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The Impact of Country Music on the Country charts
The Impact of Country Music on the Country charts
Country music is a general category of popular music that originated in the American civil war and redefined the meaning of “folk” music. Country music has come to include a wide variety of musical styles and influences. It has been adapted and developed to cater to modern tastes and demands by generations of fans. The genre is continuously reinvented and re-invented, making it ever-evolving and popular among music lovers.
Hip-hop and rap are the two most recognized categories of country music. Both are rooted in the African-American culture, but with a difference. Hip-hop and rapping are about incorporating rhythms from other cultures while country music tends more towards the old-fashioned Americana. One example is George Strait’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, which was made famous by Buck Williams and has been covered by artists like Glen Campbell and Layla. Hip-hop and rap use complex rhyme schemes and samples from other songs while country uses simple words and story to tell its tale.
Florida Georgia Line is an all-star cast of country music artists, headed by George Strait, who has made several hit albums. The group’s numerous hits include “Mystery Train”, “White Room”, “I Forgot to Remember to Forget”, “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” and “Love is in the air”. Guitarist Roger Waters dedicated one of his best known songs to Georgia peach farmer Mildred Carter, who had passed away while on a trip out west. Several other singers like Glen Campbell and Layla have also paid homage to the song.
Another hot country music scene is found in the small town of Lithia Springs, Georgia, a relatively new small city that sits north of Atlanta. The area has seen growth and prosperity in the wake of the state’s economic boom over the last decade. Lithia Springs has a stretch of Highway US 15 that runs through the middle of town and was once a busy route for travelers headed south out of Atlanta heading into the deep south. A billboard located at the corner of the highway near the intersection of Old Town Road and 33rd Street is one of the few remaining reminders of the days when this was still a part of the big city.
An advertisement placed on this famous street corner billboard (right), can be seen just about everywhere south of Atlanta. On one side of the billboard is a black and white photo of a man wearing a bow tie with a guitar and a woman in a white apron. On the opposite side of the billboard is the lyrics to a popular country music song. Next to the photo is the name of the song, “My Old Town Road”, by George Strait. This billboard is the only one of its kind located in the area, as most have been replaced by newer ads from major country music companies.
In addition to the popular billboards located along major highways, there are many older billboards located in small towns that have remained intact since the Days of the Yellow Mile. On some of these older roads you will see signs advertising lilk pop, peach tree tea, peaches and daisies, country music and a list of other things related to country music. These billboards are usually located in quiet neighborhoods that are not as commercialized or as “hip”. To get an idea of the impact these small town country stars have had on the country music scene, take a drive across the street from your hotel to the nearest gas station and count how many people you see that are dressed exactly the same (or very similar). Most likely, there will be several elderly white men (and women) in a truck or trailer hauling a very large radio and a stack of CD’s.