The fallout from last week's CMA awards is very heated here in Music City, and people are taking sides! The debate really centers on the landside victory for Taylor Swift and her four major awards, including the big kahuna, Entertainer of the Year. My last blog post received a number of very heated comments, with the vast majority falling squarely in the "Taylor Swift isn't country!" camp.
So I ask you: Just what the heck is country music anyway?
There has been debate for many years about the blurring of the lines between country, pop and rock-and-roll. In the more modern country era, many point to Shania Twain's meteoric rise to superstardom as a moment when country music lost its identity (I say "a" moment instead of "the" moment because throughout the history of country music, there have been a number of "moments" where some believe country lost its identity. More on that in a bit.)
So, should we blame Shania? Virtually all of her music crossed-over onto the pop charts regularly. Perhaps more of the blame should be shouldered by her husband at the time, Mutt Lange, who was also her producer and co-songwriter. Mutt came to country music through Shania, but his credentials were pure rock-and-roll. He produced some of the biggest names in the business, including AC/DC, Foreigner, The Cars, Bryan Adams and Def Leppard, who apparently are the new darlings of country thanks to Tim McGraw appearing on their latest album, as well as their highly-watched CMT Crossroads special with Taylor Swift.
Fast-forward to today, however, and Taylor Swift's cross-over appeal easily trumps Shania's. Every one of Taylor's eight country singles has crossed-over very high onto the pop charts. Her cross-over appeal is unmatched in the modern era.
So the debate rages on. Just what is country? Is Rascal Flatts country? What about Keith Urban or Faith Hill? And just who determines what the definition of country music is anyway?
Back when country legends like Eddy Arnold and Ray Price traded their blue jeans for tuxedos and started crooning like Frank Sinatra, people cried "foul!" To combat the smooth orchestrations of this new Nashville Sound, along came the hard-driving Bakersfield Sound with its loud drums and twin Fender Telecaster assault on the ears. People cried "foul!" then, too, saying it was too rock-and-roll to be country. And that was over 40 years ago!
So I ask you: Just what in the world is country music anyway? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
Photo © Mercury Nashville
Comments
I remember when I balked at Garth Brooks doing Shameless on one of the awards shows. Didn’t seem like country to me then, but it seems like a golden age now. My problem with Taylor Swift isn’t so much whether she’s country or not (that’s always a sliding scale), my problem with her is more that she can’t sing! I have a bigger problem understanding how she won female vocalist of the year than I do how she won entertainer of the year. She may be an entertainer, but in no way is she a vocalist. Do the people that vote even listen to her live performances?
I like it when it sounds country, when theres no doubt about it is country music! Alan Jackson, George Strait, Patty Loveless.. are on of few in Nashville that still is country.
You got to remember the roots, were you came from. The lyrics can always change, to fit in present day, but not the sound of steel guitar, banjo or fiddle. Where is that in Taylor Swifts music? (example)
If i wanted to listen to rock and pop i do that, but i neither like pop or rock.
If your gonna do country do it 100% country, not a mix. If its a mix its something else.
They are lookin for more listeners so they go pop and rock, so they get more money. Its an industry i dont want to be part of. Why dont they come up with their own name to better describe what they are – CMA people – cause they arent country. But if they are, i really cant say im listen to country music anymore…
Thank god for Dale Watson! He is so cool!
I love his music!
I really don’t think the question as to what country music is, but to who Taylor Swift is.
Country music has more often been the music we mainline americans feel fits the bill in our era. Taylor has the ability to find audiences in nearly every genre of music she has touched, even rap has a version I find amusing and will be somewhat accepted by a few artist there. Give her her space and this time in the life of music in general. She’ll make her mark until the next super star comes along to make us wonder “just what is country music anyway”
You cant change that much on a thing and still call it the same thing. Its basic truth. Evolve and evolution? Of course you should change, but dont forget where it all started. Remember your roots.
Dale Watson is a good example. He makes tradition of what real country sound like, but have done something own with it and sounds refreshing and creative.
