# UK Country Airplay

The UK Country Airplay chart is a weekly music chart based on the radio airplay of country music singles on radio stations in the United Kingdom. It serves as the UK equivalent to the American Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Announced on 8 March 2024, the debut chart was revealed a few days later on 10 March to coincide with the final day of the 2024 C2C: Country to Country music festival, with the official top 20 being posted each week on the UK-based country publication Holler. The chart, which is the first genre-specific radio chart in the UK, aims to serve as a key measure of which songs are being enjoyed most frequently by listeners across the country and is produced in collaboration with music company Radiomonitor, and the UK branch of the Country Music Association.
The first number one song on the UK Country Airplay chart was "Creek Will Rise" by Conner Smith. The current number one single is "Tough People" by Drew Baldridge.

## Background

The creation of the chart was spearheaded by the increase in popularity of country music within the UK and was described by Milly Olykan, vice president of international relations and development for the CMA, as a “pivotal initiative in a move towards more mainstream moments for the genre” and noting how the consumption of country music in the UK increased by 40% in 2023. In a statement following the announcement of the chart, Olkyan explained “This is an incredibly exciting time for country music in the UK. From the genre experiencing a 40% growth in consumption throughout the last year, to the volume of tickets sold to Country festivals and tours increasing at a record pace, it's apparent the Country is broadening significantly into the mainstream in the UK. This new radio chart will provide another exposure opportunity to further elevate Country artists and allow for greater engagement with fans. As the premier trade association supporting the growth of the Country Music industry, CMA's focus in the UK is to continue to identify how we can move towards more mainstream moments for the genre, and this is another pivotal initiative.”
Alexa Hannaby, head of Big Machine Records in the UK and leader of the project, stated "I'm thrilled for the launch of the UK Country Radio Airplay Chart, a significant milestone for Country music in the UK. This achievement is truly a testament to the incredible teamwork and collaboration between industry experts and Radiomonitor. Together, we're paving the way for increased recognition and exposure for country artists in the UK and I'm excited to see its impact unfold.

### First top 10

The first ever top 10 was revealed on 10 March 2024:
* "Creek Will Rise" – Conner Smith
* "The Painter" – Cody Johnson
* "Pretty Little Poison" – Warren Zeiders
* "Tucson Too Late" – Jordan Davis
* "Your Place" – Ashley Cooke
* "I Can Feel It" – Kane Brown
* "Burn It Down" – Parker McCollum
* "Wildflowers and Wild Horses" – Lainey Wilson
* "Where It Ends" – Bailey Zimmerman
* "23" – Chayce Beckham

## Eligibility

Each weekly iteration of the chart will consist of the Top 50 songs being heard on the radio, taken from a pool of new releases, with anything that was made available more than three years ago discounted. This will help to ensure the chart is an accurate reflection of current trends and interests within the genre. Data is compiled from a plethora of UK country radio stations, including Absolute Radio Country, BBC Radio 2 - The Country Show with Bob Harris, CountryLine: The Big 615, Downtown Country Radio, and Smooth Country Radio.

