"I Hold On" Holds on For #1!

On Monday, March 24th, "I Hold On" became Dierks Bentley's 11th chart-topper, reaching the summit on both the Mediabase/Aircheck and Billboard Airplay charts. It was, to some, a sweet victory after radio essentially rejected "Bourbon in Kentucky" last year, but that didn't make the climb to the top any easier while it was happening. After 31 long weeks, it finally made it to the top. Woohoo!

I was a bit surprised he snagged the #1 this week, since Blake Shelton's "Doin' What She Likes" was sitting pretty at #1 up until Thursday morning. Apparently Dierks calling to request "I Hold On" on the Bobby Bones Show multiple times - and Bobby kindly playing it - did the trick! As it was, Dierks *just* squeaked ahead and finished a mere 141,000 in audience ahead of Blake on Billboard. Whew, that was close! (No worries, Blake fans - he'll be at #1 this coming week.)

"I Hold On" isn't quite done yet - in sales, that is. After his televised performance during January's Orange Bowl, the sales picked up big time, and the song is just a mere week or two away from hitting 500,000 in sales and GOLD certification. Woohoo, again!

As we all know, this is a hugely personal song for Dierks, and we all knew that the song going to #1 would be a moment filled with immense pride. Sure enough, Dierks tweeted the following on Monday morning:

thank YOU for calling/tweeting Country Radio. I Hold On is the number 1 song in the country today! this one means more to me than any other.

Later on Monday, he posted the following message for his fans (see video below).

Congratulations, Dierks! We know your Dad is smiling in Heaven!

Now we just wait to see what the next single will be. Any ideas, Congress? We should know within the next two weeks... and hopefully this single won't take 31 weeks to make it to the top! ;)

~ Carrie Srebro
DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC:

Post by Dierks Bentley.

Putting the #1 in 5-1-5-0!

Well, Dierks held off Kenny and proudly sits atop the Country charts this week with "5-1-5-0!" Yeah! 

Here are some highlights and fun facts:

• "5-1-5-0" ties "Sideways" as Dierks' fastest chart-climber, at 18 weeks
• "5-1-5-0" is the first Country chart topper to have a title that consists entirely of numbers!
• This marks Dierks' third consecutive #1 single
• This is the second time Dierks has scored 3-in-a-row: He previously did it with Come a Little Closer, Settle for a Slowdown, and Every Mile a Memory over the course of two albums
• This marks the first time Dierks has had 3 #1 singles from the same album
• And ... this is Dierks' 10th #1!!!

After the news broke, Dierks took to Twitter:

Congratulations again Dierks from your Congress! We're proud to be fans and we're proud to support you.

Now, can we make it 4 in a row? Let's get ready to TIP IT ON BACK!

~ Carrie Srebro (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

The Top 20 Goes Loco!

"5-1-5-0," the white-hot new single from Dierks Bentley, continued its quick ascent up the charts and crashed into the Top 20 this week! On Billboard, "5-1-5-0" came in at #19, with the 2nd-biggest audience pickup of the week at 2.6 million, and the #1 increase in spins at 562. On Mediabase, it rounded out the Top 20 at #20, with an astounding audience pickup of just under 4.4 million!

The song is starting to take off digitally, as well, as it debuts at #36 on Billboard's Country Digital Songs chart. Not only that, but Home has seen a small spike in its sales over the past two weeks as well, coming back into the Top 20 this week as sales hit 145,000. The spikes in sales can likely be partially attributed to folks buying the entire album based on the strength of all 3 singles, and based off the strength of "5-1-5-0" as well!

The song is having another great week, which should see it move into the mid-teens. I anticipate that it will start passing songs in front of it - picking them off, if you will - in the later part of this week into next week. Can we get it in the Top 10 by Last Call Ball on June 6th? It's very possible...

Carrie (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

5-1-5-0 Makes the Charts Go Loco!

In its 6th week on the charts, "5-1-5-0" - the white-hot new single from Dierks Bentley - has moved up another 5 spots on Billboard to snag the #25 spot. It had a great week at Billboard: #2 most-added; #3 most-increased spins; #4 most-increased audience. Over on Mediabase, the song flew up 8 spots to land at #26, and it was also #5 most-added and #2 most-increased spins.