If you cant hear any different on Taylor Swift and Britney Spears its not country. And most of this people i heard in the CMA sound the same as her. I dont say they cant do what they do and many loves their music, but the dont belong on a country stage.
Thats the fact no one can ignore.
While Taylor Swift is never on my playlist, I’ve purchased her albums several times over for my granddaughters. It is irrevelant whether she is deemed worthy of Country honors by some. Her importance is based upon sales and how many young listeners are forever influenced by her. In 1949 Hank Williams changed Country by singing Lovesick Blues, an old Tin Pan Alley song, exactly as the vaudeville blackface comedian Emmett Miller sang it in 1925. In 1948 Eddy Arnold changed Country by crooning Anytime exactly as it was sung by Miller in 1924. Emmett Miller was far from Country but he profoundly changed it by appealing to young ears. Country critics once bemoaned the influence of the singing cowboys of early movies upon pure country music, but Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, and Merle Haggard all cited Gene Autry as an early influence. Rather than bemoan evolution, it is more fun to simply observe it.
Taylor Swift is not country , she is DISNEY POP like Miley Cyrus. A manufactured product produced specifically for young girls to spend their money on. in short, a fad.
She is about as country as the Jonas Brothers.
Swift is no where near any country sound but that would include most of the artists in the country top 40 list every week.
I guess Country music is just rock with a twang and a cowboy hat on…
I agree with what Garth said. She seems to be getting popular with her pop re-mixes
Country music is a very broad topic encompassing a wide variey of musical interpretation. To my mind , any music that has strayed away from traditional county is mislabeled.There are only a handful of true traditionalists left eg. Ray Price , Merle Haggard, George Jones. Thereare no better examples of “country ” than these legiondary icons.I defy anyone who can find an artist today to match the perfection of the voice and delivery of a song to equal that of Ray Price. He is a class act, professional , dedicated, sincere, areal showman,a true master. You’ll never hear a screaming , poorly written excuse of a song with loud pounding guitars ,drums now considered new country ,coming from a Ray Price performance.
New country needs its own label so as not to be confused with traditional country music.They are in no way related. Too bad that many radio stations owned by big businesses have the power to dictate what we have to choose from then call it country in the name of financial gain.
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Of course this “new country kind of music” (its pop and rock to me) not goin anywhere. Real country, bluegrass and more traditional sound likewise. But if you think about it.. Sugarland, Keith Urban and Taylor Swift as nothing in common with Merle Haggard, George Jones, Rhonda Vincent and Alan Jackson (hes uptodate, but is still country)
Alan Jackson is great in many ways!
So why are all these goin under the same name? Someone needs to come up with a new name, cause in this world you put label on everything.
For me i can listen to a rockabilly tune sometimes and that is more country than people i heard on CMA not long ago. Why? Because its not far away from Johnny Cash. If you mix rockabilly or hillbilly-country boggie with real country you probably get music that is okay for those who loves real country. I can get an example: Gin Palace Jesters. Countrybilly perhaps?
i have been reading the comments and everyone seems to be defining what country is by the artists making it. what is it really? is it the sound of the music? that nashville sound that so many rock groups want for their songs? is it the melody or theme of story being told? is it about divorcing, drinking, truck driving, working on the farm or any of the other standard topics? i never associated the eagles or john denver as country more pop or rock but denver was country entertainer of the year in 1975. got this off the hall of fame web site,
Country music changes daily, but it always remains, as Willie Nelson said, a place where “people tell their life stories.”
As an answer to stve i believe country music is the sound. What tune you do with your music, and which musical instruments you use. In country music it should be steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, harmonica, mandolin, anything that still sounds it got roots. Like when Johnny Cash were still goin.
I mean you should have a distinguish differents between rock and pop, blues and jazz and country. So you can say: “Im listen to country music” and their will be no doubt. But these times you really cant say that without beein more accurate. What kind of country music are we talkin about? Is it a mix between genres?
I believe you always tell a story neither its jazz, blues or pop, so you really cant say its just country that tell life stories.
