MUSIC CITY BBQ

MUSIC CITY BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 20 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2017. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff (2016). They are ranked #967 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#967

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1608

peak 1608 · rated over 19 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Oct 4, 2013

latest Jun 16, 2017 · 3.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#347

Master 2016 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 5% of the time

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

45% of 20 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 35%

overall standings

Best overall

705.1316 / 720

Master · Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff

Perfect 180s

Current form

681.85 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 680.24 (+1.61)

Walk rate

90%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork Ribs · Dickson County Smoke Fest

Consistency

±12.34

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 171.75 · weakest Chicken (167.66)

Road miles

1,723

across 20 mapped stops · furthest 166 mi

Schedule strength

41%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1554)

Master avg

680.24 / 720

19 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (12 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

Against the odds

15-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 85 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff (May 27, 2016) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 15-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, Organizer Portal.

On the rise

+28 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 28 points across 6 contests since Jul 22, 2016 — from 1580 up to 1608.

6 contests since Jul 22, 2016
now 1608

Giant slayer

31 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 31-team field at Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff.

May 27, 2016

They almost always walk

90% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 18 of 20 contests

A top-10 category call in 90% of their 20 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

705.1316 career-best overall

97.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 705.1316 at Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff — 97.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 27, 2016

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Extra Mile BBQ has finished one call ahead of MUSIC CITY BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

12–3 behind in the head-to-head

Organizer Portal ahead in 80% of their meetings

Organizer Portal has come out ahead in 12 of their 15 shared contests.

Show 5 more storylines

The weak link

−4.1 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.10 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 25% of the time against 55%.

Chicken avg 167.66
Pork Ribs avg 171.75
5 calls in 20 entries

A strong matchup

11–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 85% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Big B BBQ Company in 11 of their 13 shared contests.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

HOT COLE'S BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A June team

Top 21% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 21% across 3 contests, versus top 35% the rest of the year.

3 June contests
top 35% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.71% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.71% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 94.5% of a perfect score
20 contests

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017 ↗	Master	#1160 (257 pts)	#1112 (307 pts)	#1550 (177 pts)	#1241 (257 pts)	#1231 (252 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#347 (1,064 pts)	#499 (814 pts)	#338 (1,089 pts)	#364 (1,044 pts)	#420 (959 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#530 (708 pts)	#771 (478 pts)	#473 (818 pts)	#512 (758 pts)	#620 (608 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#680 (531 pts)	#961 (366 pts)	#574 (671 pts)	#742 (511 pts)	#885 (386 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1807 (106 pts)	#1941 (96 pts)	#1701 (136 pts)	#1909 (106 pts)	#1736 (126 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to MUSIC CITY BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

FASTLANE BBQ CREW

#966 of the rated field

1609 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1623

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to MUSIC CITY BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team MUSIC CITY BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Oct 25, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

Pits and Grills

#970 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1608

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 20 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Oct 3, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

COOL BLUE Q

#974 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1618

Careers of much the same size, 18 contests to 20, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Jul 26, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

Ribs n Pigs BBQ

#972 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 85%
Peak: 1617

Their rating is built on 5 Grand Championships in 26 contests, alongside a 85% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Aug 1, 2026
on a 10-contest top-10 run

⚔ Compare careers

RUB'N WOOD

#968 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1608

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Sep 23, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Wapatui Smokers

#973 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1608

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

rated over 35 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Organizer Portal	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
Big B BBQ Company	13	11	2	85%	⚔ compare
BIG G BBQ	13	11	2	85%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	13	5	8	38%	⚔ compare
HIGH ON THE HAWG	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare
SMOKE'M IF U GOT'M	11	8	3	73%	⚔ compare
RT QUE KUSINE	10	9	1	90%	⚔ compare
THE OPRY BACKSTAGE GRILLERS	10	9	1	90%	⚔ compare
2 LIVE CUE	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
DIRTY OL' BUTT SLAPPERS	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
HOBBIE BAR-B-Q	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
BIG ORANGE SMOKERS	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
Chokin "N" tha Smoke	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
SWIGGIN PIG	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	20	5	0	2	176.5716	155.3484	167.66	top 54%
Pork Ribs	20	11	2	3	178.8572	155.9428	171.75	top 32%
Pork	19	9	0	0	175.4172	163.3828	171.41	top 34%
Brisket	19	7	1	2	178.2972	163.9428	169.42	top 39%

“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 field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	0	top 75%
Medium (20–39)	10	1	top 28%
Large (40+)	8	0	top 37%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
TN	16	1	top 34%
KY	3	0	top 40%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff	3	1	1	top 30%	May 27, 2016
High on the Hog Festival	2	5	0	top 34%	Apr 15, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 7 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 4 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in TN 17 of 20 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 16 2 of them more than once

First title May 27, 2016 Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff

Opponents faced 303 finished ahead 467 times, behind 230

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

20172 milestones

Jun 16 Peak power rating (1608) Smoke in the House (JUDGES FULL)
Jun 16 Most recent contest Smoke in the House (JUDGES FULL)

20165 milestones

May 27 First overall podium Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff
May 27 First Grand Championship Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff
May 27 Biggest field won (31 teams) Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff
May 27 Career-best overall score705.1316 Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff
Oct 28 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 Dickson County Smoke Fest

