Kentucky25
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Post by Kentucky25 on May 2, 2014 23:21:55 GMT -5
Borrowing off the NBA drama they had earlier this season with players picking their own "Mount Rushmore of the NBA", I think we should do one for country music.
Just list your four people and a reason why each was chosen (success, lasting impact, personal favorite)
Here's mine:
George Strait - Obviously, the King has to make the list. Not sure anyone will ever match his sustained level of success.
Garth Brooks - Garth's is the most popular country artist ever. It still amazes me when my friends who hate country music will chime in on "Friends in Low Places", it just speaks to the popularity of Garth.
Hank Williams Sr. - Without him country music wouldn't have ever become what it was. It's hard to measure his impact on the genre really.
Tim McGraw - I wanted to have one modern-ish artist (and left out some other more deserving artists to include him, but I want the past and future represented) and I think McGraw is the best one for that. He's a big part of where country has gone to, for better or worse. He has done songs with Nelly and Ne-Yo, he's starred in major movies, and he's been more consistent with his music releases than some of his contemporaries like Toby and Kenny.
Honorable Mentions:
George Jones - for country artists today it usually goes "Strait, Jones" or "Jones, Strait" when asked who their biggest influences are. It was hard not to put him in there.
Johnny Cash - Cash is an icon, I just don't know how much "country" he is. Cash kind of in genre-less imo.
Keith Whitley - Had he lived longer I think he would've been one of the biggest country stars of all time.
Man it hurts putting McGraw in after a song like "Looking for That Girl", but he best defines country music now and where the foreseeable future of the genre is going.
I'm excited to see everyone else's selections!
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Post by tim on May 3, 2014 1:21:43 GMT -5
Hmm, well this is an interesting question to ponder. Just who would I put up on the mount rushmore of country music? This is not an easy question, but I'm going to give it a go. These would be the faces I would want to represent country music:
George Strait - He's influenced so many artists from Garth Brooks to Jason Aldean that spans decades.
Hank Williams - Again, yet another artist who has and continues to have an influence and whose imprint on country music will forever live on.
Patsy Cline - Her music will live on forever as well continue to have an influence on every female artist, including...
Loretta Lynn - as Strait is the King of Country, she is the Queen of Country.
Honorable mentions: Jimmie Rodgers (the father of country music); George Jones; Johnny Cash; Willie Nelson; Kitty Wells.
And for anyone on this board who is no familiar with some of the names mentioned, well you have some researching and homework to do.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2014 14:06:07 GMT -5
George Strait: He's the king of Country for a reason, and his track record is legendary and can stand up to the biggest artists in history.
He's also managed to change with the times, while still recording music that is epitomizes the genre.
Dolly Parton: Her music career is among one of the most decorated of all-time, and she has Dollywood, a production company, a Charity, and acclaim as a songwriter and actress.
For me, she covers a wide ground in all facets of entertainment, and that (combined with her longevity), is so impressive.
Dolly had incredible crossover success on the Pop and Country charts, and wrote of the most recognizable Pop songs ever ( I Will Always Love You). This obviously helped paved the way for many after her, and few artists can say they had such a massive impact in several genres.
On top of that, she also seems like a wonderfully sweet and humble person who appreciates all styles of Country music, which I really respect.
Johnny Cash: No explanation needed for The Man In Black
Honorable Mentions: George Jones, Reba, Loretta, Alan Jackson, Shania, Garth and Alabama
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Andy
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Post by Andy on May 3, 2014 17:00:11 GMT -5
Yikes, this is tough. There are way more than four artists I consider to be extremely important, so narrowing it down is extremely difficult.
I'd guess I'd go with some combination of:
-Hank Williams (wildly influential legend, wrote tons of enduring classics, definitely deserves a spot)
-Johnny Cash (the country legend with the widest appeal, transcended the genre and was vastly influential, far too iconic and essential to leave off)
-either of George Jones or Merle Haggard (the genre's greatest vocalist vs. greatest songwriter in my estimation)
-either Loretta Lynn or Dolly Parton (both hugely iconic and enormously talented women who achieved great success in a male-dominated field... impossible to choose between them)
But there are all sorts of other artists who are equally deserving: Jimmie Rodgers, Waylon Jennings, Bob Wills, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson, Lefty Frizzell, Kitty Wells, Marty Robbins, Ray Price, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks ... and if you expand to non-solo artists, there's the Carter Family, Flat & Scruggs, the Louvin Brothers... This is one heck of a thought exercise!
