Charted 2003 so 15 yrs.
Someone once wanted "wake me up" by avicii to country chart.
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Charted 2003 so 15 yrs.
Someone once wanted "wake me up" by avicii to country chart.
Someone once wanted "wake me up" by avicii to country chart.
Avicci himself worked to get some country airplay, but TTBOMK it didn't chart.
The Matchbox 20 connection to country music is Rob Thomas and producer Matt Serletic. At the time Unwell was written, Thomas had also written songs for several country artists including Willie Nelson, and Serletic produced one of Willie's albums (The Great Divide). Thomas spent some time in Nashville and huddled with some country writers, including Phil Vassar. But TTBOMK nothing Matchbox 20 did charted country.
Interesting that half of today's artists seem to have copied his style on "Unwell".Avicci himself worked to get some country airplay, but TTBOMK it didn't chart.
The Matchbox 20 connection to country music is Rob Thomas and producer Matt Serletic. At the time Unwell was written, Thomas had also written songs for several country artists including Willie Nelson, and Serletic produced one of Willie's albums (The Great Divide). Thomas spent some time in Nashville and huddled with some country writers, including Phil Vassar. But TTBOMK nothing Matchbox 20 did charted country.
Interesting that half of today's artists seem to have copied his style on "Unwell".
If it's OK for Willie Nelson it's OK with me.
Me too, but Willie does something entirely different. Actually, he does a lot of different styles including the music of the big band era, which I enjoy too. Willie can do no wrong.
Me too, but Willie does something entirely different. Actually, he does a lot of different styles including the music of the big band era, which I enjoy too. Willie can do no wrong.
Apparently, his support for a Democrat in Texas is a bridge too far for some erstwhile true Willie believers to cross!
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/fans-mad-about-willie-nelson-concert-for-beto-orourke-11139917
I wonder if classic country stations in conservative markets will give Nelson the Dixie Chicks treatment now.
I wonder if classic country stations in conservative markets will give Nelson the Dixie Chicks treatment now.
The reason country stations dropped the Chicks was because they received threatening calls. We'll see if the protests grow beyond the tweets.
Apparently, his support for a Democrat in Texas is a bridge too far for some erstwhile true Willie believers to cross!
Willie's son Lucas commented on that:
http://tasteofcountry.com/lukas-nelson-defends-willie-nelson-beto-orourke/
He says Willie still hates the media.
C
CAVEMANager
Guest
If this thread is about today's country music, that certainly isn't Willie. Willie's last top ten hit was a duet with Toby Keith from sixteen years ago. No highly rated country music station can drop Willie because they aren't playing his music in the first place. So he has little to lose by offending those stations. At age 85 Willie has little to lose by offending anyone. I admire any country music singer who has the nerve to back a Democrat. My station programs classic country and I'd have to select another format if I had to ban entertainers who don't share my liberal political views.
The only reason was Willie mentioned was that BigA used him as an example of someone approving of my opinion that "Unwell" by Matchbox 20 sounds like half the songs on today's country radio. Which makes no sense if he's not even one of "today's country" artists. "Beer for My Horses" was a song I like.
Let's say someone decided one day to play it on a "today's country" station. I'll bet no one would know the difference and they'd just think it's a new song from a great new artist.This isn't Country!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WziA88-n02k
Let's say someone decided one day to play it on a "today's country" station. I'll bet no one would know the difference and they'd just think it's a new song from a great new artist.
Keep in mind that song is almost 20 years old. I'm sure todays listeners are well aware of it, because they tend to know a broader range of music than previous country listeners. When Conway recorded an Eagles song, few country people were aware of the original. Same with when Waylon recorded a Neal Young song. They just thought it was a new song from a major country star.
The fact that Willie & Waylon had to leave Nashville and go to Austin to launch outlaw music shows how closed-minded country music can be. Until it becomes successful, and then they all want to jump aboard.