20151 milestone

Aug 7 10th tracked contest Smokin' in McMinnville

20142 milestones

May 24 First overall top-10 Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff
Jun 6 First category win (Pork Ribs) Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff

20133 milestones

Oct 4 First tracked contest City of Earlington OctoberFest
Oct 4 First call City of Earlington OctoberFest
Oct 4 First overall past 90% of a perfect score669.0972 City of Earlington OctoberFest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.9	High on the Hog Festival	Apr 17, 2015
+14.8	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff	May 27, 2016
+13.7	Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff	Jun 6, 2014
+13.3	Mid-South Barbecue Festival	Oct 16, 2015
+12.7	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff	May 24, 2014

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.6	City of Earlington OctoberFest	Oct 4, 2013
-4.5	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff	May 22, 2015
-4.2	Smoke on the Shores	Mar 10, 2017
-3	Fourth Annual Bull Moose	Apr 4, 2014
-2.5	High on the Hog Festival	Apr 15, 2016

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

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

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2017	2	0	1	0	50%	top 40%	95.6%	94%
2016	7	1	3	1	100%	top 28%	97.9%	94.8%
2015	6	0	3	1	100%	top 33%	96.8%	95%
2014	4	0	2	1	75%	top 35%	95.5%	93.8%
2013	1	0	0	0	100%	top 75%	92.9%	92.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 16, 2017	Smoke in the House (JUDGES FULL) White House, TN	4 / 22 (688.4916)	2 (176.5600)	11 (169.6916)	4 (174.2744)	10 (167.9656)
Mar 10, 2017	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	38 / 62 (665.5656)	52 (161.6800)	38 (165.0972)	43 (164.5256)	11 (174.2628)
Oct 28, 2016	Dickson County Smoke Fest Dickson, TN	16 / 40 (677.5772)	38 (159.3716)	4 (178.8572)	11 (173.1084)	23 (166.2400)
Oct 14, 2016	Mid-South BBQ Festival Mount Pleasant, TN	4 / 27 (693.0856)	14 (171.9656)	11 (171.9772)	4 (174.2628)	3 (174.8800)
Aug 26, 2016	Franklin BBQ Festival Presented By Franklin Noon Rotary Club Franklin, TN	4 / 31 (684.5140)	19 (163.3828)	2 (177.7028)	4 (171.9884)	5 (171.4400)
Jul 22, 2016	BBQ Fest Cooking Contest Dyersburg, TN	21 / 47 (668.3768)	31 (165.0856)	31 (162.8000)	9 (173.1084)	21 (167.3828)
May 27, 2016	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff Lewisburg, TN	1 / 31 (705.1316)	5 (174.8572)	4 (176.5600)	4 (175.4172)	1 (178.2972)
Apr 15, 2016	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	33 / 56 (670.1600)	42 (166.2400)	6 (176.0116)	43 (163.3828)	40 (164.5256)
Mar 11, 2016	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	11 / 49 (681.0628)	2 (176.5716)	26 (167.4056)	18 (169.7028)	26 (167.3828)
Oct 16, 2015	Mid-South Barbecue Festival Mount Pleasant, TN	4 / 31 (697.0628)	6 (173.1200)	1 (178.8572)	7 (174.2628)	11 (170.8228)
Aug 7, 2015	Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN	17 / 37 (679.3028)	24 (166.8228)	19 (169.6800)	10 (173.1200)	18 (169.6800)
Jun 5, 2015	Bourbon City BBQ Festival Bardstown, KY	10 / 34 (682.2512)	30 (162.2628)	4 (173.7028)	11 (173.7372)	10 (172.5484)
May 22, 2015	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN	19 / 28 (667.8400)	28 (155.3484)	12 (170.8344)	11 (170.8228)	7 (170.8344)
Apr 24, 2015	Backyard BBQ Brawl (Competitor's Series) Murfreesboro, TN	—	5 (168.5372)	4 (170.8572)	—	—
Apr 17, 2015	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	5 / 59 (694.1940)	11 (174.2628)	13 (174.2628)	4 (175.4056)	18 (170.2628)
Aug 8, 2014	Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN	17 / 40 (674.2056)	30 (165.1544)	7 (174.2628)	13 (170.8456)	27 (163.9428)
Jun 6, 2014	Bourbon City BBQ Festival Cookoff Bardstown, KY	5 / 34 (687.4972)	12 (172.6288)	1 (178.3200)	18 (169.7028)	13 (166.8456)
May 24, 2014	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN	8 / 41 (685.0284)	20 (170.2628)	8 (173.1200)	5 (175.4056)	22 (166.2400)
Apr 4, 2014	Fourth Annual Bull Moose Somerville, TN	20 / 31 (654.1028)	19 (163.9428)	29 (155.9428)	16 (166.8344)	12 (167.3828)
Oct 4, 2013	City of Earlington OctoberFest Earlington, KY	12 / 16 (669.0972)	14 (165.1316)	8 (169.1544)	12 (166.8340)	9 (167.9772)

MUSIC CITY BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (12 found in their record)

Against the odds

On the rise

Giant slayer

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Looking over their shoulder

A June team

The metronome

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

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)

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

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

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

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