A Very Country Christmas

Music Row really got into the Christmas spirit in this most unusual year. Every year a few Country stars put out their holiday albums. Most get one shot at it, and usually have a very fun recording experience.

Nashville Christmas music was right on schedule, but the extra exposure seemed more visible than normal.

Leading the pack was Tennessee’s top marketer, the great Dolly Parton. Nearly every day lately there’s a new Dolly something: A takeover of CMT Saturday December 5th, a CBS special on Wednesday December 9th. She was also on the 22 million-viewer virtual Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC.

Google Dolly news and you’ll get headlines like these: Dolly gives a million dollars that was key in creating a virus vaccine; Obama calls on Biden to give Dolly the Presidential Medal of Freedom; Dolly puts out a book called “Songteller” with big reviews in NY Times, LA Times and everywhere else; Dolly has greeting cards with American Greetings, etc. Dolly is everywhere!

Garth Brooks is a very good marketer for sure, but Dolly is the best of the best. In fact, what star in the galaxy has done all of the above? Who can get this wide spectrum on love? It’s a Holly Dolly Christmas, and aren’t we lucky?

Carrie Underwood’s grand HBO Max “My Gift” Christmas special is now streaming. It’s not available in all homes, but will get HBO Max some new subscribers. There’s a big orchestra and choir, John Legend, a big show. Too bad it’s not on free TV.

Garth and wife Trisha Yearwood have a Christmas special. You know Garth is not going to miss the holiday marketing season. It’s Sunday, December 20th on CBS, and it’s live. It will stream on the CBS All Access app too. And he has two albums just released.

The “CMA Country Christmas” special on November 30th grabbed 4.7 million viewers in early ratings. That may rise with delayed viewing. It was a strong #2 to the seven or so million watching Blake Shelton on NBC’s “The Voice.” Bad news for network programmers: ABC had 5.7 million watching the Disney sing-along, and a million of them left before the CMA show that followed. And ABC’s “The

Good Doctor” lost a few thousand more when it came on afterwards. “Monday Night Football” was the night’s overall winner on ESPN.

More people watched the CMA Christmas show than watched the “American Music Awards.” That says something.

More than a few Country radio stations are heavy into Christmas music now. In a year like 2020, look at the 22 million viewers number for that virtual Thanksgiving Day parade, plus 13 million for a dog show! People want normalcy and tradition in whatever form they can find it.

Country music knows how to do Christmas, maybe better than anything else. As the Country Christmas playlists expand in the coming weeks, check out the variety that’s come from 16th Ave., from Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” to Alabama’s standard “Christmas in Dixie.” Lady A’s “Little Saint Nick” with a screaming saxophone is fun!

Music Row is under the glowing halo of the 2020 Holly Dolly Christmas!