Sturgill Simpson’s “Metamodern Sounds” Debuts on Billboard Charts
UPDATE (5-29): Sturgill remains on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for a 2nd week at #22. Sturgill will also play Letterman on July 14th.
Kentucky native Sturgill Simpson has quickly become a critic’s favorite and a cult hero around the country with the release of his second solo album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, garnering praise from industry critics and rabid country fans alike. And now the emerging country star has another feather to place in his cap.
The May 13th release has landed him in distinct company at the top of the Billboard charts, with Metamodern Sounds coming in at #11 on the Top Country Albums chart, and #59 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Both placings are very significant for a virtually unknown artist with little to no radio support who released his album independently through Thirty Tigers distribution. Sturgill’s first album, High Top Mountain, came in at #47 on the Country Albums chart upon its release, and did not make the Billboard 200.
Sturgill’s distinction comes the same week Dolly Parton’s Blue Smoke album turned in her highest-charting performance in her storied career, coming in at #6 on the Billboard 200, and #2 on the Country Albums chart, only outdone by superstar troika Rascal Flatts and the release of their new album Rewind. Johnny Cash also remains strong on the charts, still sitting at #13 a good eight weeks after the release of Out Among The Stars, and after debuting at #1 on the Country Albums chart.
As Sturgill Simpson said upon the release of the album, “I have said it many times and I will continue to say it, as it is the truth and I whole heartedly believe it”¦guys like me and the countless others others out there attempting to offer an alternative are not capable of change. We are not the catalyst of change. You guys are. We can only do our best to make the best records we are capable of but it is up to you the listener to have your voices heard. This is the only road to the true change that a lot of you I talk to at shows are seeking. If you connect with something that moves you it’s up to you to share it/burn it/ steal it/ give it away. As long as it finds and connects with as many people as possible that is all we wish for.”
Nick
May 22, 2014 @ 7:01 pm
Very cool. Fame couldn’t have found a better guy, either.
Tyler
May 22, 2014 @ 7:03 pm
Trigger! You need to do watch inside fame on cmt right now about the douchebags Florida Georgia line! I gotta see you rip them a new one!
Trigger
May 22, 2014 @ 8:46 pm
Fortunately, I don’t have cable. 🙂
Noah Eaton
May 22, 2014 @ 9:42 pm
Tyler Hubbard: “We like to think of our music is really, like……eclectic!”
Interviewer: “And how is that?”
Tyler Hubbard: “Well, like……..it’s pretty obvious, really. We love to crank up everything we play to eleven. Acoustics are boring!”
Interviewer: “You mean electric, right?”
Brian Kelley: “Tomato, tomato, same thing! Right?”
*
😉
Bear
May 24, 2014 @ 11:20 am
I want a clip of this so bad!!!! And go brother Strurgill. I’ve been shoving him in people’s faces all over the place and they love his sound.
Noah Eaton
May 24, 2014 @ 12:39 pm
(sarcasm, though wouldn’t be least surprised if they said a variant of this at some point) 😉
Dan
May 24, 2014 @ 11:11 pm
I wouldn’t have tainted this thread by mentioning their names.
Let’s just keep the focus on Sturgill and wish him continued success.
Mike2
May 22, 2014 @ 7:06 pm
Just saw Sturgill’s announcement of this of facebook. I could hardly believe it until I checked billboard, and there it was, sitting at #11! Very exciting.
Josh
May 22, 2014 @ 7:11 pm
Pretty exciting stuff. It’s amazing how far this guy has come in a year’s time. Great accomplishment for a great guy!
Joshua Wallace
May 22, 2014 @ 7:47 pm
If you want a real kicker…..this album has already charted better than Hank III’s Straight To Hell did which topped off at #17 on the country charts and #73 on the Billboard 200. Granted, that was with the old billboard rules….but still an achievement.
Trigger
May 22, 2014 @ 8:50 pm
Yes, it was a much different time in music in 2005. We didn’t have the emphasis on pre-order. The chart rules were different. Many, many more albums were being sold. But I think this is still a good illustration. Maybe just as important to note, off the strength of “Straight to Hell”, Hank3’s “Damn Right, Rebel Proud” debuted at #2.
