What would YOUR country sound like?

[Deleted]

Question is pretty self-explanatory. Instead of beating into the ground what's country and what's not country, let's get an idea of what everyone here wants country to be. In typical nick fashion, no rules apply. Give us an idea of what your ideal "sound" of country music would be.

If I ran the genre, it would sound like:

"Amarillo Sky" - Jason Aldean
"Ticks" - Brad Paisley
"Drive (For Daddy Gene)" - Alan Jackson
"Troubador" - George Strait
"These are My People" - Rodney Atkins
"Redneck Yacht Club" - Craig Morgan
"Round Here" - Florida Georgia Line
"Sierra" - Maddie & Tae
"Suds in the Bucket" - Sara Evans
"Rain is a Good Thing" - Luke Bryan
"Fish" - Craig Campbell
"Middle of America" - Will Hoge
"Voices" - Chris Young
Almost anything by The Band Perry

EDIT: 8 months later, please place an asterisk* next to the "anything by The Band Perry" declaration. 

[onebuffalo]

Nothing like today's country!

[Deleted]

Dixie Chicks- Wide Open Spaces
Kacey Musgraves- Follow Your Arrow
Ashley Monroe- On To Something Good
Tim McGraw- Where The Green Grass Grows
Carrie Underwood- Jesus, Take The Wheel
Randy Travis- Deeper Than The Hollier
Shanendoah- Two Dozen Roses
George Strait- True
Alan Jackson- Little Bitty
Travis Tritt- Anymore
Lady A- Love Don't Live Here
Rascal Flatts- I'm Movin' On
Reba- Fancy
Garth- The Dance


Yes: More females & groups, and a good variety of old and new

No: Playing the same "classic" songs in heavy rotation, and NO bro Country

[zebra71]

Waylon, Willie, Merle, and The Beatles.

[Deleted]

Kelsea Ballerini - Love Me Like You Mean It
Blake Shelton - Lonely Tonight (feat. Ashley Monroe)
Shania Twain - Any Man of Mine
Miranda Lambert - Smokin' and Drinkin' (feat. Little Big Town)
Gloriana - Trouble
Maddie & Tae - Fly
Reba McEntire - Enough (feat. Jennifer Nettles)
Tim McGraw - Diamond Rings and Old Barstools (feat. Catherine Dunn)
The Band Perry - Postcard From Paris
Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go 'Round

[ant]

Chris Young - "Gettin' You Home"
Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe - "Lonely Tonight"
Luke Bryan - "All My Friends Say"
Pistol Annies - "Hell On Heels"
Garth Brooks - "Friends In Low Places"
Carrie Underwood - "Wasted"
Jason Aldean - "Why"
Eric Church - "Drink In My Hand"
Kacey Musgraves - "Merry Go 'Round"
Shania Twain - "Love Gets Me Every Time"
Greg Bates - "Did It for the Girl"
Randy Houser - "Like a Cowboy"
Mindy McCready - "Guys Do It All the Time"
Little Big Town - "Pontoon"
Alan Jackson - "Don't Rock the Jukebox"
Conway Twitty - "Hello Darlin'"
Martina McBride - "Independence Day"
David Nail - "Kiss You Tonight"
Josh Turner - "Your Man"
Maggie Rose - "Looking Back Now"
Kenny Chesney ft. Grace Potter - "You & Tequila"
Brad Paisley - "Ticks"
Laura Bell Bundy - "Two Step"
Mickey Guyton - "Better Than You Left Me"
Easton Corbin - "A Little More Country Than That"
George Strait - "Living For the Night"
Zac Brown Band - "Toes"
Joe Nichols - "Gimme That Girl"
Miranda Lambert - "Gunpowder & Lead"

[Kentucky25]

Luke Bryan - That's My Kinda Night
Thomas Rhett - Crash and Burn
FGL - Sun Daze

okay, okay maybe not.

