Let me start off first by saying I am a life-long country music fan. I could probably count on one hand the number of kids who were country fans at my suburban high school. My first concert was Toby Keith when I was 10 years old, and it was the best concert I've ever been to. With my mother being a stay-at-home mom while maintaining her business as a traveling saleswoman, my sister and I spent most of our childhood in the backseat of my mom's Chrysler instead of at daycare. We'd sometimes spend hours a day in the car, and when it came to choosing a radio station, country was always my favorite. That was simply because I thought country singers told the best stories.
Sure, songs about one-night stands with fast women and heavy drinking have always been around, but music used to be so much more than that. There were songs that could describe how you were feeling: angry because your wife left and cheated on you; sad because you're alone, hitchhiking in the rain trying to find your lost love; and happy because even though you were laid off from your job, you could get drunk with your buddies that night.
They talked about faith in God and patriotism toward your country, mixed in with gambling, booze, and sex. Songs sang about the lifestyles of drifters, the people scraping by to make ends meet, the importance of working hard, and the love of family.
So, What's Changed?
The country music industry has tried to appeal to a broader audience, and I get that. There's nothing wrong with trying to make more money, but how do you gain the listenership of a broader audience? The answer is to write songs that include things that are as relatable to as many listeners as possible. This is how I believe the industry has sacrificed quality for profit. All songs these days have been written into a formula that has all the things they should include: more elements from pop and rock and less things that are distinctly country.
How good does your baby really look in those cut-off jeans? Are you going to let her climb up in your truck? Maybe roll the windows down and turn the radio up? Brilliant! "Up" and "truck" kind of rhyme, I mean they both have a "u" in them. Jack Daniels and Cherry Coke? Sure! That sounds like a great time! The key now is to throw in a line with the phrases "moonshine," "moonlight," "clear skies," "your eyes," and "by my side." I think I just wrote the next radio hit!
If this song I just wrote were to be played on the radio today it wouldn't be that bad, except for the fact that most every other song being played has the exact same words, beat, and rhythm as the one before it. Besides the sheer lack of talent this music requires, I find it in many ways to belittle women and to be just plain stupid.
Look at Blake Shelton. In the 90's, Blake had the most ridiculous Jheri-curl mullet I'd ever seen, but I'd trade Blake's goofy hair in a heartbeat for him to write his old music again. He's had some great songs about heartache, frustrating dentist visits, and how a love affair between two dogs helped him escape from prison. His recent music just blends in with songs played on several other stations that don't play country.
I guess my biggest frustration here comes from the fact that if I wanted to listen to pop, I'd listen to a pop station. The same goes for rap and rock. But the music industry can't keep making money off of an outdated style of music, so they attempt to modernize it, which, in effect, blends it into a sound all of the same. Just because I love classic country doesn't mean that's all I listen to. This argument I'm making about the demise of country music could similarly be made for almost any genre.
Sure, there are exceptions, and I'm not oblivious to the fact that music evolves over time. I'm just afraid of losing the art of uniqueness, which allows for classics to stand the test of time.
I dream of a day sometime soon when artists can similarly explain why I should give beer to my horses and shove my job, why a country boy can still survive, and why those blue eyes are crying in the rain.
I find this video to sum up my feelings quite well.
