Country Music remained steady in 2006 with a modest 0.5 percent drop in album sales from 2005, according to figures released Jan. 4, 2007, by Nielsen SoundScan.
Total all-genre album sales (CD, CS, LP, digital albums) for the entire music industry were down 4.9 percent from 2005, while overall music sales (albums, singles, music video and digital tracks) were up 19.4 percent.
Last year really showcased the depth of Country Music's diversity across all areas of our business, from record sales to tours, movies to books and outstanding media coverage, said Tammy Genovese, CMA COO. Overall, the number of Country albums sold in 2006 was 74.9 million down slightly from 75.
3 million in 2005. 1. Me and My Gang - Rascal Flatts - 3,479,994
3.
Taking the Long Way - Dixie Chicks - 1,856,284
6. The Legend of Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash - 1,430,885
*Source: The Top 10 Country albums of 2006, according to Nielsen SoundScan (Dec. 28, 2006 YTD):
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified 30 Gold, 20 Platinum and 21 multi-Platinum Country albums in 2006.
Gold indicates sales of 500,000 units; Platinum, 1 million units; multi-Platinum for each successive million units sold; and Diamond indicates sales of 10 million albums. The RIAA continues to award these rankings throughout the life of the album; an album does not have to be released in the same year it achieves one or more of these rankings.
Even in retirement, Garth Brooks continues to rack up strong album sales in 2006.
His 1998 album, Double Live, surpassed 20 million; Sevens (released in 1997) passed 9 million; and Scarecrow (released in 2001) surpassed 5 million. His latest album, The Lost Sessions (released in November 2005) was certified Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum (2 million) in early 2006. Newly inducted Country Music Hall of Fame member George Strait earned his 31st and 32nd Platinum certified albums for It Just Comes Natural and George Strait Fresh Cut Christmas.
In 2006, Strait's Greatest Hits compilation reached quadruple-Platinum status and his album, 50 No.1s, released in 2004, was certified six times Platinum.
Three artists received their first multi-Platinum album certifications in 2006: Trace Adkins (Songs About Me) at 2 million albums sold; Sugarland (Twice the Speed of Life) at 2 million albums sold; and Carrie Underwood (Some Hearts) at 4 million albums sold.
Country Music Hall of Fame member Ray Price (For the Good Times) received his first Platinum album certification in 2006. Keith Anderson (Three Chord Country and American Rock Roll); Rodney Atkins (If You're Going Through Hell); Billy Currington (Doin' Somethin' Right); Little Big Town (The Road to Here); Van Zant (Get Right with the Man); and The Wreckers (Stand Still, Look Pretty) received their first Gold album certifications in 2006. RIAA Digital Gold Sales Awards were given to 34 Country singles.
Single tracks are awarded Gold (100,000 downloads), Platinum (200,000) and multi-Platinum (400,000+) certifications.
In addition, the RIAA certified five Gold (50,000 units sold) and two Platinum (100,000 units sold) Country longform videos. The Platinum Country longform videos were Johnny Cash (Live at Montreux, 1994) and Gretchen Wilson (Undressed).
On June 15, 2006, the RIAA announced ringtones would be awarded for sales of Gold and Platinum. Only ringtones with the artist's actual vocals would be recognized, known as mastertones. Gold ringtones signify 500,000 downloads and Platinum marks 1 million downloads.
Four Country artists were given the Gold RIAA Mastertone award in 2006: Big Rich ( Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) ); Waylon Jennings ( Good Ol' Boys ); Carrie Underwood ( Jesus Take the Wheel ); and Gretchen Wilson ( Redneck Woman ).
Listed below are the Top 10 all genre tours based on total gross dollars; the Top 10 Country tours based on total attendance; and the Top 10 Country tours based on total gross dollars, according to Billboard for shows played between Nov. 16, 2005 and Nov.
14, 2006. *
* The Toby Keith total attendance amounts are amended with amounts that were reported after Billboard's Year-End rankings were published. This new information moved Keith from No.
10 to No.4 on both charts.
Some of Country Music's biggest stars teamed up on the road to give fans every penny's worth of entertainment value.
Kenny Chesney invited Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, Sugarland and Carrie Underwood to open his The Road and the Radio Tour. Sugarland also joined the second half of Brooks Dunn's The Long Haul Tour in 2006 along with Jack Ingram. Underwood finished out the year on Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted Tour after Sara Evans joined him on the first leg.
It was an all-guys event when Gary Allan and Eric Church joined Rascal Flatts on the Me and My Gang Tour until The Wreckers joined the tour in the summer. Toby Keith's Hookin' Up and Hangin' Out Tour featured newcomers Lindsey Haun and Rushlow Harris. CMT on Tour tapped Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean and Billy Currington for its series of shows.
Adkins also joined Gretchen Wilson to co-headline the Redneck Revolution Tour. Reba McEntire continued her Las Vegas concert run at the Hilton Hotel in 2006. The unstoppable husband/wife team Tim McGraw and Faith Hill entertained millions in 2006.
Their tour, Soul2Soul ll Tour, was the fifth highest grossing tour in all genres and the top grossing tour for Country Music in 2006, bringing in 88.8 million gross dollars, according to Billboard.
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