Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS NOVEMBER 23, 2020 | PAGE 1 OF 18 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE
[email protected] Stapleton, Wallen Country By The Glass: The Genre’s Songwriters Reign Page 4 Grapple With Alcohol’s Abundance Bluegrass Turns 75 Country fans might not see all the world through “Whis- so long. Ironically, drinking is one of them.” Page 10 key Glasses,” but they’re definitely hearing it through Getting drunk is such a stereotypical activity in the genre that alcoholic earbuds. it was listed among the elements of the “perfect country and The 2019 Morgan Wallen hit “Whiskey Glasses” brought western song” in David Allan Coe’s “You Never Even Called Me songwriter Ben Burgess the BMI country song of the year title by My Name,” but alcohol has not always been prominent. When Rhett, Underwood on Nov. 9, and the Country Airplay chart dated Nov. 24 reveals Randy Travis reenergized traditional country in the mid-1980s Make Xmas Special a format that remains whiskey bent, if not hellbound. Seven of while mostly avoiding adult beverages as a topic, the thirst for Page 11 the songs on that list liquor dwindled. The — including HAR- trend turned around DY’s “One Beer” so strongly that three (No. 5), Lady A’s hits in the late-1990s FGL’s Next Album Is “Champagne Night” — Collin Raye’s ‘Wrapped’ (No. 12) and Kelsea “Little Rock,” Dia- Page 11 Ballerini’s “Hole in mond Rio’s “You’re the Bottle” (No. 14) Gone” and Kenny — posit an alcohol Chesney’s “That’s Makin’ Tracks: reference boldly in Why I’m Here” — took ‘Hung Up’ On the title.