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Sam Hunt’s “Downtown’s Dead” Earns #18 On Billboard Country Airplay, #29 On Mediabase

Sam Hunt’s new single makes a big splash on the official country radio charts.

Sam Hunt’s new single “Downtown’s Dead” ranks as the top debut on this week’s Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase country radio singles charts.

The single earns #18 on the former. In doing so, it becomes Hunt’s highest-charting debut on the listing.

“Downtown’s Dead” meanwhile begins at #29 on the Mediabase country radio singles chart.

There are two factors driving the stronger Billboard position:

— Different tracking weeks: Whereas Mediabase uses a Sunday-Saturday tracking period, Billboard charts songs from a Monday-Sunday vantage point. Since “Downtown’s Dead” premiered on Wednesday, May 16, it received an extra day of tracking on this week’s Billboard chart.

— Different methodologies: Mediabase ranks songs based on a proprietary scoring system (spins are awarded point values based on the markets in which they were received), while Billboard relies on audience impressions. New, high-profile songs (especially those that receive “on the hour” premiere airplay from iHeartMedia stations) tend to receive a disproportionately substantial amount of audience impressions during their opening week.

Brian Cantor

Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He has been a leading reporter in the music, movie, television and sporting spaces since 2002. Brian's reporting has been cited by major websites like BuzzFeed, Billboard, the New Yorker and The Fader -- and shared by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj. Contact Brian at brian.cantor[at]headlineplanet.com.

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Brian Cantor