When people talk about the great country music artists, they often refer to them by their first names only. Dolly. Willie. Waylon. And so forth.
Today, many alleged country artists may be angling for the “first name only” status, but frankly, they just don’t have the goods. Here’s our list of the 10 most overrated: The artists we feel reasonably sure will be referred to by their first and last names for as long as they’re around.
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1. Garth Brooks
If anyone is to blame for introducing arena rock to country music, it would have to be Garth Brooks. Yes, all art forms must evolve, but we have a hard time imagining Hank Williams singing Billy Joel songs to a packed stadium.
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2. Florida Georgia Line
Florida Georgia Line are said to be pioneers in the “bro-country” field, which adds elements of rock and hip-hop to the music invented in Appalachia. The duo is on an indefinite hiatus, and we’d like to encourage them to make it definite.
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3. Shania Twain
Like Taylor Swift, Shania Twain started out getting filed in the record store’s country section. Also like Taylor Swift, she’s a pop artist and not a country artist, and she never should have received that designation in the first place.
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4. Billy Ray Cyrus
Those around the time will remember how “Achy Breaky Heart” dominated the airwaves, making the generously mulleted singer ubiquitous. Luckily, we’re happy to report that he’s no longer overrated, and he’s now known as precisely what he is – Miley Cyrus’ father.
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5. Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood came to prominence via “American Idol,” an opportunity she was able to parlay into a successful 20-year (and counting) career. Having said that, her adult-contemporary light rock music is about as country as a Woody Allen movie.
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6. Toby Keith
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Toby Keith’s musical threats to foreign entities became popular with a traumatized populace hungry for vengeance. Today, he just sounds like Archie Bunker, which may have been the point in the first place.
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7. Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks)
A couple of years ago, the members of the Dixie Chicks decided to change their name to the more politically correct “Chicks.” For many, it was their first reminder in years that this group still existed, and furthermore, we didn’t really miss them.
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8. Lee Greenwood
Lee Greenwood has had a long career stretching back to the 1960s, so he’s earned his place as a country music veteran. Sadly, he also glommed onto post-9/11 hysteria to boost his career, and it completely overshadowed everything he had done prior to that.
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9. Jason Aldean
Many people took exception to Jason Aldean’s hit song, “Try That in a Small Town,” which threatens any big city liberals who want to try their shenanigans south of the Mason-Dixon line. Edgy stuff, but was he aware that Merle Haggard already did that decades ago with “Okie from Muskogee”?
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10. Lady A
Just as the Chicks changed their name from the Dixie Chicks, Lady A changed their name from Lady Antebellum to get with the changing times. While that was thoughtful of them, and their hearts were in the right place, we propose that their next big move should be to hire some outside songwriters.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
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