If it feels like this song is blazing up the charts, that's because ... well, it is. "5-1-5-0" is behaving similarly to "Sideways" which stands as Dierks' fastest-rising single to date. Unfortunately we can't compare apples to apples, because "5-1-5-0" charted early on Billboard from unsolicited airplay. But radio has definitely taken a shine to "5-1-5-0" and it's performing slightly better than the new singles from Toby Keith and The Band Perry.

This coming week's update won't be as spectacular as they've been since it hit the charts, but that's only because there's about a 4-million audience gap between where it is now and the songs in front of it. I expect that it will move to roughly #22 on Billboard, and then crack the top 20 in two weeks. 8 weeks to get into the teens? Not bad, Dierks. Not bad at all.

This is a fun song to chart-watch. :) Keep doing what you're doing, Congress! Call, text, tweet, and email your stations and tell them it's time to get a little bit loco!

~ Carrie Srebro (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Radio Spins 5-1-5-0 Like a Yo-yo

In its 4th week on the charts, Dierks Bentley's latest single "5-1-5-0" is starting to storm up the charts. On Billboard, it moved up 8 spots to #37, and on Mediabase it moved a whopping 11 spots, from #50 where it debuted last week all the way up to #39 this week! Last week, it officially went for adds, and picked up 30 first-week Mediabase panel adds (Billboard's are not publicly available); this week it snagged 27 more adds. In total, "5-1-5-0" has been added at 72 of the 139 stations that make up the Mediabase panel - little more than halfway in just two full official weeks! Radio is already starting to go loco! 

Thus far, the song is garnering fairly strong, positive reviews. Bobby Peacock of Roughstock reviewed the song today, giving it 4 stars and saying the song is "fun to listen to" and while noting it's not the deepest of songs, points out that not all uptempos need to be meaningful and concludes by calling it a "silly little piece of ear candy." He went on to say that it's ear candy he won't get sick of after a few listens. 

It appears radio echoes these sentiments as "5-1-5-0" becomes one of Dierks' fastest-rising non-lead singles. "5-1-5-0" is certainly making a lot of noise, and seems like it should deliver our Prez's 10th #1 single and be a perfect warm-weather jam. 

If your radio station hasn't added it just yet, don't get frustrated: many stations will add the song now that it's Top 40, but some stations won't add it until it's Top 30 (it's just how they program their songs). And the Top 30 is just around the corner: if it doesn't hit Top 30 this coming week, it definitely will the following week. But keep calling, emailing, tweeting, and requesting the song on Facebook so radio knows you're "just this side of loco!" 

~ Carrie Srebro (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Radio Starting to go "Loco!"

In case you haven't heard, Dierks Bentley's new single is "5-1-5-0," and it was sent to radio this past week. It officially goes for adds on April 9th. 

But some radio stations nationwide have gotten a head-start on playing the song. Sirius XM's "The Highway" has been playing it in regular rotation since right after Home was released. Stations in Portland, Oregon; Charlotte, NC (woohoo!); St. Louis, MO; Nashville; and Ft. Wayne, IN have all followed suit in the past few weeks. 

All of the unsolicited airplay paid off this week, as "5-1-5-0" is this week's 'Hot Shot Debut' at Billboard, coming in at #56. (It has not yet charted at Mediabase, nor is it high enough for me to even track it!) "Home" hasn't even gone recurrent yet!

It sounds like our Prez is ready to get a little "5-1-5-0" this summer, too. Watch the latest DBTV as Dierks talks about the fan reaction to the new single, and how that helped them decide on it as the new single:



Are you ready to get a little loco this summer, Congress? Let's get Dierks his TENTH #1 HIT and THIRD #1 IN A ROW this Summer!!! 


~ Carrie Srebro (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Making the Penthouse "Home"

I've been waiting and waiting for this day to come, to be able to write this blog, and now the moment presents itself and I can't quite put into words what I'd like to say. So many thoughts running through my head ... 

Congratulations, Dierks! In its 24th week, the anthemic, ACM "Song of the Year" nominated "Home" moved into the penthouse on the charts, becoming the 9th Number 1 song for our Prez. The final stats (remember, the two charts have different reporting panels):

Billboard: 35.701 Million Audience, 5722 Plays
Mediabase: 41.266 Million Audience, 6236 Plays

"Home" also completed its radio run as the #1 song on the Radio Feedback Chart, and #3 on Callout America, a sign that the song resonated with the public, as well. 

