The secrets to recent surprise hits ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ and ‘Try This in a Small Town’ have been revealed by music industry pundits.
Farmville, Virginia native Oliver Anthony struck a chord with his heartfelt workers’ anthem “Rich Men,” criticizing what he considers the elite for being out of touch with ordinary Americans.
And now those in the know say the Billboard Hot 100 hit benefited from clever tricks that accelerated its success.
First, they say, is the continued impact of music downloads on the singles charts.
Thanks to streaming, downloads are becoming increasingly popular – and are being forgotten just as quickly as CDs and cassettes.
But they still form a significant part of a song’s Billboard Hot 100 ranking. That means interested fans can coordinate and spend as little as 99 cents to take a song they love to the top of the charts with relatively few downloads.
This increases awareness of the track and can also help increase streams, further cementing the song’s position on the charts.
Oliver Anthony has resonated with fans after sharing his workers’ anthem
“Rich Men North of Richmond” self-released on August 11 and became a sensation with 17.5 million US streams and 147,000 downloads sold in the tracking week through August.
Similarly, Jason Alden’s “Try This in a Small Town,” another song that appealed to Americans dissatisfied with mainstream entertainment.
Many of those who have downloaded both songs have undoubtedly enjoyed them on their own.
But music industry experts told the New York Times that there was also likely a large group of people who downloaded or streamed them to “own the libraries.”
In doing so, they managed to propel a song with controversial content to the top of the charts and sparked discussion among circles they felt had ignored them.
Conservative podcaster Clay Travis told The Times, “People are just angry that I think the woke universe has taken over so much content.”
“And I think what you’re seeing is a backlash and a rebellion.”
Anthony releases his music without a record label
Jason Aldean scored a number one hit earlier this summer with his riotous Try That in a Small Town
But the controversial video outside the Maury County Courthouse in Tennessee led to a ban by the CMT
Culture commentator Jaime Brooks added, “Now you have these people who obviously have an interest in using the charts to give the impression that their niche beliefs or views are popular.”
Country singer Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town” enjoyed similar popularity, climbing to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 after a controversy surrounding its music video.
At its peak, the card, which denounces bad behavior and warns violators to try their antics in the small town of the same name, was downloaded 100,000 times a day.
The song has been branded as racist due to a video showing protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement and a scene filmed on the steps of a Tennessee courthouse where a racist lynching once took place.
Aldean insists he’s not racist – but the controversy has piqued the interest of conservative podcasters, who have also helped shape the nationwide discussion, even if they only have small audiences.
Joe Rogan praised the song on his hit podcast, while far-right activist Jack Posobiec gushed, “(I) can’t even remember the last time a new song hit me like that.”
These podcasts continue to increase interest in the songs and engage podcast fans who are happy to spend 99 cents to help popularize a song and share views that they feel are similar to their own.
They’re also happy to support anything they feel is anti-mainstream — including artists who come out of nowhere like Anthony and Aldean — even though the podcasters they push have far larger audiences than traditional broadcasters.
Oliver could be a rich man south of Richmond if merch sales pick up
The populist anthem has already attracted a legion of loyal supporters
The country anthem has taken performances by Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift by storm
Oliver Anthony insists on keeping his feet on the ground and claims he turned down an $8million record deal – despite reportedly making $40,000 a day.
In a social media post, he wrote, “I don’t want 6 coaches, 15 tractor trailers and no jet.” I don’t want to play stadium shows, I don’t want to be in the spotlight.
“I wrote the music I wrote because I was suffering from mental health issues and depression.”
Neal Harmon, co-founder of Angel Studios, said that social media and podcast platforms allow content to be marketed directly to the ideal audience.
His company distributed Sound of Freedom, a film about child trafficking, which also benefited from widespread online support. Despite minimal promotion on mainstream entertainment channels, it went on to cost $180 million.
“I wrote a great song and the audience loved it,” Harmon said.
“The defining moment is that people can stand up and do it themselves instead of answering to those who have traditionally been the ones saying what should succeed or fail.”
Just a few weeks ago, the musician – real name Christopher Anthony Lunsford – was a relatively unknown man with just a few hundred social media followers
Aldean’s music video includes footage of Black Lives Matter police protests
“Try That in a Small Town” reached 11.7 million on-demand audio and video streams between July 14 and July 20
After becoming a household name, Oliver shared a little more about his background.
“My legal name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford. My grandfather was Oliver Anthony, and “Oliver Anthony Music” is a dedication not only to him, but to the 1930’s Appalachian Mountains where he was born and raised. Dirty floors, seven kids, hard times,” he wrote.
He said everyone now knows him as Oliver, but friends and family still call him Chris, adding that “either is fine.”
Oliver claims he dropped out of high school in 2010 and got his GED at age 17. He claims his politics are right in the middle and has so far refused to comment directly on either the Republican or Democratic parties.
He describes in detail the conditions under which he worked and which inspired his songs after leaving school.
“I’ve worked at several mills in western North Carolina, most recently at the McDowell County Paper Mill. I worked the third shift, 6 days a week, for $14.50 an hour, in hell on earth. “In 2013 I fell badly at work and broke my skull.”
A native of Farmville, Virginia, he’s been a relatively unknown person for years, describing himself as “an idiot with a guitar.”
Oliver moved back to Virginia, he says, and wasn’t able to return to work until six months after the injury.
In 2014, he began working “in the field” in industrial manufacturing, which he says has taken him “all over Virginia and into the Carolinas.”
“I’ve spent all day every day for the last 10 years hearing the same story. ‘People are SO damn sick of being neglected, divided and manipulated.’
As for his living conditions, he says he lives on a $97,500 piece of farmland (of which he reportedly still owes $60,000) in a 27-foot RV with a canvas cover that he rents for $750 Bought Dollars on Craigslist.
He confirms to the point of self-mockery that his success is “nothing special” for him.
“I’m not a good musician, I’m not a very good person.” I’ve spent the last five years struggling with my mental health and using alcohol to drown it out. It saddens me to see the world in this state where everyone is fighting each other. I’ve spent many nights feeling hopeless that the greatest country on earth is fast disappearing.”
He then calls for unity and a departure from the internet culture that made him famous.
“I HATE the way the internet has divided us all.” The internet is a parasite that infects people’s minds and wields its will with them. Hours wasted, goals forgotten, loved ones sitting in houses together, distracted all day by the technology made by the hands of other poor souls in sweatshops in a foreign land.