Country Music 2003: Year of Challenges and Opportunities

Posted on February 6, 2004

Country Music entered a building cycle in 2003 with a decline in the number of superstar releases and the continued push to develop the next round of Country hitmakers. The overall music industry was down less than one percent from 2002 once Internet and digital track sales were factored in according to Nielsen SoundScan research, but after two years of increased sales -- while the bulk of the industry slumped -- Country Music sales adjusted down 9.8 percent in 2003.

"As an industry, we face the same challenges as all musical formats, but in 2003 we didn't have the same number of superstar releases that we had in 2002 when Kenny Chesney, the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Shania Twain all had new releases, which have an impact on consumer awareness and the number of albums sold," said Ed Benson, CMA Executive Director. "Fortunately, we had success with albums by Alan Jackson and in the fourth quarter with Toby Keith, Reba McEntire and LeAnn Rimes, which helped bump sales. Overall, I'm encouraged about the future of the format with several successful debuts including Dierks Bentley, Buddy Jewell and Josh Turner, as well as the continued career growth of artists such as Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Joe Nichols and Rascal Flatts."

Among 2003's Top Ten Selling Albums in all genres, Toby Keith's Shock'n Y'all, released Nov. 4, was ranked No. 9 with more than 2.3 million albums sold. In 2003, Shania Twain continues to hold the No. 1 spot in the Top Ten selling albums of the SoundScan era, which began in 1991, with Come On Over, selling nearly 15 million units to Dec. 28. In all, consumers purchased 687 million units, which includes CD singles and digital track downloads, in all music formats in 2003 with Country accounting for 69.3 million. Nielsen SoundScan, which began counting paid digital tracks this year, announced that 19.2 million tracks have been sold since June 29 -- most to consumers 23 and younger.

"Instead of a 12-month release cycle, Country Music is experiencing more of an 18- to 24-month period where albums have a longer shelf life and extended periods of play at Country radio," Benson said. "We had a 12 percent increase in 2002 when the rest of the industry dropped nearly 9 percent. The pendulum is swinging back, but we are still ahead of 2000 and 2001."

A Look at Country Music in 2003

Helping Country to remain successful in 2003 was The 37th Annual CMA Awards, which aired in November on the CBS Television Network. The fall-sweeps broadcast, which attracted more than 40 million viewers, became the highest rated CMA Awards since 1996. In the week following The 37th Annual CMA Awards, the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, which tracks sales for the top 75 Country albums, reflected growth of nearly 170 percent. All artists who performed on the television event saw sales spikes, as did many artist presenters, nominees and Award-recipients. According to Nielsen SoundScan, sales growth ranged from approximately 10 percent to 170 percent for various artists.

Album Sales - The Top 10 Country albums of 2003, according to Nielsen SoundScan (year-to-date, ending Dec. 28, 2003):

Album Sales Certifications
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified 16 Gold, 8 Platinum, 16 multi-Platinum and 1 Diamond Country albums in 2003. Gold indicates sales of 500,000 units; Platinum indicates sales of 1 million units; multi-Platinum is for each successive million units sold; and Diamond indicates sales of 10 million albums. The RIAA continues to award these rankings throughout the life of the album release; an album does not have to be released in the same year it achieves one or more of these rankings.

RIAA Lawsuits
The percentage of Americans who download music online decreased during 2003 possibly because of the Recording Industry Association of America's strategy of suing individual song-swappers. The RIAA has sued nearly 400 people for copyright violations since September, settling most cases out of court. Appointed in 2003, RIAA chief executive Mitch Bainwol said that lawsuits against individual users would continue in 2004.

Country Radio
Country radio remained the dominant format in 2003 with 2,055 radio stations in the United States according to M Street Journal. Three new major market Country stations debuted in 2003 including KZBR-FM in San Francisco market No. 4; KTYS-FM in Dallas market No. 5; and KTHT-FM in Houston market No. 7.

Touring Events
Fans came out in droves to the top tours of 2003. Listed below are the Top 10 all-genre tours of the past year, as well as the Top 5 Country tours based on attendance, according to Pollstar magazine for shows played between Jan. 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2003:

Television
- The 37th Annual CMA Awards ranked No. 3 in the Top 10 Nielsen ratings for the first week of November sweeps, just behind CBS favorites CSI and Survivor.

