroe +59 MAKE ME WANNA Valory Thomas Rhett +47 AIN T WORTH THE WHISKEY Warner Bros./WMN Cole Swindell +43 JUST GETTIN STARTED Broken Bow Jason Aldean +4 SAY YOU DO Capitol Nashville Dierks Bentley +93 SMOKE Republic Nashville A Thousand Horses +70 LIKE A COWBOY Stoney Creek Randy Houser +68 DIAMOND RINGS AND OLD BARSTOOLS McGraw/Big Machine Tim McGraw W/Catherine Dunn +60 Building Gainers reflects titles with the top increases in plays from Monday through 5pm ET Wednesday, as compared to the same period in the previous week, according to Nielsen Music.