How could different forms of country radio work?

[lyhom]

I have no clue how to title this.

I was browsing a thread on this section today and I suddenly remember a discussion in a thread that I can't remember for the life of me (but I don't think it was exclusively about this, it likely was a song thread that I forgot about) about if country radio should split up into two or three different formats, and if so, what they'd be.

Generally this is a thread how different forms of country radio could work. I don't know if and when it would actually become common, but it's nice to speculate what would happen if it did.

For me here's the general two ideas I thought up of:

Pop Country: Generally where most of the poppy Sam Hunt-ish country pop and bro-country goes, possibly mixed in with a little mainstream pop music in there (probably more hot-AC-ish songs since lots of country crossovers generally fit slightly better there) so the playlist has some more variety. Could probably go from hot AC or pop stations with more tolerance for country pop to almost all country pop with some seldomly played mainstream pop hits.

General Country: Probably needs a better name, but generally mostly keeps the sound of current country radio, but a lot less of the poppy Sam Hunt-ish country and most bro-country in favour of more traditional sounding music. Would very likely give more of a chance to critically acclaimed acts who don't have much success on current country radio (for example, say, Kacey Musgraves) and older acts who make perfectly fine radio-friendly music but get shut out of modern country radio.

(also hopefully more women but that keith hill child might still be in the equation so   )

There's some more subsets that I could think of but couldn't describe as well since I literally know nothing about the genre or subset it would focus on.

Anyways, those are mostly my thoughts.

[ericNY2002]

I could definitely see the country format splinter into multiple formats. Here some ideas of mine:

CHR Country: Basically what a lot of country radio is today. Today's hits in high rotation with songs from the past few years mixed in

Country AC: Softer country titles from today and previous few decades aimed toward the 35+ female demo.

Adult Country: Kinda like what HOT AC was til the last couple years, some of today's hits but a good mix of 90's and 2000's hits. Also some exclusive to the format artists (somewhat close to the NASH format)

Country rock: More like a country station aimed toward the male demographic. A mix of southern rock, older country titles aimed toward males and texas/red dirt country sprinkled with some of today's hits. A station that could be played at a auto shop or barber shop.

[.indulgecountry]

Much as I think bro-country and the dumbing down of the genre and everyone neutering the aspects of country music that make it country plaguing the airwaves annoys me, I still don't want to see the format fragment. I think it'd be too messy and country is already a pretty specific genre on its own with the longest genre chart on Billboard, and I think there are many cases where it'd be difficult to draw the line. Obviously artists like FGL and Luke Bryan would be played on a more current sound format while Alan Jackson and Kacey Musgraves, i.e. would be played on the other for keeping it "country," but what about people who still fall in the middle like Dierks Bentley? Josh Turner? Carrie Underwood? Miranda Lambert? Chris Young?

I think it'd just be needlessly messy and wouldn't work that well, but that's jmo. I do want country to return to its roots a lot more, but I honestly think even with what's popular changing over the past couple years, it's going to always have some swing back to stuff that actually sounds country.

[rsmatto]

Aug 31, 2015 10:35:45 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Much as I think bro-country and the dumbing down of the genre and everyone neutering the aspects of country music that make it country plaguing the airwaves annoys me, I still don't want to see the format fragment. I think it'd be too messy and country is already a pretty specific genre on its own with the longest genre chart on Billboard, and I think there are many cases where it'd be difficult to draw the line. Obviously artists like FGL and Luke Bryan would be played on a more current sound format while Alan Jackson and Kacey Musgraves, i.e. would be played on the other for keeping it "country," but what about people who still fall in the middle like Dierks Bentley? Josh Turner? Carrie Underwood? Miranda Lambert? Chris Young?

I think it'd just be needlessly messy and wouldn't work that well, but that's jmo. I do want country to return to its roots a lot more, but I honestly think even with what's popular changing over the past couple years, it's going to always have some swing back to stuff that actually sounds country.

Which is why, save for the NASH ICON station idea, there really hasn't been a true reason to split the genre. Honestly, it'd do more to ruin the industry as it is than it'd do to strengthen it. I don't know, though, if it'll ever 'swing back' the way people hope or that many of the average younger fans even listen to the radio enough to warrant such switches.

[kw9461]

Aug 31, 2015 10:35:45 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Much as I think bro-country and the dumbing down of the genre and everyone neutering the aspects of country music that make it country plaguing the airwaves annoys me, I still don't want to see the format fragment. I think it'd be too messy and country is already a pretty specific genre on its own with the longest genre chart on Billboard, and I think there are many cases where it'd be difficult to draw the line. Obviously artists like FGL and Luke Bryan would be played on a more current sound format while Alan Jackson and Kacey Musgraves, i.e. would be played on the other for keeping it "country," but what about people who still fall in the middle like Dierks Bentley? Josh Turner? Carrie Underwood? Miranda Lambert? Chris Young?

I think it'd just be needlessly messy and wouldn't work that well, but that's jmo. I do want country to return to its roots a lot more, but I honestly think even with what's popular changing over the past couple years, it's going to always have some swing back to stuff that actually sounds country.

I'm right there with you, I'd hate to see the unique history of country splintered. But I'm near my breaking point. Sam Hunt's new single going to #1 would push me over it for sure. And artists like Bentley & Young & Lambert would certainly be played by both, much like AC and Hot AC. I don't necessarily know if its coming, but at this point, anything that allows me to hear actual country music on the radio is something i can support.

[sabre14]

There's way too much money at stake for the genre to fragment. I'm with those who think that's what would be best instead of pretending the output from Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett is country but country radio as a collective whole wouldn't branch off into other formats until there's no choice.

If artists like Pitney, Guyton, Morgan and Maddie &Tae can have significant success then that would hold off this discussion unless artists like Sam Hunt create their own radio format.