And how. Here's what American Songwriter had to say about the song in their recent album review: 

Most telling, though, is “Home,” an important entry in post-post-9/11 country songwriting. Patriotism is a subject closely associated with country music and it’s often been tackled ham-handedly, with all the depth and complexity of a bumper sticker slogan. This song of Bentley’s is a notable exception. Employing symbolism that’s meaningful yet malleable, simple yet eloquent, set to a spacious, billowing melody, he embraces the possibility that many different kinds of people can claim heartfelt ownership of our history-scarred nation. And as it happens, at the time of this writing, the song is climbing Billboard’s Country Songs chart. That’s the kind of broad resonance Bentley is capable of.

In a recent interview with CMT, co-writer Dan Wilson said he definitely hopes he's able to write another song with Dierks. He also mentioned that he didn't have a specific reason to visit Nashville right now.

Well, Dan, it looks like you'll have a party to attend in the very near future. 

Congratulations again, Dierks! And thank you to all of the Congress who called, emailed, tweeted, and facebook'd your stations (and even stations that weren't yours!) to get the song to #1! Can't wait to hear what's next ... can Dierks go three in a row from Home to grab his 10th number one? I say yes. Let's do it! 

~ Carrie Srebro (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Ready to Bring it 'Home' ...

In its 22nd week on the charts, Dierks Bentley's "Home" continued its steady climb to "the penthouse" this week, moving to #3 on both Billboard and Mediabase. It reclaimed #1 on Billboard's smaller-market Indicator chart (labelmate and current #1 holder Keith Urban swiped it from him last week). 

Here's the skinny on how this is shaping up. Kenny Chesney's "Reality" limped into the #1 spot on Mediabase this morning, thanks to a plummeting Keith. However, he only gained 10,000 in audience - Dierks gained 430,000! Mediabase, you'll remember, has their arbitrary points system though, and Dierks is 835 points back as of this morning from #1. (He gained 155 points on #1 overnight.) If Dierks keeps up the audience gains, then the #1 on Billboard this week almost seems like a lock, and Mediabase is a possibility, too. Kenny will need to step up his game AND make sure he's #1 on Sunday morning for the Mediabase #1. It likely won't help Kenny that a Capitol Nashville song is falling, and a Capitol Nashville song is next in line - radio can easily trade some of Keith's spins for Dierks and leave Kenny out. ;)

All that said, even IF - and conventional wisdom thinks it's a big IF - Kenny manages to hang on ("Reality" is OLD by Kenny standards, even though 22 weeks is spot-on for a Dierks song) and snag #1 this coming week, Dierks is guaranteed #1 for AT LEAST the following week's chart run. He has a SEVEN MILLION audience impression lead on the next group of songs coming up (Jake Owen, Taylor Swift, George Strait). That's a very large lead and, at this point, even if "Home" were *falling* in spins/audience, it would still get #1 once Kenny falls. I'm watching it very closely. It should be a fun week to watch. 

I tweet almost every morning the daily updates, so feel free to follow me if you don't already - @corbers - for up to the minute updates. However, rest assured that once I see Dierks next to that #1 on the daily updates, I'll update the DBC facebook/Twitter feeds as well so we can all congratulate our Prez!  

Carrie Srebro ~ (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

"Home" Edges Closer to Top

In its 20th week on the charts, the critically-acclaimed single "Home" rose to #6 on Billboard, and #5 on Mediabase. Dierks narrowly missed the top 5 on Billboard. He was putting up very large gains throughout the week, and Luke Bryan's "I Don't Want This Night to End" was falling fairly rapidly. I knew it was going to be a close call for #5, and in the end, Luke prevailed, edging Dierks by a mere 261,000 in audience! SO close. But, Dierks will, in fact, move into the Top 5 on Billboard officially this week. (He probably did on Tuesday, hehe). 


This week is proving a little bit harder to predict. Though it WILL get #5 on Billboard, it's hard to say if it will get any higher than that. "Home" has continued to gain all week, but it's rare for a song to gain 600k on top of a 600k gain on that day in the week prior, so while it's still moving up, it's not flying like last week. The songs falling in front of it, "You" and "All Your Life," aren't falling fast enough to fall past "Home." So this week might see "Home" at #5 on both charts, and then next week #3 - maybe #2 depending on what Kenny Chesney's "Reality" does.


