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Flak over Wallen appearance at Opry

AM FM listener said:
Although the Rolling Stone article began about Morgan Wallen, the rest of the story was more about country music's acceptance (or lack thereof) of black artists. True, there are not many black county music stars out there. But, looking at this from another angle, how many white artists are prominent on Urban radio? I'm not talking about Rhythmic radio, just Urban. Robin Thicke is the only artist that comes to my mind. My point is that music (and radio) comes in many genres (formats). Some genres appeal more to certain demographics than others.
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I noticed that the R&B station in Memphis (back when I lived close enough to listen to them) played Phil Collins. But as I recall, it was the dance mix of one of his songs. If I remember correctly, it was "Sussudio," the one in which he was accused of sounding like Prince's "1999." But again, it was the12" mix. I sort of doubt that they would play the single.

The R&B oldies station here in Nashville has Hall & Oates' "I Can't Go for That" on their playlist, but again, they play the extended mix of it. It was a #1 R&B hit back in its day.

I seem to recall that the rock stations here play Living Color and Thin Lizzy, among others. It is all about fitting the format, not necessarily the race of the performers.
 
firepoint525 said:
"Not Ready to Make Nice" was a TERRIBLE choice for a single, which essentially made radio's rejection of them a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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It was their biggest pop crossover hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. And it actually did better on the Country chart than their three previous post-GWB-remarks-controversy singles. "Not Ready to Make Nice" was their biggest-selling single, awarded 2X Platinum. So maybe you didn't like it, but it was a commercial success.
 
TheBigA said:
That's on Billboard's country streaming/sales chart. Radio airplay is #36. Not much of a "hit."
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Radio is not the main determinant of what counts as a "hit" anymore. Streaming is.

And even without any kind of political controversy, Country radio airplay of female artists over the age of 40 is virtually non-existent.
 
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kevtronics said:
Radio is not the main determinant of what counts as a "hit" anymore. Streaming is.
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Depends on the format. In country, it's radio airplay.

kevtronics said:
Country radio airplay of female artists over the age of 40 is virtually non-existent.
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That applies to lots of formats, not just country. Chicks still get airplay for their 90s hits. But their age is not the reason they don't get airplay anymore.
 
kevtronics said:
Radio is not the main determinant of what counts as a "hit" anymore. Streaming is.

And even without any kind of political controversy, Country radio airplay of female artists over the age of 40 is virtually non-existent.
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Other than occasional Shania Twain, Reba McEntire and Mary Chapin Carpenter gold, you're right about that. But country radio is doing much better with female artists than it was 10 years ago in the depths of "bro country." And Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert will turn 40 in less than two years. Hard to see their airplay drying up.
 
kevtronics said:
It was their biggest pop crossover hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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I listened to A.C. and A.A.A. radio back then, and never heard it in either place. Although the A.A.A. ran ads for their concert. Had it on their playlist for a week or two, but I never heard it played there. Chart positions mean basically nothing anymore, since everything is so fragmented now. It probably quickly zoomed up (and then back down) the charts, the same way that their album did. I KNOW that they were already on the second single by the time that the album was officially released.
And it actually did better on the Country chart than their three previous post-GWB-remarks-controversy singles.
That ain't saying much. Those stiffed.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" was their biggest-selling single, awarded 2X Platinum. So maybe you didn't like it, but it was a commercial success.
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Well they said at the time that they didn't want to share their fans with fans of other groups. I am a fan of other groups, so self-fulfilling prophecy there. They changed their fan base from 12-year-old girls to members of the D.N.C. I have never been either.
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AM FM listener said:
I'm not talking about Rhythmic radio, just Urban. Robin Thicke is the only artist that comes to my mind. My point is that music (and radio) comes in many genres (formats). Some genres appeal more to certain demographics than others.
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Justin Timberlake?

Also, I remember that when the term "urban contemporary" was invented, Hall & Oates was an example of what made that format different from "soul".
 
TheBigA said:
That applies to lots of formats, not just country. Chicks still get airplay for their 90s hits. But their age is not the reason they don't get airplay anymore.
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I heard "Gaslighter" (they just NEVER stop stirring up controversy, do they?) on "Coffee, country, and Cody" exactly ONCE while we were basically stranded at home during the height of the pandemic a couple of years ago.
 
