Chart Rewind: In 2016, Jon Pardi’s ‘Boots’ Stepped to No. 1 on Country Airplay

The traditional country singer scored his first leader.

Jon Pardi performs during Coyote CountryFest at the Orleans Arena on Aug. 13, 2016, in Las Vegas.

Mindy Small/FilmMagic

At a time when bro-country dominated the sound of country music playlists, Jon Pardi offered a palate-cleansing throwback feel with his 2015 single “Head Over Boots.”

The song used a hint of Western swing to make it ideal for two-stepping across the hardwood, slipping old-school country into the format in the same way that Randy Travis’ “Forever and Ever, Amen” or Ricky Van Shelton’s “From a Jack to a King” flavored radio rotations three decades earlier. “Head Over Boots” stepped 3-1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay list dated Aug. 27 in its 46th charted week, putting Pardi’s name at the summit for the first time in his career.