photo by Mike Carroll
Country Aircheck did a study to see how diverse the music selection is on Country Radio, and it’s not good. They report that 27% of all songs on country radio come from just eight artists (Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Zac Brown Band, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, and Rascal Flatts). They went on to analyze it further, showing that the top ten played artists comprise 33% of all airplay, the top twenty comprise 55% of all airplay, and the top 30 comprise 69% of all airplay. Their study shows that the Hot Adult Contemporary and Adult Contemporary formats have much better diversity with their playlists, and that Top 40 has similar results to country.
I find this disheartening, as it shows how hard it is for a new artist to make it into “The Club.” The top 8 doesn’t even include artists such as Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, and Miranda Lambert; all of whom often seem to be on the radio anytime you turn it on.
What’s your take on the state of today’s radio? Do you like hearing the biggest stars over and over again or would you prefer a more diverse playlist? Who would you like to hear more of on the radio? Log in to our website (it’s free to register!) and leave your comments!
Top 30 Played Artists On Country Radio
(Jan 1 – Aug 18, 2012 per Country Aircheck)
- Kenny Chesney
- Toby Keith
- Zac Brown Band
- Blake Shelton
- Keith Urban
- Tim McGraw
- Jason Aldean
- Rascal Flatts
- Luke Bryan
- Lady Antebellum
- Dierks Bentley
- Brad Paisley
- Taylor Swift
- Miranda Lambert
- Carrie Underwood
- George Strait
- Eric Church
- Rodney Atkins
- The Band Perry
- Jake Owen
- Chris Young
- Montgomery Gentry
- Brantley Gilbert
- Josh Turner
- Eli Young Band
- Lee Brice
- Sugarland
- Alan Jackson
- Billy Currington
- Craig Morgan