Make sure you're still requesting the song and telling your stations "thanks!" for playing it when they do. One key aspect of getting this song to #1 (though I'm confident it will get there with no problem) is for radio to know that we're NOT tired of hearing the song. 


Keep it up, Congress! I know you're all looking forward to celebrating another #1 just as much as I am. :)

Carrie Srebro ~ DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC

"Home" Snags Top Debut

As you can see, our Prez has the #1 Country Album in the country! "Home" sold 55,000 copies in its first week to debut in the top spot, doubling the sales of #2 Jason Aldean and #3 Lady Antebellum. 


Congrats, Dierks! And thank you to all Congress members who helped make it happen (but that was all of us, wasn't it?). :)


Carrie Srebro ~ DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC

"Home" Eyes Top of Chart

In its 19th week on the charts, Dierks Bentley's ACM Song of the Year nominated single "Home" continues its climb up the charts, coming in at #7 on both Mediabase and Billboard. 

Billboard contained quite a treat this week, with a cover story about Dierks and the new album, but it focused primarily on the song's creation and meaning. 

Here are some highlights, and I'll include a link to the story below, as well: 

"When the Academy of Country Music announced Dierks Bentley's "Home" as a song of the year finalist, the moment was, frankly, a bit obvious." 

"I'm always looking for a new sound," Bentley observes. "I draw a little bit from the rock bands I like. [Their albums are] different from the records before -- some you like, and some you don't. I always try to push for something new. That's a big part of who I am. I don't know if it's the smartest thing to do, but it's definitely me and the way I work." 

"And then Dierks said, 'You know what? I've always wanted to write a really inclusive patriotic song.' And I thought, 'Okay, there's some common ground that we can all get behind.' At that point, I was willing to follow his lead. You just get a sense that this is someone who's got honorable intentions in life." (Dan Wilson, co-writer of "Home.")

 (Click picture for full-size image)

This week, "Home" has been showing excellent growth at radio, so far picking up 2.5 million in audience (through Friday). It is a lock for #5 on Mediabase, and it's possible he'll just squeak past Luke Bryan's falling "I Don't Want this Night to End" (which will go recurrent next week), to snag the #5 spot on that chart as well. Keith Urban will be your next #1 song with "You Gonna Fly." It's hard to say whether Kenny Chesney's "Reality" will get enough oomph in it to hit the top spot, but if it does, Dierks will be next in line. If not, Dierks will take #1 after Keith has 2 weeks at the top. Either way, this song looks ripe and ready to take the top spot! 

~ Carrie Srebro (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC) 

Finding a 'Home' in the Top Ten

In its 17th week on the chart, Dierks Bentley's latest single "Home" became his 14th Top-10 single thus far in his career! Congrats, Mr. Prez! Though it moved into the top 10 on Mediabase last week (it is #9 there), it finally hit its current peak on Billboard, at #10, this week (the two charts have different rules when it comes to sending songs to recurrent status, hence the difference). 

It may seem as though the song is moving somewhat slower, and in some respects, it is. However, it is important to note that slower songs typically have a slower ascent up the charts. Not only that, but it did have a 3-week "rest" as the charts dealt with the Christmas effect. Right now, this looks to hit #1 in week 23 or 24. Average chart run time on Billboard is 21.8 weeks. There is an "everybody gets their turn" trend right now on the charts, which puts it 6th in line, assuming nothing going up drops out in front of it. And although it had a little bit of an "off week," I think Capitol is letting it have a bit of a breather before heavier rotation starts back up in conjunction with the album release, as well as Arizona's Centennial (you'll remember it's the "theme song"). For a slower song, it's selling fairly well, too, with current sales sitting at roughly 140,000. And, its listener feedback is also very high - it is #3 on Radio Feedback, and #9 at Callout America.

So although it won't be #1 when the album drops (I think it will be just outside the Top 5), it's still a very healthy-performing song and is doing a great job of promoting the album. As Mike Dungan pointed out to Billboard over the weekend, the great thing is that this album already has two songs that fans are familiar with and responding to (not to mention "Diamonds Make Babies," "5150" and "Cold Cans" that they introduced fans to on the road over the course of the past year). That should only help translate to album sales once the album comes out on February 7th (that's just TWO WEEKS AWAY!!!).

Keep telling radio you're still interested in hearing this song - call, text, tweet or email your stations regularly to request and/or thank them for playing it!