Of course i think lyrics should be contemporary and fit in todays life, you dont need to sing about working on a farm. How many does that these days?
You dont even need boots, hat or that kind of stuff
to do real country. Its a modern time and you dress as you want to. If you like to have a hat on your head and boots on your feet, great!
Im listen to country music (not pop or rock) thats why i think many crossover artists should do some thinking and leave the country stage and come up with an own label for their music. Thats my opinion.
I was listening to the radio this morning–a country station–around mid-day and I heard Taylor’s current song, “Fifteen.” I’m thinking–how many people listening at this time–when school is now back in session after the Thanksgiving break–can relate to this song? Probably few. Some PDs want to weigh in on this?
I’m not into Taylor Swift but little boys & girls do! I didn’t mind her winning some award but the top award, NO! Her music is like “Michael Jackson’s”, bubble-gum music! It sound like the Grammy’s! They only pick the people who got the
most most & hell with the talent!
I agree with the first commenter, Bill, that Ms. Swift should NOT have won Female vocalist because she CANNOT sing. That is the biggest travesty of the 2009 CMAs. If it wasn’t for ProTools, she’d be just a talented writer with the likes of Carrie Underwood or Kellie Pickler singing her songs. She wouldn’t make it past the first audition of American Idol. I actually LIKE her songwriting though – she is VERY talented in that respect, and if she can ditch the “boy-bashing”, she has a great career ahead of her as a writer.
What is “country”, is a totally OTHER topic. Country is a state of mind, first of all, and it’s also a certain musical formulation, ways chords are combined, etc. To the state of mind angle, Taylor Swift’s lyrics are quite country. Her first three singles, “Tim McGraw”, “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “Our Song” were quite country sounding lyrically and musically. After that, her music took on a decided pop bent. But her lyrics are still country. She writes from the heart, tells a story, makes it real and you believe her when she sings it.
On the other end of the spectrum, Carrie Underwood is one of the best singers out there, but I don’t believe a word she sings because her songs are so inauthentic, overproduced and beyond her personality.
On the issue of “sounding” country, instrumentation always comes up. Does a song have to have pedal steel, banjos, & fiddle to be called country?? Here’s a quote that might give some food for thought….
“What I love about the Hall (of Fame) is that country keeps going forward and it’s so strong today… it has the ability to embrace certain things in the current time without losing its integrity. It maintains a sense of relevance at all times. At one time, Chet (Atkins) put strings (orchestra string section) on a country record and it was disgraceful and now there’s a street named after him.” ~Keith Urban, “All for the Hall” press conference
What country music does is RELATE to people right where they are. Whether all your exes live in Texas, or he’s just another picture to burn, Country Music is honest and real. It MUST use the instrumental conventions of the day to reach today’s audience. The pendulum of country music swings back and forth from pop/rock to traditional every 7-10 years, and that will ensure that there will always be twang for those who feel they need it. But truly, it’s the heart and soul and “real-people” nature of Country Music that makes it special & unique, as well as the broadest genre of styles and the largest radio format in the US.
I’d rather have Taylor Swift represent country music than some hillbilly goober like George Jones who can barely put a sentence together.
I remember in the mid fifties early sixties I was listening to rock and country. How about “Elvis and Marty Robbins in the same breath. Country has influenced all of us in some way or another..and some have gone to rock, jazz etc..but we all have come from the country in one way or another and have country roots in our veins.
My issue isn’t with whether or not Taylor Swift is country… I think there are many artists that sometimes put out “country songs” and other times put out more of what I would call “pop”…like Rascal Flatts… or Carrie Underwood…etc… My issue, is with the fact that Taylor Swift was nominated for Female Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year – and she can’t even sing! First and foremost, anyone even nominated in, let alone winning, those two categories should be an excellent singer. If they want to give out an award based on tickets sales, CD sales and downloads – then call it “Top Selling artist” – don’t call it “Female Vocalist” or “Entertainer of the Year” – there’s a lot more than just sales that should be considered for either of those awards!
