Growing up in North Carolina, country music has always been around me. And I must admit, I wasn’t a big fan of it most of my life. It seemed like a lot of my high school friends listened to country music, and while attending college, I heard even more of it. I think because it was so popular with the people around me, I didn’t want to have anything to do with it at the time. I had my few favorite country artists, and that was all the country I needed.
While working for Mood, I’ve listened to a lot of country music, and I must admit, it’s infectious. I now enjoy listening to it. I’ve had the opportunity to attend a lot of concerts, spend time in Nashville and even get to meet many country artists, which has added to the genuine nature of the genre. What I find so appealing in the music is the simplicity of the lyrics, and the catchy melodies. Songs about life, family, friends, work, etc…country music has something to offer everyone.
The Country Music One program focuses a lot on the 80s and 90s eras of country music. The program blends neo-traditionalist country style with the mainstream country music of today. Artists like Randy Travis and George Strait set out to bring country music back to its roots in the 80s, following the pop-oriented “Urban Cowboy” era of the late 70s. By incorporating honky-tonk style with contemporary instrumentation, country artists proved that country music could still sound both authentic and modern. While mixing country grit, line-dance appeal and a pop/rock sensibility, country artists like Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks helped country music to reach a large audience in the late 80s and 90s, creating a cultural phenomenon….remember all of those line-dance videos! Country music continues to reach the masses today. Not only can you hear artists like Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans, and Blake Shelton over the country airwaves, their music is also crossing into the pop arenas. Country Music One appeals to the cowboy and cowgirl in us all.
One of my favorite country bands and an add this month:
– Submitted by Meg Kimmel, Music Design