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Comment by hylaride | Hacker News Reader

I hate, hate, hate country music, but I have an enormous amount of respect for Dolly Parton. She's just a plain old good person, and also extremely savvy from a business and money point of view (while having to plough through patriarchal barriers both emotionally and financially): https://www.joshuakennon.com/dolly-parton/

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I used to say things like "I like all music, but country", especially when I was younger. But then I started dating someone who grew up in the south (Georgia and Texas) and I've been exposed to many country songs, spanning many decades and I've found myself enjoying some of them. It's still pretty low on my list of favorite music genres but I can have a good time listening to it.

Not all country music is the same. I lean towards country from the 90s and before. Dolly is definitely my favorite. I enjoy the 90s pop country of Shania Twain and others around that time. Garth Brooks "Friends in Low places" is a fun song for Karaoke, so is Kenny Rogers's "The Gambler". There's a song by Jo Dee Messina called "Heads Carolina, Tails California" from the 90s that has been stuck in my head recently.

All this is to say, it's a big genre with many styles and artists, you might find a song or 2 you'll enjoy.

Classic country music is alive and well, in Ireland of all places. There is a talent show called Glór Tíre, it's in the Irish language but many of the songs are in English, and covers of classic American tunes. There is a thriving scene with young artists who are influenced by Irish folk music and classic Country & Western as well.

My comment was meant to be broad and a bit hyperbolic. I hate the historical country more than the modern stuff (which is thinly veiled pop music). I found it a formulaic kind of boring, uninspiring, and moaning about the writer's current state of affairs or others not like them. What causes the hate is having grown up in the country, I was forced to listen to it for a solid chunk of my childhood.

That being said, there are always exceptions to the rule. If we were in a car together, you'd not see me protesting if you put on Johny Cash or Gordon Lightfoot (though they're arguably more early fusion styles). And I'll admit I enjoy the sound of the Eagles, which I grew up listening to in the car from my mom and their sound is heavily influenced by country style that I loathe.

> But then I started dating someone who grew up in the south (Georgia and Texas) and I've been exposed to many country songs, spanning many decades

It's a big, big genre. And the lines between it, blues, and rock are often blurred.

Yup, also liked early country when a child. Also “Cal country” like the Eagles. And recently learned there is/was a thing called “outlaw country” that’s less hokey and trite.

Check out the Shaver talk and performance on the Norm Macdonald Show on Netflix for example.

I find your comment interesting and would like to understand why you hate a large genre of music. Is it the message in the songs, the people, Nashville?

My taste in music is questionable (I still listen to Yaz and even Modern Talking occasionally, mixed with 80s disco, which I believe was the epitome of popular music) but I do like many Country songs: putting aside Dolly’s favorites like 9 to 5 (great lyrics and music if you haven’t listened to it), I also like many Kenny Rogers songs (guilty pleasure here is Scarlet Fever). Expanding, Folk and Bluegrass are also great.

As another person who dislikes 90% of country music I've heard, I guess I just find it mostly... trite and conceited. Lyrically and musically. The relationships described are typically shallow, the events described are typically shallow, the musical style is typically simplistic, but unlike other genres that are generally more self-aware, the average country song expects to be taken lot more seriously. Like a "profound" instagram quote in song form.

It reminds me of that general small-town mentality where said small town is treated like the center of the universe by its denizens. I guess that's country music's core demographic, so perhaps it's just giving the people what they want, but I find said mentality obnoxious so I find music extolling it in a "serious" manner obnoxious.

Obviously this is more of an issue with modern country, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and others historically brought more artistry to the genre. I generally won't seek them out because that isn't what I find most enjoyable, but I can at least respect it and I'm not repulsed by it. I'd rather listen to WAP on a loop than most modern country music, at least it knows exactly what it is.

I'm the OP. I agree with most of what you said. There are always exceptions to the rule, and the more fusiony types (like Cash) are listenable to even enjoyable. Same to Gordon Lightfoot, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, etc.

Although I tend to agree with you, I am also curious what sort of music you would prefer that is less trite lyrically and musically? I know of quite a bit, but generally don't find that anyone wants to listen to it with me.

I'm not big on modern country myself, but there is some of what I would call "modern classic country" out there. Chris Stapleton is one that my girlfriend has warmed me up to.

Not the person you’re replying to, but I think it’s reasonable to dislike a genre when one dislikes the things that define the genre.

I don’t like death metal because I find the vocal affectation silly and the range of instrumentation too narrow. I dislike country for exactly the same reasons.

There are genre-defying artists who transcend the category; Patsy Cline comes to mind.

