MUSIC CITY SMOKE

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#1956

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1540

peak 1551 · rated over 12 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2020-09-25

latest 2023-03-17

Best ToY finish

#856

Master 2020

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

4 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 53%

overall standings

Best overall

694.8232 / 720

Master · Big BBQ Bash

Perfect 180s

Current form

676.24 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 672.93 (+3.31)

Walk rate

67%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork · Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off

Consistency

±15.74

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 169.93 · weakest Chicken (165.34)

Road miles

1,787

mi across 12 mapped stops · furthest 201 mi

Schedule strength

79%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1602)

Purse competed for

$152K

listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 12 state-championship entries

Master avg

672.93 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (9 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

On the rise

+28 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 28 points across 7 contests since 2022-03-18 — from 1512 up to 1540.

7 contests since 2022-03-18
now 1540

They almost always walk

67% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 8 of 12 contests

A top-10 category call in 67% of their 12 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

694.8232 career-best overall

96.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.8232 at Big BBQ Bash — 96.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
2022-06-24

Their season

2022 their best year

2022 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 35%.

6 contests
2 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 35%

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

Organizer Portal ahead in 100% of their meetings

Organizer Portal has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.6 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.58 points below their pork, and turns into a call 25% of the time against 42%.

Chicken avg 165.34
Pork avg 169.93
3 calls in 12 entries

A strong matchup

4–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ in 4 of their 5 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

6 of 8 shared pork entries lost

CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. has out-cooked them in 6 of 8 shared pork entries.

The metronome

±2.19% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.19% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.5% of a perfect score
12 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

73 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

Grills of Mississippi

#1958 of the rated field

1539 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1550

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2023-04-28

⚔ Head-to-head

OLY SMOKES

#1961 of the rated field

1539 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1558

No shared contest yet.

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 33% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2021-08-13

⚔ Head-to-head

FARM TO FIRE

#1953 of the rated field

1540 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1540

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2020-09-26

⚔ Head-to-head

WHO ARE THOSE GUYS?

#1950 of the rated field

1540 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1540

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 5 years before MUSIC CITY SMOKE's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Blitzkrieg BBQ

#1949 of the rated field

1540 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1556

No shared contest yet.

They were already cooking in 2013, 7 years before MUSIC CITY SMOKE's first contest.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2025-03-21

⚔ Head-to-head

United Pork Smokers

#1967 of the rated field

1539 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1553

No shared contest yet.

Level with MUSIC CITY SMOKE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2023-04-14

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SmokinGhost BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO.	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
JANKY LEG BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
WeQ4U	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
CHOOCHOO BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
Poppa Pig	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
Shiggin aint easy	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	12	3	0	0	176.5600	157.0856	165.34	top 68%
Pork Ribs	12	5	0	1	176.0116	150.8116	168.02	top 49%
Pork	12	5	0	1	178.8572	153.0512	169.93	top 43%
Brisket	12	4	2	2	176.5828	159.9544	169.64	top 43%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
TN	7	top 57%
AL	2	top 51%
GA	1	top 19%
IN	1	top 42%
KY	1	top 74%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 60%
Medium (20–39)	3	top 48%
Large (40+)	8	top 54%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	2	40	0	top 79%	2023-03-17

The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 2.5 yrs 2020-09-25 → 2023-03-17

Busiest season 2022 6 contests

Contests a season 3 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in TN 7 of 12 contests · 5 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 11 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 12 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 169.93 · weakest Chicken (165.34)

Walk rate 67% a top-10 call in 8 of 12 contests

Overall top-10 rate 17% 2 of 12 contests

Master average 672.93 out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 416 314–361 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,787 12 mapped stops · furthest 201 mi

Schedule strength 1602 average field rating faced — tougher than 79% of rated contests

Purse competed for $151,715 listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 12 state-championship entries

Power rating 1540 peak 1551 · #1956 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2020
Sep 25 First tracked contest TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest
2021
Mar 19 First overall past 90% of a perfect score659.3260 Smoke on The Shores BBQ Championship
Aug 13 First call Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
Oct 15 Career-best single call (Pork)178.8572 Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off
2022
Jun 24 First category win (Brisket) Big BBQ Bash
Jun 24 First overall top-10 Big BBQ Bash
Jun 24 Career-best overall score694.8232 Big BBQ Bash
Oct 28 10th tracked contest Railyard BBQ Brawl
Nov 18 Peak power rating (1551) Atlanta BBQ Store Classic
2023
Mar 17 Most recent contest Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.8	Smoke on The Shores	2022-03-18
+14.1	Big BBQ Bash	2022-06-24
+8	Railyard BBQ Brawl	2022-10-28
+6.7	Atlanta BBQ Store Classic	2022-11-18
+5.6	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival	2022-08-19

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.4	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	2023-03-17
-7.8	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest	2020-09-25
-1.7	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off	2021-10-15
-1.3	Smoke on The Shores BBQ Championship	2021-03-19

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	1	0	0	0%	top 89%	90%	90%
2022	6	2	2	100%	top 35%	96.5%	94.8%
2021	4	0	0	50%	top 62%	94.4%	93.4%
2020	1	0	0	0%	top 87%	88.9%	88.9%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-03-17	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	71 / 80 (647.8052)	70 (162.8228)	67 (162.2284)	78 (153.0512)	35 (169.7028)
2022-11-18	Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA	11 / 57 (687.3832)	40 (164.5488)	8 (174.2744)	8 (172.5600)	5 (176.0000)
2022-10-28	Railyard BBQ Brawl 🏅 Madison, AL	6 / 10 (670.1940)	10 (157.0856)	3 (173.1200)	8 (163.4056)	1 (176.5828)
2022-08-19	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival 🏅 Madison, IN	19 / 45 (681.0172)	23 (169.6916)	10 (171.9772)	15 (173.1084)	25 (166.2400)
2022-06-24	Big BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	4 / 29 (694.8232)	5 (173.1200)	7 (172.5716)	8 (173.7144)	1 (175.4172)
2022-05-13	2nd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1 🏅 Union City, TN	14 / 25 (675.8280)	21 (163.3712)	14 (167.3828)	7 (173.1084)	9 (171.9656)
2022-03-18	Smoke on The Shores 🏅 Lebanon, TN	12 / 63 (687.9544)	33 (169.7028)	4 (176.0116)	22 (171.4172)	18 (170.8228)
2021-10-15	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Munfordville, KY	20 / 27 (675.8972)	23 (165.6800)	21 (167.4056)	3 (178.8572)	24 (163.9544)
2021-09-03	Smithfield Classic in Nashville 🏅 Nashville, TN	31 / 50 (679.8856)	43 (163.9428)	22 (171.9772)	24 (171.9656)	21 (172.0000)
2021-08-13	Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL	21 / 49 (675.3028)	4 (176.5600)	29 (165.6684)	12 (171.9772)	38 (161.0972)
2021-03-19	Smoke on The Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	40 / 57 (659.3260)	48 (159.3944)	43 (162.8344)	35 (165.1316)	20 (171.9656)
2020-09-25	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest 🏅 Savannah, TN	41 / 47 (639.7944)	44 (158.2172)	46 (150.8116)	24 (170.8112)	40 (159.9544)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021 ↗	Master	#1236 (60 pts)	#1286 (60 pts)	#1309 (60 pts)	#1262 (60 pts)	#1150 (85 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#883 (65 pts)	#883 (60 pts)