Update: As the day has progressed, so too have CMA-related songs on the iTunes Single Sales Chart.
Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert’s “We Were Us” had advanced to number eight at press time, while Eric Church’s “The Outsiders” has improved to #14. Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night” and “Drink a Beer” sit at eighteen and nineteen, respectively.
Little Big Town’s “Sober” accelerated to number twenty two on the charts, while Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow” has reached #23. Florida Georgia Line’s “Round Here” is good for thirty one, while Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” (38), Taylor Swift’s “Red” (42) and The Band Perry’s “Don’t Let Me Be Loney” (44) are also in play.
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They might not rival the spectacle of those at the MTV Video Music Awards, but by offering reliable vocals, down-to-earth stage presences and some fun duets, the annual Country Music Association Awards performances always make waves with music fans.
Those delivered at this Wednesday’s broadcast of the CMAs continued that tradition.
From Taylor Swift’s intimate, stripped rendition of “Red” (featuring accompaniment from Vince Gill and Alison Krauss), to Eric Church’s rousing rocker “The Outsiders,” to Little Big Town’s passionate, harmony-rich “Sober,” the performances offered a glimpse of the diverse talent and diverse tastes present in today’s country music marketplace.
They also motivated music fans to log into iTunes and buy some singles.
Presently at number twelve on the overall iTunes Single Sales chart, Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert’s “We Were Us” held the best position of any CMA-related track. Eric Church’s “The Outsiders” was holding strong at 17, while Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton’s respective smashes “That’s My Kind of Night” and “Mine Would Be You” were at 19 and 22, respectively.
Worth noting about those songs, however, is the fact that they were already familiar faces on iTunes prior to the awards show broadcast. The live performances definitely ignited interest, but they did not necessarily introduce the songs to music buyers.
The story was different for songs like Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow,” which surged into the top 100 (and all the way to #29) after her censored CMAs performance. Following Luke Bryan’s emotional performance “Drink a Beer” advanced to #31. Sandwiched between them was Little Big Town’s “Sober.”
Though Florida-Georgia Line is now pushing fourth “Here’s to the Good Times” single “Stay,” its performance of “Round Here” catapulted that third single back into contention at number 34. Lady Antebellum’s “Compass” shot up to number 40.
Other CMA-related songs in the Top 50 are Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” (#41) and The Band Perry’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” (#50).