Few Country Women Have Scored a Top 10 Hit in 2008
By: Matt Bjorke
Last Updated: October 14, 2008 12:00 AM
In this week’s "Country Aircheck," the Lon Helton and his editors discussed the lack of Top 10 female chart success. They discussed it as a top 10 “Glass Ceiling.” A place where only 4 solo female or all female groups managed to score a Top 10 hit. Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift are the obvious ones and in late June, Miranda Lambert joined them with “Gunpowder & Lead” and a couple of weeks ago were joined by Heidi Newfield and her hit “Johnny & June.” There were 5 if you include (and we should) the Jennifer Nettles-voiced Sugarland.
They then went on and discussed with radio programmers about the phenomenon. Most said that they didn’t understand how a format that has more female listeners than male listeners (55% to 45%) would be that way. One looked at research numbers and it was particularly interesting. Regardless of the gender singing the song, if there was positive feedback the results were the same. However, when negative feedback came in about songs, female singers were disliked a whole 10-15% more than male singers.
With only 5 (counting Sugarland) female acts scoring Top 10 hits, the last time there was fewer than that was 2003, when the Dixie Chicks, Terri Clark, Martina McBride and Shania Twain managed the feat. In the the last 10 years the number of females with Top 10 hits were; 13 in 1999, 10 in 2000, 15 in 2001, 10, in 2002, 8 in 2004, 10 in 2005, 6 in 2006 and 2007. So, it’s interesting to see how over the last five years, when radio playlists really got tighter, how the numbers were single digits.
Is the lack of female Top 10 hits because of a lack of trying? No, 27 other females (or female lead vocalized) released singles during the past year and none of them have scored the elusive Top 10. So, What are the answers to this. Is the lack of Top 10 hits due to radio programmers assuming females want more male voices to ‘romanticize’ them? Is it because female singles crash and burn more readily than male-voiced singles? Or is it just the age old lack of truly compelling singles for the average radio listener?
READER'S COMMENTS
says:
Posted: Thursday, July 16, 2009
straitshooter says:
Posted: Monday, October 20, 2008
Take a look at those four women. They all look like clones! And it's not just that they all look the same, it's that they sound the same and have been made to fit into the same mold marketing-wise. I do like Miranda Lambert, precisely because she *is* edgy and actually seems like she has a personality. Where are all the characters? I miss the Dolly Partons and Reba McEntires, or hell, even the Trisha Yearwoods and Patty Lovelesses. I can't keep all these cookie-cutter girls straight! More Ashton Shepherd and Gretchen Wilson, please!
big dog says:
Posted: Thursday, October 16, 2008
WHY DONT "TAYLOR", JUST DO A VIDEO, "NAKED", AND PLAY WITH HER SWEET SELF, AND GET IT OVER WITH?? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE "LADIES", OF COUNTRY MUSIC??? WHO DIDNT FEEL IT NECESSARY TO CRAWL ALONG THE BEACH WITH THEIR BREASTS HANGING OUT OR RUNNING IN "SLOW MOTION", WITH NO BRAS SO THEIR BREASTS FLOPPED UP AND DOWN ?? LET "MTV" DO THE PORNOP VIDS GET BACK TO THE BASICS THAT MAKE COUNTRY MUSIC GREAT AND SET APART FROM THE "MONEY MAKING SEX LABELS"!!!ON?? ETC
Rick says:
Posted: Tuesday, October 14, 2008
I read the daily news items at "AllAboutCountry.com" to keep up on country radio and its fascinating. I've read articles where top program directors and demographic researchers have stated that women listeners surveyed wanted to hear 80% male singers and 20% female on average. If one looks at the Top 20 country singles charts each week for the last few years, female artists (and female fronted groups like Sugarland) usually comprise 20% or less of the songs in the Top 20. This means the radio station programmers are far less likely to put new female artists on the air than men and offer less support when they do. Carrie Underwood came with a huge American Idol fan base so the welcome mat was put out immediately. Taylor Swift built her fan base slowly with the song "Tim McGraw" that was on the charts seemingly forever while working its way to the top. Personally I don't care for the sometimes edgy music of Miranda Lambert or Heidi Newfield but that "rootsy" stuff seems to thrive on Top 40 country radio these days for whatever reason. I would have liked to have seen real talents like Ashton Shepherd, Sarah Buxton, and Ashley Monroe hit the Top 10 but they weren't shallow and commercial enough to be embraced by listeners seduced by pop-rock airhead country muzak.