Weekly Register: Sturgill Simpson Gets ‘SNL’ Jolt, Little Big Town Tops Tracks Chart

Sturgill Simpson

Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller holds its spot atop the country albums chart this week, moving 9.8K units more. The project now boasts more than 1.8 million units sold. Keith Urban‘s Ripcord follows at No. 2, with 6K sold.

Sturgill Simpson‘s Sailor’s Guide To Earth jumps to No. 3, following his recent Saturday Night Live performance. The project sold 6K this week compared to 1.5K last week for a total of 165K units to date. Miranda Lambert‘s The Weight Of These Wings is at No. 4 this week, with 4.5K. Jason Aldean‘s They Don’t Know rounds out the Top 5, with 3.9K.

Chris Stapleton

This week’s top country album debut was The Infamous Stringdusters‘ Laws Of Gravity, which sold 1.2K and debuted at No. 26. Songwriter Natalie Hemby‘s Puxico debuted at No. 31, with 1K sold.

Overall album sales dipped 23.1 percent year to date, while overall digital album sales declined 25.8 percent. Country album sales have dropped 14.5 percent year to date, while country digital track sales have declined 27.9 percent.

On the country tracks chart, Little Big Town‘s No. 1 MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart single, “Better Man,” ascends to No. 1 in the rankings this week. The Taylor Swift-written piece amassed 27K units this week for a total of 362K to date. Keith Urban‘s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” follows with 27K sold this week. Jon Pardi‘s “Dirt On My Boots” is at No. 3 this week, with 19K units moved. Chris Stapleton‘s “Tennessee Whiskey” is at No. 4 with 13K, while Michael Ray‘s “Think A Little Less” rounds out the Top 5 with 13K.

Brantley Gilbert‘s latest single, “Rockin’ Chairs,” debuts at No. 27 on the country tracks chart, selling 6.2K.

Overall digital track sales declined 25 percent year to date, while country digital track sales have declined 24 percent year to date.