Darius Rucker tops country charts
Darius Rucker, former frontman for ’90s pop hitmakers Hootie & The Blowfish, has topped the country charts with his first album and single in the genre.
Rucker’s debut country album “Learn to Live” hit No. 1 this week on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and made No. 5 on the trade publication’s overall sales chart, The Billboard 200, according to a news release.
The album’s lead single “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” also took the top spot on all three major country industry charts this week.
According to the release, Rucker, who earned two Grammys with Hootie & the Blowfish, has broken some ground with his country success:
Wade Jessen, Nashville’s director of charts and operations for radio trade publication R&R, points out in the Sept. 22 R&R Country Hotfax that “Darius Rucker becomes the first solo act in 21 years to lead the R&R Country chart after gaining initial stardom outside the format. … No solo act has done so since Michael Johnson scored back-to-back country charttoppers in 1987 with ‘Give Me Wing’ and ‘The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder.’ Johnson’s pre-country pop hits include his signature song, ‘Bluer Than Blue’ (1978) and ‘This Night Won’t Last Forever’ (1979).”
In a Sept. 23 USA Today feature, the newspaper notes that “before this week, only two black singers had topped the country singles charts: Ray Charles and Charley Pride. … Charles was the last black artist to have a No. 1 country single; his ‘Seven Spanish Angels’ duet with Willie Nelson topped the charts in March 1985. Pride, a Country Music Hall of Famer, had more than two dozen No. 1 hits. His last, ‘Night Games,’ reached the top slot 25 years ago this week.”
Rucker, who was born and raised in South Carolina, joins Jewel and Jessica Simpson as pop stars who have released country albums this year. I haven’t heard Simpson’s album, but Jewel’s didn’t sound much different from her pop work, which isn’t surprising since her pop songs always had a bit of a country-folk flavor.
I’ll be reviewing Rucker’s “Learn to Live” soon and will let you know how he fared in his crossover attempt.
-BAM
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If I had wings…gives me Jesus bumps!! The first time I heard this song was on my way to a memorial for a friend who had recently passed away. Made me cry!! This song says so much!! My son, daughter, and I sing at our church. We are going to learn it to sing for a service. Our church is just a ‘lil country church here in Huntsville, TX. I just pray people will stop and listen to the words and think about what it is saying. Darius, all I can say is I’m thankful for the crossover!! Keep up the awesome job!! We love ya’ here in Huntsville,TX. Come visit us sometime!! We’ll kick up a bonfire and do some singin’!!