MusicScribe BLOG

As of a week or so ago, Singing News has ten full years of Top 80 chart data posted online. Ten years of data is a nice round figure, so I’ve been skimming it for trends. I started by looking at the overall number one song for each year.

In 2000, “Through The Fire” by the Crabb Family was a big hit, shooting to number one in just three months and staying on the chart for a total of nine months. It debuted at number 34 in March of 2000, moved to number 8 in April, and rose to number one in May where it stayed until July. All things being equal, “Searchin’ ” by the Talley Trio may have surpassed “Through The Fire.” It also sat at number one for three months, but was only on the chart for six months of 2000, sticking around for the first two months of 2001. Gold City’s “He Said” was another strong contender. “He Said” was on the chart for two months of 1999 and eight months of 2000, staying at number one for two months during 2000 and staying in the Top 10 for the first six months of the year. These were three VERY BIG songs. Most fans who were interested in Southern Gospel in 2000 remember them. Jonathan Wilburn sang “He Said” until he left Gold City. The Talley Trio still sings “Searchin’,” and “Through The Fire” is still one of Jason Crabb’s signature songs.

“He’s Still Waiting By The Well” by Greater Vision debuted in December 2000, taking five months to reach number one in April 2001. The song didn’t hold on to number one, but did a slow fade from the chart for a nine month run…enough to make it the number one song for 2001.

2002 was another big year for the Crabb Family. “The Reason That I’m Standing” hit number one in March, it’s fourth month, stayed at number one in April, and finally fell off after a total of eight months in the Top 40. The song’s lowest position in the eight month run was at number 33.

The number one song for 2003 was “What You Took From Me” by the Whisnants. I can’t even remember this song. It debuted in January at number 41. In February, a song by the McKameys that was also in its second month was rated higher. In March, a third month song by the Legacy Five was higher. In May, a fifth month song by Ivan Parker was one slot behind. It finally went to number one in June.

The Whisnants also had the number one song for 2004. I do remember “Even In The Valley.” I thought it was a great song, but it never hit actually went to number one for a single month. It was in the Top 10 for five months, though, which was enough for it to beat out every number one song once all the points were counted.

The same facts are true for “There Is A Remedy” by the McRaes in 2005. It was in the Top 10 for five months, but never hit number one. The Crabb Family had “The Shepherd’s Call” at number one for two months AND it was also in the Top 10 for five months, and it DEBUTED at number 7. “There Is A Remedy” had a calendar advantage, though. It was on the chart for eight months during 2005. I’m sure “The Shepherd’s Call” would have racked up more points per month on average, but it was only in contention for five months in 2005 and fell off surprisingly quickly after one month in 2006.

The Gaither Vocal Band was in the Top 10 for five months in 2006 with “I Will Go On.” They actually did reach number one…for just one month. It was enough to propel them to number one for the year.

In 2007, “I Can Pray” was a big hit, considering it was the first song in a couple of years to stay at number one for more than one month, but it wasn’t exactly a smash by chart standards. In past years, most of the number ones got there by hanging around for at least eight months with at least five months in the Top 10. “I Can Pray” was on the chart for seven months and spent just four months in the Top 10. A few songs were on the chart for eight months in 2007, but didn’t rise as high overall as “I Can Pray.”

“Your Cries Have Awoken The Master” was number one in 2008. This song was on the charts for nine months and spent four months in the Top 10. “The Broken Ones” debuted the same month and got to number one first, but only stayed in the Top 10 for three months, falling off of the chart after seven months.

2009 is anybody’s guess. Janet Paschal’s “Hide Me Sweet Rock Of Ages” was on the chart for eight months and reached number one in August, but it was only in the Top 10 for three months. “Be Not Afraid” by the Whisnants also spent eight months on the chart, also hit number one for one month, and also stayed in in the Top 10 for three months. “Be Not Afraid” has the edge, though, with two more months at number 11. “Everyday” by Triumphant Quartet ran neck and neck with “Be Not Afraid” on the way up the chart,  but it fell off a month sooner. “What Salvation’s Done For Me” by the Booth Brothers was number one in April and stayed in the Top 10 for four months, spending eight months on the chart in total, but only seven of those months will count toward the yearly chart. Its debut was in December 2008. Also, Paschal’s eighth month was at number 31, while the Booth’s eighth month was at number 39, so she should have the edge over them.

We won’t know the results until the January 2010 issue is released, but my prediction for the top three is “Be Not Afraid,” “Hide Me Sweet Rock Of Ages” and “What Salvation’s Done For Me” in that order. I’m only guessing as to how the exact formula works, and truth be known, I haven’t actually DONE any of the math for the formula I have imagined Singing News uses.

Now, I’ve written a lot in order to come to a conclusion, but if you’re still reading, here’s the point: there’s no song in recent years that is so great that everyone agrees enough to give it more time near the top of the chart. No song since 2000′s “Through The Fire” has truly dominated the chart, and even then, that song might not have come out on top if “He Said” and “Searchin’ ” had gone head to head against it or at least stayed within the calendar year.

Can a single song ever rise above all others in the course of a year again?

Has the emphasis on running singles up and down the chart quickly (relatively) eliminated any chance of that happening?

This topic is interesting (to me at least)…enough that I may write another post with some more analysis in a day or two.