Taylor is NOT country. She’s a lovely young lady, has songwriting talent and connects with her teenaged-girl audience because she’s writing and singing to and about them. Fine. But her music is pop, so let’s not pretend!! If you want country music, listen to George Strait and Alan Jackson, just 2 examples. I recently saw a video on CMT Pure with Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent of the song “Staying Together”…I almost cried it was soooo good to listen to a real, old-fashiped, honest to goodness country song!!! Most artists today are doing pop-country…very seldom do we ever hear a true country song on the radio anymore. If you want to hear that, tune in to Willie’s station on XM Satellite radio….you’ll hear there it 24 hours a day. Aside from pop-country, several artists are just doing pop/rock and try to pass it as country (such as Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban). Now don’t get me wrong, I really like RF and KU and have seen them in concert and enjoy their pop music, it just ain’t country!! Both the Flatts and Keith put on superb concerts, BTW, but don’t expect to hear “country music” at them.
country music to me;
the words and music of,the hard workin,contributin,hard playin,hard lovin,hard hurtin,hard helpin and proud common folk in the support and appreciation of thier country.
Country music tells a story of real-life. Life of pain, real heartache, love,happiness,a way out of pain, a way to hold on to love. It tells about how the heart feels after a tragedy and perhaps what is told can help someone else with the same tragedy.Country music is not about ‘my boyfriend touching the wheel’or ‘marking the car with a key’country music touches the soul of life.
Country music is category of music which reflects life’s overall umbrella of situations. A good country song is a three minute movie about real life. A great country music artist is one who has been there and done that. Sorry…Paisley, Urban, Bentley and a whole lot of today’s artists. Unless you lived it….you really cannot understand it. Contrary to the post from Fred Imus about George Jones…no one presents a song like Jones. Where has Fred been all these years? Hank Williams, Ray Price, Mel Street, Vern Goslin, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash are some of the greats. Today’s crop of pretenders will fade away but true country hangs on…why? because it is country!
Sorry about the spelling of Vern’s last name…Gosdin….fingers not working properly this morning…plus I’m pissed about the Fred Imus post about George Jones. Long remember the “Voice” RIP
Country music has been a large part of my life, Charlie Frederick pretty well says it all. I’m for Bill Anderson, Mel Tillis and Conway.
I really have a problem with kids who should be in school and studying what other people have gone through as far as life experiences go.
I’m also a radio DJ and we still get numerous requests from Gene Watson, Vern Gosdin and other great singers who can still carry a song. However everyone has their own version of what they like and I respect that. Just don’t bash the “Possum”. he’s one of the people that has done it all.
Sincerely,
These are all wonderful comments, friends, and I appreciate them all. Sounds like I’ve struck a bit of a nerve with all this “what’s country anyway” talk. Maybe it’s something we need to explore a little more in the future because there’s certainly a lot of passion about the topic.
By the way…I have a feeling that Fred Imus’ comment about prefering Taylor Swift representing country over some “goober like George Jones” was Fred being a tad facetious.
the line that defines country is blurred. it was blurred in my opinion when garth brooks did a kiss cover on thier tribute album. country is dead. we now have what i call, co-rock. this is all the modern upbeat artists that run nashville, if it wasnt for thier accents during awards shows we wouldnt think nashville. kieth urban is considered country by most. i didnt know austrailia had it in them. conway twitty is country, alan jackson is part country, george strait yes is country, dolly parton. todays “country” is also very much pop. back in the day it was unheard of a country single crossing over to the pop charts. that outlines country. if it can clearly be only on one chart,i believe its that type. we never hear ac/dc on pop charts, its 100%rock. tim mcgraw is slowly going pop and so is his wife. that genre cant be clearly defined anymore.
When I was growing up in the fifties, pop music was never really categorized as rock or country. We listened to whatever was on the top 40 stations, such as Everly Bros, Marty Robbins, Dion and the Belmonts, etc. We enjoyed the music without categorizing it.
I do think that country music has evolved, and is probably a little more pop than some people would like, but it is a broad enough label. One can listen to many types of country music. Reject what you don’t like and listen to some. It’s a wide enough label to make everybody happy!
