Dixie Chicks

Taking the Long Way for the Long Haul

The Dixie Chicks – many folks have labeled them, but there is one word no one can deny they exude – unstoppable. These Chicks, the biggest-selling female group in history, have seen the top of the world. They have also watched as the top of their world came crashing down. But through all of these accolades and subsequent condemnation, the Chicks stay true to themselves. They stay honest, open, independent, defiant and fearless.
Not everyone is scared to listen to what they have to say. Although rumors have flown about canceled tour dates and waning CD and ticket sales, just the opposite is true. According to Frontpage Publicity, the firm representing the Chicks, four weeks after its release on May 23, Taking The Long Way achieved a platinum (for sales of 1,000,000) certification by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), bringing the group’s career total up to 41 gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications, including two RIAA Diamond Awards.

The U.S. platinum success of Taking The Long Way resonated around the world. The album debuted at No. 1 (and remained in the top slot for four weeks) in Canada, where it went double platinum, and at No. 2 in Australia, where it’s certified platinum. The album debuted at No. 8 in New Zealand, where it’s been certified gold.

Taking The Long Way crossed the 2 million mark in sales worldwide on June 30. The album skyrocketed to the Top 10 in Sweden (peaked at No. 1), Australia (No. 2), Germany (No. 5), Europe (No. 6), Switzerland (No. 6), Ireland (No. 7, gold), Norway (No. 7), Austria (No. 8), and the UK Top 75 (No. 10, gold). In every market in which it’s charted, with the exception of New Zealand and Ireland, Taking The Long Way has the highest-charting debut numbers of any album in the Dixie Chicks’ career.

When Taking The Long Way debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 best-selling albums chart the week of its release, the Dixie Chicks became the first female group in chart history to have three albums debut at No. 1, breaking the record the Chicks established in 2002 when the group’s last studio album, Home, debuted at No. 1 and made them the first female group ever to have two albums debut at No. 1.

With the No. 1 debut of Taking The Long Way, the Dixie Chicks have also become the first female group in chart history to have three studio albums occupy the No. 1 slot on the Top 200. In addition to occupying the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for two weeks in a row, Taking The Long Way was America’s No. 1 Top Country Album for six weeks running and was the nation’s No. 1 Top Digital Album.

And here’s another first: this year, the Chicks became the first major band in history to hire a designated blogger to record on a daily basis their experiences during the band’s latest promotional activities and “Accidents and Accusations” tour. They partnered with Microsoft and hired Junichi Semitsu, a Professor of Law at the University of San Diego, who will write first-hand accounts of their experiences on the road and post them on DixieChicks.MSN.com.

The Dixie Chicks are stronger than ever – and no one can stop them. You can stop by the Frank Erwin Center on Monday, December 4 and see for yourself why the Dixie Chicks are the greatest-selling female group of all time.