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OT: Country Music Mt. Rushmore....?

Midnighter

Midnighter

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Oct 7, 2021
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One of my dad's passions is music; I think in another life that would be his calling. I remember him noodling around on his guitar when I was younger (mostly played Puff the Magic Dragon for me and then later on, Iron Man by Black Sabbath). We were recently talking about the Beatle doc (he's into all kinds of music) and artists to watch on YouTube and then he said, 'You know - I think Merle Haggard is the greatest country singer ever. Willie Nelson is 1A.' This was a bit shocking to me since he's always been big on George Strait and more recently Garth Brooks. Anyway, I was thinking about the drastic way country music, maybe more than any other genre, has changed/evolved over the years. Not a lot of artists like Merle Haggard around anymore. Anyway, who would be on your country music Mt. Rushmore? I would allow for artists like the Carter Family (basically the beginning of modern bluegrass/country music in America) and others maybe not considered 'pure country'....also, you can include a duo or group as 'one' spot on Country Music Mt. Rushmore.

Mine:

Willie Nelson
Dolly Parton
Carter Family
Johnny Cash
 
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Connorpozlee

Connorpozlee

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Oct 29, 2021
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Not a huge country music fan but I do like some. Odd the top of my head I guess I’d go:
Johnny Cash
Dolly Parton
George Strait
George Jones
 
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Midnighter

Midnighter

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Oct 7, 2021
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Connorpozlee said:
Not a huge country music fan but I do like some. Odd the top of my head I guess I’d go:
Johnny Cash
Dolly Parton
George Strait
George Jones
Click to expand...

I like older country - stuff we used to listen to driving across country when my dad was assigned a new duty station. I think Alan Jackson was sort of the start of 'bro country' and then Brooks went off the rails with the Chris Gaines stuff. And we have what we have today, which I admittedly do not listen to much if at all (Teddy Thompson is the closest I get to 'modern' country though he's very much cut from the earlier mold).
 
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91Joe95

91Joe95

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Oct 6, 2021
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All four spots.
 
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laKavosiey-st lion

laKavosiey-st lion

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Oct 30, 2021
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Love these hillbillies. Saw them in Chicago of all places by myself on a Tuesday nite. Pretty sure the punk rock bartender dug me the most.
“20 beers and I should be gone, throwing up in your front lawn”
 
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1995PSUGrad

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Oct 30, 2021
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Midnighter said:
I like older country - stuff we used to listen to driving across country when my dad was assigned a new duty station. I think Alan Jackson was sort of the start of 'bro country' and then Brooks went off the rails with the Chris Gaines stuff. And we have what we have today, which I admittedly do not listen to much if at all (Teddy Thompson is the closest I get to 'modern' country though he's very much cut from the earlier mold).
Click to expand...
You obviously don't know the story behind Chris Gaines. Garth Brooks didn't go off the rails.
 
FrontierLion

FrontierLion

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Oct 12, 2021
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Midnighter said:
I like older country - stuff we used to listen to driving across country when my dad was assigned a new duty station. I think Alan Jackson was sort of the start of 'bro country' and then Brooks went off the rails with the Chris Gaines stuff. And we have what we have today, which I admittedly do not listen to much if at all (Teddy Thompson is the closest I get to 'modern' country though he's very much cut from the earlier mold).
Click to expand...
Chris Stapleton is another modern artist who could’ve fit in with the older guys. I’m a country fan, but I agree that most of these new “country” artists all sound the same and I can’t listen to them. Classic is the way to go.
 
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EricStratton-RushChairman

EricStratton-RushChairman

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Oct 6, 2021
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Midnighter said:
One of my dad's passions is music; I think in another life that would be his calling. I remember him noodling around on his guitar when I was younger (mostly played Puff the Magic Dragon for me and then later on, Iron Man by Black Sabbath). We were recently talking about the Beatle doc (he's into all kinds of music) and artists to watch on YouTube and then he said, 'You know - I think Merle Haggard is the greatest country singer ever. Willie Nelson is 1A.' This was a bit shocking to me since he's always been big on George Strait and more recently Garth Brooks. Anyway, I was thinking about the drastic way country music, maybe more than any other genre, has changed/evolved over the years. Not a lot of artists like Merle Haggard around anymore. Anyway, who would be on your country music Mt. Rushmore? I would allow for artists like the Carter Family (basically the beginning of modern bluegrass/country music in America) and others maybe not considered 'pure country'....also, you can include a duo or group as 'one' spot on Country Music Mt. Rushmore.

Mine:

Willie Nelson
Dolly Parton
Carter Family
Johnny Cash
Click to expand...
Pretty sure if you put Dolly up on Mount Rushmore there would be no more room for anyone else
 
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PAgeologist

PAgeologist

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Oct 19, 2021
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Old School:
Johnny Cash
Hank Williams Jr
Willie Nelson
Merle Haggard

Modern:
George Strait
Garth Brooks
Clint Black
Brooks and Dunn

This is a tough one because the genre has changed so much over the decades. I think you could justify making 2 for the original big names and another for the more modern stars.
 
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Nitwit

Nitwit

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Oct 12, 2021
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Johnny Cash
Willie Nelson
Dollie Parton
Hank Williams. (Or perhaps Patsy Cline)

the more modern singers mentioned - Garth, Brooks and Dunn, Strait, etc., were imho empty hats.
 
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