I agree with the first two comments of Bill and SwedishMattias. Everything evolves and even Country Music, but one thing is a normal trend that leads to results like George Strait, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis and even Mark Chesnutt, but artists like Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and many others from what evolved? Their music has nothing in common with the Country. Their music is simply a modern pop / rock in these days they all sound. In Modern Country I can find some good artist, but the traditionalists are less and less. And I, as a lover of Pure Country, I’d rather to listen to “some hillbilly goober like George Jones’ than someone that can’t sing and someone that is not Country for me.
Great subject. I feel much like the poster who said Taylor Swift should get a Greatest Sales award rather than Female Vocalist. Taylor is not a singer. She has admirably marketed herself to the new music buying genre, 13+ age group. This young crowd has a huge buying power and Taylor proves it. Her music is geared to pre-teens and highschoolers. Will she transition? We’ll see. Meanwhile, I’ll take the music of Gene Watson any day. There’s no mistaking he’s got real vocal talent and continues to release relevant traditional country songs. Part of the reason I enjoy country music is for the artistry of the songs. Tell me what’s beautiful about “Ticks” or any number of top tunes on today’s radio. Recently Kris Kristofferson was awarded a BMI Icon award. When you measure his gut wrenching songs like “Sunday Morning Coming Down” against Kenny Chesney’s fluff or so many of today’s hits, it really shows how far our country music has fallen from what use to make it so poignant.
I agree, 100%, with all of the previous comments. Taylor Swift is not country nor can she sing. Like Miley Cyrus, she’s a bubble-gummer. Her lyrics are ‘bubble-gummer’. I really hope George Strait is regretting taking her on tour 4 years ago, because she’s certainly an embarrassment to true country music fans now.
Country to me is the music you could hear in the back seat of my dad’s cars in the 70’s and 80’s!! He’d be chain-smoking cigarettes with his hands stained from work, singing every word. My dad seemed more happy singing those songs in his car driving down the road than most of my other memories of him! He worked all the time. He had five daughters and left my mom for another woman who had more kids and grandkids!! He really worked hard and supported everyone the best he could. Nowadays, my dad still listens to the same old singers he always loved. His favorites are George Jones, Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Randy Travis…and you will never see him turn on the newer “pop” country like the Taylor Swift and the Keith Urban, at least not for very long!!
I agree with all the other posts here- country music is something you can relate to and the older you get the more you “get it”! Somehow I don’t think Taylor Swift has any words of wisdom for me. She is a sweet young thing but she belongs on a different stage…who is allowing this shift to happen? I am so confused!!!!
THE QUESTION, “WHERE IS COUNTRY MUSIC GOING?”, HAS BEEN A BIG TOPIC EVER SINCE THE FIRST E-GUITAR WAS PLAYED TO A COUNTRY SONG.
GROWING UP THROUGH THE 60′S & 70′S WHERE I AGREE MUSIC WASN’T REALLY DEFINED IN SPECIFIC GROUPS AS IS TODAY WAS GREAT. HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY OF LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. AND LISTENING TO OTHER MUSIC OF OUTHER COUNTRIES HELPS ME KEEP A GOOD PERSPECTIVE OOF COUNTRY MUSIC. I’M ASKED OFTEN ABOUT LIVING IN THE U.S. AND BEST ANSWER I CAN GIVE THEM IS TO LISTEN TO COUNTRY MUSIC. WHICH TO ME IS THE ONLY MUSIC THAT HITS EVERY ASPECT OF LIVING IN THE STATES. OF COURSE COUNTRY WILL EVOLVE AS ALWAYS AND EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN OPINIONS.
