Taylor Swift - done at country?

[nmoore6676]

Plus since you seem to be so offended that I would rate her as mediocre.

Huh? Maybe you should re-read what I wrote. I'll say it again. I'm not a music critic. I'm in radio. In radio, we play what's popular, whether it's Trisha Yearwood or dogs barking. Even if you were a published music critic, with a Pulitzer Prize, I wouldn't care one bit how you rate her. Nor does anyone care how *I* rate her. Which is why I don't.

Just an update: Who did not get one single award on last night's ACM telecast?

If my memory isn't failing not any at the last CMT awards either.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Patsy Cline does get played an many stations but only "Crazy". Classic Country as in Dial Global and similarly formatted stations play "Crazy" but probably more because Willie Nelson wrote it. Rarely and mostly on smaller independent outlets do they go deeper. Personally I own a lot of Patsy some of which IS pretty obscure. Once in a while an Eddie Stubbs or Chubby Howard like DJ will dig out "Honky Tonk Merry Go Round" or "Walking After Midnight".

I would have thought that in Nashville there would have been more of Patsy, again Crazy, and possibly "Sweet Dreams" except for Rock stations. How soon they forget which might bode well for us Taylor non-fans. It can not be long until a new brighter and hopefully more talented sensation will pop up.

It was Dial Global standards but this morning I heard "I Fall to Pieces".

 

[TheBigA]

Who did not get one single award on last night's ACM telecast?

It's always interesting, because there were a lot of people on the show who didn't win anything, and many who weren't even nominated, like Chesney, Urban, Paisley, and Strait. There were many years that if you weren't nominated, you couldn't perform. Not any more. Blake didn't win anything other than for co-writing the song with Miranda. Hunter Hayes didn't win anything despite being nominated for 6. Eric Church only won Album out of his 7 nominations. But yes, Taylor didn't win despite having four nominations. Then again, she's a little beyond all that kind of thing, like Chesney, Urban, Paisley, and Strait.

 

[nmoore6676]

Who did not get one single award on last night's ACM telecast?

It's always interesting, because there were a lot of people on the show who didn't win anything, and many who weren't even nominated, like Chesney, Urban, Paisley, and Strait. There were many years that if you weren't nominated, you couldn't perform. Not any more. Blake didn't win anything other than for co-writing the song with Miranda. Hunter Hayes didn't win anything despite being nominated for 6. Eric Church only won Album out of his 7 nominations. But yes, Taylor didn't win despite having four nominations. Then again, she's a little beyond all that kind of thing, like Chesney, Urban, Paisley, and Strait.

Beyond, in what way? Better, no way. George Strait has one of the highest #1 achievement records, 60 at last count I believe. and his career extends over several decades and several shifts in the genre. Brad Paisley is a premier guitarist and performer/songwriter. While not a major fan of Chesney and Urban I do personally own a couple CDs each of theirs.

So far my collection of Taylor Swift still stands at zero.

 

[TheBigA]

Beyond, in what way? Better, no way.

You keep wanting me to make a qualitative judgement, and it's not going to happen.

Reba was once asked about awards, and she said they're good at a point in your career when you're growing. Then they don't matter any more. Reba stopped winning awards 20 years ago. In Taylor's case, she won Entertainer twice. They tend to stop after two. Reba only won it once in 1994. Taylor, Carrie Underwood, and Loretta Lynn are the only women to win Entertainer twice. Only men have won it more than twice.

 

[vchimpanzee]

My CW station airs "Dish Nation". Over the weekend when I was watching movies and other programs one of the DJs said something like "Taylor Swift admits she has no friends so she turned to music. I wish Taylor Swift had friends."

She's such a nice girl I don't believe she doesn't have friends.

 

[TheBigA]

She's such a nice girl I don't believe she doesn't have friends.

She was talking about when she was in high school.

 

[vchimpanzee]

She's such a nice girl I don't believe she doesn't have friends.

She was talking about when she was in high school.

I sort of figured that, based on that one song where she has on glasses and plays in the band in the video. But she still looks hot when she's nerdy.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I was having sound problems on a computer at the library. I asked for help, and the first thing the woman did to determine if the sound was working was play a Taylor Swift video.

Actually, I enjoy a good Taylor Swift video, as it turns out, when the sound isn't working.

I was switched to another computer since one was available. At this particular library, sound is important because I don't have it at home and there are things I want to listen to. I also don't have fast enough Internet for videos.

On a related subject, Taylor performed on the Billboard Music Awards. I did like seeing her come out in those tight shorts but once she started singing ... well, she is not talented.

Also, she was nominated three times for awards they bothered to give out on the air. In two of three cases, the clips were definitely pop songs and not country by any stretch of the imagination. The other could pass for country.

 

[justpassingthough]

I was having sound problems on a computer at the library. I asked for help, and the first thing the woman did to determine if the sound was working was play a Taylor Swift video.

Actually, I enjoy a good Taylor Swift video, as it turns out, when the sound isn't working.

I was switched to another computer since one was available. At this particular library, sound is important because I don't have it at home and there are things I want to listen to. I also don't have fast enough Internet for videos.

On a related subject, Taylor performed on the Billboard Music Awards. I did like seeing her come out in those tight shorts but once she started singing ... well, she is not talented.

Also, she was nominated three times for awards they bothered to give out on the air. In two of three cases, the clips were definitely pop songs and not country by any stretch of the imagination. The other could pass for country.

The Billboard awards are a sham in the sense that go to the highest selling artist- so even if the song or album is a terrible piece of non-artistry- that in no way dictates the winner.

I don't know if anyone has tried to maintain that Taylor's latest album "Red" is anything but a pure pop album. Did she even go for adds at country stations with any single besides "Begin Again"?

