Country Superstar Tops Year-End Radio Charts as Most-Played Artist of 2017
Country music superstar and multimedia entertainer Blake Shelton has long called Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville his label home, and last night (Wed, Dec 21st), he inked a deal reaffirming the commitment. Their 17-year partnership has produced accomplishments ranging from 25 No. 1 singles to ten gold and platinum-selling albums, in addition to seven GRAMMY nominations and five CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award wins. Amongst these other career successes, Shelton’s 2017 Billboard Music Award for Top Country Artist underscores his preeminence in every realm – including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement. One of the most visible and constant ambassadors of country music, Shelton has reinforced the genre’s value in front of more than 12 million viewers two nights a week for 13 consecutive seasons and counting as a coach on NBC’s The Voice.
“I remember my first trip to Nashville in 1994,” states Shelton. “I drove down Music Row and don’t know why, but when I passed the Warner Bros. building I said, ‘That’s the label I want to be on!’ Now, all these years later, I’m proud to have spent my entire recording career with such a great company. I look forward to more incredible years with my Warner family.”
The acclaimed recording artist celebrated his re-signing last night alongside WMN Chairman & CEO John Esposito, who adds, “Blake Shelton is a cornerstone artist for Warner Music Nashville. Blake, Narvel Blackstock and the whole label team put a stake in the ground years ago to prove that Blake was going to do unprecedented things in this business and be the artist to help us bring Warner back to greatness. Blake indeed has and will continue to break new ground. I am thrilled beyond words, and there is no better Christmas present than Blake committing to Warner for many years to come. He is a brother, and I love him and his humanity!”
A staple in the format since his debut in 2001, Shelton’s recommitment demonstrates his unrelenting faithfulness to the country music community. This year showed a similar loyalty to his roots with the release of Texoma Shore. With its traditional-leaning sound and down-home lyrics, the brand new album is his sixth record to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and 11th all-genre Top 10. Lead single “I’ll Name The Dogs” topped the charts this week at country radio.
His third No. 1 single in 2017 (in addition to “A Guy With A Girl” and “Every Time I Hear That Song”), Shelton’s “I’ll Name The Dogs” wraps a year of unprecedented radio success. In the week following album launch in November, the hit-maker became the first artist in Country Aircheck/Mediabase history to have six songs chart simultaneously. Shelton further proved his continued traction at country radio this week by being named the No. 1 most-played artist of 2017. Reigning on both the Billboard and Aircheck year-end airplay charts, the latter also placed “A Guy With A Girl” at No. 3 on its list of 2017’s Top 10 Songs.
Shelton will bring these radio favorites and more to fans in 2018 on his headlining Country Music Freaks Tour alongside Brett Eldredge, Carly Pearce and special guest Trace Adkins.
