Opinion: Modern country is the worst musical genre of all time

@mcondo: While the term Outlaw Country is widely used as a separate genre---and pre-dates Americana by a few decades, I view the former as part of the latter. By the way, I’ve never cared for Hank Williams Jr., but love Hank III, who sounds a LOT like his grandpa.

If there’s one current Country artist who deserves to be considered Outlaw, it is surely Steve Earle. When Shania Twain was huge (made possible by the success of the Country music Anti-Christ, the deplorable Garth Brooks), Steve characterized her as "The highest paid lap dancer in Nashville". ;-)

Who cares what Steve Earle thinks anyway?  Seems like petty envy to me.  

I admit Shania is a guilty pleasure of mine (she was produced by Mutt Lange, of AC/DC---a favorite Rock 'n' Roll band of mine---renown), but still found Steve's comment funny, and not without merit.

While the "Country" music you hear on radio and see on TV may be of questionable quality, there is a very healthy, active underground "alternative" Country music scene, often referred to as Americana, that is producing music as good as has ever been made.

@bdp24 Well said. In every genre there is music which is derivative, shallow, meant to make a buck. The issue is a basic one -- about authenticity and musical "heart," if you will.

I grew up despising country music until I lived in Austin, where friends introduced me to the good stuff. I had to repudiate a lot of prejudice I had against it, and agains southern culture more generally, but I was turned around and liberated from negativity and prejudice. I hope some who are taking this thread as a chance to bash rap music might reconsider that they have some potential for personal growth.

These genre opinion threads never go well.

Thankfully, my tastes go BACKWARDS, from the 80's-not to say I find "highlights" up thru the 90's.

ENDLESS discovery.

Being an LP disciple, it also helps by ensuring I'll likely find something undesirable, still plentiful and CHEAP!