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2014 18:25:07 GMT -5
Florida Georgia Line, Nelly, Colt Ford, and Luke Bryan for me. ...just kidding!  I am actually not sure how I would answer this, since I don't have nearly as much knowledge of older country music (someday, though...I'm gonna really get into it) as I do of stuff post-1990. But Johnny Cash and George Strait would probably be up there, and maybe Garth. After those guys, probably an "older" artist like Hank or Merle. |
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on May 3, 2014 18:32:12 GMT -5
George Strait, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynn are the first three that come to mind for me. The fourth spot would be up for grabs by a number of people that I'm less familiar with.
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dajross6
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Post by dajross6 on May 3, 2014 20:41:33 GMT -5
-George Strait
-Garth Brooks
-George Jones
-Conway Twitty/Alan Jackson tie. They can have half a face
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phil1996
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Post by phil1996 on May 3, 2014 21:21:09 GMT -5
George Strait
Merle Haggard
Willie Nelson
Waylon Jennings
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someguy
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Post by someguy on May 4, 2014 4:19:23 GMT -5
Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks
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onebuffalo
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Post by onebuffalo on May 4, 2014 14:00:17 GMT -5
The female version: Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, and Reba McEntire.
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dajross6
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Post by dajross6 on May 4, 2014 19:32:45 GMT -5
No FGL or Brantley Gilbert?
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Post by countryfan15 on May 4, 2014 22:07:27 GMT -5
No FGL or Brantley Gilbert? I think the title of the thread was "Your Mt. Rushmore Of COUNTRY Music" |
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Kanenrá:ke
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Post by Kanenrá:ke on May 4, 2014 22:21:28 GMT -5
oooh this is a hard question. There's so many deserving artists who should go up there and with only 4 spots it's definatley one of the hardest things to narrow down. Having said that I'll have a go at it.
Jimmie Rodgers for pretty much being the first one to popularize the genre.
Hank Williams Sr. who is still considered one of the greatest songwriters the genre has ever seen.
Kitty Wells the first woman superstar, while Dolly, Loretta and Patsy all come close to getting her spot she's definatley the first woman and should be the one to represent.
the last spot is tricky because I'd like to have somebody represent the modern era while still being important. It came down to 5 names but I think...
George Strait gets the last spot, his career endured throughout the modern era while never leaving the roots of the genre. Because of the length of his career his influence is still greatly felt in even singers starting out now.
It hurt not to put these people but here's a quick list of others who I considered.
Patsy Cline
Dolly Parton
George Jones
Merle Haggard
Loretta Lynn
Willie Nelson
Garth Brooks
Tim McGraw
Conway Twitty
Kenny Rogers
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2014 23:35:23 GMT -5
I'm absolutely kicking myself right now for not including Randy Travis for "Honorable mentions" Opps. |
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Todd
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Post by Todd on May 5, 2014 13:37:59 GMT -5
I'll go with:
Jimmie Rodgers
Hank Williams
Wade Hayes
Kitty Wells
These stars laid the foundation for country music.
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Post by onebuffalo on May 5, 2014 13:42:23 GMT -5
I'll go with: Jimmie Rodgers Hank Williams Wade Hayes Kitty Wells These stars laid the foundation for country music. Wade Hayes? How? |
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Post by ant on May 5, 2014 14:04:31 GMT -5
Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, George Strait, Garth Brooks. Probably.
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onebuffalo
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Post by onebuffalo on May 5, 2014 14:23:16 GMT -5
Let's do a decade approach, shall we?
1940s: Eddy Arnold, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, and Bob Wills
1950s: Webb Pierce, Ray Price, Marty Robbins, and Hank Snow
1960s: Johnny Cash, George Jones, Buck Owens, and Jim Reeves
1970s: Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Conway Twitty
1980s: Alabama, Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Randy Travis
1990s: Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Tim McGraw
2000s: Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, and Keith Urban
2010s: ?
