Growing popularity of Country Music!

Kris Desmond

“Country music has become America’s favorite genre, mostly because of its diversity and the accessibility of its artists to young and old alike,” said Russ Crupnick, senior vice president of industry analysis at NPD (Market Research Group). With country singers like Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line, country music has become a popular favorite among young teenagers.

Country music is not number one right now, but it is rising steadily. NPD found that country music is a popular choice among all age demographics. By contrast, classic rock is the most popular among music listeners aged 36 and older. According to Crupnick, “electronic dance music gets a lot of industry attention these days, but 18-to-25-year-olds are twice as likely to say they are fans of country music. Even among teens, country music ranks third, following rap/hip-hop, and pop/top-40.”  Why do most teens like country? According to The Top Ten, teens are more focused on the beat of the music instead of the actual lyrics.  They go on to say every country song has similarities; these include, Trucks, beer, and girls.

Many of the people from the older generations are beginning to like country music. Mr. Gallant liked rock and roll when he was younger, but as he got older and more mature, he started liking country. “I can remember as a child, coming up in Framingham, that you had no options for radio but WOKQ if you wanted to hear country,” said country star Jo Dee Messina, she goes to say, “That was it. It says a lot that now the Boston area has two major country stations that are extremely popular, and the entire state of Massachusetts has, what, three or four more all-country stations?”

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