## Number ones

Key :
| No. | nth singe to top the UK Country Airplay chart |
| re | Return of a single to number one |
| No. | Artist | Song | Record label | Reached number one | Weeks at number one |
| 1 | Conner Smith | "Creek Will Rise" | Valory Music Co. | 11 March 2024 | 1 |
| 2 | Cody Johnson | "The Painter" | Mercury Nashville | 17 March 2024 | 1 |
| re | Conner Smith | "Creek Will Rise" | Valory Music Co. | 24 March 2024 | 2 |
| 3 | Jordan Davis | "Tucson Too Late" | MCA Nashville | 7 April 2024 | 1 |
| 4 | Parker McCollum | "Burn It Down" | MCA Nashville | 14 April 2024 | 1 |
| 5 | Dasha | "Austin" | Warner Records | 21 April 2024 | 1 |
| 6 | Sam Hunt | "Outskirts" | MCA Nashville | 28 April 2024 | 1 |
| 7 | Ashley Cooke | "Your Place" | Big Loud | 5 May 2024 | 1 |
| re | Sam Hunt | "Outskirts" | MCA Nashville | 12 May 2024 | 1 |
| re | Ashley Cooke | "Your Place" | Big Loud | 19 May 2024 | 1 |
| 8 | Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen | "I Had Some Help" | Republic Nashville/Mercury Nashville | 26 May 2024 | 1 |
| re | Ashley Cooke | "Your Place" | Big Loud | 2 June 2024 | 2 |
| re | Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen | "I Had Some Help" | Republic Nashville/Mercury Nashville | 16 June 2024 | 1 |
| 9 | Nate Smith | "Bulletproof" | RCA Nashville | 23 June 2024 | 1 |
| 10 | Thomas Rhett | "Beautiful as You" | Big Machine | 30 June 2024 | 2 |
| 11 | Post Malone featuring Blake Shelton | "Pour Me a Drink" | Republic Nashville/Mercury Nashville | 14 July 2024 | 1 |
| 12 | Ella Langley featuring Riley Green | "You Look Like You Love Me" | SAWGOD/Columbia Records | 21 July 2024 | 1 |
| 13 | Lainey Wilson | "Hang Tight Honey" | BBR Music Group | 28 July 2024 | 3 |
| 14 | Shaboozey | "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" | American Dogwood/Magnolia/Empire/Republic | 18 August 2024 | 1 |
| 15 | Luke Combs | "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma" | Columbia/Atlantic | 25 August 2024 | 1 |
| re | Thomas Rhett | "Beautiful as You" | Big Machine | 1 September 2024 | 1 |
| 16 | Drew Baldridge | "She's Somebody's Daughter" | Lyric Ridge | 8 September 2024 | 2 |
| 17 | Keith Urban | "Wildside" | Hit Red/Capitol Nashville | 22 September 2024 | 4 |
| 18 | Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan | "Cowboys Cry Too" | Black River | 20 October 2024 | 1 |
| 19 | Morgan Wallen | "Love Somebody" | Big Loud/Republic/Mercury | 27 October 2024 | 1 |
| 20 | Jordan Davis | "I Ain't Sayin'" | MCA Nashville | 3 November 2024 | 1 |
| re | Shaboozey | "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" | American Dogwood/Magnolia/Empire/Republic | 10 November 2024 | 1 |
| re | Jordan Davis | "I Ain't Sayin'" | MCA Nashville | 17 November 2024 | 1 |
| 21 | Lainey Wilson | "4x4xU" | BBR Music Group | 24 November 2024 | 2 |
| re | Jordan Davis | "I Ain't Sayin'" | MCA Nashville | 8 December 2024 | 4 |
| 22 | Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood | "I'm Gonna Love You" | Warner Music Nashville | 5 January 2025 | 1 |
| re | Jordan Davis | "I Ain't Sayin'" | MCA Nashville | 12 January 2025 | 2 |
| 23 | Tucker Wetmore | Wind Up Missin' You | EMI Nashville | 26 January 2025 | 1 |
| 24 | Blake Shelton | "Texas" | Ten Point/Wheelhouse | 2 February 2025 | 3 |
| 25 | Drew Baldridge | "Tough People" | Stoney Creek | 23 February 2025 | 1 |

## Most weeks at number one

| Artist | Weeks at number one |
| Jordan Davis | 9 |
| Lainey Wilson | 5 |
| Ashley Cooke | 4 |
| Keith Urban | 4 |
| Blake Shelton | 3 |
| Conner Smith | 3 |
| Drew Baldridge | 3 |
| Morgan Wallen | 3 |
| Post Malone | 3 |
| Thomas Rhett | 3 |
| Cody Johnson | 2 |
| Shaboozey | 2 |