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Todd
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Post by Todd on May 5, 2014 16:10:08 GMT -5
I'll go with: Jimmie Rodgers Hank Williams Wade HayesKitty Wells These stars laid the foundation for country music. Wade Hayes? How? Just my little attempt at a joke!  As much as I like Wade Hayes, I think I will replace him with the father of bluegrass...Bill Monroe. |
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Post by onebuffalo on May 5, 2014 16:11:15 GMT -5
Just my little attempt at a joke! As much as I like Wade Hayes, I think I will replace him with the father of bluegrass...Bill Monroe. It certainly got my attention. I think I would have gone with Billy Ray Cyrus myself. |
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Kentucky25
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Post by Kentucky25 on May 5, 2014 16:45:52 GMT -5
Let's do a decade approach, shall we? 1940s: Eddy Arnold, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, and Bob Wills 1950s: Webb Pierce, Ray Price, Marty Robbins, and Hank Snow 1960s: Johnny Cash, George Jones, Buck Owens, and Jim Reeves 1970s: Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Conway Twitty 1980s: Alabama, Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Randy Travis 1990s: Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Tim McGraw 2000s: Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, and Keith Urban 2010s: ? The 2010s part has me intrigued. As of right now it looks like it'd be between the likes of Bryan, Aldean, Shelton, Lambert, Underwood, and McGraw (again) just on career success, but I'm excited to see who, if any, of those artists have the longevity to be on-top for the rest of the decade. |
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Andy
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Post by Andy on May 5, 2014 17:19:43 GMT -5
Outlaw Country Mt. Rushmore: Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2014 18:38:45 GMT -5
Let's do a decade approach, shall we? 1940s: Eddy Arnold, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, and Bob Wills 1950s: Webb Pierce, Ray Price, Marty Robbins, and Hank Snow 1960s: Johnny Cash, George Jones, Buck Owens, and Jim Reeves 1970s: Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Conway Twitty 1980s: Alabama, Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Randy Travis 1990s: Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Tim McGraw 2000s: Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, and Keith Urban 2010s: ? Good list l! No Shania or Faith in the 90's? My list would be similar, except the 200's; honestly it's so hard to pick only 3 from that decade, because so many have perhaps changed the tide for good Shania, Carrie, Taylor & Garth all changed things considerably. I'm probably in the minority here, but I think Rascal Flattts would be up there for me as well. -Two gigantic crossover hits before Carrie and Taylor -Two of the biggest selling albums in any genre between 2005-2006 -7 million concert tickets sold -Hollywood Walk Of Fame Sure, they've slowed down considerably, but I think their stats, longevity and impact from mid 200's until now might give them an edge to earn a future spot on this list for me. |
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on May 5, 2014 22:56:25 GMT -5
My list would be similar, except the 200's; honestly it's so hard to pick only 3 from that decade, because so many have perhaps changed the tide for good Shania, Carrie, Taylor & Garth all changed things considerably. Between the bolded and your first post where you only picked three... you do know that the real Mount Rushmore has four faces on it, right? |
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Post by George Strait Junkie on May 6, 2014 0:21:20 GMT -5
George Strait
Alan Jackson
Merle Haggard
George Jones
i wish there was a 5th i'd add Keith Whitley but i can't lol
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Andy
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Post by Andy on May 10, 2014 15:12:45 GMT -5
1980s Neotraditional Movement Mt. Rushmore: Randy Travis, George Strait, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley
Agree or disagree?
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Post by Kanenrá:ke on May 10, 2014 20:11:40 GMT -5
1980s Neotraditional Movement Mt. Rushmore: Randy Travis, George Strait, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley Agree or disagree? Kathy Mattea or Patty Loveless could be included if you wanted to include a woman. I think they'd be the two best to fit that role. Otherwise 100% agree. Dwight Yoakam could be argued onto the mountain but he was more of a bakersfield guy anyway. |
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Post by onebuffalo on May 12, 2014 11:26:39 GMT -5
The classic:  |
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Andy
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Post by Andy on May 12, 2014 16:10:38 GMT -5
The classic: The Highwaymen's music is incredible. All three of their albums are in regular rotation at my house. I wish there were more examples of great artists teaming up like that in country music history. |
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Post by onebuffalo on May 12, 2014 16:37:22 GMT -5
The classic: The Highwaymen's music is incredible. All three of their albums are in regular rotation at my house. I wish there were more examples of great artists teaming up like that in country music history. I agree. Out of their three top 40 hits, I like them in this order: Highwayman, Silver Stallion, and Desperados Waiting For A Train. |
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