What country music stars have stayed true to the art form?

Wall2Boogie

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we seems to of established that Luke Bryan has sold out to the bubble gum crap today, so in your opinion, who has stayed true to the art form of artists today?

Jamie Johnson
Darius Rucker(which is sad since he started doing rock and is a black dude)
Eric church
Toby Keith
Zac brown band
Brad paisley
Garth(semi retired but didn't turn bubble gum)
George strait nuff said
The band perry-credit where it due
T McGraw even though he hasn't had a hit since live like you were dying

Make no mistake, I don't hate country if it's done correctly and true to form but most bands today I think have forgot the guys that paved the way for them. Who would you add to the list? Who hasn't in your opinion?
 

Calf

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we seems to of established that Luke Bryan has sold out to the bubble gum crap today, so in your opinion, who has stayed true to the art form of artists today?

Jamie Johnson
Darius Rucker(which is sad since he started doing rock and is a black dude)
Eric church
Toby Keith
Zac brown band
Brad paisley
Garth(semi retired but didn't turn bubble gum)
George strait nuff said
The band perry-credit where it due
T McGraw even though he hasn't had a hit since live like you were dying

Make no mistake, I don't hate country if it's done correctly and true to form but most bands today I think have forgot the guys that paved the way for them. Who would you add to the list? Who hasn't in your opinion?

That is a terrible list of people who "stayed true." Jamey Johnson and George Strait are the only two on that list who I consider country. If they are played on "country radio" they most likely aren't really country.

Sturgill Simpson. He's an example of what country music should be.
 

Wall2Boogie

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Brad paisley I gotta give credit to him I think he does a great job. He's not cliche like some of the other dudes. The list I threw out were random off the top guys so Im sure some didn't deserve with is why I asked the question. Toby for the most part has stayed true the guy doesn't have any collaborations with nelly as far as I'm aware
 

Calf

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Brad paisley I gotta give credit to him I think he does a great job. He's not cliche like some of the other dudes. The list I threw out were random off the top guys so Im sure some didn't deserve with is why I asked the question. Toby for the most part has stayed true the guy doesn't have any collaborations with nelly as far as I'm aware

I like some of Paisley's stuff and I like older Toby Keith stuff. I also like Zack Brown Band but I really don't consider them country.
 

MegaBlue05

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Alan Jackson maybe? (Is he retired?)

I'm a big music fan, and country is easily one of my least favorite genres starting in about 1996.
 
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Wall2Boogie

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Please don't throw In that dude who sings I can buy me a boat that songs awful. Would lady antebellum qualify? Or Miranda lambert? There are some bad rip offs out there and I'm curious to know your thoughts on the bad as well as the good.
 

Ukbrassowtipin

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Does Keith Urban still play...he's atleast a real musician. I don't know much about country because it doesn't appeal to me.
 

fuzz77

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Most country artist grew up with new country and that is "their art form"...so I would say most stayed true. If you want to blame anyone for the changes then you have to lay that blame on the record labels and country music radio that play the "new country" over traditional country. Can you blame the labels and radio for playing what sells??? The artist are in the same boat...if they want to "make it" then they have to be able to sell the music they make.
That all said... Martina McBride's last album (i think) was all remakes of old classic country hits. You'll find that most of the ones from her era dabble in both classic and newer style country.
 

UKserialkiller

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Garth is the Godfather of new country. I blame him.

 

JonathanW_rivals

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Define "country music"?

My point being, I hate when people get pretentious about this or that. What defines the "country music style", is it the lyrics, the rythym, the instruments, the "look". Why do some of you not consider (insert artist name here) country? Is it because you don't like their music?
Now I will grant you that years ago the music types were much more differentiated than they are now, where it can be difficult to know where to put the cut-off line to what is country, what is pop, what is rock, what is rap, and so on. But I think those lines are very blurry.
 
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Tinker Dan

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Kevin Denny

New young man getting ready to drop.... William Michael Morgan.. I REALLY like this young man

 

bluelifer

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If you're turning to FM country radio for your music fix, you're part of the problem. That's lowest common denominator stuff.

