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Country Charts on the 'Net
The Dixie Chicks hit the big time!
Skip the story and go straight to the charts
When I Can Love You Better was released to radio on October 27 1997
(in advance of the Wide Open Spaces album release), the first thing I did
was program three buttons on my car radio to the three Dallas/Fort Worth country
radio stations: KPLX 99.5 (now dead and reborn as
99.5 The Wolf),
96.3 KSCS, and
105.3 Young Country (KYNG).
I was not disappointed -- all three started playing it that Tuesday,
and pretty soon, I could hear the song even without changing radio stations
every minute! It was really a thrill to walk into a Subway
sandwich shop and hear the Dixie Chicks on the radio -- knowing that everyone else in the
room was listening to the group that we'd been telling everyone about for so long!
Soon, I discovered that other stations around the country had picked up the song.
I was even able to hear it requested on KVOO Tulsa
via RealAudio! And it wasn't long before I discovered that several national organizations and
local radio stations provided their top 10/20/40 lists online. I followed the Dixie Chicks up the
chart as I Can Love You Better climbed up to its peak -- #6 on the Billboard
Country Singles chart.
And each week, I sent the latest stats to the Chicks' email address. Before the single really
hit big, I used to get quite a bit of mail from Country's sweetest ladies... here's a note I got
when I asked whether they'd rather I not keep sending the stats:
From: Dixiechks@aol.com
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 23:48:28 -0500 (EST)
To: robertb@dixie-chicks.com
Subject: Re: Added to another playlist!
Robert, No, you would not be bugging us to keep sending information on
playlists. We dig that stuff. Keep us as up to date as you can...it's hard
to get a grasp of what's going on when your in the middle of it all.
Yeh, send us your review as well, we'd love to know what you thought.
-Emily Chick
As exciting as it was to keep up with the charts, I was forced to stop compiling updates
due to work constraints... more accurately, by my desire to keep my job! As you'll see
from the following lists, there are a lot of charts to keep up with. But I did hang in long enough
to see There's Your Trouble enter one of the radio station charts on its way to #1...
and we drove up to Oklahoma City to see the Chicks in concert and get their signatures
on a printout of the Billboard chart showing I Can Love You Better at its peak
of #6.
Nationals, Publications, and notable Online Charts
Radio Stations
- TunesCharts KVOO Tulsa, OK
(TunesCharts sites are by Radio & Records, and may list 50 or more tracks!)
- TunesCharts WTCK Providence, RI
- TunesCharts WSOC Charlotte, NC
- TunesCharts WAMZ Louisville, KY
(first chart to list There's Your Trouble, at #39 on March 31 1998)
- TunesCharts KSKS Fresno, CA
- TunesCharts WGAR Cleveland, OH
- TunesCharts WOGY Baltimore, MD
(doesn't appear to be fully operational)
- 1200 CKXM -- American Country Countdown
Victoria, BC
- The Yound Country Countdown KYNG Dallas, TX
(Young Country 105.3, the first country station to play the Dixie Chicks -- in 1993!)
- Hot Country Favorites!
WLWI Montgomery, AL
- KFKF's Top Ten Songs
Kansas City, MO/KS (it's actually a top forty!)
- Top 20
KLAW Lawton, OK
- WKKJ
Chillicothe, OH
- KGNC FM98 - Top Ten Country Songs.
Amarillo, TX
- Country Music Radio - WCMS - List of Hits
Norfolk, VA (first radio station to note the Chicks, on their
Music Poll Top 20)
- KAYD 97.5 FM / 1450 AM
Beaumont, TX (now includes several weeks of history!)
- KQNG Radio Country Playlist Page
Kauai, HI (biweekly -- I keep telling the Chicks to visit this station!)
- FM 93.1 WPOC Baltimore-Weekly Play List
(Wow! The most useful, detailed table of song play history I've ever seen!)
- KIA - The Country Moose
Mason City, IA
- C107 Fm Radio KCIL Houma, New Orleans
- KEAN 105 FM
Abilene, TX (subject to change; playlist used to be here)
- 93.3 KPLV Schedule
Victoria, TX
- HIGHWAY 107 PLAYLIST
The Netherlands! This weekly program features US Country Music, and the Dixie Chicks
have been frequently listed -- even before the current CD. In fact, Wide Open Spaces
(the single) is currently listed #1 on their 8/2/98 playlist! Check out their Playlist Archive
(main page is here)
- Mildura's HOT-FM top 100 chart
Australia! On August 8, I Can Love You Better was #15 and climbing!
Sure, that's three singles behind the US, but there are an awful lot of Aussie artists
that are seriously underexposed in this country. And they knew about the Chicks
before most of you did... check out the
Mildura Hotfm Country Beat,
which has been watching Monument's treatment of the Chicks quite closely.
Radio Stations with problems...
- KPLX Top Country Songs
Dallas, TX (station no longer exists. replace with KRUD Radio)
- Cat Country 94 KDRK Top 20
Somewhere in Washington State ("chart temporarily unavailable")
- KYKR Top 9
Beaumont, TX (never gets updated)
- WMJL -- Internet Top 20
Marion, KY (not updated since March 98 -- says March 97!)
- K-102.5 Music Play List
KMKS Bay City, TX (huge list, but not updated lately)
- Our Weekly Top 10
College Station, TX (maybe they'll update when the Aggies go back to school?)
- KASE 101
Austin, TX (oops, they got Two Pina Coladas and took a siesta!)
- http://www.wrwd.com/top30.html
Can't Tell, USA (The "Last Update" date changes, but the songs don't!)
- WSM FM Playlist
Nashville, TN (yes, the WSM famous for the Grand Ol' Opry! For more traditional country, check
out the WSM-AM Playlist.
Unfortunately, the page doesn't appear to have been updated in months.)
Video Charts
- CMT Domestic Playlist
CMT... MTV's country cousin. Whatever you may think of deciding what your ears
will hear based on what your eyes see, nobody can deny the effect of a good music video
(except for people who make their living in radio). And the Chicks look good on video!
You can do a CMT search
for any artist, or just use my pre-set Dixie Chicks Search.
And you'll want to request the Dixie Chicks on the CMT Request Line.
I did... and I don't even have cable!
- Great American Country Top 15 Videos
This site is much easier to navigate than the frame-impaired CMT site, and contains quite a bit
of well-organized information. This is the host of the Crook and Chase Top 40 page.
This site also has yet another copy of that
"The Dixie Chicks are the Real Deal"
press release that gets quoted on almost every Dixie Chicks fan site... but this is the best layout
I've seen for it. I have to admit, though, I'm getting a bit tired of reading it over and over.
If you want to see it again, be my guest.
More Online Charts (will review later, links not verified)
All links verified 08/21 and 08/24/1998
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