I PERSONALY BELIEVE THE WIDE BAND BETWEEN ROCK AND POP HELPS MAKE COUNTRY THE ONLY MUSIC THAT CAN HIT SO MANY GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME. THINK ABOUT IT AND TRY AND FIND ANOTHER THAT CAN SAY THAT. TO THE LAST POINT “FRED IMUS”, SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF DISRESPECTING A GREAT LIKE GEORGE AND I HOPE I NEVER HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN
I think country is a hugely encompassing area of styles, which seems to cater for all musical tastes. The common thread is the stories told in the songs. Taylor Swift is not Reba McEntire, but in keeping with her age sings about subjects relevant to her time of life. In the same way Reba sings about more mature subjects. Country to me is everything from Strait, Jackson, Cash, Reba, Toby,Rascal Flats, Waylon, to Sugarland, B&Dunn,Urban,Paisley,AND Taylor. Lets not become narrow in our acceptance of something new. I live in Australia and I like Slim Dusty, AND HIS MUSIC IS REAL COUNTRY, but he accepted and encouraged all newcomers, eg Keith Urban. If you live in the USA you should be grateful, because we only see our favorites on pay TV, and no concerts
To me country are songs that were played in the 50’s and 60’s and they will still be around in 2050. There is nothing like that coming out of Nashville today. I call todays country music throw away music.
i personally don’t like very many of the so call country singers putting out music these days, like one person said country music is twin fiddles , stel guitars most of the music these days are drownes out by the noise you can’t understand the words, as far as taylor being country -what a laugh , if one wants to know what real country music is today ,just listen to a leeann woamck cd , now that country,it don’t matter who the singer is it comes down to the record executive and how much they are willing to fork out to make the singer a song
Bill says Taylor Swift can’t sing. Why is it that she sells so many cd’s and is as popular as she is. Regardless of whether she’s country or not I think Bill must be tone deaf. That’s like saying Garth Brooks or Alison Krauss can’t sing.
White Horse (on Fearless) for example, sounds pretty country to me…..
Taylor’s a cutie, but she can’t sing and half the time, I can’t understand her lyrics. She can’t pronunciate either.
Is it or is it not Country.
The answer is really very simple.
If it sounds like country to you – then it is country for you.
If it doesn’t sound like country to you – then for you, it isn’t country – but don’t force your views on anyone else – and anyway – it’s not that important – it’s just music – labels are not there to reinforce a set of rules, a label is put on a box simply to indicate what is inside, but sometimes we have different views, so we see things differently, so we use different labels. That’s cos we are all different as well – this is a good thing, only bad if you want a rigid, no flexibility, rules are rules, world to live in. I certainly don’t. So just enjoy what you choose to enjoy, and let everyone else do the same.
I’m directing this comment to “J D Cole” who said:
“Country music is category of music which reflects life’s overall umbrella of situations. A good country song is a three minute movie about real life. A great country music artist is one who has been there and done that. Sorry…Paisley, Urban, Bentley and a whole lot of today’s artists. Unless you lived it….you really cannot understand it.”
Are there any artists who started recording AFTER 1990 that qualify in Mr. Cole’s mind as being “country”?? And how does he know whether an artist has “been there/done that” or not? And what is his definition of “there” and “that”?? What kind of background is required to Mr. Cole’s definition of “country”?
Today’s country artists grew up in the 80s, when times were good, and more and more Americans rose above poverty. Does having indoor plumbing disqualify someone from “being there and doing that”? Also, many of today’s country country artists are college-educated. Does attaining a higher education disqualify someone from having “been there/done that”? Today’s country artists are more than likely to have had early jobs in the fast-food industry or some other place where they had a desk or cubicle and a phone with both speaker and earpiece in one. Does working a job other than picking tobacco or cotton disqualify someone from having “been there/done that”??
People’s tastes in music have changed in the last few decades, too. And they seem to change with EVERY decade. If the fashion industry had never moved beyond the bell-bottoms and tie-dye of the 70s, we’d all be the worse for it (and IMO, we weren’t any better off when they brought it back in the last 10 years). The same with music – if no one had ever plugged in a guitar, we’d all be bored to tears. Sure there are classics that endure. Like the little black dress and Patsy’s “Crazy” (which was more a pop song than anything). But change is inevitable. You can’t have iPods and not have pop in your country music. You can’t have 52″ HD plasma tvs to watch NCAA football without having a little rock-n-roll mixed in with your banjo licks. And you can’t have a Zero-turn John Deere with a 25-hp, air-cooled Kohler engine and comfy arm rests and not also have high-tech innovations in production values or more contemporary themes in songwriting.