- 48 Hours Investigates on CBS aired an entire episode dedicated to Country Music in November leading up to the CMA Awards. Show host Leslie Stahl taped segment stand-ups on the CMA Awards stage at the Grand Ole Opry House for the episode, which featured Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes and Shania Twain. The program was rebroadcast on CMT.

- Super Bowl XXXVII featured both the Dixie Chicks singing the national anthem and Shania Twain singing during the halftime festivities.

- NBC's American Dreams, which recruits today's top music stars to portray the stars of the 50s and 60s as American Bandstand performers, taped performances with Brad Paisley as Ricky Nelson and LeAnn Rimes as Connie Francis. Blake Shelton also became the first music artist to appear on the show as himself. American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson portrayed Country Music Hall of Fame member Brenda Lee.

- Reality television got a dose of Country when the USA Network debuted Nashville Star in February. Thousands of Country Music hopefuls auditioned for a chance to win a recording contract with Sony Music Nashville. Judges Tracy Gershon, Robert K. Oermann and Charlie Robison chose the 12 finalists and viewers whittled them down and picked the ultimate winner, Buddy Jewell. Jewell's subsequent album, produced by Clint Black, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart in July. Stars appearing on the show throughout the season included Trace Adkins, Jo Dee Messina, Brad Paisley and Wynonna. Nashville Star returns for season two in 2004.

- Reba McEntire starred in the third season of her WB sitcom Reba, for which she earned a 2003 Golden Globe nomination. Also, Billy Ray Cyrus celebrated a fourth season of PAX TV's Doc.

- Shania Twain hosted two concert specials for NBC -- "Shania Twain: UP! Live From Chicago" and "Shania Twain: UP! Close and Personal" with Alison Krauss and Union Station. Twain and Krauss joined Melissa Etheridge and Dolly Parton on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in November.

- The CMT "100 Greatest Songs of Country Music" series, presented by Keith Urban and actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, debuted in June and culminated with a broadcast concert special. The special, hosted by LeAnn Rimes and Brad Paisley, featured Glen Campbell, Deana Carter, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Vince Gill, George Jones, Martina McBride, Marty Stuart and Steve Wariner.

- "CMT Crossroads," which pairs Country artists with artists from other genres, delivered some exciting collaborations including Kenny Chesney and John Mellencamp; Martina McBride and Pat Benatar; Dolly Parton and Melissa Etheridge; and an upcoming episode featuring Emmylou Harris and Dave Mathews.

- Great American Country gained steam in 2003, adding several new programs including "Lorianne Crook's Celebrity Kitchen," the Aaron Tippin-hosted "Made In America," and "Country Music Across America," a bi-weekly Country Music news program hosted by Storme Warren with an artist co-host. The cable network began airing "Grand Ole Opry Live" in October.

- Summer event Farm Aid was made into a television special for CBS last year. The Willie Nelson-hosted "Farm Aid 2003: A Soundstage Special Event," aired Thanksgiving night and featured performances from Brooks & Dunn, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Billy Bob Thornton and Trick Pony.

- "Johnny Cash Memorial Tribute: A Celebration of Friends and Family" became CMT's highest-rated program drawing more than 6 million viewers. The special, which was taped at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, featured artists from Country and pop, including Brooks & Dunn, Sheryl Crow, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, George Jones, Kid Rock, Kris Kristofferson, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Marty Stuart, Travis Tritt and Hank Williams Jr.

- Brad Paisley made a surprise appearance on "Trista & Ryan's Wedding" on ABC. Paisley sang two songs at the wedding reception for "The Bachelorette" stars Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter. Rehn appeared in Paisley's "Celebrity" music video and, with William Shatner, introduced Paisley's performance on the CMA Awards in November.

Commercials/Advertising/Business Ventures
- Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride and Reba McEntire urged consumers to end illegal music downloading in commercials for the "I Download ... Legally" campaign. Toby Keith starred in a commercial for Mr. Coffee, and he continued his partnership with Ford, penning a new song for the truck-maker's redesigned F-150 pickup and appearing in TV ads. Tim McGraw promoted designated driving for Anheuser-Busch in a spot that debuted during the Super Bowl in January. Willie Nelson also appeared in a Super Bowl ad -- his for H&R Block. Lee Ann Womack remained the face of Sparkle paper towels and also appeared in ads for Banquet Homestyle Bakes. LeAnn Rimes paid homage to Reba McEntire as part of a new series of ads for Dr. Pepper that launched in January 2004.

