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CMAs boost sales

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 – The Country Music Association Awards show of last week proved yet again to be a harbinger of great record sales.

Zac Brown Band's "Live From Bonnaroo," which contains the group's cover of The Devil Went Down To Georgia, skyrocketed 379 percent to about 900 units.

Darius Rucker saw sales of his "Learn to Live" debut CD jump 83 percent to 23,354. Keith Urban's "Defying Gravity" shot up 43 percent to 11,049.

Other benficiairies of the CMAs were:

Jamey Johnson That Lonesome Song (286 percent to about 15,000 units)

Sugarland Love On The Inside (136 percent, about 14,000)

Sugarland Live On The Inside CD/DVD (110 percent, about 6,000)

Brad Paisley American Saturday Night (94 percent, about 10,000)

Darius Rucker Learn To Live (83 percent, 23,354)

Zac Brown Band The Foundation (55 percent, about 36,000)

Keith Urban Defying Gravity (43 percent, 11,049)

Taylor Swift Taylor Swift (40 percent, about 16,000)

Billy Currington Little Bit Of Everything (42 percent, about 6,000)

George Strait Twang (32 percent, about 10,000)

Taylor Swift Fearless (30 percent, about 91,000)

CMAs Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum enjoyed their biggest sales week ever - even after 83 weeks on the Billboard country albums chart. The group sold 45,228 albums this week (a 130-percent increase from last week) beating their self-titled platinum selling debut album street week number of 43,384 albums sold.

After the group's CMA Awards performance of Need You Now, their hit and title track of their forthcoming album, the single shot straight to the top of the all-genre digital charts at iTunes and Amazon Mp3 and is Verizon's number one selling country ringback and ringtone (number 3 ringtone and number 2 ringback overall).

The RIAA certified their debut single Love Don't Live Here and their current single gold this week. The song also is number one of both the Billboard and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts and is spending its sixth consecutive week at numero uno on the Billboard Canada chart.

Lady Antebellum releases "Need You Now" on Jan. 26, 2010. They will finish up a few remaining tour dates through the end of the year and then join Tim McGraw on his Southern Voice tour at the beginning of next year.

More news for Lady Antebellum

CD reviews for Lady Antebellum

Need You Now

Despite their commercial success and numerous awards, some critics felt that Lady Antebellum's self-titled debut, released in 2007, wasn't country enough. And those critics won't be happy with its follow-up. A pleasant selection of pop-infused songs, this sophomore offering from the photogenic trio stays in a fairly safe middle range. The themes are country enough - lonely calls in the middle of the night, driving down open highways, heading to the lake in a jacked-up jeep - but »»»

Lady Antebellum

The early info on Lady Antebellum's debut promised a blend of classic country harmonies, R&B soul, and '70s singer-songwriter sincerity. Those elements are thin, and they're held firmly in check by the unabashedly contemporary production. It's an album that could very easily have been totally generic. The division of vocal duties between Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley - third band member Dave Haywood is the instrumentalist - raises it out of mediocrity. »»»

Editorial: American Idol's Carrie Underwood can sing – If anyone saw the Super Bowl – what a great great game that was – they would have heard American Idol winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood sing the National Anthem. Underwood did with her voice what Kelly Clarkson did last week with her written words – give it to Scott Borchetta, the head of Big Machine Records,, who tried defending Taylor Swift by knocking American Idol performers. »»»

Concert Review: McBride, Adkins shine sometimes – As Martina McBride pointed out, the pairing of the country singer with Trace Adkins on their current jaunt was surprising. After all, she's of diva-quality voice, petite, non-controversial unless you call singing songs that empower women controversial. Adkins, on the other hand, has not been afraid to speak his mind with a kick butt attitude.... »»»

Concert Review: Eilen Jewell wears her musical hats well – Eilen Jewell wears a lot of musical hats. The Idaho native, who now lives in Boston, fronts the Eilen (ee-lin) Jewell Band, a pretty much traditional country band. She's a member the Sacred Shakers, an octet doing gospel country with a country beat. And she has yet another project, Butcher Holler, covering Loretta Lynn songs.... »»»

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