Things I probably shouldn't say out loud: I like Darius Rucker's country music

Still waiting for someone on this thread to mention a band or artist that doesn't suck.

 

The Jay Cutler Band?

 

OK, Casey Kasem, who do you like?

 

I've never listened to his country music, though I'd heard he was into it more recently in his career.
Rucker is a professional musician so it stands to reason that he could pull off some success with cross-genre music.

 

Oh, god, PLEASE don't ask that question.

 

How could anyone not respect the guy for reinventing himself and staying in the game? He was doing Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch commercials less than a decade ago, and is still relevant on some level. That's impressive, no matter what you think of his music.

I got free tickets to see Hootie maybe 10 years ago, including a backstage meet and greet. Rucker was cool, and while their music is not particularly special, watching the live show you could see how they became a sensation in a college town. They could definitely play a crowd.

 

Hmmm. Things you shouldn't say out loud? Well, I shouldn't say out loud that I'm curiously turned on by the dancers in Burger King's Spongebob "Baby Got Back" commercials. Just something about those square asses...

but I digress. I haven't heard Rucker's new stuff, but I liked his first solo effort (that tanked BIG TIME), so it's not hard for me to imagine that I'd probably dig this, too.

 

I like Rucker's songs, two of which have gone to No. 1 on the country chart. He's the second black person ever to top that chart, following Charley Pride, who did it 29 times.

That's not an exaggeration, by the way. Charley Pride had 29 singles that went to No. 1 in Billboard, and 23 more that hit the Top 10. In a time when the likes of Mariah Carey is celebrated for having more No. 1 hits than Elvis Presley on the pop chart (18-17), you'd better believe that 29 No. 1 records on one particular chart is something very special.

 

Although, you have to admit, the country market at that time was a small fraction of what it is now.

 

Hmmmm, not really.

A lot of Pride's hits came out at times when George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers ruled the airwaves and charts. But Pride was just as consistent as all of them, if not more so.

 

Not saying Pride wasn't a big part of what was going on then (FWIW, Pride lived a few blocks away from me at the time), but country is a market now that was unheard of then. To say his No. 1 accomplishments compare to the records of Elvis or Michael Jackson, that's just a non-starter.

I'm sure if you searched the gospel or classical charts, there are ridiculous records that could never be matched. But it's not the same. It's not an judgment on the artistic merits, but for cultural impact you can't compare.

 

As someone who very much likes the singer/songwriter genre of music and has not liked country, and as someone who has taken up guitar over the last 10 years, I find myself liking country more and more. Like Rucker, I believe it's where the best singer/songwriters are being pushed to now.

One guy with an acoustic guitar and his own songs. Where else do you see that now other than country?