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Finding a "Home" in Top 20

Photo Courtesy Carrie Srebro (ACC Fanfest 12/3/2011)

In its 10th week on the charts, the title track and second single from Dierks Bentley's upcoming album "Home" jumped 4 spots on Billboard to come in at #16! On Mediabase, "Home" is up to #18. Although audience isn't the deciding factor for Mediabase, it's the only place you can track audience gains and "Home" had some huge days this past week: on two different days it was the #1 audience gainer, one day with a pickup of 585,000 and one day with a pickup of 757,000. Those are pretty stealthy numbers!

"Home" hit the charts the same week as the new singles from Kenny Chesney ("Reality") and Brad Paisley ("Camouflage"). Kenny easily pulled away from Brad and Dierks in the weeks following (as many expected, I'm sure), but in recent weeks, Brad and Dierks have been engaged in a healthy battle, which Dierks is winning quite handily on Billboard ("Camouflage" is at #19) and poised to win on Mediabase (Brad is at #17, with Dierks less than 100 points behind). Not only that, but with "Home" sitting at #16 on Billboard, it's just two spots behind Kenny's "Reality." It's great to see our Prez hanging with the titans of the charts! 

In the upcoming weeks, holiday music will start to become more prevalent, and many assume the charts "freeze" during this time. It's not exactly the case. The charts will still publish and Mediabase's daily information will still update, however the majority of the songs will see a significant loss in spins and audience, primarily in the week before Christmas. Some years, the charts remain fairly active, as was the case last year (for the top of the charts - it didn't help "Draw Me a Map" any. Hmph!). The chart that publishes on 1/2/2012 (the 1/14 chart) will likely see many songs with significant gains. On December 19th and December 26th, I won't have access to the Billboard information on those nights. Instead, I'll see the updates on Wednesday. All that being said, "Home" is in a great position heading into the holidays, and I still think it will fare well against the holiday music, or at least better than some of the other songs around it on the charts. Regardless, don't be alarmed if it loses a spot or two during the next few weeks; it will rebound and looks to be close to peaking right around album release the first week in February! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Home: Chart and Album News!

In its 6th week on the charts, Dierks Bentley's "Home" moved to #23 on both the Billboard and Mediabase charts. The big win, however, was on the listener feedback charts. On the Callout America chart, "Home" rocketed up SEVEN spots to #14 with just a mere .7% of listeners saying they "strongly dislike" the song (what can I say? Haters are gonna hate). On the RadioFeedback chart, it moved another 3 spots to #13, between two of the strongest songs on the charts right now: Zac Brown Band's "Keep Me in Mind" and Eric Church's "Drink in My Hand."

Unfortunately, even though it's still growing healthily and gaining somewhat on Brad Paisley's "Camouflage," "Home" is likely to spend another week at #23 - nothing has or will fall out of the Top 10 to go recurrent, and all of the songs ahead of it are moving up as well. I expect upward movement will continue next week, however, and Top 20 is likely for week 8. Don't forget to buy your copy now on iTunes! :)

And the news we've all been waiting for was released this evening: the studio album "Home" has a release date! Mark your calendars for February 7, 2012! Isn't that cover fabulous?!


~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

"Home" Breaks Top 30!

 

In just its 4th week on the charts, the title track and second single from Dierks Bentley's forthcoming album "Home" has cracked the top 30, moving up 5 spots on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart to #30. On the Mediabase chart, "Home" moved up 7 spots and just missed the top 30, coming in at #31. (Unfortunately, that means one more week until "Home" will show up on RateTheMusic and Nashville Country Club's RadioFeedback surveys, and on many weekend countdown shows.)

"Home" made its debut on Callout America this week, as well, coming in at a fairly impressive #25, with only 1% of 450 responses saying they "strongly dislike" the song (4.5 people). Interestingly enough (and frustratingly enough), the song that passed "Home" on the charts this week - Brad Paisley's "Camouflage" - debuted at #35, with 12.1% of its responses at "strongly dislike" (54 people). "Home" was the highest debut on the Callout America chart this week. 

In other "Home"-related news, Capitol Nashville announced yesterday that they will be offering two radio shows for Veteran's Day over the weekends of November 4-6 and November 11-13. Both shows will be hosted by our Prez. Home - Honoring Our Nation's Veterans will include patriotic music as well as a special version of "Home." Believing in Heroes is a public affairs program focusing on the Wounded Warrior Project, which, you'll remember, our Prez has partnered with for some dates on the current Country & Cold Cans Tour. Stay tuned to your local radio stations and let us know if you hear either of these shows being played! 

