A new year calls for new traditions, and MusicRow announces its latest tradition, the No. 1 Challenge Coin. For those who are unfamiliar, challenge coins celebrate distinguished individuals, and the challenge coin tradition is believed to date back to WWI, when they were initially given to American soldiers.
Varying accounts exist, but the most common story behind the coin’s name is as follows. After receiving a challenge coin, organization members carried it with them at all times. When challenged to prove membership, they would produce it to verify their membership status. Some stories add if the member couldn’t produce the coin, they had to buy the challenger(s) a drink and visa versa.
Although challenge coins carry a strong military background, they have been awarded to individuals in other spheres, including film, science and music. Each week, MusicRow will honor the industry’s brightest players, awarding challenge coins to artists and songwriters who have earned a No. 1 song on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart beginning with the first MusicRow Chart in 2014.
We recommend that recipients carry the coin on their person at all times, should anyone challenge them to produce it. Each coin will be numbered, and appropriately displays Nashville’s skyline on the back and a microphone on the front, marrying the industry’s two most important players: Country and Music.
A list of coin recipients will be available in the “Charts” menu at MusicRow.com.
About the Author
Michael Smith is the Operations Manager at MusicRow Enterprises, where he works in the sales and editorial departments, and manages MusicRow's CountryBreakout Chart. He holds a BA from Vanderbilt University. Please send feedback to msmith@musicrow.comView Author Profile
