'Decline of Country Music'

'Decline of Country Music'

More than perhaps any other genre of music, country/western is a genre where the traditions may be valued more than the various albums, artists or songs. The basic idea of country is taking 'traditional' folk music and shaping it to the unique voices that are typically found in country music.

Without diving too deeply into the histories of country music, it is safe to say that the general expectations when tuning in to an artist billed as a country musician is more along the lines of Randy Travis or George Strait. Not just a distinct type of voice, but also a distinct type of music - very heavy on natural stringed instruments and usually very metronomic drumming. The lyrics usually deal with love of some sort - whether romantic love (or the loss of that love), love of country and even love of history or memories.

There are a few embellishments here and there, most often illustrating influence from other genres of music that have either a basis or strong tradition in the southern United States. Typically the additions are simple, electric guitar or more rock-styled drumming, but the standard is set, and has been reinforced over quite some time.

Perhaps the greatest two examples of a 'traditional' country musician are Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton - both achieved tremendous amounts of crossover success relying on their own country roots, and blending that with whatever interested them at the time.

Incidentally, those two also occupy two very different positions in the realm of music. Especially towards the end of his career (during the American Recording era), Johnny Cash was very well known for being able to take a song written in nearly any style by any person, and make it sound good as a country song.

Meanwhile, Dolly Parton has written songs that have been recorded by a very diverse group of people representing many different styles of music - and have been very big hits in drastically different settings than her original.

But it is due to such particularly bright and shining examples that many people express not only displeasure with many contemporary country musicians - but allege that country music has been so far tarnished by pop and rock influence as to never be reclaimed. But, like many allegations founded in the court of public opinion - a crucial point is never mentioned:

Country music isn't going through a pop phase, nor is country music 'selling out' - country music is simply more popular right now. As with any style or genre of music, over time there will be a point where the fan base will not only grow - but those fans who have stuck by it will have matured to the point of being able to buy the albums and attend the shows by way of their own money. So while traditional fans will always be listening, it is that younger market who really pushes styles of music into the forefront - and that is really all we are seeing here, younger fans buying music from younger musicians.

Plus, it isn't as though country music has never seen cross-pollination before. And it is the exposure gained from those more popular artists, regardless of the traditional values they may bring or detract from, that drives any style of music.

Take 'emo' music, for example - which is nothing more than punk musicians recording ballad-style songs. And if many of them are more in mourning than in celebration, well then so what? Does it make Band A any worse by being counted in the same genre as Band B, who just so happens to wear eye makeup? Hardly.

So while Taylor Swift is definitely oriented toward the teen market, and her style definitely reflects that of current pop standards than traditional country values - the same could be said of Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Toby Keith and Faith Hill - but that didn't mean that Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, Tim McGraw or Martina McBride were any worse because of it. And in reality, it didn't mean that any of the music was 'bad' - it just wasn't something people expected from country music.

And today? There's still 'country' country music - just ask Blake Shelton, Josh Turner or the Dixie Chicks. But remember, expressing anger towards your favorite genre's growing more popular will only result in less exposure, and fewer musicians caring about being 'country' at all.

And besides that - singling out an artist as insufficient, while citing only one reason why has a poor history of working out.