Make sure you're requesting "Home" daily, whether it's by phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, or text! Let's keep on moving the song up, up, up the charts to its #1 "home." 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

"Home" Moves Up on Charts

"This song is really well written in that it's well crafted and has a patriotic theme that doesn't get in your face. Great song."
-Greg Cole WKCQ - Saginaw

In the week before its official add date, Dierks Bentley's latest single "Home" had another strong week at radio. The patriotic song was the third-most-added song of both the Billboard (15 adds) and Mediabase/Aircheck (29 adds) reporting stations. In its 2nd week on the Billboard chart, "Home" jumped 12 spots to #41 (edging the new one from Brad Paisley by a mere 1,000 audience impressions!). On the Mediabase/Aircheck chart, "Home" debuted at a very strong #46. The song continues to perform well on the small-market stations as well, moving to #31 on Billboard's Indicator chart, and #36 on the Mediabase/Aircheck chart. 

This past Monday, October 10th was the official add date for "Home." Now is the perfect time to start reaching out to your local stations and requesting the song (that is, if you haven't already). "Home" is definitely going to move into the Top 40 next week, which will be a great catalyst for even more stations to add it. And if tonight on Yes.com is any indication, the song is really starting to pick up!

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

"Home" Makes Billboard Debut!

"Home," the critically-acclaimed second single from Dierks Bentley's forthcoming studio release, made its debut on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at #53! It did not chart this week on the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart, however it was the #1 Most-Added song for the Mediabase-monitored stations. (It was #3 Most-Added for the Billboard-monitored stations.) 

For both charts' sister small-market charts, the song debuted extremely well: On the Country Indicator Billboard chart, "Home" debuted at #42, and was the #1 Most-Added song by a landslide. On the Activator Mediabase chart, it debuted at #39 - again the #1 Most-Added song. The small-market stations are an excellent indication of how well the song is being received nationwide, and due to the high debuts it received, it's safe to say the larger market stations will follow suit. The official Adds date is this coming Monday, October 10th. 

Capitol Nashville took out a full-page ad in Country Aircheck Weekly, which was full of quotes from various DJs, Program, and Music Directors nationwide. Are any of these from YOUR station? 

• "'Home' is not a song. It's an Anthem, and I pledge my allegiance to it." - Gator Harrison, WUSY Chattanooga

• "A Song of the Year contender for sure!" - Jay Roberts, WQYK, Tampa

• "With "Home" Dierks paints an emotional and heartfelt portrait of our country, but it doesn't feel heavy-handed or politicized. It's brilliant!" - Mike James, WPCV, Lakeland

• "Inspiring ... could and should be a career record for Dierks." - Kix Layton, WSSL, Greenville, SC

• "Dierks Bentley's "Home" is a completely original American anthem - fresh, warm, patriotic, heartfelt. I love it!" - Cody Alan, CMT

• "This is one of those rare songs that says something and avoids the cliche. Beautifully written and delivered." - Beverlee Brannigan, KFDI, Wichita

•  "The new Dierks song is fantastic! It's patriotic without going overboard and being blatant about it. This song is a game-changer for him." - John Paul, Dial Global

• "As the goose bumps raised up on my arms, all I could think was, 'This is the song that's taking Dierks to the next level!'" - Cory Myers, WWYZ, Hartford

• "This is a very powerful song both lyrically and artistically. Speaks to and attracts the masses while staying true to our core." - Tyler Reese, WKKT, Charlotte

• "The new single from Dierks, "Home," is just the right message to apply to these difficult times in our country right now." - Randall Bliss, WPAW, Greensboro

• "Damn! That's one of the best songs Dierks has done!!!! A moving, powerful, emotional hit." - Sam McGuire, WYNK, Baton Rouge

• "So far, Dierks is 2 for 2 from this new album. Am I the only one who wishes it was out sooner than February? Come on, Dierks, get this thing out!" - Travis Daily, WFUS, Tampa   

No, Travis Daily, you are NOT the only one eagerly awaiting the release of the new CD! Congress, let's get this song to #1 so we can celebrate a #1 song AND a #1 album early next year!

~Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter, NC)

Is "Home" Dierks' "House?"

