This is an interesting article for a few reasons. Country music is definitely rapidly changing and a fresh crop of new, young artists are all over the radio right now. All of which are also tuned into social media more than any other age group.
However, the most interesting thing that is touched on here is the genre’s ability to adapt to the changes and how its stronger than ever. Personally, I’m glad to hear that country is the most popular music genre, but I don’t believe it. I mean, unless there is a shift that hasn’t been fully realized, I still see hip hop as the main music genre currently being used and abused. Its awkwardly placed in TV commercials airing during prime time, while families are in their homes together. Its not my cup of tea and I can’t wait for it to die, but I don’t see it going away any time soon.
The single most fascinating thing about country music to me is Music City itself, Nashville. No other genre of music has a mecca like this whatsoever. NOTHING even remotely like it. And to top it off, that has been the case for the get-go. A whole other long and winded article or blog could be used to explore the reason(s) and the origins, but its been what it is for a very long time. Its amazing to think of (or in my case, straight up fantasize) about living in a city that breathes in and out so much music! I read an interview recently with Miranda Lambert where she referred to it as a tight-knit group, a family. And that’s exactly it, if you want to make it in the genre you go to that city.
That is the reason why country music as a whole is so strong and enduring. That is why it has rolled with the changes, good or bad, but still remains in tact. Its a family. The writers, the musicians, the performers, etc. Now I’m not going to pretend that I know all about the industry, because I do not. I’m just a fan, but I can still see the ability of this amazing community, and the support they have for one another (for the most part).
In comparison, rock music changes so much that at different points in time different areas around the world have churned out a whole movement with a sub-genre, but then it shifts to somewhere else. For example, in the 1980s you had all of the hair bands coming out of Los Angeles, and if you wanted to be successful you moved there. Sunset strip at the time was very much like Nashville. Everyone lived and worked right there in such a confined area, along with all the venues the bands played at. After that completely died out, grunge came out of the Seattle area. However, at this point in time, in MY opinion, rock is so diversified and there are so many sub-genres that there’s no real focus anymore. I’d almost say rock is dead, at least in the form that I prefer.
Maybe I’ve gotten too old so that the new stuff doesn’t appeal to me, I don’t know, don’t care. But what I am having a blast listening to is new country. We have two country stations here so I just switch back and forth when I’m driving, so there’s always something on. I love that I can listen to new material on the radio, and then I can watch the videos on CMT or GAC, and also I can enjoy award shows. You don’t have that with rock, its mixed in so badly with hip hop, pop and rap that you can’t really find it anymore.
Meet Country 