A Thousand Blogs Under My Belt
Yesterday, I wrote my 1,000th blog. You can see that big fat number right next to my name on CMT.com's blog page. So I spent a completely inordinate amount of time sifting through those 1,000 blogs trying to find some kind of rhyme or reason or pattern in the way people respond. I gave up around midnight when all I had determined was that sometimes you just strike a nerve. And sometimes you don't.
I could pour out my heart about a new album. Rave about lyrics. Rant about haters. Or I could try to put into words my devotion to Garth Brooks' music. I could talk nonstop about concerts and awards shows and the battles of the blondes. But in a way, this blog is a bit like the music business it's intended to cover, because it's really all about timing. If I wrote something particularly controversial, it could very well fall on deaf ears if, say, Taylor Swift had a new single out that day or Kenny Chesney broke his foot.
Still, you can't help but notice when the comments for a particular blog start to rack up higher numbers than others. So I give you the top blogs, if comments matter as much as I think they do:
Mark Chesnutt made some remarks about Taylor Swift's music.
Keith Urban's wife admitted that, yes, she was pregnant.
Carrie Underwood got more comfortable with songwriting.
Swift made Saturday Night Live history.
Some people wanted to get Jesus out of country music.
Different critics had different takes on a Carrie Underwood show.
Some of the things I loved most about the recent CMT Music Awards
Winning Garth Brooks tickets fuels a long string of "oh, my Gods."
What I thought was missing from the CMAs
Taylor Swift seems to be taking her own advice to stay awesome.
Rock Band purists come out to speak their mind on country music.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
bkb says:
1000 blogs and how many were about swift?
S says:
A lot of people comment on Taylor Swift but have you noticed that the majority are negative? What does that tell ya?
Jasper says:
I don’t understand why you guys have such a negative image for Taylor, yet you come here to comment on every single blog that you can possibly say something about her in. That crosses the line of “tired of hearing about someone” and crosses over into stalking and harassment.
A normal thing to do would be stop reading CMT’s blogs and go somewhere that talks about whomever you want to read about.
This is getting tired and old. I am not a HUGE Taylor Swift fan which I expressed in the CMT awards blog, but come on. Every single blog? CMT isn’t going to change what their doing. Taylor Swift is bringing big money into Country Music right now and to be quite honest the industry needed her to do so.
Don’t hate Taylor Swift because of how she looks or how she sings, things she can’t change. She is a young girl still finding her way, let her find her way. My only problem with Swift is she has changed country music and in a way that probably needed to happen to save the industry, but I am not wanting to accept it yet. With the likes of Taylor, Carrie, Kellie and a few others country is now based on beauty and young stars. Therefor anyone whom came before such as Wynonna, Jo Dee Messina, Terri Clark and others have a slim chance of ever being heard on radio again.
Long story short, spread a little love around this Taylor bashing daily is old news. And I say all of this with much respect to everyone.
Jasper says:
Now on to the topic of this blog. Congrats Alison for your 1000 blogs. I am sure many more are to come.
Linda says:
We’re not “bashing” TS so much as we’re tired of hearing about her all the time. And the way Alison ignores other artists to tell us every single thing TS ever does makes us that much more tired of her. You would think the people who work for CMT would be able to tell us about hot new artists we haven’t discovered yet, or have hot Nashville news stories before they break, instead of rehashing the same junk we get from the tabloids.
hotelmotel says:
Congrats on the 1,000th blog. Hopefully you will be writing many, many more. And including some about Swift, too.
countryiscool says:
I’m with bkb, my first thought, was 900 (at least) on TS. I like Taylor fine, but there ARE other artists we’d like to hear about, not a daily blow-by-blow of TS life. We’d be happy to give you more kudos Alison if you could find someone else to write about for a change, how about another 1000 withOUT Taylor?
Corbin Hosler says:
Even in this blog about blogs, Alison mentions TS. If anyone has time to waste, I imagine somewhere near 50% of her blogs mention her.