As you know, "Home," the second single off Dierks Bentley's upcoming sixth studio release, went to radio yesterday for immediate airplay, and early reviews are entirely positive. The song was picked up by 4 stations last week, and looks to get many more adds this week, and likely be the Chart's "Hot Shot Debut." 

Roughstock gave the song 5-stars, saying it's perhaps one of the best-written songs Dierks has ever written, and describes the production (by Jon Randall Stewart) as "epic." They liken the song to a U2 or Coldplay epic ballad. 

But what really made me happy - and have a "yes!" moment - was when I was reading Billboard Country Update (unfortunately I don't have a link) this morning, and they likened "Home" to Miranda Lambert's "House That Built Me:" 

Music is primarily a form of entertainment, a way for the listener to enhance or even escape the tedium of everyday life. 

But on occasion, an artist latches onto a song that helps define who we are. Miranda Lambert did that profoundly in her association with “The House That Built Me,” a fact she reinforced during a Sept. 21 rehearsal for her fall tour. Dierks Bentley has done it on a national scale with “Home,” a song that was sent digitally to radio Sept. 26 through PlayMPE.
 
In both cases, the material creates an emotional experience even after repeated listens. And the impact is likely heightened by the songs’ contrast with the artists’ larger body of work. Both Lambert and Bentley have earned a reputation for gritty, edgy material.

Even in rehearsal, “The House That Built Me” continues to stand as a monumental match of artist and song. So likely will Bentley’s “Home.” Where “House” sifted through an individual’s identity, “Home” grapples with the makeup of an entire nation. Bentley wrote it with Brett Beavers and Semisonic founder Dan Wilson after the shooting of Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, attempting to make sense of the senseless. The writers ably captured the principles and enormous sacrifices that led to the founding of America while avoiding bumper-sticker patriotism. “Home,” with its simple chordal riff and thoughtful vocal performance, perfectly captures the mood of many Americans, desperate for unity in a difficult time. In that regard, it bears some similarity to Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” written 10 years ago this week, on Sept. 28, 2001. In the context of Bentley’s good-time, party singles—“Sideways,” “How Am I Doin’” and recent No. 1 “Am I the Only One”—“Home” could be even more powerful in concert.
 
Like Lambert’s “The House That Built Me,” “Home” aids listeners in sorting out who we are—and holds out hope that we can be even greater.

I'm so excited to hear this song on the radio, and to continue to hear such great things about it. Let's move this up the charts! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter, NC)

And Another "One"

In its 17th week on the charts, Dierks Bentley's latest hit "Am I the Only One" kept its climb toward the top of the charts alive, coming in at #7 on both the Billboard and Mediabase charts. It was also one of the Top 10 songs with the most increased plays at Billboard, up a healthy 212 spins this week over last. 

Over at Callout America, the song moved into the runner-up spot (up 2 spots from #4 last week), behind Chris Young's "Tomorrow" (which, coincidentally, is poised to move to #1 this week on the charts, as well). With a 71% positive rating, and only a .4% in "strongly dislike," it's evident that country listeners are still ready to get their good time on with Dierks! 

"Am I the Only One" is seeing similar growth this week from what I've seen, and should continue its forward climb next week as well! Top 5 within two weeks ... and then we shoot for the top! 

Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter - NC) 

"One" More Spot for AITOO

After getting stuck at #9 for the past 2 weeks, Dierks Bentley's latest hit "Am I the Only One" climbed one more spot on Billboard this week to #8, however held steady, again, at #9 on Mediabase. Blake Shelton's "Honey Bee" held the top spot over 4 non-consecutive weeks, which unfortunately caused a bit of a logjam within the Top 10. Now that he's set a new single to be released, there should be movement once again at the top of the charts, which should help Our Prez get this 8th #1 hit.

What is sure to continue to propel the song forward is the great reception it's still receiving from country fans - "Am I the Only One" moved to #4 on the Callout America chart this week, with only .6% of respondents saying they "strongly dislike" the song. Additonally, "Am I the Only One" saw its rating climb on the Radio Feedback chart, as well (where it is #13). 

Hopefully, we'll hear about a release date for the upcoming album - so when DJs introduce the song, they can say, "From his upcoming CD due _____, here's Am I the Only One!" Keep calling, emailing, texting, and tweeting your DJs and let them know we are all still getting our good times on! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)