I actually really like radio right now. A bit more traditional and ballads added in with the R&B/Country (Sam Hunt), Pop Country (Thomas Rhett/Blake), and Rock Country (Aldean/Brantley).
I really love the variety of the genre...sure I prefer traditional country, but I like having a wide array of songs in the genre.

[Andy]

The best songs from the best artists in the wide world of country music, and a good mix of pure traditional artists and "progressive" artists who expand existing country tradition instead of supplanting it.

[George Strait Junkie]

these songs would be in high play if i ran the radio stations

Let It Go - King George
Throwback - Kevin Moon
Get Out of My Country - Daryle Singletary
Don't Bring Dirt Into The Kitchen - Buddy Brown
I Work Alot Better - John Anderson
Fence Post - Aaron Watson
Standards - Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen
Her Old Stompin' Ground - Billy Yates
Traveller - Chris Stapleton
It's All Going To Pot - Willie & Merle
Alcoholiday - David Adam Byrnes
Smile on Mine - Jon Wolfe
Coal Train - Kaitlyn Baker
Country - Mo Pitney
Go Live Your Life - Wade Hayes
Wild Women And Whiskey - Easton Corbin
All American Kid - Garth Brooks
Missing - Gabe Garcia
For The Record - Matt Mason
Ain't Always Thirsty - Ray Scott
Me & Conway - Jeff Bates
On To Something Good - Ashley Monroe
Stripes - Brandy Clark

and whenever Alan Jackson releases a new song off the new record you bet it'd be in the mix

[Deleted]

May 8, 2015 15:10:36 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Nothing like today's country!

Wow, no offense or anything here, but I think that's the closest thing to an opinion I've ever seen from you.

Anyway, I'm a very weird person with music. I LOVE dark/depressing/ominous melodies, subject material...you name it. I would try to make records similar to those such as the following:

Gary Allan- "Smoke Rings In The Dark"
Dierks Bentley- "Up On The Ridge"
Jamey Johnson- "That Lonesome Song"
Steve Earle- "Train A Comin'"
Montgomery Gentry- "Tattoos and Scars"
Allison Krauss & Union Station- "Paper Airplane"

I'll stop here but there are a ton more. Anyway, all of these records, for me, emulate a dark atmosphere that makes me truly aware that other artists are reading my mind and want something more meaningful than some happy, cookie cutter bullcrap. That's part of the reason that I've always connected to artists such as Gary Allan and Steve Earle because both have been to hell and back (like literally) and have spoken their minds about. Granted, if I was a singer trying to make a living, I sure as heck wouldn't something bad happening to me or my family just to prove I've got "scars", however I would try to channel my thoughts onto paper in a cryptic, ominous tone to let people know I meant business. I've tried my hand at writing a few songs like that, but they've all been crap lol.

Something else I'd like to see to is a mixture of bluegrass and rock, if it has been done before then I am completely unaware, however I think the two could work, call it "firegrass" or something

[onebuffalo]

Wow, no offense or anything here, but I think that's the closest thing to an opinion I've ever seen from you.

When I first got started here at Pulse, my goal was NOT to have an opinion about everything. Especially when you have the likes of 43llamavillas and jhomes87 here. I could NEVER post like that, so I stay out of the fray. I do weigh in from time to time on things that really matter. No offense taken.

[sabre14]

May 9, 2015 13:02:37 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Wow, no offense or anything here, but I think that's the closest thing to an opinion I've ever seen from you.

When I first got started here at Pulse, my goal was NOT to have an opinion about everything. Especially when you have the likes of 43llamavillas and jhomes87 here. I could NEVER post like that, so I stay out of the fray. I do weigh in from time to time on things that really matter. No offense taken.

I'm actually starting to miss 43dudleyvillas donkey screen name. Lol

[onebuffalo]

May 9, 2015 13:30:43 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

May 9, 2015 13:02:37 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Wow, no offense or anything here, but I think that's the closest thing to an opinion I've ever seen from you.

