Atlanta Radio: Twang-y Country Song Hits Top 40

Over the  years, country artists have had had success crossing over to pop: think Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift. But those were female singers with pop-sounding hits.

So, Rodney Ho at ajc.com writes, what the heck is the country duo Florida-Georgia Line doing on the top 40 charts with the very twang-y, very catchy feel-good song "Cruise"?

WWWQ Q100 began playing it May 1 and has done so 107 times so far, including 39 times the past week. Power 96-1, which spun it first March 18, did so 122 times two weeks ago (the No. 1 song on the station) and 87 times last week. Power has played it 734 times so far, as of May 21.

The song nationwide is currently No. 12 on the pop chart, just ahead of Swift and behind Fall Out Boy, according to Mediabase 24/7, which tracks radio airplay. Nearly all top 40 stations are spinning it now.

"It's filling a novelty void in Top 40 right now," explained Rob Roberts, who runs Q100.  "It's not a record we'll be playing in a six months or an artist Top 40 will embrace in the long term.  But in the meantime, lots of people are texting requests for it.  And as a side note, lots of people are texting to stop playing it."

Terry Vaughn, the program director for WWPW Power 96.1 FM, kept it simple: “People like to have fun!  Twang or no twang.  That’s just a big, fun song and that’s what we do at Power 96-1.”

"Cruise," the duo's first single, peaked on country radio in December at No. 1.

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