I love all styles of music. My cd collection contains a vast contrast of musical styles and artists. I often check the Billboard charts 2 see who's hot, who's slipping, what's new, etc...and lately I've noticed that there are several more Country artists on the Hot 100 than there used 2 b.

Check this out. In the Top 50 on the Pop Charts:

20 - Dixie Chicks
22 - Kenny Chesney
27 - Tim McGraw
30 - Darryl Worley
32 - Tracy Byrd
38 - Sara Evans
43 - Diamond Rio
50 - Keith Urban

Not 2 mention those on the bottom 50.

Why do u think Country Music has become so popular? I will admit, I did buy the latest release by the Dixie Chicks. (I do love their back 2 basics style.)

Am I the only one here on the .org in2 different types of music...including Country Music?

June7 said:

nope...

but i prefer emmy lou harris or the resurged re-countryfied dolly pardon over the adult-alt/country of dixie chicks...if i want girl rock, ill get it from Sheryl Crowe...

June7 said:

No. Though I don't know anything about the performers you listed. I'm not HEAVY into Country music, but I do like the old school style of Country better than most of what I hear today that passes for it. I dig Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson's "Teatro" material, Johnny Cash, the Judds, and even some of Dolly Parton's music. Dolly just recently recorded a remake of Collective Soul's song "Shine" and it is bloody excellent! Actually, Dolly's a very underrated songwriter. I was listening to one of her old songs entitled "Jolene" and was taken aback at her brilliance. Her breasts just overshadow EVERYTHING! Yeah, I dig some Country music. I really haven't heard any style of music that doesn't have merit...unless it's like...death metal/thrash metal. The rest, I can find something good in it. Music is my drug.

SkletonKee said:

Then u should at least spell her name right...eh?

Meanwhile, as 4 ur views on the Dixie Chicks, 2 each his own...but...oh, by the way the Dixie Chicks sang with Sheryl Crow on the song "Strong Enough" in her "Sheryl Crow and Friends, Live from Central Park" cd. So, at least they appreciate eachother.

I Love Country Music.if you remember before Soundscan came into the picture Randy Travis,was huge in the late 80's&then Garth Brooks,the Judds,Billy Ray Cyrus,Alan Jackson,Vince Gill,Neil Mccoy,Marty Stuart all were rolling.over the past 4 Years the Females have taken over.Shanie Twainn(Misspelled)Faith Hill,Dixie Chicks, early Leann Rimes,etc..are rolling.but I also Agree with SuperNova give Me Hank Williams Sr&Jr,Roy Clark,Loretta Lynn,Dolly Parton,Kenny Rogers,Larry Gatlin&the Gatlin Brothers,Oak Ridge Brothers,Don Williams,Charlie Danials Band,Glenn Campbell,Sawyer Brown,Ray Charles,Charlie Pride,lyle Lovett,Merle Haggard,Waylon Jennings,&others.Country still has a Real feel overall but it's hard on Acts especially from Nashville that they feel are Selling it out.Country is just as Hard on It's Acts as R&B Fans were once were on Acts Crossing over.Peace&Cool Ass Thread

June7 said:

hey, leave my spelling alone...i happen to enjoy making errors in spelling..it proves im human after all...heheheh

and im not knocking the dixies..i just dont consider them country (and I happen to think Crowe is the *only* pop/rock artist keeping the art of songwritting alive)

...i wasnt trying to crumble your cookie or anything...

Supernova said:

If u liked "Jolene", check out her other classics, "Coat Of Many Colors" (a true story of her mother sewing colorful patches 2gether 2 make a coat, and her loving it, then wearing it 2 school just 2 have all the other kids laughing at her...a real tear-jerker!)

Or, "Love Is Like A Butterfly" and the original version of "I Will Always Love You" all great stuff.

Other great country...Merle Haggard. U might like his collaboration with Willie Nelson, "Pancho & Lefty". His other great stuff: "Sing Me Back Home", "Mama Tried", "Daddy Frank", "Swinging Doors", "The Bottle Let Me Down", "I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am", and "The Fighting Side Of Me".

Or check out the late, great, Marty Robbins. "Begging To You", "El Paso", "Devil Woman", "Don't Worry" and "Tonight Carmen"...all good ones.

Enjoy.

SkletonKee said:

Sorry... I guess I'm just feelin' a little touchy 2nite. That being said, who am I 2 correct spelling? I'm combining letters & numbers!!!

mistermaxxx said:

Good response mistermaxxx...songs I like by ur list of artists:

Randy Travis - "For Ever & Ever, Amen", "Diggin' Up Bones" and "A Better Class Of Losers".

Garth Brooks - 2 many 2 mention...but, "The Dance", "Friends In Low Places", "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "Rodeo" stands out.

The Judds - "Grandpa", "Love Can Build A Bridge", "Mama He's Crazy", "John Deere Tractor", "Why Not Me", "Have Mercy" and "Love Is Alive"... oh, there are sooo many. I love the Judds!

Billy Ray Cyrus - other than "Achey Breaky Heart"...there wasn't much else.

Alan Jackson - "Someday", "Don't Rock The Jukebox", "Drive", "Pop A Top", "The Blues Man", "Where Were You (when the world stopped turning)". Oh, here's another artist with a lot more, I can't even list!

