Today marks the start of my Era’s series in which I talk about how I came to like all the music I love. And it’s a LOT of music. If you name the genre I can probably tell you something I like from it. If I haven’t heard of it, you will have given me a new obsession to throw myself into. Today, were starting with one of the most divisive genres of music. Country.

The Foundation

I’ve talked about how Garth Brooks was my gateway into country music. The thing is, there were several country songs I liked before I heard Rodeo, but I always just considered them anomalies. Asi mentioned before, my father loved country music, and I heard a lot of 70’s and 80’s country growing up. Johnny Cash, and the rest of the Highwaymen, as well as Keith Whitley, The Judds, and Conway Twitty.

The first country song I can ever remember liking was Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Fishing in the Dark. In fact my first ever concert that have a memory going to was a music festival that had them, Charlie Daniels, and if I remember correctly, the Oak Ridge Boys. Aside from Fishing in the Dark, I loved Devil went down to Georgia, Ring of Fire, and White Lighting. The music was always there and prevalent, I just never paid attention until I heard Garth on the radio. Afterwards I went all in on asking my dad about country music.

The Building Blocks

From 1992-1998 country became my most listened to Genre of music. It wasn’t the only one, but my god it took over a majority of my life. I’d spend hours listening to the radio every day, to where certain radio DJ’s would remember me when I’d call to request songs. Tracy Lawerence, George Straight, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire. If they were big in country music at the time, I listened to them.

This was when my personal CD collection blew up. This is also the time I started paying attention to no released singles on all forms of music. The songs that didn’t make the radio. Country music has always been amazing at telling stories, and that’s where my love of songs that make you feel real emotion really took hold.

Over the next couple of decades my love of country would hit a lot of highs and lows. As my personal and political views changed, I found myself listening to less country radio, and only listening to songs that would find their way into my life one way or another.

Today’s Music

Country has evolved into various forms, from bro-country, to rap-country, to whatever the fuck Morgan Wallen is. With the advent of streaming platforms I’ve been able to really piece together the country I really enjoy. I’ve come to really love Waylon, Johhny, and Kristopherson, while being able to apricate the song writing of artists like Luke Combs, and Eric Church. I find myself listening to more artists like Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, and Red Clay Strays. These later artist lean into the traditional sound of country while using their amazing lyricism, and willingness to try new things to expand their range. They also aren’t on mainstream country radio, and I couldn’t be more happy that things like Apple Music and Spotify exist.

Country Music has always been more than hillbillies singing about their dead dog or their cheating spouse. It dug itself out of that stereotype in the late 90’s and became mainstream and popular. While it still is very much both of those things, It’s unfortunately became more synonymous with redneck, backwoods, hate field rhetoric that has placed it in such a devises place in modern culture. Buti fy ou know where to look, you know theres plenty of country music that is amazing and counter to that way of thinking. It just doesn’t get the air time it deserves