Morgan Wallen Celebrates First Hot Country Songs No. 1 With 'Whiskey Glasses'
Morgan Wallen achieves his first No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, as "Whiskey Glasses" rises 2-1 in its 30th week on the survey (dated May 18), which blends airplay, streaming and sales data.
"Whiskey" leads with a 9% increase to 33.5 million airplay audience impressions, according to Nielsen Music, as it rises 6-4 on Country Airplay. It pushes 4-3 on Country Streaming Songs (9.9 million U.S. streams, up 8%) and dips 2-3 on Country Digital Song Sales (12,000 downloads sold, down 1%).
"Whiskey" dethrones Luke Combs' "Beautiful Crazy" (River House/Columbia Nashville) after 11 weeks atop Hot Country Songs.
"My first No. 1 on Hot Country Songs chart happened on my 26th birthday [May 13]," Wallen tells Billboard. "This is truly a day I'll never forget."
The track, written by Ben Burgess and Kevin Kadis, follows his first Hot Country Songs top 10, "Up Down" (featuring Florida Georgia Line), which hit No. 5 on June 30, 2018. "Up" led Country Airplay the same week, becoming his first No. 1 (and FGL's 12th of 14 leaders).
Wallen first charted with "The Way I Talk," which reached No. 30 on Country Airplay and No. 35 on Hot Country Songs. All three singles are from his first LP, If I Know Me, which entered at its No. 11 Top Country Albums high in May 2018.
Wallen boasts one other Hot Country Songs entry: his version of Jason Isbell's "Cover Me Up" (No. 46 last month). Americana titan Isbell released his original on his 2013 album Southeastern, while Morgan's "Cover" cover is a stand-alone single.
NEW TOP 10s Lee Brice's "Rumor" rises to the top 10 of both Hot Country Songs (11-9) and Country Airplay (12-8). The track, which Brice wrote with Ashley Gorley and Kyle Jacobs, marks his seventh Hot Country Songs top 10 and first since "Drinking Class" (No. 3, 2015).
"LOOK" AT RHETT Thomas Rhett rolls up his 14th Country Airplay top 10, a sum that includes 12 No. 1s, as "Look What God Gave Her" bumps 11-9 (23.9 million in audience, up 5%). On Hot Country Songs, it bullets at No. 7.
"Look," which Rhett penned with his father, Rhett Akins, Julian Bunetta, John Ryan and J Cash, was inspired by his wife, Lauren. It's the lead single from his fourth LP, Center Point Road. The set, due May 31, is named after the street on which he grew up in Hendersonville, Tenn.
"BEER" RUN BEGINS Luke Combs' "Beer Never Broke My Heart," released May 8, rockets onto Hot Country Songs at No. 12 and Country Airplay at No. 15 (15.2 million impressions).
Aided by hourly plays on participating iHeartMedia stations on May 8, "Beer" marks Combs' highest Country Airplay start. It's the chart's top entrance by any act since Sept. 2012 when Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" opened and peaked at No. 13. (In April 2012, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw's "Feel Like a Rock Star" also debuted at No. 13, before peaking at No. 11.)
"Beer" bows at No. 2 on Country Digital Song Sales (19,000 sold), marking Combs' ninth top 10. (Blake Shelton's "God's Country" leads the list for a personal-best sixth week, with 20,000 sold.) "Beer" also drew 4 million U.S. streams in the tracking week.
Currently a stand-alone single, "Beer" follows Combs' unprecedented five straight career-opening Country Airplay No. 1s: "Hurricane," "When It Rains It Pours," "One Number Away," "She Got the Best of Me" and "Beautiful Crazy," all from his debut LP, This One's for You. The set leads Top Country Albums for a 34th week (27,000 equivalent album units, up 5%), tying Billy Ray Cyrus' 1992 Some Gave All album for the seventh-longest reign in the chart's history. Shania Twain's 1997 LP Come On Over leads with 50 weeks on top.