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

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!

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.