90's Country Artists Today

[TimmyWA]

I was listening to a bunch of 90's country hits and wondered why some of these folks disappeared... For Example; John Berry, he had a killer voice, a few big hits, an outstanding Christmas album, etc.. What about Wade Hayes, the Tractors, Lari White, Jo Dee Messina, Rhett Atkins, The Mavericks, Shenendoah, Doug Stone... These folks weren't just one-hit-wonders (except the tractors, maybe), they had talent and would still be current if they were actively performing today.

I understand things happen and labels drop artists but these folks can't just be sitting in their mansions after a couple years of success... I'd love to see these artists come back and bring country back to the format.

 

[radioboy]

Lari White, Doug Stone and Jo Dee Messina are all still active.

(Although none of them have nearly as much airplay as they once did.)

I occasionally see some '90s folks listed in songwriter credits.

 

[knight]

John Berry still tours extensively. And still has a GREAT voice.

http://johnberry.musiccitynetworks.com/

 

[vchimpanzee]

Jo Dee Messina is one of these people who should still be making hits.

 

[radio_rookie]

well i think the reason they disappeared (so to speak) is because country radio today doesn't give them the respect that they deserve. i mean if you think about it some of the 90's artist paved the way for acts of today. even the acts from the early 2000's suffer for being the for runner's of today's country music. there is so much "pop country" out there now.....i remember a time when acts like shedaisy were the death of country music, but if you think about it what's the difference between them and a group like gloriana except about 10 years?

i really feel for these artist that should still be given the chance to make the music that made us fall in love country music.

 

[EclecticInTexas]

I agree to a point with radio_rookie. A lot of stations want to play all of the pop country artists like Rascal Flatts, Love and Theft, Gloriana, etc. Most of the 90's folks were more country, i.e. Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Tracy Byrd, and these aren't what is "hot" these days.

This same discussion comes up with every new crop of singers though. In the 90's, no one wanted to play the people from the 70's/80's. It's a cycle in country music that I see continuing for the forseeable future. I always appreciate listening to stations that have a nice mix of today and yesterday.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I don't know, it seems to me that Gloriana next to Charlie Daniels is a worse fit than She'Daisy next to Jimmy Dean.

That said, I can't stand stations that play only hot country, so if I'm listening to country radio its a "70s/80s/now" station.

 

[EclecticInTexas]

PTBoardOp94- I agree with that as well. Gloriana is not country. They are cute kids who were put together to make money. I do think there are many ways to do great radio with old school and new school mixed together. Still a way to play a current 30-50 times a week and still throw in the legends like Willie and Waylon and also the golds from the 90's. It's just with so many markets being run by a corporate hammer that makes all of their stations playing the exact stuff, not many have the fortitude to do it or can even afford to say no to the corporate suit, cause then they'd be on the beach.

 

[waymar]

Most 90's artists were country. Today's country artists with the exception of Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait are pop. Examples are Flats, Underwood, Swift, Gloriana and Chesney. Even Hot act Lady Antebellum is getting top 40 airplay.

 

[Jay F]

Most 90's artists were country. Today's country artists with the exception of Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait are pop. Examples are Flats, Underwood, Swift, Gloriana and Chesney. Even Hot act Lady Antebellum is getting top 40 airplay.

and the three exceptions you named all started charting in the 80s or 90s.

There are some newer artsts that lean more traditional than pop. But overall country sounds more pop-rock than ever. With acts like Swift and Lady A crossing over to other formats it will only encourage the trend to continue. I kind of like hearing "Need You Now" on multi-formats..it's such a good song it deserves the exposure.

 

[waymar]

Good point

 

[EZway2go]

I agree to a point with radio_rookie. A lot of stations want to play all of the pop country artists like Rascal Flatts, Love and Theft, Gloriana, etc. Most of the 90's folks were more country, i.e. Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Tracy Byrd, and these aren't what is "hot" these days.

This same discussion comes up with every new crop of singers though. In the 90's, no one wanted to play the people from the 70's/80's. It's a cycle in country music that I see continuing for the forseeable future. I always appreciate listening to stations that have a nice mix of today and yesterday.

And don't you get a kick out of the stations that play "today's hot country and your all-time favorites?" If your all-time favorites are more than 10 years old, you can forget it.

I prefer country from the late '80s/early '90s period when the trend was the "new traditionalist" sound. Something happened along the way... it's pretty bad today when you can't tell whether the station your car radio's seek-n-scan button landed on is a country or a rock station.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I don't know whether we have any "hot country" stations around here. Even the ones that act like it have no problem playing ancient songs by Alabama and The Judds. Not that these would please me in any way.

A station has to call itself "real country" or "classic country" or "country gold" before I will even consider it beyond the listening to one or two songs to see if I like them or, if I don't, find out who they are so I can know what I don't like.