Matt
May 22, 2014 @ 8:51 pm
And Hank’s next album topped at #2 on the country chart despite it being subpar compared to STH. If Sturgill continues to gain noteriety, he could become pretty damn big even without the support of music row. The real key is if he can inspire someone like Jamey Johnson, or somebody else who’s had or is having major success to make some country music. If that could happen then things could change because the current trends are wearing thin fast.
Tim
May 23, 2014 @ 9:08 am
I’m afraid Triggers (sorry country music’s) letter to Jamey Johnson has created an idea about Jamey that isn’t accurate. Wouldn’t be the first time on SCM for this to happen with Jamey.
I suggest to you that Jamey’s road inspired someone like Sturgill. I’m not going to put those words in Sturgill’s mouth, but MetaModern is tracking just like Jamey’s “That Lonesome Song” album. Independent release, songs/sound that can’t be ignored, very interesting artist behind it, deep album, etc. etc… Then it got picked up by a major label. That could happen here, I would even say it will. Maybe I will boldly predict it is picked up by major label by July 4.
Now, MetaModern could hit Jamey’s radar and who knows what that could create, but Jamey is not making music because he took a stand against his label. Unlike the so called stand some artists are credited with taking against their labels in the end those artists made music and fulfilled a shitty contract. So nothing really changed. Jamey actually took a stand and didn’t provide any new music for his label. Which approach is best can be argued, but not providing a product is much different than simply bitching about it.
Currently I think the top country artists going are:
Sturgill
Jason Eady
Jamey Johnson
* If these three connected, you could have some serious creation of county music. But as Sturgill said, to make that a revolution, that would be up to the listener. I think sites like this sometimes are guilty of causing friendly fire in this battle for quality country music.
Trigger
May 23, 2014 @ 10:38 am
You’re the only one that took that open letter to Jamey Johnson as something negative, Tim.
Tim
May 23, 2014 @ 1:14 pm
I took it negatively, and I sort of take the Garth letter negatively, because it is a passive way of taking shots at these guys. Suggesting that they become more active or they hold the key to turning country music around if only they would do something. You certainly didn’t cover Jamey’s label dispute like you did Hank3 or even Tim McGraw for that matter. And Jamey’s dispute was much more interesting in how it was handled.
Anyway, Sturgill is as impressive an artist to come along in decades. Wickedly smart, great wit, calm demeanor. All adds up to very deep/clever songs. I have no idea what Sturgill thinks of fellow artist Jamey Johnson, but I think if they were to cross paths, those two could make some great music.
KignWatasha
May 22, 2014 @ 8:20 pm
This is great news for our kind! He is so pure, the connection is there and it’s all about to change!
rileyben81
May 22, 2014 @ 8:43 pm
Best part about all this is that its just the beggining.
SturG is out there in the Cosmos somewhere sharpening his craft saying. ” you aint seen shit yet”
Trigger
May 22, 2014 @ 8:52 pm
I continue to operate under the assertion that Sturgill is still not showing us his full potential. At the same time, I’m not sure if country music is ready for his full potential. I think they needed to be warmed up. In that respect, Sturgill is right on track.
rileyben81
May 24, 2014 @ 9:42 am
I only meant that its only the Start of his creative journey.. Whether mainstream accepts it or not. It is what it is. I think he wants to have a voice and connect. Not become a “recording artist” so to speak
Matt
May 22, 2014 @ 8:47 pm
I can see Sturgill as an extension of myself, and I’m sure others can as well. Here’s a guy who’s succeeding in today’s world by doing things the way he sees fit and not giving a damn what anyone says. It’s a real inspiration to “little guys” everywhere really, and that’s only going to become clearer as his success continues. It’s also why I hope he continues to make music.
Josh
May 22, 2014 @ 9:20 pm
I agree with you Matt. I too see myself as an extension of Sturgill. Underdogs everywhere can relate to this guy. He’s just an ordinary guy doing what he loves and having success with it.
Vinnie
May 22, 2014 @ 9:30 pm
The best news is that he’s already started working on a new album!
I have had this one for a few weeks and it’s getting daily listens and I’m loving it.
Noah Eaton
May 22, 2014 @ 9:49 pm
And if this news wasn’t something to crow about itself, all this publicity Simpson is starting to receive throughout the traditional media will ensure even greater front-loaded returns, dovetailed with steady sales off of critical acclaim, from here on out.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see his eventual third studio album debut in the Top Three of the Hot Country Albums chart, and the top Twenty-Five of the Billboard 200.
