why do people hate country music?

NJD2885

Love Country music always have. My 6 year old's fav song is Truck got stuck

jujunnaichi

I'm from the Philippines and "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool."

Amyp7777

This song came on country radio today and I was like, whoa, call the cops now girl:

Gonna drive like hell through your neighbourhood
Park this Silverado on your front lawn
Crank up a little Hank, sit on the hood and drink
I'm about to get my pissed off on

I'm gonna aim my headlights into your bedroom windows
Throw empty beer cans at both of your shadows
I didn't come here to start a fight, but I'm up for anything tonight
You know you broke the wrong heart baby, and drove me redneck crazy

I heard this by accident yesterday! That song is just a bad, bad idea. Anyway, I love Willie Nelson, Waylon, and all the old greats. I do not like what I'm hearing on hit country stations anymore. I think Garth Brooks ruined country. It was the beginning of the end, in my eyes. Now, it is just like all you have to do for a hit is write down "pick up truck, cold beer, country road, tailgate, sundress" and just shake it all up and boom, you're on the radio.

TarHeelChick64

I like most country music. My husband hates country music. He calls it "That strangin' twangin' mess."

lithezebra

There is dreck in every genre. At its best, and even at its reasonably good, country music is an American art form deeply entwined with the traditional music of various European countries, blues, and gospel. There are country music cliches, and there are also great stories told through the lyrics.

GnomeLove

I think it's funny how people that claim they hate country can usually name five country artists that they like.

There all always exceptions. I mostly dislike rap but there a few songs I really like.

TheCredibleHulk

There is dreck in every genre. At its best, and even at its reasonably good, country music is an American art form deeply entwined with the traditional music of various European countries, blues, and gospel. There are country music cliches, and there are also great stories told through the lyrics.

Yes. This is the truth.

I always hear these responses when people talk about why they don't like country.

"It sucks."

Really? All of it? Most people judge country by what they've heard on the radio, which is a homogenized version that appeals to a mass market audience. They have no idea about the history involved or what it's meant to poor, economically depressed regions. The reason why loss, alcohol, jail, and those themes are sung about is because you have a mostly Southern U.S. population who were in bad shape after the Civil War. They stayed that way for a very long time. It started changing around the 1930s with things like the TVA, but you still have whole swathes of people who don't have running water, who work in coal mines, who still have no educational opportunities, and who resent being called "hillbillies" by people who've never even met them or saw how far they've come.

These people love country because it's one of the few forms of music where the singers were telling these stories. We in the southern U.S. have developed an attachment to this music because it's one of the last art forms that's trying to tell the stories of people who would otherwise be completely forgotten. It sucks because you've either only heard what's on the radio or you have no idea why these songs are being sung.

Country has the same issues that rap does. It started as a regional style that came from an economically and socially disadvantaged group of people and then adapted to reach a wider audience. The artists are forced to establish their street credit on their records. This is why you see the "drugs and hos" mentality with rap and the "I'm so country I **** cowboy hats" mentality on country. They know that their music is being pushed to a wider audience and they have a risk of losing their original fan base which supports them. Taylor Swift is a huge example of this. She started country and she isn't country anymore. If you go anywhere in Tennessee, they don't like playing her songs on country radio anymore. She alienated her original base of fans.

"I hate most Southern accents and many country singers have Southern accents when they sing."

A lot of us talk with a twang. We know this. It's also why Southerners are proud of talking like this. We know people think we're stupid. It's the reason why country music talks about it a lot. It's basically an F.U. to people who don't like it. We just smile and say "bless your heart" because we know some people are ignorant and judgmental.

No black artist.

People throw out Charley Pride and Darius Rucker, but the truth is, this judgment has some merit. There aren't a lot of black country artists out there. But you know what? Since country started and appealed to a largely lower class white regional segment of the population, there hasn't been a lot of black folks trying to be country artists. But I think it says a lot that the black country artists who make music are generally respected and loved by country fans. I could say that I don't like rap because there aren't many white artists, but I'm not that judgmental. I don't segregate what I consider good/bad music due to the skin color of who's performing. That would be a bit racist.

To me, new country is trying too hard to be pop.

Fair enough. But I would suggest that you lumping "new country" all into one category isn't fair. Clear Channel and other station owners are pushing a certain type of country that appeals to people who like a hybridized, homogenized version, simply because it sells advertising better. There are all sorts of movements going on in country music right now and there are a lot of good stories in songs right now. With bluegrass style songs getting more popular, folk getting mixed in, and country artists working with all sorts of writers and musicians, this is one of the most exciting times in country. You just have to live with the top crust and dig a little.

When people say they like everything EXCEPT country, it's a matter of their sense of identity.

This is usually 90% of the reason people say they don't like it. They don't like being seen as a hillbilly, a redneck, white trash, and all the other slurs that southerners read about and see in the media. On a slightly separate note, I am amazed when people talk about bluegrass like it's some high form of art. 20 years ago people called it deliverance music, sheep screwing music, and other judgmental, stupid descriptions. O Brother Where Art Thou and people like Ralph Stanley and Union Station singlehandedly made it popular for people outside the southern united states. People think my great grandfather is the coolest guy ever now when they find out he's a bluegrass player.

The truth is, most songs are just stories set to musical accompaniment. If an artist takes the time and creativity to write a song, record it, play it, and work for years while starving and trying to be successful, then I give him/her respect. I may not like the song or agree with what it's saying, but I respect work. Passing off a whole genre of music because you think it's "lame" only speaks to how stupid you are, not to how bad the music is. And people judging country by what they hear on the radio is about as fair as me judging all of rap based on Vanilla Ice. Or all of rock based on Nickelback. And you know what? I don't like those groups, but I'll be damned if I make a snap judgment based on one song I heard.

Finally I'll end with this: If you want to go do a 500 pound deadlift there's no better song than Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash. You will rip that **** up and then go have a steak.

Sincerely,

John Blair
Tennessee

jayce54321

It depends on the time. Country music from the 50's,60's & 70's I can listen to. The stuff they've been playing on the radio for the last 20 years is crap country. It's closer to early rock 'n' roll than country. I remember when the rednecks made fun of my long hair and called you names and were downright mean and dangerous. Now they all sport long hair and earrings. Hypocrites!

I'll take bluegrass any day. Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin knew how to play.

lithezebra

To me, new country is trying too hard to be pop.

It's hard to tell which way the influence goes, because pop tries to be country, too. Elvis sang country songs. The Stones revered George Jones, and did an album that is essentially a country album. The Eagles did country music. Mumford and Sons are a British folk rock band, informed by many of the same influences heard in American country, and the Avett Brothers are essentially an American folk rock band.

"I hate most Southern accents and many country singers have Southern accents when they sing."

That's just mean, and veering toward bigotry.

TheCredibleHulk

I agree. Those were all quotes pulled from here. Bless their hearts.