- NBC Television enlisted Country Music for new programming in 2003. Shania Twain's "She's Not Just A Pretty Face" was played in commercials for the Alicia Silverstone show Miss Match, and newcomer Brad Wolf's debut single "Strictly Business" was used in promos for the Donald Trump reality series The Apprentice.

- Clint Black announced the opening of new record label Equity Records with partners Mike Kraski, Jim Morey and Charles Sussman. Black is the first artist signed to the label and will release a new album in early 2004.

- Tracy Byrd launched a food product line that included an assortment of marinades and seasonings in November. Tracy Byrd's Tiny Town Products are available in Wal-Mart stores. George Jones introduced his own line of breakfast sausage, George Jones' Country Sausage, which made its debut in more than 2,000 in August.

- George Strait worked with Wrangler to launch a shirt collection inspired by the singer.

Motion Pictures
- Hollywood once again came calling for many Country artists in 2003. Trace Adkins signed on to narrate The Dance, an independent film about boxing trainer Billy Roth. Deana Carter began training to play the lead in the upcoming Shadow Boxer. Faith Hill joined Glenn Close, Nicole Kidman and Bette Midler to film The Stepford Wives remake. Tim McGraw made his acting debut in the Rick Schroder-scripted and directed Black Cloud. The Warren Brothers offered a cameo in the independent film Heicke and the Mermaid. Dwight Yoakam hit the big screen opposite Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett in the summer flick Hollywood Homicide.

- Our Country, a heritage-rich, IMAX feature film about Country Music, featured performances by Alabama, Charlie Daniels, Sara Evans, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Patty Loveless, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Jo Dee Messina, Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood and Dwight Yoakam. CMA Award-winning director Steven Goldmann directed the film.

- Artists are contributing to movies behind the scenes, too. Garth Brooks' Red Strokes Entertainment partnered with Sandra Bullock's production company to jointly produce the upcoming Bullock romantic comedy Sprinkler Queen. And Willie Nelson has signed on to create songs for a forthcoming Gumby movie.

Soundtracks
- Chris Cagle, Brad Paisley and Leon Russell all contributed songs to the soundtrack for the Jeff Foxworthy-led comedy feature Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Jo Dee Messina, LeAnn Rimes and CMT personality Katie Cook had cuts on the soundtrack to the Gwyneth Paltrow film A View From The Top. Rimes also provided "We Can," the theme song to Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde. Alison Krauss covered Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home" for NBC-TV's Crossing Jordan soundtrack, as well as two tracks for the Country-dominant Cold Mountain feature film album. Keith Urban's smash "Somebody Like You" was selected as the first single off the soundtrack for the Kate Hudson feature How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Books and Magazines
- In 2003, Country songs continued to inspire book projects including books based on Trace Adkins' "Then They Do," Toby Keith's "My List" and Phil Vassar's "This Is God."

Broadway
- The popular 1980 film Urban Cowboy made its way to Broadway in 2003. The updated tale featured music from Clint Black, Brooks & Dunn, Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain. Clint Black, Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks all earned Tony Award nominations for Best Original Score in 2003.

USO Tours/Patriotism
- In a year of heavy military activity, Country stars stepped up to do their parts by traveling to entertain troops, participating in honorary programs, visiting military bases and more. A partial list of artists who contributed includes Sherrie Austin, Deana Carter, Tammy Cochran, Billy Ray Cyrus, Clint Daniels, Diamond Rio, Sara Evans, Lee Greenwood, Jennifer Hanson, Faith Hill, Hometown News, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Toby Keith, Lonestar, Brad Martin, Kathy Mattea, Lila McCann, Neal McCoy, Tim McGraw, Memarie, Craig Morgan, Steve Wariner, Restless Heart, Kenny Rogers, Rushlow, Chalee Tennison, Aaron Tippin, Travis Tritt, Steve Wariner, Mark Wills and Darryl Worley.

In Memoriam

In 2003, the Country Music community lost seven Country Music Hall of Fame members:

- "Jumpin'" Bill Carlisle, 94, died March 17 at his home in Goodlettsville, Tenn. after years of declining health. Carlisle wrote and recorded his biggest hit "No Help Wanted," which went to No. 1 in January 1953.

- Renowned songwriter Felice Bryant, 77, died April 22 at her home in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Bryant and her husband, Boudleaux, formed a powerhouse songwriting duo responsible for an estimated 800 songs that resulted in sales of more than 500 million worldwide.

