jon said:
2) the chart in question is a sales chart,
and the absence of a promoted-to-radio single is utterly irrelevant and 3)
Bluegrass Rules! was in a similar position (artist absent from
country chart
for a long time, no single), and it appeared on the same chart discussed
here last year, no problem.
#2 - Yes, it does matter. It is relevant. Maybe it shouldn't be, but the
facts are that it is relevant.
It's not relevant according to Billboard's own description of what the chart
is - a ranked list of current release sales (it's copyrighted by Billboard
*and* Soundscan).
#3 - Yes, Skaggs had a single. It was "Little Maggie"
OK, point taken, but that was about as token a single as you can have out.
Besides, the more I think about it, the lamer the "we didn't know about it"
half-excuse offered by Billboard is, since the album had already been on the
Gavin Americana chart for two or three weeks, and you can bet your bottom
dollar Billboard reads that. Plus which, as I said, I know for a fact that
Billboard's country chart editor was aware of, and interested in, the album.
I expect someone in New York took a pencil to the chart and crossed The
Mountain out.