ActivePuck
May 23, 2014 @ 12:39 am
This is all well and good but you know he won’t be eligible for any ACM award nominations since he plays country music.
MH
May 23, 2014 @ 6:25 am
Awards aren’t everything. To me, the biggest award he can get is showing Music Row that, despite what they preach, you don’t need mainstream radio airplay to be successful and popular. Sturgill is already well on his way to making them look like complete and utter jackasses with their outdated belief system. 🙂
GregN
May 23, 2014 @ 6:08 am
Having done my part this week (purchased from iTunes), this is great news! Would never have heard of this artist if not for this site.
Thanks all!
And for the record (no pun intended), I’m not hearing any “analogue hiss” as described by others, either via ear buds or the 17 speaker surround system in my car. Just sublime music and voice!
gtrman86
May 23, 2014 @ 6:26 am
That is great news! Sturgill is and can be a huge player in the revival of real Country in the Country world. Metamodern is a great album and deserves all the recognition that it is getting and on top of that recording it in a traditional fashion and methods that have been overshadowed by digital technology, auto-tune, and more gizmos and gadgets that have proven to make even farm animals sound good.
TX Music Jim
May 23, 2014 @ 7:42 am
Great news for Sturgill and real country music in general ! Hopefully this brings bigger crowds to the shows and allows Sturgill to make and even better living for his family ! Nashvegas to hell with you more proof we don’t need your corporate machine !
Applejack
May 23, 2014 @ 11:36 am
Heh heh.
Unfortunatlely, If “Nashvegas” does go to hell, things will not be so good for Sturgill and his family, as they will be burning in a lake of sulphur, along with his bandmates, the Thirty Tigers distribution staff, and probably Dave Cobb too.
😉
Matt
May 23, 2014 @ 12:25 pm
I haven’t listened to the entire album, only three songs, but I love what I hear. I need to pick it up very soon to help support this man.
While Sturgill has a very traditional sound in some ways, he’s also being pretty non-traditional with some of his lyrics and sounds on this album. It reminds me of the tired argument that pop country musicians and fans make about traditional being boring and non-inventive. This album seems to have it all: Traditional country vocals, steel guitar, acoustic guitars, alien reptiles, psychedelic visual (Turtles video), non-traditional sounds…I really hope this album is going to be a big wave maker in the industry.
Josh
May 23, 2014 @ 1:47 pm
Sturgill is going to be on Letterman? Wow! He’s going everywhere now!
Noah Eaton
May 24, 2014 @ 6:46 pm
Sturgill Simpson is essentially filled the void Jamey Johnson left due to the label debacle.
As much as I hate his rightful place in country music be affected just because of label manipulation and Johnson’s writer’s block, I actually think there’s more than plenty of room for two commercially viable male ambassadors of sorts for country music that straddles the line between traditional and progressive sounds anyway.
Eric G.
May 23, 2014 @ 3:04 pm
Letterman’s known to have some good guest. Absolutely good for Sturgill, and glad I was able to contribute, even if I had a small part in it. But to be fair, all of our small contributions equaled up to this great success for him. Kudos. Can’t wait to see more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNjzEdns_k4
Applejack
May 24, 2014 @ 6:54 pm
Hey Eric G,
Are you saying you did something to help get Sturgill on Letterman?
I’m intrigued.
Rick
May 23, 2014 @ 3:05 pm
Sturgill may not be getting airplay on mainstream country radio stations, but at least he has been embraced by the Americana Radio crowd where his album currently ranks at the # 5 position with a bullet! (lol) Sturgill is generating enough buzz that he should be able to draw good size crowds to his live shows around the country going forward, which is what he was really hoping for in the first place.
I don’t expect mainstream country radio to ever embrace Sturgill, and I doubt even “NASH Icons” would give airplay an indie artist since they will be in bed with Music Row. When an artist puts out great music they don’t need hype and media marketing blitzes to build a sustainable career.
Cody
May 25, 2014 @ 12:16 am
I actually heard an advertisment for an interview with him on WSM about a month ago. Before the release of the new album. Its what initially grabbed my attention when they played snippets from the new cd.
rileyben81
May 31, 2014 @ 7:13 am
ROLLING STONE REVIEW
WEEEEEAAAAAAAK!!!!