The politics of music

I have mostly liked rock and roll my entire life. I was not much of an elvis fan, but did like roger miller and Johnny Cash. When my wife and I met, she was from a rural area, and I was from a suburban area. Everybody in both locations enjoyed rock music. Nobody except older people listened to country.

13 years ago in our town bar, you never heard country music. It was all rock. I have not been drinking for about eight years so we do not go over to the local place that often, but the last two times they were playing nothing but country music. My neighbor across the street flies the confederate flag, and used to listen to rock, but now listens to country. Politics follow cultural changes. There has been a huge cultural shift as babyboomers age. I do not think we are done with folks like President Trump. We have become a less intelligent and culturally changed nation, where the idea of city slickers and hicks has expanded to the point that rural areas which had some gentrification are now becoming culturally knuckle dragging lets go to the monster truck show stupid. Good friends of ours who always listened to rock are now listening to country and square dancing.......they voted for President Trump, and in their aging process they have become their parents.

Rock music tends to be about rebellion, while country tends to be more about conformity. That's why so many right-wingers like country... it's comforting to them, telling them that conforming is okay. They need to be part of some bigger collective-mind that agrees with 'em. They have turned into their parents. And rock makes them think that's not necessarily a good thing, so, they stay away from it... or, they gravitate toward very corny rock.

Luckily, at least some country is still going to challenge them, though. Like, Jason Isbell, or the Drive-By Truckers (which are half-rock, anyway). No Trump fan's going to be very happy listening to things like this:

2seaoat wrote:I have mostly liked rock and roll my entire life.  I was not much of an elvis fan, but did like roger miller and Johnny Cash.  When my wife and I met, she was from a rural area, and I was from a suburban area.   Everybody in both locations enjoyed rock music.   Nobody except older people listened to country.

13 years ago in our town bar, you never heard country music.   It was all rock.  I have not been drinking for about eight years so we do not go over to the local place that often, but the last two times they were playing nothing but country music.   My neighbor across the street flies the confederate flag, and used to listen to rock, but now listens to country.  Politics follow cultural changes.   There has been a huge cultural shift as babyboomers age.   I do not think we are done with folks like President Trump.   We have become a less intelligent and culturally changed nation, where the idea of city slickers and hicks has expanded to the point that rural areas which had some gentrification are now becoming culturally knuckle dragging lets go to the monster truck show stupid.    Good friends of ours who always listened to rock are now listening to country and square dancing.......they voted for President Trump, and in their aging process they have become their parents.

You're stereotyping. My parents square danced; my dad called them and taught square dancing. Just because a person listens to country music does not mean they buy into the whole regressive mindset. I still like old country...but my personal taste in music is much broader and more eclectic...and I don't care for monster truck shows. Also, the thing that turns me off to much of the newer country music is that I find it inauthentic.

Agreed... New country is pop imo.

Tweets from my hero Reginald Spears

In America you're free to love Florida-Georgia Line, but that doesn't stop me from using my First Amendment right to call you a dumbass.

I seem to remember Markle calling the Country Music Awards the greatest show or something like that. I guess all paid operatives were ordered to praise country.

2seaoat wrote:I have mostly liked rock and roll my entire life.

If you listened to rock and roll, you were listening, in part, to country music. Early rock and roll was, essentially, a mix of country/rockabilly music and R&B.

The Beatles "Act Naturally", released in '65, was a cover of a Buck Owens tune, fergodssakes, and if Buck Owens ain't country, I don't know what is.

The Stones "Honky Tonk Women" single was released in '67 or '68, I think (not sure). Both "Beggars Banquet", and "Let It Bleed" included almost pure country tunes.

Bob Dylan was deeply influenced by country music--Nashville Skyline with Johnny Cash was '69 but you can hear the country influence in songs on both "Bringing It All Back Home" and "Highway 61", both released in '65.

The Byrds released "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" in '68.

Once again, seaoat, you don't know what you're talking about.

My point was there is a correlation between the music culture a person enjoys. I put out the hypothesis that country Music listeners supported President Trump more than Rock and Roll listeners. I was told that I was stereotyping, I was told that I did not understand the early rock roots in American music the blues and country. However, nobody challenged my hypothesis as being false.

When I travel, I listen to am/fm radio. I listen to country and rock as stations become available. I am a progressive Republican and I do not like square dancing or country music. I would square dance as a kid, and it is a great social activity for old people, I am an old person who remains young at heart. I will still dance to rock to entertain the grandchildren, who find me funny, but it remains true that the expansion of country throughout rural America has excluded folk, metal, pop, soul, rap, and classic rock.

So am I right or wrong.

2seaoat wrote:My point was there is a correlation between the music culture a person enjoys.  I put out the hypothesis that country Music listeners supported President Trump more than Rock and Roll listeners.   I was told that I was stereotyping, I was told that I did not understand the early rock roots in American music the blues and country.   However, nobody challenged my hypothesis as being false.

When I travel, I listen to am/fm radio. I listen to country and rock as stations become available.   I am a progressive Republican and I do not like square dancing or country music.   I would square dance as a kid, and it is a great social activity for old people, I am an old person who remains young at heart.  I will still dance to rock to entertain the grandchildren, who find me funny, but it remains true that the expansion of country throughout rural America has excluded folk, metal, pop, soul, rap, and classic rock.

So am I right or wrong.

I think you set a record here. Congratulations.

I think you set a record here. Congratulations.

I have done more....

2seaoat wrote:I think you set a record here. Congratulations.

I have done more....

Yikes!

The country music awards are so much better than the grammies....I seem to remember and prefer to watch them.