Lainey Wilson and Ashley Cooke Break Year-Long Drought Of Female Solo Songs In Country Radio Top 10
It’s been over a year since two female artists have had solo entries on the Mediabase country radio chart.
Lainey Wilson, Ashley Cooke on the CMT Music Awards red carpet
Currently, there are two female artists with solo songs ranking in the Top 10 of the U.S. Country Radio Mediabase chart: Lainey Wilson, who lands at No.6 with “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” and Ashley Cooke, who scores her first-ever Top 10 with “Your Place.”
Some might wonder, ‘Why is this noteworthy?’ as one might assume such occurrences are common, but that’s not the reality in country music.
According to U.S. Radio Updater, this marks the first time in over a year, since March of 2023 to be exact, that two female artists have solo entries in the Top 10 on this chart. This may be shocking to some, however, if you pay attention to the country radio charts, it’s sadly become commonplace.
It’s a rare feat for female artists to secure solo success in recent years. In fact, last fall, there were multiple weeks that the Top 20 at country radio did not contain any solo-credited songs by female artists.
The notable absence of female artists on the music chart reflects an ongoing challenge within the country music genre. This is a topic that gained considerable attention following the controversy known as “Tomato-gate” in 2015. This conversation was sparked by remarks made by country radio executive Keith Hill, who infamously likened the presence of female artists on country radio to tomatoes in a salad.
“If you want to make ratings in country radio, take females out,” Hill stated in 2015. “I play great female records … they’re just not the lettuce in our salad. The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes of our salad are the females.”
At the time, Hill cited an analysis that revealed female airplay on country radio stood at a mere 19 percent.
This is when artists like Martina McBride and Jennifer Nettles began to speak out. McBride used her platform to create “tomato” shirts and donated all proceeds to her charity, Team Martina, which supports equal rights for females in the music industry. The shirt was later displayed in the Country Music Hall Of Fame.
Since then, various organizations, including CMT’s Women of Country franchise, have been established to continue to fight for female voices to be heard on country radio, however, this remains an ongoing struggle.
The current Top 40 on the Mediabase chart features a mere five songs by solo female artists. In addition to Wilson and Cooke other female artists on the chart include Beyoncé at No.35 with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Carrie Underwood at No.20 with “Out Of That Truck,” and Megan Moroney at No.18 with “I’m Not Pretty.”
It’s important to note that Carly Pearce appears at No.12, however, her single, “We Don’t Fight Anymore” features vocals from Chris Stapleton. Moroney has an additional entry as a feature on Old Dominion’s “Can’t Break Up Now,” which sits at No.17 right now.
This means that currently, songs by solo female artists make up just 12.5% of the current Top 40 at country radio.
While many have advocated for female artists to receive more airplay on country radio, this clearly remains an issue.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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