OP's list is terrible.

Do yourself a favor:
1. Visit www.pandora.com
2. Type in Jason Isbell
3. Press enter and prop your feet up.
4. I think you know what happens here.
 

gollumcat

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Not sure how many of these could be classified as "country"....not even sure that's a positive tem nowadays considering what weak acts sell the most on county charts...but ioff the top of my head tehse boys are keeping it real, writing their own songs, and all should be filthy rich based on the talent they have, how hard they work, how well written their songs are, and how much they speak to me:

Chris Knight
Hayes Carll
Jason Isbell
Ryan Bingham
Sturgill Simpson
Steve Earle
Dwight Yoakam( I know he's already rich, but to me h's still on this list )
 

kyhusker2

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OP comes in here wanting to talk old school country and then says Brad Paisley.

When Darius Rucker sings I just close my eyes and pretend its Hootie singing Let Her Cry. Unless Im driving.

This.

My God what a horrible list.

As for Brad Paisley, I used to like him, but now every song is pretty much the same. And half the time he's not even singing. And the last song of his I heard - something about going to the river - is pure Bro Country. IOW, garbage.
 

bluelifer

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For decades the motto in Nashville was "it's all about the song". There's obviously been a departure from that this last decade or so. You can be traditional country, pop country, Americana, whatever. As long as the songs are good, it doesn't matter to me. The garbage on the radio today is just absolutely terrible song writing, and everyone involved with producing it should be ashamed.

Lots of folks say Garth opened the door for all of this, and, in a way, he may have, but he damn sure had some great songs.

Comma
 
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Brad paisley I gotta give credit to him I think he does a great job. He's not cliche like some of the other dudes. The list I threw out were random off the top guys so Im sure some didn't deserve with is why I asked the question. Toby for the most part has stayed true the guy doesn't have any collaborations with nelly as far as I'm aware

You think the guy that sings these disgusting lyrics is good? Just absolute garbage.


She's a yellow pair of running shoes
A holey pair of jeans
She looks great in cheap sunglasses
She looks great in anything
She's I want a piece of chocolate
Take me to a movie
She's I can't find a thing to wear
Now and then she's moody.

She's a Saturn with a sunroof
With her brown hair a-blowing
She's a soft place to land
And a good feeling knowing
She's a warm conversation
That I wouldn't miss for nothing
She's a fighter when she's mad
And she's a lover when she's loving.

Chorus:
And she's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I talk about her, I go on and on and on
'Cause she's everything to me.

She's a Saturday out on the town
And a church girl on Sunday
She's a cross around her neck
And a cuss word 'cause it's Monday
She's a bubble bath and candles
Baby come and kiss me
She's a one glass of wine
And she's feeling kinda tipsy
 

bluelifer

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Now red solo cup is the best receptacle
From barbecues, tailgates, fairs and festivals
And you sir do not have a pair of testicles
If you prefer drinkin' from glass

Hey red solo cup is cheap and disposable
In fourteen years they are decomposable
And unlike my home they are not foreclosable
Freddie Mac can kiss my ***, woo!

Red solo cup, I fill you up
Let's have a party, let's have a party
I love you red solo cup, I lift you up,
Proceed to party, proceed to party

-T. Keith
 

bluelifer

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Ooh, I dig the way that you move
You shake it down to your roots
Did your momma teach you how to do that thing you do
Yeah, nothing sweeter than wild
I’ll take a sip of that smile
I’ll bet the boys at home can’t leave you alone
You little homegrown honey, honey, honey
You’re so money, money, money
You got a country road Carolina soul
Baby you’re just so homegrown

-H. Blowfish
 
May 15, 2003
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You have to pick and choose with any artist these days. They all put out some crap music because their albums come out so fast. Fast = more money.

I can name a few good songs from today's most popular artists; I can name some bad.

Good Aldean: Amarillo Sky and Fly Over States Bad Aldean: Burnin It Down

Good country now was southern rock 20 years ago.
Bad country now was pop 20 years ago.
Things evolve.