Parker McCollum Gets a ‘Handle On’ Country Airplay Chart’s Top 10

Parker McCollum banks his third consecutive career-opening top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, as “Handle on You” rises from No. 11 to No. 9 on the survey dated March 4.

In the week ending Feb. 23, the track increased by 7% to 19.8 million in audience, according to Luminate.

McCollum wrote the song with Monty Criswell, and Jon Randall produced it. “Handle” is the lead single from McCollum’s album Never Enough, due May 12.

The 30-year-old McCollum, who hails from Conroe, Texas, follows his two Country Airplay No. 1s: “To Be Loved by You” led last March and his rookie entry “Pretty Heart” reigned in December 2020, each for one week.

On the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated Feb. 25), “Handle” held at No. 16, after reaching No. 14. It drew 5 million official U.S. streams (up 3%) and sold 1,000 downloads Feb. 10-16.

Hold That ‘Thought’

Morgan Wallen’s “Thought You Should Know” rents the Country Airplay penthouse for a second week, up 4% to 34.4 million impressions.

The song, which became Wallen’s eighth Country Airplay leader on the Feb. 25-dated list, is his fourth to rule for multiple frames. “You Proof,” which dominated for 10 weeks starting in October, is the longest-reigning song in the history of the chart, which launched in January 1990.

Meanwhile, of the five songs that have ascended to No. 1 on Country Airplay so far in 2023, “Thought” marks the third multi-week leader, following Nate Smith’s “Whiskey on You” (two weeks, February) and Jordan Davis’ “What My World Spins Around” (two, January).

Meanwhile, Wallen’s “Last Night” debuts at No. 47 on Country Airplay (1.5 million, up 246%), as well as at No. 40 on Pop Airplay. That track, “Thought” and “You Proof” all preview his 36-song album One Night at a Time, due March 3. “Last Night,” which has topped Hot Country Songs for two weeks running, is now being promoted to pop radio, while “One Thing at a Time” is Wallen’s next country radio single, with promotion starting March 13.