A New Country Music Compilation

The “Now That’s What I Call Music” series of pop and rock hits compilations has been monstrously successful since it was introduced to U.S. consumers in 1998. Contemporary Christian music companies annually put out a similar series called “Wow.”

In country music, however, record executives have refused to put hit singles on multi-artist compilations, believing that sales of the artists’ own albums would suffer if consumers could buy their big hit elsewhere.

That changes this week with Tuesday’s release of “Totally Country,” the first “Now”-like album featuring country hits from a variety of labels. Among the acts are established stars such as Dwight Yoakam, Dixie Chicks, Travis Tritt and John Michael Montgomery, along with newer faces including Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Trick Pony and Tammy Cochran.

The participating companies are the RCA Label Group, Warner Bros. Nashville and Sony Music Nashville. As with the “Now” series, the “Totally Country” volumes will be released yearly by each of those labels on a rotating basis, with an initial commitment for three volumes. The first installment is on RCA-owned BNA label.

“What you’re seeing those guys doing signals some kind of a sea change,” says Lon Helton, country music editor for the Radio & Records trade publication. “Historically, you’ve never seen as many country compilations as you do in pop. But I think people are seeing that to attract the consumer, they’re going to have to do it this way.”

“It’s an idea we have resisted for a long time, but now the time has come,” says RLG Chairman Joe Galante. “We are not trying to give away the business. We want to give a tasteful compilation with hits of this genre that’s a good value for the consumer and still leave a solid business.”