Am I Country Radio's Ultimate Doom?
Huffington Post blogger Chris Willman has a theory. And I don't know if I passionately agree -- or vehemently disagree -- with him. So let's see that you think.
Willman spent some time at last week's Country Radio Seminar and heard some radio programmers opposing one another on the subject of demographics: Will focusing on the core demo of middle-aged moms be the format's "on-going salvation or ultimate doom." Really? Its ultimate doom? Seriously? Moms like me, the ones who listen to the radio during the day while we shuttle our kids to their oh-so-predictable soccer practices and such? And the ones who patronize the advertisers and buy the concert tickets and call request lines? We're the doom? I hate to think a bunch of industry big shots were sitting around last week thinking that.
But the Huffington Post blog goes on to say that songs like "Shutting Detroit Down" (John Rich) and "High Cost of Living" (Jamey Johnson) will reinforce country's reputation as the one genre that can deal with the realities of life that other genres won't. So I get that. And I agree when Johnson says, "We can't screw up by putting nothing but musical Prozac on the radio. You have to have something that feeds people emotionally and mentally and spiritually. And if you fail to do that in music, why the hell are we doing this?" And I agree when Rich tells Willman, "I am squarely pissed off. Nobody's happy about (the economy). And this song puts a fine point on it."
But I tend to think that these outlaw one-offs are just that -- one-offs. They wake people up, bring in a few more listeners, but they are certainly not the only kind of country music. I may not be able to speak for every middle-aged mom, but I do think we are capable of reveling in all kinds of country at once. The good, the bad, the formulaic and the oh-my-God-did-he-really-just-say-that kind.
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Linda says:
I totally disagree with this blogger. Years of providing Chicken Soup for Boring Middle-Aged Moms has turned country music from the vital, red-blooded genre it was in the 70s to the endless stream of bland, flavorless mush it is today. I want more artists like Jamey Johnson to show a wider demo that country can be cool, relevant and kick-a$$. Bring in more young fans and males, drive those middle-aged bores back to bland pop where they belong.
RedMaZ says:
Well, Linda; you certainly have generalized a vast amount of music into one convenient little package.. Granted middle-aged soccer moms are for the most part very limited in their music expertise, and they should surround themselves with people their own age from time to time(some more than others), but what has that to do with all of today’s Country music? Country music in many cases is just as good if not better than ever. Just because you don’t know about it does not mean it doesn’t exist.. Do you consider the 100’s of today’s Americana/Roots Country artists and their music an “endless stream of bland, flavorless mush it is today”? I’ve never met anyone who has listened to every new Country song and artist there is recording today..
David S says:
The doom of country radio is middle-aged mothers, but not for the discussed reasons in this blog post. Middle-aged mothers are the doom of country radio because stations continue to spin the same 5-6 male artists over and over in order to cater to the women listening. This demographic is causing stations to offer little variety; stations know that in order to keep these middle-aged mothers listening, they need to play men who women can match a recognizable name to a recognizable face. That’s all. The doom of country radio has nothing to do with the content of the songs; it has everything to do with programmers offering little variety by trying to satisfy the ears of middle-aged women who want to pretend that country music’s hotties are singing TO them.
Joan K says:
How about another way of looking at today’s country music. Mainstreaming isn’t anything new (Elvis?) What’s wrong with the rest of the country waking up to the fact the Nashville sound is the best music being played today? The merit of the ‘new’ versus ‘old’ goes on, but face it, country is more popular than it’s ever been. Perhaps the radio solution is to have stations that only play the old traditional sound, and others who play contemperary.
Always Right says:
Joan K,
Because new artists that don’t want to sing about soccer mom garbage can’t get on mainstream country radio. The “new Elvis” could be out there but will never be heard because this soccer mom garbage rules the airways.
Always Right says:
What all the soccer moms fail to realize is that they’re not the only demographic walking the face of the earth. What about the people who don’t have kids to cart around?
Always Right says:
Soccer moms and radio programmers, that is.
Chris N. says:
Focusing on what soccer moms want to hear is fine, but focusing so exclusively on them is alienating other demographics.
Always Right says:
Chris N,
You are correct. For instance, now radio is gravitating toward teeny boppers with Taylor Swift, and that in turn is alienating the 25 and up demographic.
Always Right says:
In other words, they are targeting the kids that these soccer moms are taking to practice.
Ms. Feathers says:
In defense of Middle-Aged Moms….
Not ALL of us are into vanilla pudding country music. Heck, not all of us are into the traditional country SOUND that much, but find the current crop of 70s and 80s-inspired country pop & rock to be “familiar” from our formative years. Also, much of what is on Country radio is family-oriented - not necessarily G or PG, but certainly more country songs are about families than any other genre. In case you hadn’t noticed, most moms are pretty consumed by family so music that speaks to family will draw us in. Not that it’s all well-done, tho - some of it’s pure dreck.
Personally, I can’t stand sappy, weepy, formula songs. There are only a few (less than 5, none of them by Carrie Underwood) that I actually leave on. Nor can I stomach the misogynistic garbage about “hotties” and “badonkadonks”, etc. Then there’s the “let’s rattle off a list of ‘country’ images, make them rhyme, and put them to banjo-infused pop music and call it country” songs. Of those three types of songs, country radio is bombarding us. I flip the channel more now than I EVER did. And when they play Hank Jr, I run as far and as fast as I can from THAT point on the dial.
However, I DO like a few artists who find new and interesting ways to say things - Lee Ann Womack & Trisha Yearwood usually score on that account, real women with real things to say. I’m loving “Last Call” - it’s a perfect country song. Jamey Johnson’s “In Color” is also one of my recent favorites, especially since I participate in the ultimate “mom” hobby, scrapbooking. (okay, everybody groan at once…)
I’ll NEVER be ashamed to be a mom, and I’ll NEVER be ashamed to like what I like in terms of music (regardless of how hard Red will try to put my preferences down). I may fit the “demographic”, but I only like about 50% of the music that’s on the radio now. And my kids don’t play soccer, either - I’m a “band mom”. My kids listen to all kinds of music, and my oldest has everything from show tunes to classical to country to hard rock on his iPod.
Sure, there’s a large segment of the demographic out there that swallows everything fed to it w/o thinking, but it’s not me. And as much as your local program directors tell you they don’t play what the advertisers want them to play, they certainly don’t stray too far off the prescribed course. Focus groups and surveys dominate the decision-making process, and listener requests are mostly ignored unless it’s for a song already on the playlist.
If radio wants to know what will spell doom for it’s format, then it needs to look no further than the mirror. The continual segmenting of genres into smaller and smaller pieces in order to homogenize the sound so people don’t change the channel is what the REAL problem is.
janetgijoenurse says:
Thank God for artist like Jamey Johnson myself I welcome some real life gritty country music.
So sick of the pop crap, the don’t offend anybody soceer mom music. So sick of wannbe Kenny and his Buffett music.
We nned more Jamey Johnson’s.
janetgijoenurse says:
Been a country fan since the 60’s country music was never meant to be solo for young kids. It used to be real, gritty, adult but now radio is so scared to play that kinda music. Give country msuic back to the adults.
sevenseven says:
For those of you that don’t know…Jamey Johnson wrote Honky Tonk Badonkadonk. Keep spending your $ and nothing will ever change. Even the purists are sheep. Turn the radio off or get a Sirius account and leave it on Outlaw Country and hope to hear something that moves you.
classiccountryfan says:
I knew Jamey wrote the atrocious Honky Tonk Badonkadonk so I have a hard time not remembering that when I hear him
Janetgijoenurse says:
Linda I couldn’t of said it better