Billboard Country Charts Billboard published its first chart spotlighting the popularity of country music in the issue dated Jan. 8, 1944, then named Most Played Juke Box Folk Records. As of Oct. 20, 1958, the chart had been refined into what is today titled Hot Country Songs, mixing streaming, radio airplay and sales data to rank the top country songs in the United States each week. The Top Country Albums chart began on Jan. 11, 1964, and now measures the top country albums in the U.S. by equivalent album units, blending streaming and sales data. Also among Billboard’s menu of charts in the genre: Country Streaming Songs, Country Airplay and Country Digital Song Sales, along with related rankings Bluegrass Albums and Americana/Folk Albums, with data for all charts provided to Billboard by Luminate. In the country charts’ early eras, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash were mainstays, while today the surveys are home to such stars as Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen. Alison Krauss, Old Crow Medicine Show and Ricky Skaggs are among the top-charting bluegrass acts, while Brandi Carlile, Bob Dylan and Jason Isbell help drive Americana/folk music consumption.

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