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

I think you can. When Pride notched his 29th No. 1, that moved him into third place on the all-time list, behind only Conway Twitty and Merle Haggard (he's now sixth, having also slipped behind George Strait, Ronnie Milsap and Alabama). He had more No. 1 hits than Eddy Arnold, George Jones, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, etc. This is a black guy from Mississippi, operating in a radio format that has always been heavily oriented toward rural white listeners. Also keep in mind that his career started in 1966, when winning over southern disc jockeys and fans would have been a much tougher feat than it is now (especially since DJs don't pick their own music any more, but I digress). Charley Pride's cultural and chart impacts, inconceivable by the likes of Michael Jackson, cannot be denied or ignored, nor should they be diminished.

I do have to acknowledge a mistake when I said Darius Rucker is the second black artist to have a No. 1 country hit, because I forgot about Ray Charles' duet with Willie Nelson, "Seven Spanish Angels," which went to No. 1 in 1985.

 

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

Better than listening to Night Ranger, Mr. Eight Seconds to Blastoff.