Country music is also a business. If you don’t do something new, people won’t buy your records and you’ll be flipping burgers in Podunk, USA. These artists are trying to make a living, too.
The best of today’s country music, in my opinion, takes advantage of today’s technology, issues and styles, and meshes it with the tried-and-true themes of real life.
Before naming artists who you don’t think are “country”, look BEYOND their musical style and learn a little about their lives, their influences, and their struggles. The human experience is universal: we have all loved, lost, been high and low in our own ways and various circumstances. One doesn’t have to be a hillbilly to make or appreciate Country Music. Nor does one have to even be AMERICAN.
If we’re talking about “reflecting life’s overall umbrella of situations” (see quote above), then to exclude artists like Paisley, Urban and Bentley is to deny your own definition. When a guy who was born and bred in the absolute CRADLE of country music (Paisley) is tossed out of the mix then something is wrong. If a guy who grew up in a rural area with chickens, pigs and cows, experienced his house burning down when he was a child, and listened to Don Williams, Charley Pride and Glen Campbell growing up (Urban) is tossed out of the mix, then something is amiss. If the guy who made the bluegrass banjo sound “hot” again (Bentley) is tossed out, then something’s outta whack.
“Country music” is a MINDSET, not a certain specific set of instruments, and no one geographic region or stereotyped group of individuals has a monopoly on it.
If country music isnt one specific set of instruments and typical sound, what is it? Mindset…? In that case any kind of music is country?! Rock, Pop, Blues, Jazz…
In rock music you can say its rock. In jazz and blues music you can say the same. You recognize it and put a label on it. Thats why you put a name and a tag so you know what it is if someone ask you: What kind of music do listen to? ” I dont really know the term for it, but its really good” What kind of answer is that?
But country can no longer be country and sound country(there is still many, but a few has change/stolen the meaning of the word:COUNTRY)
Why? Is it just the money that takes control and have a bad influence of people?
To me country music is a GENRE that have specific sound. Instruments like: steel guitar, fiddle, banjo..roots of country.
No matter what you call Real Country it has nothing to do with music that were show on CMA-awards. That was nothing but rock-pop music.
Like Dale Watson sings in Nashville Rash “Im to country now for country just like Johnny Cash…”
Country music has definitely changed over the years. At the present there are new artists that is categorized as country genre, however should be Pop. Take a look at Miley Cyrus & Taylor Swift. They are teeny bop “Pop” like the days of Michael Jackson!
Taylor Swift writes her own material based on her diary! This amounts to teenage romance, with the same calibre audience – teens! Most teens couldn’t name a country artist with the exception of Swift & Cyrus.
The Grand Old Opry Management should take a close look at their roots! Whats next “New Wave Rock Bands” receiving inductions!
One thing country music is NOT, is when the teens are standing in front screaming and waving just like they did a generation ago for the Beatles. Sadly country is moving more into rock every year. If you want REAL country listen to George Jones, Johnny Cash, Patsly Cline, Willy Nelson, Ray Price, and so many others whose connectlon was TELLING A STORY IN WORDS THAT COULD BE UNDERSTOOD AND A CROWD THAT WANTED TO LISTEN INSTEAD OF SCREAMING. We have gone to hundreds of concerts and been to the Opry dozens of times, but we don’t go anymore. The ticket prices have gone out of sight and the audience is so out of control that seeing (and often even hearing) is impossible. So we buy the CDs (which put 10-11 songs on a media that gives 35 min. on a media that would hold many more) and then charges about a dollar a song. SO TO SUM IT UP–WHAT IS COUNTRY MUSIC? IT IS DYING ART THAT IS SURRENDERING TO ROCK AND LEAVING US WITH OUR RECORDS OF THE REAL ARTISTS (INCLUDING SOME VERY GOOD CURRENT ONES).