Vince Gill - One of my favorite country artists, "Pocket Full Of Gold", "Look At Us", "One More Last Chance", "Take Your Memory With You", "When I Call Your Name", "I Still Believe In You", "Liza Jane", "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away", "What The Cowgirls Do". Oh, way 2 many 2 mention...GREAT CHOICE!

Shania Twain - Love her voice, her writing skills...and my gawd! She's gorgeous! "That Don't Impress Me Much", "The Woman In Me"...many more! Great artist!

Faith Hill - "Breath", "This Kiss". Another gorgeous woman!

Leanne Rhimes - "Blue" was nice... she's just okay.

Dixie Chicks - "Wide Open Spaces", "There's Your Trouble", "Sin Wagon", "Cowboy, Take Me Away", "Ready To Run", "Goodbye Earl", "Fly" and their new one, "Long Time Gone".

Hank Williams, Sr. - "Jumbolaya", "Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do", "Your Cheatin' Heart"...etc.

Hank Williams, Jr. - "All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down", "A Country Boy Can Survive", "Family Tradition". So many others... I really like Hank, Jr.

Loretta Lynn - "Coal Miner's Daughter", "You Ain't Woman Enough", "One's On The Way".

Don Williams - "I Believe In You", "Tulsa Time".

Charlie Daniels - "Devil Went Down To Georgia"

Glen Campbell - "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "Gentle On My Mind", "Rhinestone Cowboy".

Sawyer Brown - "The Walk". I know there's more!

Ray Charles - "Georgia"

Charlie Pride - "Coligia" (spelling), "Kiss An Angel Good Morning".

Waylon Jennings - "Luchenbach, Texas", "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys"...and many more!

But don't forget:

The Eagles old stuff - "Take It Easy", "Lyin' Eyes", "Desperado", "Tequila Sunrise", Take It To The Limit", Peaceful, Easy Feeling" and "Best Of My Love".

George Strait - "The Best Day", "Murder On Music Row", Amarillo By Morning", "The Chair".

Alabama - "The Closer You Get", "Roll On 18 Wheeler", "Love In the 1st Degree".

Dwight Yoakam - "A Thousand Miles From Nowhere", "Streets Of Bakersfield", "Fast As You", "I Got You", "The Distance Between You and Me".

Trisha Yearwood - "She's In Love With The Boy", "Wrong Side Of Memphis", "Walkaway Joe".

...and we can't 4get George Jones - "He Stopped Loving Her Today", "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair", "The Race Is On" and many, many more!


I guess my point is, yes! There is a lot of good country music out there. Explore!

No, country isn't overtaking pop right now. Country is still trending downward.

Country's problem today is everyone sounds and looks the same. By "sounds", I mean vocally. It's hard to tell one male country singer from another over the radio. Same with the girls.

And try picking them out of a line-up. All the guys now are beefcakes; all the girls are waifs. Say what you will about Dwight Yoakum, but at least you know him when you look at him.

There are a lot of great country songs, though - just not many stand-out acts.

The music business is cyclical, and sometime this decade, country will rise again.

For now, if you want to be out in front of the trends, check into Nortenga (I hope I spelled that right). It's the music of Northern Mexico, and it is taking over the Southwest.

there is nothing wrong with country music at all... i actually listen to quite a lot of all kinds of music, country music included... unfortunately, country music is in a terrible, terrible state right now and has been for some time...

the pop charts aren't going country... to the contrary, country is going pop...

not to discredit anyone's musical tastes, but i find no merit in any of those country artists that were mentioned in the top 50...

the only really good country artists that exists today are those in the underground or those from the country-punk/alternative country movement (or whatever the hell you want to call it)...

the sad thing is that even country artists that used to be good are slipping (that is except for the ones that have fled nashville for more open minded areas like epitaph records and american records)... a perfect example is george jones... the man is country music's b.b. king, ray charles, james brown, whatever... he is their golden throated soulman... it is generally regarded that he sing just about anything and it will still sound good, because of the emotion that he injects into it... however, because he will not escape oppressive overproduction of the nashville labels and he refuses to look beyond the same old session players and songwriters, or even (this is a keen idea) just write songs... he's track record shows how capable he is...

anyway... those are just my feelings... i think that country almost got back on track with artists like roseanne cash, foster & lloyd, and dwight yoakam... but that revival didn't go very far at all...

i guess it's just like the current state of rock or r&b really... it doesn't matter how much the current stuff sucks asshole, because there is so much great stuff that has been recorded in the past, that you could spend a lifetime going through all of that stuff anyway....


stupid ass pissed-off typos...
[This message was edited Tue Sep 3 6:41:51 PDT 2002 by EllisDee]

EllisDee said:

I have two words for you: "Steve" "Earle".

I bet you'll love his music.

June7 said:

Cool. I feel a country music shopping spree coming on. OLD SCHOOL COUNTRY!

EllisDee said:

True. It's at least in part the reason Garth Brooks became so successful. I've never heard any new school country that interested me. At least not by the artists of his age and younger.

Don't dig country but the Dixie Chicks are very good!

RodeoSchro said:

i have every single one of his cds and am eagerly anticipating the new one... however, i find it very hard to call steve earle country... i just generally refer to him as americana (the genre for artists who are everything yet nothing) because he is country influenced, yet he does grunge, blues, soul, bluegrass, folk, punk, roots rock, celtic, etc, etc... but regardless of what he does, the man does kick some serious ass...