But if someone’s going to sit down and write a song that conforms to all of a genre’s conventions, people who dislike those conventions probably won’t like it.

For me, death metal is like...black coffee.

Bitter at first, but eventually you learn to appreciate the unique experience for what it is, and then you start drinking it all the time.

You start trying to tell others about your experience, but only other black coffee drinkers seem to understand, and you sound insane to people who have tried black coffee and hated the bitter taste.

Very apt. I'm a black coffee drinker myself, and I love death metal. Maybe there's a correlation.

I used to enjoy some, but found the genre to be a dead end, with new bands just sounding like old bands. I’d love to hear it if there’s innovation going on!

I'm not GP. Pop country tends to be fine, but standard country often has the stories revolving around children being exactly like their parents or people getting drunk. There's also something about the rhythm and the melody (and possibly the instruments - such as acoustic versus electric). This could be a chicken and egg problem though, where the messages made the characteristic rhythm and melody turnoffs. I'm not positive though, because some of the older Elvis songs just aren't interesting.

The big issue may just be that I didn't grow up listening to Country.

The revenge message in Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" is definitely a saving grace, though. I don't change the station when that song comes on.

Unless it's something like Swing, I hate Jazz more than Country. Which is definitely an instrument and rhythm/melody issue.

> There's also something about the rhythm and the melody (and possibly the instruments - such as acoustic versus electric).

“New” country music follows formulaic measures and beats, and doesn’t tend to experiment. If there is an ear worm section to a song, it’s made very obvious, and almost seem to invite people to “stim”.

I don't hate country, but it isn't one of my regulars. I have liked folks like Steve Young and Willie Nelson, and grew up with a lot of mullet rock, like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet.

Its the one genre of music that I just don't like. I don't like smooth jazz but I've heard songs I can get into. But country music is different. I even spent a couple years putting a dedicated effort into trying to be tolerant of country music. It didn't grow on me.

I hate the historical country more than the modern stuff (which is thinly veiled pop music). I found it a formulaic kind of boring, uninspiring, and moaning about the writer's current state of affairs or others not like them. What causes the hate is having grown up in the country, I was forced to listen to it for a solid chunk of my childhood.

I'm the opposite, I like older "lost my dog, lost my wife, car doesn't work" country and dislike the semi-pop. I do find it interesting how much blues influence e.g. Hank Williams had.

I think questionable taste in music is a sign you're cultivating a good beginner's mind. :)

I also find sometimes that music in a genre is so bad/annoying that it wraps around to being listenable.

Maybe it's easier to see in movies where bad movies become enjoyable. (like "shoot-em up" where Clive Owen delivers a baby in the middle of a gunfight)

Are people familiar with Modern Talking outside of Germany?

Are you kidding? I grew up in Turkey and they were big there, as well as in Europe (another now forgotten blast from the past is C C Catch). I bought their In the Middle of Nowhere album, that was the year I graduated from HS. We followed them closely, eg Thomas’s Nora necklace, the weird guitar/synth thing or that Dieter played, the fact that Nora’s jealousy came in between them, etc.

Looking at Spotify their top songs have robust play numbers.

On a related note, in case the younger crowd here is interested: Animotion is also an interesting group, watching their Obsession clip on YouTube tells you what those times were about.

Sadly none of these groups were/are known in the US. One of my “if I were a rich man” projects is to open a nightclub that only plays 80s, including these synth gems.

\o Yes. I’m from Argentina.

Absolutely YES! They were Big here in Brazil. Alphaville too.

Dolly Parton is the most wholesome and sexiest person alive. There was an interview with her just after she turned 70, and the question was something along the lines of "Do you argue with your husband (shes been married to the same man for 50+ years)" and her response was "no, if I need to win an argument, I just have sex with him to get my way"

Here's how you open up the door, in order:

  The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo
  John Prine - John Prine
  The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace of Sin
  Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings - Wanted! The Outlaws
  Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings - Waylon & Willie
  Buck Owens - 21 #1 Hits

Don't forget to listen to the lyrics! You'll be two-stepping in no time!

She’s about to release a rock album, maybe now is your chance :D

I love, love, love country music. I like most types of music, reggae hip hop/r&b, rock, just not death metal really.

I think your post is a real underhanded compliment. It's like saying I really hate football and it's players, but John Elway is an OK dude.

There's a twist on black metal that you might like that's been coming out of Norway lately, exemplified by the bands The Good, The Bad and the Zugly and Kvelertak!

Black'n'roll is the term. Kvelertak are a contentious one amongst the black metal crowd (they aren't even on metal archives), but they're an excellent bridge into Norway's more "kvlt" sound.

“We’ve got both kinds. Country and Western.”

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