When I first got started here at Pulse, my goal was NOT to have an opinion about everything. Especially when you have the likes of 43llamavillas and jhomes87 here. I could NEVER post like that, so I stay out of the fray. I do weigh in from time to time on things that really matter. No offense taken.

I'm actually starting to miss 43dudleyvillas donkey screen name. Lol

I didn't like her during her 'Donkey' period.

[sabre14]

May 9, 2015 13:34:28 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

May 9, 2015 13:30:43 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

I'm actually starting to miss 43dudleyvillas donkey screen name. Lol

I didn't like her during her 'Donkey' period.

Hence the irony of actually "missing" it, lol.

I agree though, we need the original Dudley back. :)

[onebuffalo]

May 9, 2015 13:40:26 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

May 9, 2015 13:34:28 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

I didn't like her during her 'Donkey' period.

Hence the irony of actually "missing" it, lol.

I agree though, we need the original Dudley back. :)

You got your wish!

[bboat11]

Interesting thread that I never chimed in on. My favorite type of sound for country music is Evolution-era Martina. She truly kicked things up a notch with that album, in terms of song selection, production, and vocal delivery. It was probably considered poppier than her previous releases when it came out, but honestly I cannot see how it could be considered anything other than country, especially compared to the music that her contemporaries like Faith Hill were releasing around the same time. I guess I would describe it as "90s sound, with production that is still just modern enough to sound fresh." Another example of a similar-era album is Reba's If You See Him. It sounds more dated than Martina's now I think, but I love how it also sounds "90s but fresh", even with the echoey production.

I also have frequently thought that Sara Evans has some of the best production around. Both Restless and Real Fine Place are perfect, in my opinion, in terms of their production. Yes, there is a wide variety of styles over the course of the two albums, but I think every single style is done really well. "Niagara" is a perfect example of how pop-country should sound, while "Suds in the Bucket" and "Coalmine" are perfect examples of how modern traditional country should sound. But honestly, where she really shines vocally is on neo-traditional songs like "Rockin' Horse", "Need To Be Next To You", "I Give In", and "Tell Me". Her voice just sounds so smooth and sweet, and the instrumental mixes are basically perfect for her voice.

George Strait was also in a really sweet spot with his string of late-90s/early00s albums. Basically Blue Clear Sky through The Road Less Traveled. That was when he really hit his stride, and it shows in both production and song choices.

Finally, Terri Clark's Pain To Kill incorporates a lot of the elements that I enjoy most when listening to country music. The instrumentation, the way her voice is mixed with the music, etc., is all incredible.

Lol so I guess my ideal country sound would be some kind of mixture of Evolution, If You See Him, Restless, Real Fine Place, The Road Less Traveled, Pain To Kill, and other music of that ilk

Edit: I thought of a song that perfectly exemplifies my ideal "country" sound. That song is.............."Run" by George Strait! It is kinda dark sounding, and uses a lot of traditional instruments in non-traditional ways (Like that steel line in the intro and throughout the song! Delicious!!), so it manages to sound "fresh" and "futuristic" despite still being quite traditional. To me it is one of the few examples of him mixing up his style and taking a risk by trying something slightly different, so it has always really been a favorite of mine. Production-wise, it would probably fit right in on Martina's Evolution too. That type of style, when artists manage to use traditional elements in ways that are fresh and exciting, usually works really well for me.

I just realized, I tend to dislike artists who are strictly traditional or strictly poppy. All the artists I love have always toed the line between being traditional and modern, creating a wonderful fusion of both.

[bboat11]

Jan 24, 2016 0:35:25 GMT -5 mrck said:

Mine would be three chords and the truth.