CTListener said:
The loudest voice is that of Jason Isbell, who is white, and is not a big name in mainstream country music, although he's always been big with the alt-country crowd and music journalists.
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Isbell's last three albums went to number one on the Billboard Country chart, and were in the Top 10 overall. He seems to be doing well despite not being embraced by country radio. A few artists like him, Kacey Musgraves, and Sturgill Simpson seem to have found a path where they can be successful outside of the traditional Nashville way. They also seem to be more "free" to speak their minds.

"Mainstream" country seems to have an unwritten rule that you keep your politics to yourself (unless you're waving the flag, then it's okay).
 
Deus Ex Machiato said:
Isbell's last three albums went to number one on the Billboard Country chart, and were in the Top 10 overall. He seems to be doing well despite not being embraced by country radio. A few artists like him, Kacey Musgraves, and Sturgill Simpson seem to have found a path where they can be successful outside of the traditional Nashville way. They also seem to be more "free" to speak their minds.

"Mainstream" country seems to have an unwritten rule that you keep your politics to yourself (unless you're waving the flag, then it's okay).
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When did "waving the flag" become political? (Conservatives never appropriated the flag for themselves. If the flag is partisan, you have look elsewhere to understand how that happened.)

As for the Ditzy Chicks, it wasn't just the childish insult of GWB that was the problem, it was their response to the backlash. Instead of saying "look, we were doing that thing performers do and going for cheap quick applause. We get that not everybody dug it, we're sorry," they doubled down and insulted the FANS, as goofs who "want us to play red white and blue guitars" and other hacky cliches they believe about the country audience.
 
NJMark said:
When did "waving the flag" become political? (Conservatives never appropriated the flag for themselves. If the flag is partisan, you have look elsewhere to understand how that happened.)
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"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." -- Ambrose Bierce
 
TheBigA said:
I think he's saying "waving the flag" is OK.
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Flying the flag is OK. Waving it around and saying "I'm a patriot! Buy my records because it will 'own the libs'!" is a little different. That's the thing that some artists do "for the cheap quick applause." Playing a song called something like "For God and Country" and wearing a red, white, and blue guitar while standing in front of a bunch of American flags is slightly more expensive quick applause, but it is still pandering.

As for it being political, I'd argue that the reason folks like the above poster say things like "Ditzy Chicks" has less to do with the statement made being political, and more to do with it being partisan...directed at a political figure from a certain party.

For almost 8 years around that time, there was this general rule that seemed to say you just don't criticize a sitting President. That would be unpatriotic. Then...oddly enough for the next 8 years...it became patriotic to criticize a sitting President. After that, it became unpatriotic again. For about 4 years. Now, it's super-cool to say "Let's Go Brandon."

That's not patriotism. That's partisanship. People seem to be confusing the two a lot lately.
 
NJMark said:
When did "waving the flag" become political? (Conservatives never appropriated the flag for themselves. If the flag is partisan, you have look elsewhere to understand how that happened.)

As for the Ditzy Chicks, it wasn't just the childish insult of GWB that was the problem, it was their response to the backlash. Instead of saying "look, we were doing that thing performers do and going for cheap quick applause. We get that not everybody dug it, we're sorry," they doubled down and insulted the FANS, as goofs who "want us to play red white and blue guitars" and other hacky cliches they believe about the country audience.
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Why should they have to apologize when the likes of Toby Keith were doing the exact opposite? They're entitled to their opinion, and shouldn't have to apologize just because it didn't fit with the supposed mainstream of their genre. I thought those offended by it generally decried "cancel culture" yet wanted the Chicks to not be played, or to grovel to get back in their good graces.
 
CTListener said:
Kathy Mattea, a multiple CMA and Grammy winner in the late '80s/early '90s, was the first major country artist to wear the red AIDS ribbon regularly and is very much liberal. Folk crossover Mary Chapin Carpenter is as well.
Garth Brooks has never even hinted at his political views, but he did sing at President Biden's inauguration, which raised a few eyebrows in Nashvillle. He told The Tennessean afterward that his appearance was not a political message but one of unity. I have a strong feeling he's been a closeted liberal but has valued his career -- and reputation as one of country music's "good guys" -- too much to come right out and say so.
I've been a country fan since the mid-'70s. Never been in radio but did review country albums and concerts for several years for a newspaper. I never let my politics interfere with my criticism, even when reviewing albums by the likes of Hank Williams Jr. and Charlie Daniels. Back in the day, I thought Hank's "If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Dixie" was an absolute hoot, the best thing about the album it was on, and said so in my review. I got not one reprimand, in-house or from any readers. I could never get away with that today.
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Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are also Democrats. They have never made that a secret.
 
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