Least favorite pop country singers?

[UKGrad93]

This is a little old, but it sums up why country music was awful in 2013.

I hardly listen to country, but most of it just sounds like pop with a little twnag in the singers voice and steel guitar added in.

 

[BigSexyCat]

Keith Urban, Billy Currington, Taylor Swift and Brad Paisley to name a few.

Personally I like Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and the whole Bro-Country click but I also liked hair-metal back in the 80's.

 

[fuzz77]

Originally posted by ram1955:

Back in the day when music was music (70's) I had friends that listened to Christian rock. I always thought those guys sounded a lot like garage bands that just couldn't make it playing rock. IMO, today's country...in fact the last 20 years of country, for the most part, falls into that category.

Personally, I prefer the old, whiney, honky-tonk, tear in your beer type country. Todays singers just don't have it.

Here's the issue...the reason that country music is what it is today is because that's what sells. There are plenty of traditional country bands and singers but the music business is a business and if it doesn't sell, it doesn't get recorded and promoted.
Today's singers are every bit as talented as any from the past...they're just singing different material.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Originally posted by fuzz77:

Originally posted by ram1955:

Back in the day when music was music (70's) I had friends that listened to Christian rock. I always thought those guys sounded a lot like garage bands that just couldn't make it playing rock. IMO, today's country...in fact the last 20 years of country, for the most part, falls into that category.

Personally, I prefer the old, whiney, honky-tonk, tear in your beer type country. Todays singers just don't have it.

Here's the issue...the reason that country music is what it is today is because that's what sells. There are plenty of traditional country bands and singers but the music business is a business and if it doesn't sell, it doesn't get recorded and promoted.
Today's singers are every bit as talented as any from the past...they're just singing different material.

It seems to me that there is most definitely a market for older style country. Sturgill Simpson is talked about on here quite frequently, and there are numerous facebook pages that support traditional country music. Not to mention that Texas Country is very popular. So, why do these guys only sparsely get on the radio? I think there is plenty of money there to be had with these guys, but they have to be put out to the masses so traditional country fans can actually hear them rather than having to dig for hours to find good musicians and songs.

By the way... I am really into this song by Jason Eady. It is called "Whiskey and You" and it was written by Chris Stapleton. Jason Eady covered it and so has Tim McGraw (among others). Check out the three versions and tell me what you think is best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFfUZy7GYkY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEMrAT8PVXo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_1ELhxu4kM

 

[fuzz77]

Originally posted by Comebakatz3:

Originally posted by fuzz77:

Originally posted by ram1955:

Back in the day when music was music (70's) I had friends that listened to Christian rock. I always thought those guys sounded a lot like garage bands that just couldn't make it playing rock. IMO, today's country...in fact the last 20 years of country, for the most part, falls into that category.

Personally, I prefer the old, whiney, honky-tonk, tear in your beer type country. Todays singers just don't have it.

Here's the issue...the reason that country music is what it is today is because that's what sells. There are plenty of traditional country bands and singers but the music business is a business and if it doesn't sell, it doesn't get recorded and promoted.
Today's singers are every bit as talented as any from the past...they're just singing different material.

It seems to me that there is most definitely a market for older style country. Sturgill Simpson is talked about on here quite frequently, and there are numerous facebook pages that support traditional country music. Not to mention that Texas Country is very popular. So, why do these guys only sparsely get on the radio? I think there is plenty of money there to be had with these guys, but they have to be put out to the masses so traditional country fans can actually hear them rather than having to dig for hours to find good musicians and songs.

By the way... I am really into this song by Jason Eady. It is called "Whiskey and You" and it was written by Chris Stapleton. Jason Eady covered it and so has Tim McGraw (among others). Check out the three versions and tell me what you think is best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFfUZy7GYkY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEMrAT8PVXo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_1ELhxu4kM

Sure, there is a market...it's just a small market. You can find small AM radio stations that play old country...Sirius/XM has a channel or two dedicated to it...but the listenership is small, hard to sell advertising... The Grand Ole Opry still gives many of the older country singers a place to perform...but their shows are headlined by the "bigger named" acts because that's who brings the crowds.