'Nuff said

Welcome to Pulse, Mr. CK! Tell me, are you another Sara Evans fan, or are you simply using a phrase that happens to also be one of her album titles? :)

[phil1996]

Zac Brown Band: Loving You Easy
Kip Moore: Running For You
Brandy Clark: Stripes
Eric Church: Mr. Misunderstood
Brothers Osborne: Greener Pastures
Mo Pitney: Come Do a Little Life
Charlie Worsham: Young To See
Chris Stapleton: Nobody To Blame
Cam: Burning House
Jon Pardi: Fighting The Fool
Jon Pardi: Head Over Boots
Gary Allan: Smoke Rings In The Dark
Maren Morris: My Church
Toby Keith: 35 mph Town
William Michael Morgan: I Met a Girl
Kacey Musgraves: Biscuits
Sturgill Simpson: Long White Line
Jamey Johnson: Stars in Alabama

[Deleted]

Forgot I made this thread. Some updates for me...I don't know what type of music these songs are but I love THIS sound:

"Suds in the Bucket" - Sara Evans
"Lonesome USA" - Jason Aldean
"Greener Pastures" - Brothers Osborne
"Back on the Backroads" - Jon Pardi
"Over the River" - Luke Bryan
"Growin' Up Down There" - Billy Currington
"Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" - Conway/Loretta

(is it kind of western swing?)

[.indulgecountry]

"

Jan 24, 2016 21:38:05 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

(is it kind of western swing?)

Idk all the songs that you listed, but I'd say some good (recent) examples of Western swing would be like Miranda Lambert's "All That's Left" or George Strait's "It Takes All Kinds." I don't think "Suds in the Bucket" fits into that category at all (but it's the only one of those you mentioned that I'm very familiar with).

[Deleted]

Jan 24, 2016 21:56:32 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Jan 24, 2016 21:38:05 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

(is it kind of western swing?)

Idk all the songs that you listed, but I'd say some good (recent) examples of Western swing would be like Miranda Lambert's "All That's Left" or George Strait's "It Takes All Kinds." I don't think "Suds in the Bucket" fits into that category at all (but it's the only one of those you mentioned that I'm very familiar with).

Thanks. I like "All That's Left" but not as much as those in the list I mentioned, so I guess it's not swing that I'm describing. Maybe it's just "country" lol.

BTW, you should check out some of the others. I don't think they'd be your top picks for casual listening but who knows. Surely you've heard "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man"? It's a classic. If not, give it a shot. Alan Jackson and Martina McBride did a cover of it that's on one of Martina's hits CDs that is a little more modern.  :)

[Colton]

Kellie pickler

[.indulgecountry]

Jan 24, 2016 22:05:42 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

Jan 24, 2016 21:56:32 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Idk all the songs that you listed, but I'd say some good (recent) examples of Western swing would be like Miranda Lambert's "All That's Left" or George Strait's "It Takes All Kinds." I don't think "Suds in the Bucket" fits into that category at all (but it's the only one of those you mentioned that I'm very familiar with).

Thanks. I like "All That's Left" but not as much as those in the list I mentioned, so I guess it's not swing that I'm describing. Maybe it's just "country" lol.

BTW, you should check out some of the others. I don't think they'd be your top picks for casual listening but who knows. Surely you've heard "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man"? It's a classic. If not, give it a shot. Alan Jackson and Martina McBride did a cover of it that's on one of Martina's hits CDs that is a little more modern.  :)

I have. That's why I was careful to say that "Suds" was the only one I'm very familiar with instead of the only one I knew, because I just haven't listened to it that many times/regularly. The others though I just don't know.

[brinkeronline]

As much as people get frustrated with FGL, Luke, Jason, etc. and the 'bro' sub-genre, Sam Hunt and the influx of R&B influence, or some of the pop-leaning stuff (Kelsea is a glaring example), I like variety and I like that there is some distinction on the charts.

What I don't like is the formulaic, bland, benign, cookie-cutter, boring country radio offerings by a slew of new guys. This includes Granger Smith, Michael Ray, Chase Bryant (though this one is catchy), Old Dominion, and the WORST offender of all...Cole Swindell *shivers*. Everything he does and everything the rest of these guys do has been done and done better by Luke, Jason, Kenny, Keith, etc, etc,.

My perfect 'country' sound would include a lot more prevalent female artists because what we could have on radio and tv throughout the year is WAY better than what we're getting.