And Swift is NOT bringing much money into country music. She is bringing money to HERSELF and her LABEL. Maybe Kellie Pickler wouldn’t have a career without Swift. I haven’t seen the Swift fans buy Brooks, Strait, Alabama, or Jones albums. Have you?
countryiscool says:
Hey everyone, Alison has a NEW blog, her 1001st and guess what? It’s about Taylor. Does this surprise everyone?
hotelmotel says:
People say there “are other artists” they want to hear about. But when a blog about another artist gets printed, it rarely gets a lot of comments.
The “Chesnutt Disses Swift” blog got more comments than a thoughtful review of Chesnutt’s recent album “Rolling With The Flow” would have gotten.
Sure, some of the comments on swift blogs are from people complaining about the swift coverage. But the fact that there are anti-swift coverage complaints than comments on a blog about less media saturated artists suggests someting.
I am not a Swift fan. But I suspect complaining about Swift is more interesting to many than searching out other artists. Alison is doing exactly as she should I guess.
Buffalogrrl says:
I only counted 18 blogs that Alison has written specifically about Taylor Swift. There may be others that mention her, such as in a list of performers, but that doesn’t really count does it?
I’m willing to bet there are more posts complaining about Taylor by any one obsessive Swift hater than actual blogs about Taylor.
Noah says:
In answer to S’s quote of “A lot of people comment on Taylor Swift but have you noticed that the majority are negative? What does that tell ya?”
That tells me, 1)That a few people, and yes I said FEW people have to much time on their hands. 2)That the people who bash Taylor are the same people that post the same things over and over again on every blog. 3) That the problem they have really doesn’t have anything to do with any ‘faults’ of Taylors, it’s PURE jealousy because Taylor is so popular and in demand and another blond isn’t.
That about sums it up, other than the fact that I really appreciate you keeping us true fans of all country music up to date with thows 1,000 blogs. I have really enjoyed them.
You are really appreciated Alison! Here’s to good health, wealth and another 1,000 blogs!
hotelmotel says:
Mark Chesnutt is such a has-been. The best publicity he can get is for vaguely criticizing Taylor Swift.
goldie says:
this is what the did with cu and no body complained!! and yes taylor can sing, write songs, act and entertain like no one can and I have seen alot of big stars in the last 35 years!!!!! so people get over it taylor will be around for a long time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Redmaz says:
What if they were? YOU “hello!” contribute nothing to any of the other music blogs here, so what difference does it make? Hating Taylor Swift is really more important to you than all the great music being recorded. It’s obvious you’re not a music lover.
hello! says:
I love music just not fairyland music!!! I love the oldest but goodies in country music. Sorry but ts cant sing herself out of a paper bag!!!!!
Redmaz says:
I don’t believe you. I’ve never seen you do anything but complain about Swift.
Redmaz says:
You don’t have to care. It makes no difference. I’m still right, and you’ll prove me right the next time Al blogs about Swift. Just watch.
S says:
Noah said “That the problem they have really doesn’t have anything to do with any ‘faults’ of Taylors, it’s PURE jealousy because Taylor is so popular and in demand and another blond isn’t.”
My problem with Taylor doesn’t have ANYTHING to do with jealousy or another blond. My problem has to do with the fact that there are so many people with REAL talent who are stuck singing in smoky bars for tips who can’t get a break while Taylor is being heavily promoted when she couldn’t sing her way out of a box. I’ve read comments from people who have attended her concerts saying that the young girls screen the entire time that Taylor sings so they’re obviously oblivious to the fact that she can’t sing.
S says:
Sorry, that should say the young girls ’screem’ the entire time that Taylor sings. Too bad we can’t edit our posts.
S says:
Good grief … that should say ’scream.’ I’m not doing very well with the keyboard today!!!
Dustin says:
Congrats Alison!
Kathattack06 says:
I personally think “Redmaz” and “S” are annoying. I wish I could click on a blog and read comments that actually pertain to the blog and not have to skip over 40 some comments about Taylor Swift and you both bashing her or how some people are’nt true country fans and don’t actually like country music. I believe we all are entitled to our own opinons and can write whatever we feel and not have some idiots nit pick each and every phrase that is written. Read the blogs and move on! We all have our favorite country artists and favortie songs. Just because they are ones you don’t like doesn’t mean we can’t share our opinons. It’s people like you guys who make me not want to read/write about these blogs because every word I write it just going to get picked and ripped to pieces. Get a life seriously!!