Who killed country music?

[TonyV]

Short answer...the music industry killed country music. Just as its killed other genres as well. Add to that the proliferation of cable television and the scourge of the 'music video'. Its not enough to play good music, a musical artist has to look good too in order to be considered marketable by the industry. Enter the 'boy' bands of the 80's and 90's as well as any pretty face in a cowboy hat. Of course, the formula wouldn't work unless there was a tangible result at the cash register. So blame the consumer too. Sub-par music has been force fed to the masses for so long, that its become palatable. You want a singer that sounds like a lonesome hound dog, backed up by a fiddle and a banjo...sorry, not tangible. You want an outstanding rock band singin' soulful lyrics fronted by a guy that could be the poster child for planned parenthood...very talented...but not tangible. Music is produced by large corporations for a mass consumer market. Those with more eclectic tastes will forever go wanting...unless your willing to go out and find it. There is a plethora of good music still available for those with other than mass market tastes, but your not going to here it on the radio. Its at the local tavern on Saturday nite, or at the coffee shop in town, its at a lot of places where folks gather because their sickened by what the music industry has become... but you have to be willing to seek it out, 'cuz its not 'tangible'.

....Big Dawg. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[gsxr1100]

I agree but it is the same story of the same issues. Guy has a truck, guy’s truck breaks, he loses his dog and his wife, then his job. Boy, so far it is EXCITING TO NO END. Where is the beer and shotguns? ... Same thing 2,000,000 ways to China! Again boring till no end.

You can bring in “American dream” veterans etc etc. Again same story different day…To bad these 2 topics are more then country here and better ways to express it and a little more upbeat too!

For me, these 2 topics are expressed pretty good by CCR and Jimmy Hendrix. ..and many others.

Let me know when the music really started and I will tell you when it died! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif To me country music is about exciting as watching grass grow or paint dry! It is like Chinese torture, just shot me it is quicker! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

When you find out who did it, forward me his/her address so I can send a "Thank You" card. And then maybe we can send that same person to go kill "HIP HOP/RAP" music next.

 

[Dargo]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My wife loves country I personally can’t stand it.)</font>

Hey, we aren't married to the same woman, are we?! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Oh yeah, my favorite bumper sticker of all time reads:

RAP IS TO MUSIC WHAT ETCH-A-SKETCH IS TO ART

Gotta love that one!!

 

[Cactus]

My feelings this so called "country music " that is on the radio today is 95% pure crap,no talent,nothing original,I can't stand listening to it..most of it goes no where. I would rather listen to Conway and Loretta sing or Charlie Rich,Connie Smith.................. The same can be said for pop music/rock and roll,I don't care for 95% of the pop music today,once in a while someone comes along with something good IE: Eric Clapton..but then again I think most of the good popular music left in the 70's. I guess that must be why I refer to the oldies station.
I watch the RFD channel and I enjoy the old shows like Pop Goes The Country/Porter Wagoner/The Monroe brothers...some real country music.

 

[PineRidge]

I'm a firm believer that everything moves in cycles. That said, I would bet money that country music will be back sooner or later, I just don't want to see a leisure suit ever again. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RobertN]

There's some good replies here. I think part of what has hurt it is the commercialization to a bigger market. They have to do more cross-over to pull listeners from other markets.

Another thing, at least locally here, is the limited "top-ten" corporate radio. One company own a majority of the FM stations in Sacramento. You do not get the variety from corporate radio that you get from independants. I worked a delivery route for a while with a friend. He listened soley to Sacramento's only country station, which I used to like. After listening to it on the road though, I found it incredibly repetitive. Some songs playerd every 30-45 minutes. That is, when the announcers were'nt talking...

I have found more variety in Public radio. We have a GREAT local station, 89.5 KVMR that plays great country, although it is only part of thier programming. Today, they will have some folk music this moring, and then move in to a Bluegrass show from 10-12. Then the afternoon has all country, from swing to "hard Country". After that, on every other Saturday, they play a Cajun show. They also webcast thier programs...

I find I look forward to those show's, because the country station here is so limited. Either that, or I have CD's and tapes going, because the radio programming is so poor.

I like Blues, Celtic, and Bluegrass. And, country. It is hard to find those in a radio format, at least free radio...
I came across a good CD with traditional country and bluegrass. It's been out for a while. Patty Loveless and "Songs from the Mountian". Wow! I have alwys liked her sining, but was really impressed with the power and range she has.

 

[RobertN]

Was it KREL 92.1? That was a great Sacramento start for a good country station. Only lasted a couple months, before it became "BOB-FM". Bummed me out, because they played a lot of great stuff!

 

[_RaT_]

I'm so out of the loop I did not know it "got killed". As one who listens to AM radio 99% of the time, I guess it's no wonder I don't know whats going on in the FM world. I prefer to listen to music at home without the commerical interruption or the DJ's input.

 

[jmc]

Not a country fan myself but it sounds like the same thing as has happened to the type music I like. While researching satellite radio in hopes of avoiding conventional radio, knowledgeable editorials say that corporate radio has shot themselves in the foot and are starting to realize it. They have, effectively, rolled out the red carpet for satellite radio.

The other thing going on is advertisers want younger audiences because they spend more. It goes right down to crowding out the Veterans of national news in favor of younger and better looking anchors.