Radio Reacts to Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ As It Climbs the Country Airplay Chart

Since CMT pulled the video for Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” after three days in rotation, as reported by Billboard July 18, a firestorm of publicity about the clip’s intent and political messaging has followed.

Sales and streaming surges catapulted the single to No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, dated July 29. The song, released in May, scored the biggest sales week for a country song in more than 10 years, up 27,625% to 228,000 sold July 14-20, according to Luminate. It also vaulted by 547% to 11.6 million U.S. streams.

How is that translating to country radio?

On the Aug. 5 dated Country Airplay chart, the song, on Macon/Broken Bow, sports a 21% gain to 7.9 million impressions July 21-27, as it holds at No. 25.

Says consultant Joel Raab, who advises programmers in both blue and red states, “Stations that I work with are largely sticking with the song. Listeners are asking for it, and there are very few objections to playing it. One station I work with did pull it for a short time because a policeman had been killed in their town. Another station was doing a country fair and one listener hadn’t even heard the song, but said he’d stop listening if his station didn’t play it.

“Much of the reaction is similar to what happened when Morgan Wallen was banned from radio [in 2021],” Raab continues. “Fans are afraid Jason will be banned, too. That’s not going to happen, though I do applaud him for editing his video.”

Raab further muses, “This song reminds me of when Merle Haggard sang ‘The Fightin’ Side of Me,’ which appealed to the pro-Vietnam War, conservative-leaning part of the country, and contains the line, ‘If you don’t love it, leave it.’ It was a huge hit at the time. Historically, country has waded into controversy, and it will again, particularly if it’s profitable.”

High Five

Meanwhile, Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” tops Country Airplay for a fifth total and consecutive week (33.8 million, down 3%).

The remake of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 Hot 100 top 10 extends its record for the longest Country Airplay reign among covers of pop hits.

The update also becomes Combs’ fifth of 16 Country Airplay No. 1s to rule for five weeks or longer. He logged his longest command with “Beautiful Crazy,” which dominated for seven frames beginning in March 2019.