C
CAVEMANager
Guest
When I started this thread I pointed to the unusual number of new songs about alcohol. Let's document that. Here are some titles that appear on this week's Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Hits: "Buy My Own Drinks", "Whiskey Glasses", "Day Drunk", "Drowning the Whiskey", "What Whiskey Does", "Drunk Girl", "Drunk Me", "Hide the Wine", "Champaign", "Tequila", "Drinking Alone", "Last Shot".
And that's for this week alone! Some of you have pointed out that songs about drinking are nothing new to country music and that's certainly true. But I don't think that we've ever seen anything quite like this in the past. And the songs that aren't about alcohol are about girls who have no names.
And that's for this week alone! Some of you have pointed out that songs about drinking are nothing new to country music and that's certainly true. But I don't think that we've ever seen anything quite like this in the past. And the songs that aren't about alcohol are about girls who have no names.
Some of you have pointed out that songs about drinking are nothing new to country music and that's certainly true. But I don't think that we've ever seen anything quite like this in the past. And the songs that aren't about alcohol are about girls who have no names.
The fact that they're in the Billboard chart indicates a degree of popularity, through airplay, purchase, or stream. That demonstrates a level of demand from the public. If the people like the songs, it doesn't really matter what they're about.
The other thing is just because the title seems to be about drinking doesn't mean that's what the song is about. Last Shot, for example, isn't about a shot of whiskey, but a last shot at love. Drunk Girl isn't about the girl getting drunk, but about someone who protects the girl after she had too much. Drowns The Whiskey is about how the memory of a past love is far worse than the experience of getting drunk. Buy My Own Drinks is a female empowerment song where the woman says she doesn't need a guy to buy a drink.
Even if all twelve titles that you list are about alcohol, which they aren't, it ignores the other 30-40 songs that aren't. They deal mostly with love or lost love. So what does that say?
The other thing is just because the title seems to be about drinking doesn't mean that's what the song is about. Last Shot, for example, isn't about a shot of whiskey, but a last shot at love. Drunk Girl isn't about the girl getting drunk, but about someone who protects the girl after she had too much. Drowns The Whiskey is about how the memory of a past love is far worse than the experience of getting drunk. Buy My Own Drinks is a female empowerment song where the woman says she doesn't need a guy to buy a drink.
I was going to call him out on "Champaign," which is a city in Illinois, but I looked the song up and the title is indeed "Champagne," the alcoholic beverage. However, the lyrics reveal that this is not a drinking song, either; the singer wants her man to treat her like she's something special, and "Champagne" is one of those special somethings.
I have to believe at least some of the young people who think what country radio plays is actually country music wouldn't know "Unwell".Keep in mind that song is almost 20 years old. I'm sure todays listeners are well aware of it, because they tend to know a broader range of music than previous country listeners. When Conway recorded an Eagles song, few country people were aware of the original. Same with when Waylon recorded a Neal Young song. They just thought it was a new song from a major country star.
The fact that Willie & Waylon had to leave Nashville and go to Austin to launch outlaw music shows how closed-minded country music can be. Until it becomes successful, and then they all want to jump aboard.
Waylon and Willie are, of course, accepted by country radio now. Well, classic country, anyway. Willie can do anything. Earlier this week I saw a movie on TV where he sang "Home on the Range". Wonder if any format would play that?
I just ran into an unusual situation. The soft AC station that kept playing "Unwell" (and probably still is, when I'm not there to hear it) just played a song called "Who Says You Can't Go Home". I looked it up and the original was by Bon Jovi, but there was a version with Jennifer Nettles for country radio. There was definitely a woman singing, and it not only sounded country, it didn't sound crossover to the extent a lot of country songs on AC do. It sounded like it belonged on country radio. This soft AC has been playing a lot of songs that are country (or at least played on country radio) but sound crossover.
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Well, that didn't take long. WEZV just played "Unwell".
I had on a classic country station in the car when I was within range of that station on Wednesday and one of the station IDs said Top 40 country was fake country. We're real country.
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