Country's Coming Back…

Luke Bryan wanted that country girl to shake it for him. Travis Tritt said country ain’t country. The complaint I hear most about country music is that it’s not country anymore. On the surface, I agree but music changes. Face it…back in the day Conway Twitty was considered a pop star! Sacrilege? Not really. So was Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline! How times have changed.
We ran through a period of “bro” country when the airwaves were full of pickups, bonfires, Daisy Duke’s and whatnot. It all sounded the same but it made quick money and that’s all any label is interested in. The women are finally turning the tables, thank goodness.
Mainstream artists like Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Taylor Swift, Sam Hunt, Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line and a bunch of others have moved the genre into the middle. It’s brought a huge new audience but an acoustic guitar or pedal steel does not a country song make. There’s too much sampling (listening Sam Hunt?), too much talking and not enough singing. The words have become unimportant, but things are changing and I’ll get to that in a bit.
The latest thing is collaborations where there’s a mix of country and/or pop/rock. Now granted, some of them work very well, just ask Blake and Gwen. Jennifer Nettles scored a ton of crossover airplay with Jon Bon Jovi. Records were set by FGL and Bebe Rexha. Are they all, “country”? The jury’s still out. Some of my favorite TV viewing comes from CMT’s Crossroads…some of those pairings are tremendous! But as I say all this, there are artists that have no reason to be here. Enter Justin Bieber, Steven Tyler(!) of Aerosmith, rapper Nelly, Brett Michaels from Poison, Cyndi Lauper, Justin Timberlake, Kid Rock and now we have pop/rock/alternative princess Lana Del Rey! Gimme a break! In my opinion all they’re doing is diluting what country music actually is. OUR music, not theirs. Not everyone can be a Darius Rucker!
Now, artists are slowly returning to their roots, with craftsmanship, harmonies, words and respect to those who’ve paid their dues. It’s the words we relate to, tell a story, capture our way of life, react to current events, words that can make a difference. George Strait can still pack the joint. So can Tim McGraw and Willie Nelson. It seems like everyday we’re seeing new names pop up on the playlist from out of nowhere but for the most part they’ve got a more, “traditional” sound. That’s what is slowly coming back…the tradition. Listen to Jon Pardi, Riley Green, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Kacey Musgraves, Lauren Alaina, Miranda, Carrie, Reba, Chris Stapleton or the phenomenon that is Luke Combs. This is the future…the saving grace for the music we all enjoy. Do I like the kick ass stuff of an Aldean or Brothers Osborne? Sure, but like a good whiskey it’s in moderation.
I enjoy all sorts of music, except rap…can’t stand that. But give me classic rock, some decent metal, certainly country, smooth jazz and I’m happy. I violate our format from time-to-time and sneak in some of those “throwbacks” from the likes of Ronnie Milsap, Joe Diffie, Travis Tritt, Lorrie Morgan, Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart and others. It’s my way of paying homage to the roots of the music, despite what the “consultants” tell us. I’ve been connected to the media nearly 50 years now and have seen and experienced a lot. Am I going to add much credibility to some person in New York or LA or even Nashville telling us what to listen to? I don’t think so. I know because YOU tell us. Keep doing that and I’ll keep playing it.