 

[Comebakatz3]

^^ It is kind of a chicken and the egg argument though. If I don't ever hear Sturgill Simpson then I cannot buy his stuff. He has to be marketed to the masses for the masses to know him. Unfortunately, he isn't marketed to the masses and mostly makes his living off of word of mouth and online advertisement. He has a pretty solid following for someone who is never played on the radio. Yea, they have AM stations, but that isn't what most people are going to listen to. They will listen to the big stations that come in clearer and have entertaining DJs. I agree that it isn't as big of a market as the crap on country radio, largely because it is pop country that is going to appeal to a whole lot of people, but there is a whole lot of people that complain about how country is dead and have turned off their country radios. Maybe I am overestimating the demand, but it seems to me that there is a push to have more guys like Simpson on the radio.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

Country music has its moments of really good songs but the cross over crap is just destroying it I gotta disagree with Garth much like b rax said about zac brown he is very good live. Two others that kind of cross over but I do like is brad paisley and Toby Keith. What I like about the ones I have mentioned is they for the most part are not cliche country music. Luke Bryan is garbage. It baffles me how many dudes with there smoke stacks and truck nuts think he is the man. Aldean has a few songs I like but also cliche. I would like to toss in big and rich Gretchen Wilson and Florida Georgia line.i honestly don't know which is worse Tim mcgraws feeble attempt to do a duet with nelly or fgl with nelly take your pick it's a win win situation they are both awful!

 

[WalkersGoggles_rivals310859]

I just can't relate to country music or the lifestyle or whatever it all is. I see a country video of people doing their little dances and it's as foreign to me as Chinese.

I guess it's like beer. Some people like Miller Lite and some people like something with a little more flavor.

 

[Tskware]

Originally posted by Comebakatz3:

Originally posted by fuzz77:

Originally posted by ram1955:

Back in the day when music was music (70's) I had friends that listened to Christian rock. I always thought those guys sounded a lot like garage bands that just couldn't make it playing rock. IMO, today's country...in fact the last 20 years of country, for the most part, falls into that category.

Personally, I prefer the old, whiney, honky-tonk, tear in your beer type country. Todays singers just don't have it.

Here's the issue...the reason that country music is what it is today is because that's what sells. There are plenty of traditional country bands and singers but the music business is a business and if it doesn't sell, it doesn't get recorded and promoted.
Today's singers are every bit as talented as any from the past...they're just singing different material.

It seems to me that there is most definitely a market for older style country. Sturgill Simpson is talked about on here quite frequently, and there are numerous facebook pages that support traditional country music. Not to mention that Texas Country is very popular. So, why do these guys only sparsely get on the radio? I think there is plenty of money there to be had with these guys, but they have to be put out to the masses so traditional country fans can actually hear them rather than having to dig for hours to find good musicians and songs.

By the way... I am really into this song by Jason Eady. It is called "Whiskey and You" and it was written by Chris Stapleton. Jason Eady covered it and so has Tim McGraw (among others). Check out the three versions and tell me what you think is best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFfUZy7GYkY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEMrAT8PVXo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_1ELhxu4kM

That is good stuff, going to add that boy to Spotify

 

[Wall2Boogie]

Luke Bryan-rain is a good thing. Enough said. Hopefully it rains enough to carry away his pick em up truck and him down the river.

 

[FtWorthCat]

I just saw Fred Eaglesmith in a club last night with maybe 500 max in attendance. He's still driving around in a crappy old school bus that looked like it would be lucky to make it out of Fort Worth, let alone to his next gig. He has more talent as a writer and as a performer in his middle finger, than all of these "bro country" guys combined. I just don't get it, as far as what acts are selling the most records.

This post was edited on 2/1 5:36 PM by FtWorthCat

Freight Train

 

[rmattox]

This thread prompted me to listen to a "country" station yesterday. It occurred to me that modern country is not real country. IMO, real country uses mainly violins/fiddles, steel guitar, piano, banjo, accoustic and maybe more subtle electric guitar. Today's country has a more rock sound. It's not something you'd see a family sitting on the front porch singing.

Today's country should be re-labled...to something closer to Southern rock. Most of today's singers would seem to fit more in that genre. Not country...not real rock. Something in between. Some of it is okay...most of it reminds me of Billy Ray Cyrus wannabes.

 

[domino79]

Today's country is on par with church karaoke.