Okay, here's a puzzle for you.
On Billboard's website, "Not Ready To Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks is rated #23 on the Hot 100. It is shaded in yellow, which means: "Records with the greatest airplay and sales gains this week".
I have a small problem with this.
#1. According to that one website posted on a previous Dixie Chicks thread (I have it bookmarked at work, otherwise I'd post it), this song is ranked around #153 on the Adult Contemporary playlists, down from #148. So it's being played less than last week.
#2. The new album does not come out until May 23. So there are no sales (unless they've brought back 45s and no one told me).
So how the heck are they #23 on Billboard's chart?
They are tabulating sales of the single on itunes i would imagine. They did well for about a week and have now fallen off, as expected. Billboards charts are about a week behind the media base website, which is "live".
Here is a link to who is playing the song (hoping it works)
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Details.asp?sngcde=DIXINRTM
Just look at who is playing it, Vh1 country, CMT, both Viacom owned, then its sirius satelite. These formats are not regulated and they dont tabulate airplay with requests, its all paid for.
I was told that because their move to "rock" has been so dismal, they are now releasing their second single "Everyone Knows", a song about the harsh and cruel life of being celebrity :rolling eyes: to the country market despite Natalie saying "she couldnt want to be further away from that industry and going back would be setting a bad example to her kids". I guess $$$ is more important to her than her children and having a shred of integrity. But most of us already knew that.
I also have to contest that NRTMN was their first single off the album. It wasnt. The chicks exploited this nations worst disaster to launch their "comeback". At the Hurricane Katrina benefit, Shelter From The Storm, they debuted the first song from the album, saying that all proceeds from digital sales would go to victims. The sales were poor and the victims mostly got the shaft, while the chicks got loads of free plublicty at their expense.
Beginning to see a pattern? The chicks have a history of exploiting causes for self promotion. Its their shtick!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/11/60minutes/main1611424.shtml
"Since country music's turned into this redneck theme, it's become kind of a negative thing in my mind, where I didn't think it was negative before," says fiddle player Martie Maguire. "I think for a while, a lot of artists were doing a lot of great things … that were broadening the audience so that country was cool. So it makes me sad that it's kind of reverted back to a place that I'm not that proud of — and this is coming from a true country fan. I can't listen to the radio right now," Maguire tells Kroft"