"The rise of country music in the North and Industrial Midwest"
Not bluegrass or alt/country, but mainstream country music. When did that shit become so popular outside of the South and rural areas? I worked with a couple of white recent-grads back in Boston, and they'd go to Kenney Chesney concerts and shit. One of my coworkers has spend all of her life in rustbelt cities and grew up on 90s r&bm but now she and her daughters are all about the country.
Am I crazy to think this northern embrace of country is a tacit rejection of blackness.
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79560 posts
Tue Jun-23-15 08:28 AM
1. "save a horse, ride a cowboy" In response to Reply # 0
I used to have CMT and when I would flip past it sometimes they had videos that looked like rap or r&b.
Blinged out, phat asses, rappity rap country lyrics.
plus they get to line dance and 2 step.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
2. "i think you misjudged Country's popularity from the start." In response to Reply # 0
>Not bluegrass or alt/country, but mainstream country music. >When did that shit become so popular outside of the South and >rural areas?
i think you mistakenly believed Country was 'only' popular in the South and rural areas.
I worked with a couple of white recent-grads back >in Boston, and they'd go to Kenney Chesney concerts and shit. >One of my coworkers has spend all of her life in rustbelt >cities and grew up on 90s r&bm but now she and her daughters >are all about the country.
i grew up in a major metropolitan area in the Midwest and Country was HUGE when i was in high school. Garth Brooks and all that jazz. i had to reason to believe that was a new phenomenon. i have no reason to believe Country wasn't big w/ppl in that area as far back as ppl in that area have been exposed to Country music.
>Am I crazy to think this northern embrace of country is a >tacit rejection of blackness.
3. "I got the impression that Garth was a bit of an anomaly" In response to Reply # 2 Tue Jun-23-15 08:35 AM by John Forte
Now, I'm old, like you, so I remember when Hee-Haw was a nationally televised show, so I know that country has always reached into the North, but I never got the impression that it was a real part of the culture, like it is now.
5. "i think you were incorrect." In response to Reply # 3 Tue Jun-23-15 08:37 AM by SoWhat
based on my experience growing up in the suburbs of a Rust Belt city.
much like i mistakenly believed ppl in the south didn't know Hip-Hop and/or didn't listen to music w/'dirty' or sexualized lyrics and so i was surprised when they introduced me to Salt N Pepa's 'Push It' - b/c i had a false impression of them and their listening habits.
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79560 posts
Tue Jun-23-15 10:07 AM
17. "i thought it was the Midwest" In response to Reply # 16
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79560 posts
Tue Jun-23-15 08:49 AM
7. "its country as shit 30 to 40 miles outside of most rust belt cities too" In response to Reply # 5
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79560 posts
Tue Jun-23-15 10:00 AM
15. "but we arent talking about most regions. we are focusing on the north" In response to Reply # 9
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
4. "i think it has something to do with the biggest country stars not even " In response to Reply # 0 Tue Jun-23-15 08:38 AM by Big Kuntry
being from the south. Shania Twain is Canadian, Keith Urban is from NZ, Brett Eldredge from Illinois so that "old country sound" has spread out to the masses.
Not to mention one of the hottest country singer right now, Mickey Gouton is black & killin it!
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79560 posts
Tue Jun-23-15 10:08 AM
18. "Mexicans love country music... but since it mostly borders Texas" In response to Reply # 12
it makes sense.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
20. "while the 'it's always been popular*' crowd is right, you've also got" In response to Reply # 0 Tue Jun-23-15 12:16 PM by lonesome_d
something of a point.
*Growing up in the 80s I'm sure you remember not just Hee Haw as referenced above but other genre-smashing country hits like 'Elvira' and 'Islands In the Stream' that served as gateway music for at least some segment of the population. (Each of those songs sold two million copies of the single, and were the only two singles to have ever done so at that time if I'm reading the stats right.)
But yeah currently I think the increasing move, in terms of music and image, toward pop music has helped keep reeling in new crowds. Going back a decade or so, Hannah Montana was huge in exposing young kids, especially girls, to country, followed shortly by Taylor Swift. Meanwhile their moms were getting seduced by Lady Antebellum and other good looking, pop-friendly acts with a bit of twang.
To some degree at least those shows/stars serve the same role Hee Haw, the Oak RIdge Boys and Kenny/Dolly did thirty years ago.
One effect I think, without any hard evidence, that the youthful exposure and pop fusion continues to have is that fewer people are strictly country fans, rather they're more likely to appreciate country as well as whatever else they like.
28. "WRT to John's last point (and mine), I didn't explicitly mention" In response to Reply # 21
that my conclusion is that mainstream popularity for country music is not, as far as I can tell, coming at the expense of mainstream popularity for Black music.
23. "They had the CMA's on at the gym it looked like the BET Awards " In response to Reply # 0 Tue Jun-23-15 02:30 PM by 81 DUN
Most of the ones I saw had that hip hop bounce in their performances. The core audience might wanna be pro country to distance themselves from black culture but when the performers are up there sprinkling hip hop in their act, you can't escape our influence
The Wordsmith Member since Aug 13th 2002 17070 posts
Tue Jun-23-15 02:58 PM
25. "I seriously doubt northerners are getting into country music for racial ..." In response to Reply # 0
People who hate a particular genre typically will avoid it at all costs. They're not gonna force themselves to just up and like said genre just to support their racism. If a dude who hates country but absolutely loves rock decided that he's getting real tired of "niggers", trust, there's enough hate rock for him to get his hatred juices flowing. He wouldn't need country music to show his disdain towards darker races.
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