During the last year the country music charts, including country radio, welcomed a wide range of acts.
On Billboard’s multi-metric Hot Country Songs tally dated May 4, 2024, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hit No. 1. The song, which interpolates J-Kwon’s 2004 hip-hop classic “Tipsy,” marked the first leader on the list for the Virginia native (born Collins Obinna Chibueze).
Notably that week, as Shaboozey dethroned Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” two Black artists reigned back-to-back for the first time since Hot Country Songs became an all-encompassing genre ranking in 1958.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” commanded Hot Country Songs for 10 weeks, making the track the No. 10 title of the year on Billboard’s 2024 year-end Hot Country Songs list. The year-end No. 1 is “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which spent 18 weeks at No. 1 during the 2024 eligibility period (charts dated Oct. 28, 2023, through Oct. 19, 2024).
Explore All of Billboard’s 2024 Year-End Charts
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Oct. 28, 2023, through Oct. 19, 2024. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the October-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Shaboozey also finishes as the Top New Country Artist of 2024 and ranks at No. 7 on the overall year-end Top Country Artists roundup. Beyoncé is No. 9 on the same ranking, while also placing at No. 2 on the Top Country Artists – Female recap. (The only woman ahead of Beyoncé on either list is Taylor Swift, who is at No. 6 on Top Country Artists, and No. 1 on the Top Country Artists – Female.)
Beyonce’s country album, Cowboy Carter, ranks at No. 5 on the year-end ranking for Top Country Albums. The set, released March 29, debuted at No. 1 on the weekly Top Country Albums ranking, making her the first Black woman to lead the Top Country Albums tally.
Wallen Dominates Again
Just as he did last year, Morgan Wallen reigns as Billboard’s Top Country Artist in 2024 as well as the leading male.
Wallen’s One Thing at a Time LP is Billboard’s No. 1 country title of 2024. On the chart dated March 18, 2023, One Thing stormed atop both the all-genre Billboard 200 as well as Top Country Albums with a whopping 501,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week. The set has dominated for much of 2024. Meanwhile, his 2021 LP, Dangerous: The Double Album, is the No. 3 album of 2024.
Plus, country radio was kind to Wallen, as he scored three Country Airplay No. 1s in 2024: his featured turn on Thomas Rhett’s “Mamaw’s House” led for a week in March; “Cowgirls,” featuring ERNEST, had a week at No. 1 in July; and his featured role on Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help” led for four weeks in June-July.
“Help” marked the genre-straddling Malone’s entrance into the country format. (He had previously placed albums on both the Top Rap Albums and the Top Rock & Alternative chart.) The song completed a speedy seven-week jaunt to the Country Airplay summit, making it the second quickest run since the chart was started in 1990. It’s second to Garth Brooks’ “More Than a Memory,” which debuted in the penthouse in 2007.
“Help” is the No. 2 Country Airplay track of ’24, as well as No. 2 on the year-end Hot Country Songs survey. Malone is No. 4 among all Billboard’s Top Country Artists.
Malone’s maiden country album, F-1 Trillion, made a splash when it arrived at the Top Country Albums apex in August, as well as the Billboard 200.
The No. 1 Country Airplay song for 2024 is relative newcomer Nate Smith’s “World on Fire,” which controlled that list for 10 weeks at the end of ’23, continuing into ’24. It tied with Morgan Wallen’s “You Proof” as the longest-running Country Airplay topper in the 34-year history of the list.
Country’s leading woman of the year is Taylor Swift thanks to her successful craft of re-recording her album catalog. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is No. 6 on the year-end Top Country Albums ranking. That set started at No. 1 on Top Country Albums and the Billboard 200 in July 2023 with a staggering 716,000 equivalent album units earned (with 507,000 in traditional album sales).
While it’s not been a stellar period for country groups, certainly since the glory days of bands like Alabama, Restless Heart and others, some outfits were able to achieve a footing in the format. The Top Country Artists – Duo/Group is The Red Clay Strays. Hailing from Mobile, Ala., the quintet has earned a large following and is able to sell out venues across the U.S. The band landed its first top 10 on Top Country Albums in August when Made by These Moments entered at No. 9. Meanwhile, the act also collected a pair of top 30-charting tunes on the weekly Hot Country Songs chart during the 2024 eligibility period, with “Wondering Why” and “Wanna Be Loved.”
