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


I seriously can’t think of anything worse. I grew up listening to country music in the late 80s and early 90s, and a lot of that was pretty bad. But this new stuff, yikes.

Who sees some pretty boy on a stage with a badly exaggerated generic southern accent and a 600 dollar denim jacket shoehorning the words “ice cold beer” into every third line of a song and says “Ooh I like this, this music is for me!”

I would literally rather listen to anything else.Seriously, there’s nothing I can think of, at least not in my lifetime or the hundred or so years of recorded music I own, that seems worse.

bhagal

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!

Every genre goes through bad stages.  Rock and Roll has some crap I can't stand, but I'm not going to bash what other people like.

@bdp24 

"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. IMO, of course"

Keep on preaching that Americana gospel, brother!  

"Expecting to hear good Country music on commercial radio and television is as unrealistic as it was to expect to hear Jimi Hendrix or The Mothers Of Invention on AM radio in 1967"

Yes -- excellent point.  When I was in HS, ('70 - '74),  KMET out of LA was a lot better than the AM dreck we were forced to endure on the school bus but two friends with extensive record collections were responsible for turning me on to most of the good stuff. Likewise, when it came time for me to begin exploring Jazz, a hip manager at the restaurant where I worked in Santa Barbara lent me many records.

The belief that all that's out there is what's on commercial radio is one I've never related to. It's always been a mentorship thing for me. 

RE: Fabulous Superlatives, the first time I heard Kenny Vaughn was when I watched Lucinda William's 2nd ACL show. He stood out immediately-- so young and so good!

 

  

As bad as some of it is, no way its worse than rap....

AMEN! C-rap! It really grinds my gears.

I don't like most of the new "Bro country" for all the reasons stated. How many songs can one hear about trucks, chicks, and beer, fercriminysakes!

But gimme some classic Johnny Cash, Merle, Waylon, the Bakersfield gang, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Kris K, Tom T Hall, and so many other classic country artists (including newer ones like Garth, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou, The Chicks, and that generation)...good stuff. Cash's last few albums produced by Rick Rubin are sweet. 

So much music, so little time—I can't list them all. I love bluegrass and new grass too... I can listen to Alison Krauss and Union Station all day long.