"Oprah Effect" Boosts Country Album Sales
Who needs you, country radio? Artists have Oprah and this so-called Oprah effect. And it is all about getting results after you perform on her afternoon talk show. The show has something like 6.2 million viewers every single day. That apparently made certain CDs jump to the top slot of the U.S. album charts. A spokesperson for Lady O said "Generally, we invite fairly well-established musicians on the show. ... Sometimes, it just comes down to the right artist at the right time with the right song." And lucky for country artists, they've been on her show like crazy lately. There was the Darius Rucker-Carrie Underwood-Sugarland-Kenny Chesney fest a few months ago. And then a couple of Taylor Swift appearances, two episodes with Martina McBride and upcoming Sugarland, Tim McGraw amd Wynonna ones. It comes down to this: Oprah seems to like country music. Oprah is influential. Her viewers are loyal. Therefore, the Oprah effect makes good things happen for country music.
Photo credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images





james2008 says:
Yeah, but what are country artists going to do after she ends her show in 2011? Go to Rachel Ray?
countryiscool says:
Nah, I hate to cook. lol
glo says:
Tim McGraw will be on the show TWICE by the end of the of the month. He will be on tomorrow on the Heroes show with Wynonna and Sugarland. He will also be on the 30th on the Holiday show. He will sing a duet with Alicia Keys, they will do John Lennon’s famous song Happy Christmas.
Ken says:
yeah right!!! I guess we are just robots and buy only who show up on Oprah. What a Joke! I buy a cd because I am a fan not because the artist showed up on Oprah!!
Michael says:
I have a feeling Winfrey knows even less than Alison when it comes to country music. Putting a bunch of pop acts on her show is doing nothing for country music.
wanda says:
Love Oprah and all country music wether they are pop country or traditional, or rock country. She grew up in tennessee i think she knows something about country. Go Oprah and all country stars.
Redmaz says:
Who are some of your favorite Americana/Roots Country artists wanda?
Bullride says:
What? Just because someone grew up in Tennessee they automatically know something about country music? Did you know there is rock, blues, jazz, bluegrass, hip hop, rap, funk, r&b and many other genres of music in Tennessee too? Just because someone is from Tennessee doesn’t mean they know about or love country music.
Chris says:
Carrie, Taylor, and Martina have been on Oprah twice each. I’d love to see some new faces on the show. Kellie Pickler is always great on TV and she would be a hit on Oprah! How about Kellie, Jamey Johnson, and Randy Houser on the same show after they return from their upcoming USO tour? Now that would be a real country show!
hotelmotel says:
Its good to see that Oprah rose above her roots and made something of herself.
S says:
I used to like Oprah before she became full of herself.