The Fact Is, Morgan Wallen Doesn’t Need You … That Should Scare You!

A Garth Brooks-like/Taylor Swift-like event happened on Friday, March 3rd, as more than 19,000 fans of Morgan Wallen broke Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena attendance record.

They had to stand in a line, in the rain at times, at The Bridgestone box office to get tickets, with a limit of, two, until tickets were gone in just over three hours after the box office opened. From the surprise concert announcement to the actual concert, a total of 30 something hours, the arena was full to record capacity.

Add to that, the show was livestreamed to the rest of the planet. Meanwhile, Wallen’s previous “Dangerous” double album remains in the top 10 all sales chart, and his new album, “One Thing At A Time,” is already maxxing out the streaming charts of Apple and Spotify.

With all those facts, Wallen is still sidelined by national TV, the woke late night shows and others. Madison Ave. is scared of the Southern boy. Yet 1.2 million have already paid for the tour tickets as he heads to New Zealand to get his latest run underway.

Hard to tell who is still avoiding him and who is not. The Tennessean seems all in now, as does Billboard.

Rolling Stone had a lukewarm album review, but reviewed nonetheless. The New York Post headline (no kidding) was, “Unfortunately, Morgan Wallen’s new album, ‘One Thing at a Time’ Is Damn Good.”

Referred to multiple times as a “polarizing figure” Wallen is praised in the review for his admirable sense of self-awareness. Each song has been applauded again and again as the reviewer goes through the two-hour, 36-song album. You could tell the reviewer hated saying “one hell of an album.”

In 2021, after the Wallen racial slur “incident,” many stations banned his music. Despite the ban, the then new “Dangerous” album broke out, climbed the Top 100 all genre chart, and has parked in top 10 for, what, 90 weeks, selling millions?

Many of those same stations went with Morgan music every hour this past weekend or, in some cases, all Wallen new music 24/7 (KMLE/Phoenix and WPAW/Greensboro, NC).

The Wallen ban, in 2023, was lifted or partially lifted by some award shows and station groups. Going back to the New York Post’s review tone, presumably they had to act like they don’t like him to keep the peace.

So now most have jumped back on the Wallen bandwagon … and it’s always easy to jump on that bandwagon.

The question now that should scare the powers that be is this: Could he survive without us? The answer is very clear YES. He already has!

The late night TV shows on the networks are shadows of what they once were. “Gutfeld!” at Fox News beats them some or all of the time in total audience. The days of Carson/Letterman numbers are way gone.

What about those morning shows in 2023? “Good Morning America” has 3.18 million total viewers daily, “TODAY” 2.85 and “CBS This Morning” 2.45. “Fox & Friends” has around 1.3 million.

In 2000, “TODAY” had 6.3 million, “GMA” 4.57 million and CBS 2.2 million. The only direction those shows are going is down, just like late night.

Morgan Wallen is going to roar through 2023 breaking the album chart records and playing to 30 stadiums again with 1.2 million advance sales. The fans have spoken. He is the hottest act in Country music.

As Country Radio Seminar approaches, Country radio again needs to take a good look in the mirror and in the ratings book. Is more voice tracked/canned sounding radio the way things should go? If Morgan doesn’t need the mass media, what about the other acts?

Few, if any, stations generate the kind of buzz that gets people to stand in line in the rain for free tickets to a show. But that is the kind of stunt radio needs to relearn how to do. The labels, too, got a lesson in building excitement and brand loyalty.

You don’t need to toss frozen turkeys out of a helicopter like “WKRP In Cincinnati,” but having a choking, automated playlist and robot, faceless sound may be a choice that will lead to the final countdown.

Wallen and Taylor Swift are amazing to watch operate. Their loyal fans are so impressive. Garth fans and Carrie Underwood fans are too, and there are others.

Radio/late night and morning TV need that kind of fan excitement in all dayparts to have any chance at reclaiming their departed audience. LIVE … current … water cooler or social discussion worthy. Did you see/Did you hear so and so?” Hurry before it’s too late!