weekly April 17, 2023, Issue 854
Separation Anxiety: New Airplay Rules?
Morgan Wallen
Luke Combs
Lainey Wilson
Mitchell Tenpenny
For the first time in modern chart history, two solo singles from one artist are climbing in the top 15. Another artist has the top two Country Aircheck/ Mediabase Add Board spots this week – also an historical first. Added to the years-long proliferation of collaborations, these developments challenge the format’s traditional views on artist separation ... and have implications for other artists, as well. Of course, the music in question is Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing At A Time” (No. 12) and “Last Night” (No. 14), and Luke Combs’ “Love You Anyway” (58 adds) and “5 Leaf Clover” (17 adds). On the collaboration front, Lainey Wilson recently had a solo single and featured appearance with Hardy in the top five simultaneously. Last fall, Mitchell Tenpenny had No. 1s separated by three weeks – the first being a collaboration with Chris Young. “We one-thousand-percent have new rules,” says Albright & O’Malley & Brenner VP/Consulting Partner Kenny Jay. “When format superstars have music commanding a level of streaming above music at the bottom of the [airplay] chart, we owe it to listeners to expose more of that music and be fans right along with them.” Cumulus VP/Country Charlie Cook agrees, noting, “Separation on Morgan Wallen has dropped to 18-20 minutes in some situations, but he and Luke Combs are the only two who have fallen back that far. Some programmers tried to do a 35-minute separation between [Wilson’s] two truck songs, but it’s just them right now. (continued on page 7)
Quack Pack: BMLGR’s Riley Green is presented plaques for “Different ‘Round Here” (gold), “Georgia Time” (gold) and “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” (platinum 2x). Pictured (l-r) are the label‘s Jimmy Harnen, Green and the label‘s Allison Jones and Ryan Dokke.
Tour Launch: Morgan Wallen
Big Loud’s Morgan Wallen launched his One Night At A Time World Tour with back-to-back shows at American Family Field in Milwaukee April 14-15. Midwest WNCY/ Appleton-Green Bay, WI MD/morning co-host Charli McKenzie and iHeartMedia WMIL/ Milwaukee PD/APD/MD/afternoon personality Shanna “Quinn” Cudeck were among the radio personnel on-hand for night one of the run. They tell Country Aircheck what to expect when Wallen Morgan Wallen rolls through a town near you.
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