By Nathan Gardner
Whether you like country music or not, there is no denying that it’s currently one of the hottest genres in the music industry. According to forbes.com, country album sales fell 3 percent in 2009. But compare that to double digit declines in the rock and alternative industries. In 2010, country music sales dropped 5 percent, according to cmt.com, with declines of 21 percent for alternative, 17 percent for R&B and 16 percent for rock. Rap sales were the only genre to increase, with a 3 percent gain, but country albums still outsold the rap genre nearly 2 to 1. Although numbers are falling, most likely due to the prevalence of illegal downloading, country music has remained the most stable.
But how has country remained so successful in the industry? Isn’t it about losing your trailer to your ex-wife and combing your mullet?
No. Country music has never really been about that anyways. However, there are a lot of new faces in the genre that are attracting new fans and a different form of attention. New artists like Taylor Swift, who has introduced country music to a whole new generation of listeners, the Zac Brown Band, who planted their roots as an alternative band, and Lady Antebellum all bring something new to the country table that fans can buy into.
With all the success in Nashville, established artists from other genres are coming to town to cut their own tracks. Artists such as Darius Rucker from Hootie & the Blowfish, Aaron Lewis from Staind, Jon Bon Jovi and Kelly Clarkson have slipped on their cowboy boots to try their hand at the twang. The country industry has been good to American Idol contestants as well, with Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Danny Gokey and Bucky Covington all having success in the genre.
There are lots of new faces, but why is country music so hot? It’s simple: People can relate to country music. How many of you have actually met a pimp, or spent an evening with a ho? I would imagine it’s a very small percentage.
Country music talks about issues that listeners can relate to, such as the recession and the daily struggles to make ends meet. Songs like “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” by John Rich, which talks about the fall of the American auto industry, and “Real” by James Wesley hit close to home for a lot of hard working listeners. Craig Morgan’s “Tough,” which tells the story of a wife and mother who fights with cancer, can evoke many emotions. But it’s not all sad. There are still quite a few rowdy songs, like Jason Aldean’s “My Kinda Party,” that you can crank up and roll the windows down while you cruise down Cardinal Boulevard on a sunny day.
So many artists are succeeding in country music because their fans are loyal, and for good reason. The music is very relevant and relatable, not to mention that country stars don’t screw up our National Anthem when given the honor and opportunity to perform it on national television. So next time you’re in your car and you skip past the country station because you think your neck isn’t red enough or your tractor’s not green enough, you may want to give country music a second chance and listen to songs that take place here in the real world.