 

[TheBigA]

The Billboard awards are a sham in the sense that go to the highest selling artist- so even if the song or album is a terrible piece of non-artistry- that in no way dictates the winner.

"Artistry" is subjective. There's no question who sells the most. And if people are buying it, that should say a lot more than some stuffed shirt critic. Those of us in radio live and die by numbers. The music we play has to attract listeners. Otherwise, we can all stay home.

 

[Casey]

I would say sales is one of the most reliable and fair ways of giving awards. Votes rather from professionals or the general public are too easy to rig. Sales can paint a pretty accurate picture of popularity and have a paper trail to backup the statistics. With that said, I don't think we should be giving these awards to celebrities. We have already awarded them with money, do we really need to give them something else to add to their inflated egos? Granted Taylor Swift seems to keep her ego under very good control, but Justin Bieber who was another winner at the awards? I'm not so sure.

 

[justpassingthough]

The Billboard awards are a sham in the sense that go to the highest selling artist- so even if the song or album is a terrible piece of non-artistry- that in no way dictates the winner.

"Artistry" is subjective. There's no question who sells the most. And if people are buying it, that should say a lot more than some stuffed shirt critic. Those of us in radio live and die by numbers. The music we play has to attract listeners. Otherwise, we can all stay home.

I agree that critics can be stuffed shirts with inflated egos and an unrealistic viewpoint on what kind of music people appreciate. While artistry is subjective, I shudder to think our society is moving away from meritocracy and towards a system where the winner is the "popular" one or everyone gets a trophy for fairness sake.

 

[TheBigA]

I shudder to think our society is moving away from meritocracy and towards a system where the winner is the "popular" one or everyone gets a trophy for fairness sake.

Where is the meritocracy? How do you make that judgement that one song is better than the other? You think the Grammy awards aren't also based on factors of popularity and friends?

 

[justpassingthough]

I shudder to think our society is moving away from meritocracy and towards a system where the winner is the "popular" one or everyone gets a trophy for fairness sake.

Where is the meritocracy? How do you make that judgement that one song is better than the other? You think the Grammy awards aren't also based on factors of popularity and friends?

There actually is a science behind what the human ear likes and doesn't like and what makes some music more popular than others. Of course the Grammys are influenced by factors like popularity and friends, as humans are doing the voting- but to say that there is no difference between the music that Adele does versus what One Direction puts out is just disingenuous. Artistry is subjective to a point- but as a whole, there are societal norms for what does and does not constitute good music (even if such norms vary from culture to culture).

 

[TheBigA]

Artistry is subjective to a point- but as a whole, there are societal norms for what does and does not constitute good music (even if such norms vary from culture to culture).

To the best of my knowledge, there is no award that is based on the science you talk about. It's based on individual votes, and voting means popularity. The winner can change based on the make-up of the voters. To base winning on science, the entrants would need to pass a test. I know of no such test.

Have you watched any of the reality shows like Idol or The Voice? There are no "societal norms." Everybody has their taste. Some folks like rap, some like c ountry, some like pop, and on and on. What some people think is good, others think is crap. No norms at all. That's why the Grammy Awards have so many categories. Especially in this country, where we have so many cultures mixed in, it's hard to come up with one "thing" everyone agrees on.

 

[nmoore6676]

Taylor got zero, zilch, nada at the ACM Awards. She did win at the BMI which is mostly based upon sales. I know nothing about the science about how certain musical tones are more appealing. I do know that I am underwhelmed by Taylor Swift's music. Somebody must be buying her music and she is getting played on the radio.

But the point I would make is that there are literally hundreds of singers out there who are better than her. Lately the Opry has been featuring newer performers on their shows and all that I have heard are much better than Taylor. Will they ever sell as well as her, probably most will not. Is that fair, no but life isn't fair.

So I guess it is up to us all to support whoever we like. Attend their shows, buy their CDs and express our support to those stations that play them. Taylor will fade and be forgotten just like many others before her. IMHO, the sooner the better.

 

[joebtsflk1]

The Billboard awards are a sham in the sense that go to the highest selling artist- so even if the song or album is a terrible piece of non-artistry- that in no way dictates the winner.

I don't know if anyone has tried to maintain that Taylor's latest album "Red" is anything but a pure pop album. Did she even go for adds at country stations with any single besides "Begin Again"?

Taylor perfectly encapsulates the business of commercial music. She gets it. When she fades in popularity, I predict she will concentrate on the business side, write songs (hopefully with lyricists!) and become a major player as a producer.

Not that I like much on Red. "Never, Ever, Ever" will always live up to its title on any radio or music device I own. Not until "22" did I think she had a decent song on that album.

On an unrelated note, Taylor may have the best set of legs since Tina Turner. Taylor might not move them as well, but still....

 

[XCountry285]

She grew up outside of Reading, PA. I know people that grew up with her and went to high school with her. She wasn't nice at all so that would make sense that she didn't have any friends.

 

[Casey]

She grew up outside of Reading, PA. I know people that grew up with her and went to high school with her. She wasn't nice at all so that would make sense that she didn't have any friends.

As someone who vividly remembers what highschool was like years ago, I seem to remember nearly all the uncool kids being classified as not nice. Those who didn't immediately fit in for whatever reason were either ignored or harassed. After a while, both have a tendency to get old. To the point where being nice to the cool kids isn't high on the priority list. And of course, a lot of cool kids need to feel there is a reason to justify their behavior. So they will believe what they want about the particular individual without ever truly knowing them. And it goes on and on from there. But of all the uncool "not nice" kids in my highschool, I seem to remember none of them being truly "not nice". More like misunderstood, most often times intentionally.

I feel truly sorry Taylor had a horrible high school experience. Unfortunately, she is not alone. But it has helped make her who she is today. She is more than any of them will ever be.