Country Radio: Remember When You Played Country Music?

I had to listen to BBC Radio 2 on the internet to hear Dolly Parton's new single.  Country radio certainly doesn't play her anymore.  Of course, occasionally they'll appease those persnickety purists with an "I Will Always Love You", or if they're feeling adventurous a "Jolene"--though that's usually relegated to the weekend two-hour "oldies" block.

CMT, which like MTV is less focuses on the 'M', or GAC rarely play her videos, or those of the radio-deemed blacklisters either.

They (radio bigwigs) seem to decide who is in and who is out--and they are incredibly ageist.  Yes there's a lot of competition and so many new artists---but those seasoned artists don't go and hide under rocks.  Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Loveless, Alison Krauss and others thrive in the 'folk' or 'bluegrass' genres.  The distinction shouldn't preclude them from being on country radio, which of course was founded in those pure, American styles.

'They' say after all, that country-rock and country-pop, and alas, country-rap, are all vital forms of country music.  That's how you get your Jason Aldeans and Carrie Underwoods.  Personally, I think Jason Aldean hit it big with "Big Green Tractor" and his 'sound' has become less country ever since.

Dierks Bentley's Up on the Ridge album was an acoustic, bluegrass album that was as true blue as it was true to his own writing and musical styles he'd perfected up until that point.  Country radio ignored him, regardless of the praise and accolades he received.  Why?

As a new song on the radio states, "country must be country wide".  Prove it, people.

The unholy alliance between out-of-touch radio stations and equally unholy record labels has created fringe artists out of so many music giants, and other big names who were just coming into their own.  Alan Jackson was recently dropped by his label, a year after being ASCAP Songwriter of the Year/Artist (a distinction awarded to the aforementioned Dierks Bentley for his Up on the Ridge album the following year).  Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea, Suzzy Boggus, Clint Black, Travis Tritt, Dolly Parton, JOHNNY CASH, Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, and countless others still have (or had, in the case of Johnny Cash) something to say and are marginalized by the very people that should be sharing their work with the world.

Now, I don't always love each song by my favorite artists equally so I'm sure everyone has different opinions about each new single, but to have Dolly not even make the top 40?  She still sounds amazing--and has her own theme park!

I know this isn't a unique concept to country music, or the Goo Goo Dolls' latest (and I believe tightest) album would be making more of a ripple.  The same goes for the UK and the cold shoulder they've shown The Feeling with the release of their third album.  I guess the boys in the Feeling and Goo's better start wearing meat purses if they want to remain relevant. 

We forget that these gatekeepers are deciding our culture everyday by making decisions that elevate trash, or hide away traditional sounding music or anything that might be positive.  Gaga and all those rappers--not to mention country acts that mirror them permeate every aspect of our culture from the radio to movie trailers for Pixar films--to how America's youth talks to one another, acts and dresses. 

It's great that the internet has all of these artists and their work available, but if you don't know to look for them, and all you hear every day is the other stuff, then the radio suits win anyway.