Our generation finds itself in an age of engineered music — music that relies heavily on computer-made beats and artificial sound pieces. As mainstream music comes to depend more and more on music that requires only a computer as an instrument, country music’s sound is quickly moving towards that of the music that makes up today’s top 100 charts.

If you were to mention today the main artists of country music from just a decade ago — Keith Urban, Kenny Rogers, Shania Twain, Brooks & Dunn — many of today’s country music fans would be unable to recognize several of those artists. These more classically “country” artists often times relied on a single guitar and their voice. Their use of acoustic guitar helped to define a warm and genuine sound that could easily be identified as “country." Softer-sounding and slower paced songs were able to resonate with country music fans of any age. These heartfelt songs connected with people on personal levels and often stirred memories and feelings. 

As the 2000s ended and we began to move into our current decade, country music began to change shape. Single performers and duos began to leave the stage in favor of performers backed by scores of instruments. The beloved sounds of the acoustic guitar began to fade away in favor of the distorted and bolder sounds of electric guitars. As the complexity of country music’s sound increased, so did the use of studio equipment and effects in the production process. Loops and samples of instruments found their way onto country albums more and more in order to accommodate the changing sound of the genre. Changes like these largely shifted country from what it was in the early 2000s to what it is today. 

With us preparing to step into 2015, country music is a completely new animal compared to what it was a decade ago. Artists such as Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Florida Georgia Line are names that everyone knows and hears, regardless of age. More and more, people have begun tuning their radios to country stations to hear these artists. As the use of engineered sound is being used more than ever, fans of other popular genres — ones that already depend heavily on artificial sounds — have begun to tune their ears more toward country music. Events like Country Thunder are today recognized across the country, drawing thousands each year.  

This change from what country music was just a few short years ago to what it is today, has created a divide in fans. There are those who still cherish the classic sounds of Garth Brooks, and there are now those today who would prefer Dustin Lynch and modern country artists. The major split in country has created a situation similar to classic rock versus more modern rock. Country music today is heading toward being labeled with sub-genres to help define its increasingly varied sounds. Though it’s up to the listener as to which of these country music types is their favorite, one thing is for sure; the beat of country music has changed forever.