- Rock 'n' roll and Country pioneer Sam Phillips, 80, died July 30 of respiratory failure. Phillips was best known for discovering Elvis Presley and founded Sun Studios in 1952. He bolstered the careers of some of music's greatest legends, including Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Charlie Rich.

- Singer-songwriter Floyd Tillman, 88, died Aug. 22 of leukemia. Tillman is known for penning "It Makes No Difference Now," a song he sold to Jimmy Davis in 1938 that became a hit for Cliff Bruner, Bing Crosby, Gene Autry and others.

- A legend in all genres of music, Johnny Cash died Sept. 12 of kidney failure in a Nashville hospital. Cash started his career under the tutelage of Sun Records founder Sam Phillips and had his first hit with "Cry Cry Cry." In his long career, Cash sold more than 50 million albums and recorded more than 1,500 songs. Cash posthumously won three CMA Awards in 2003 for Album, Single and Music Video of the Year for "Hurt."

- One of CMA's founders, Roy Horton, died Sept. 23 from failing health battling diabetes, congestive heart failure and the after-affects of a stroke. Ralph Peer, Sr., hired Horton in 1947 as a song plugger for Peer-Southern Music Publishing Company, where he worked for 49 years. He promoted the repertoires of Country Music legends The Carter Family, Johnny Cash, Floyd Tillman, Jimmie Rodgers, Brenda Lee, Bill Monroe, George Jones, Dolly Parton and more.

- Singer-songwriter Don Gibson, 75, died Nov. 17 of natural causes in a Nashville hospital. Gibson penned some of the biggest Country hits in the 50s and 60s, including "Sweet Dreams," "Oh Lonesome Me" and "I Can't Stop Loving You." Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris, Faron Young and Ray Charles were among the artists who recorded Gibson's songs.

Other pioneers of Country Music who passed on in 2003 include:

- Country Music legend Johnny PayCheck died Feb. 18 at the age of 64 after a long bout with emphysema and asthma. Best known for his 1977 hit "Take This Job And Shove It," PayCheck recorded 70 albums and had more than two dozen hit singles, including "Don't Take Her She's All I Got," "Old Violin," "Slide Off of Your Satin Sheets" and "A-11."

- Founder of Gaylord Entertainment Edward L. Gaylord died April 27 from complications resulting from a long battle with cancer. He was 83. Gaylord purchased Opryland in 1983 from American General Corporation and overlooked the expansion of the Opryland Hotel, the General Jackson riverboat, the Wildhorse Saloon and the restoration of the Ryman Auditorium.

- Singer, songwriter, musician, author and actress June Carter Cash, 73, died on May 15 from heart failure. With Merle Kilgore, Carter Cash wrote the 1963 classic "Ring of Fire," about her burgeoning relationship with future husband Johnny Cash. June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash performed together on hits "If I Were A Carpenter" and "Jackson."

- Teddy Wilburn, 71, half of Country duo The Wilburn Brothers, died Nov. 24 from congestive heart failure after a battle with a rare form of Parkinson's disease in a Nashville hospital. From 1955 to 1972, the Wilburns placed 30 songs on the Country charts, singing close harmony on such hits as "Hurt Her Once for Me" and "Somebody's Back In Town."

- The Country Music community lost many more contributors in 2003, including the following: Gaylon Adams, Rosey Nix Adams, Henry Ade, Rosalie Allen, Hylo Brown, Wilma Burgess, Preston and Carla Buchanan, Buzz Busby, James Campbell, James Carter, James Leslie Cotton, Ron Davies, Ronnie Dawson, Dave Dudley, Slim Dusty, Jack Emerson, H. Rick "Shayne" Fossett, Douglas "Noel" Fox, Harley Gabbard, Dorothy Gable, Greg Guidry, Pauline Lewis, Skip Litz, Mack Magaha, Barry Martin, Vincent Wesley Matthews, Don McHann, Jim McReynolds, Ralph "Joe" Meadows, Robert Milsap, Mike Oatman, Sorrells Pickard, Bob Pinson, Sylvester Rice, James "Spider" Rich, Dorothy Ritter, Mack Sanders, Edwin Starr, Henry Redd Steward, Gary Stewart, Doug G. Sullens, Tom Swatzell, Dick Thomas, Bill Trader, Doug Tuchman, Zeke Turner, Wesley Tuttle, Hal Wayne Vest, "Big Jim" Webb, Wesley Webb, Speedy West, Bob White, Jayne White, Ginger Willis, Sheb Wooley, Bobby Yarbrough and Joe Zinkan.