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Three Things You Just Thought You Knew About Country Music - And Why They're Wrong

24 March 2020 by Samu Koskela

When many people think of country music, one style of sound and one intended audience comes to mind. But country music is actually fairly diverse — in its artists, in its messages, and in its audience. If you think you know exactly what country music is, there's a good chance you're misinformed. Here's a look at three of the biggest myths about country music.

Myth #1: Country music is depressing

Sure, a lot of country music tackles tough issues. But some of the most popular country songs of the past decade have been upbeat, party anthems that simply celebrate having fun. Any genre of music will have some songs that are slow and sad, and some that are upbeat and happy. Don't pigeonhole the whole genre of country music based on a few hit songs. 

Myth #2: Country music is for "poor" people

When a lot of people think of country music, a poor person sitting in a mountain shack comes to mind. While the struggles of life may be a consistent theme among country music, recent statistics show that country music fans are more educated than ever. And in fact, today's demographics show country music fans fall right in line with music overall. There's no disparity between county music lovers and the rest of the world when it comes to education or income.

Myth #3: Country music is only for conservatives

Country music is only for conservatives, right? Sure, the Dixie Chicks may have landed in hot water back in 2003 for criticizing then-President George W. Bush, but a 2016 survey from Nielsen revealed that country music listeners were just about evenly Democratic versus Republican. The truth is, country music reaches across the political aisles and mirrors just about every other musical genre. 

If you think country music is all beer, trucks, dirt roads and lost loves, you're just falling into the traps that many people do. Sure, you may find a lot of those themes in the lyrics, but country music artists sing about a lot more. And if you think it's just for one certain type of person, you couldn't be more wrong. If you take a look at the demographics of people that listen to country music, you'll find that it looks exactly like the demographics of America overall.

So whether you're listening to an icon of the industry like Johnny Cash, Reba or Dolly or you're listening to a local touring country band, don't let the myths deter you! Today's country music is for everyone.

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