I agree. It was not artfully put, but it was also true. “Rock” music is the same way. If there’s a market, and people still buy the records, there’s a niche. Look at how many “Classic Rock” radio stations there are.
May I respectfully disagree with the sentiments of Mr Shelton. The “thing” that country music has that rock doesn’t have is longevity.
In my youth I played music in rock, folk, country and “other”. I saw George Strait at Gruene Hall in 1975, 1976, Willie Nelson/Jerry Jeff Walker, Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins in the summers of the mid-70’s, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Black Oak Arkansas and ZZ Top did a local gig in 1972 that still has my ears ringing. I saw Jim Croce and James Taylor as well as loving the music of Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, Harry Chapin, Dan Fogelberg and others. My background show that I’m eclectic about music.... however for some reason my choices in rock/pop/jazz/folk have ebbed and flowed and “progressed” to different artists but the constant is my love for only certain types of country musicians.
George Strait, Dwight Yoakum, Travis Tritt, Sammy Kershaw, and on the female side Allison Krause can sing to me any night . The thing is that I like songs with good/interesting lyrics, great melodies and able to dance a bit of two-step or waltz with. The new stuff is ok but just a little bit over produced, in my opinion only, and while some of it is inspirational, I just don’t feel the warm feeling in my heart that some of my old tunes bring out.
Finally ALL MUSIC is generational. It speaks to the times that the artist lives in and they act as entertainers explaining the human condition in a manner that makes us smile, reflect, dance for joy, make love, make war and generally cope with life. I suspect Blake is a little bit of a a promoter for the show and saying crap to “get attention” in order to generate ratings. Country fans, at least REAL country music fans like the real thing and hate the “talking point” and “corporate” public relation manipulations of the tight legged suits in offices. He risks getting labeled a sell-out and country music fans don’t like rude little pussies that bad mouth their elders.
I suppose there are lots of them, but have you tried listening to them? G-dawful crap--at least to these ears, who enjoyed real rock 'n roll from 1955 on, until it turned to crud in the late 1970s.
Of course, there's no accounting for taste, now, is there?