I really hate it when people tear down country music because it's "not real." Please. You're telling me rap is real? All these thugs running around, talking about their pimps and their hos and how they gotta make the money (or whatever...most of the time, I can't even tell what they're saying.) Might be real to me, but not to those of us who don't live in urban Chicago.
Pop music is crap now.
Country had its heyday in the early 90s. That was the time. You had the remnants of Randy Travis, Vince Gill, Trisha was starting out, Garth put country on the map, Alan Jackson paved the way for people like Kenny Chesney.
For me, I loved Waylon as the Balladeer too. And despite all the bad press against him, George Jones is quite the act too.
I love how this thread doesn't mention anything about the ladies of country - Patsy, Tammy, Loretta, Dolly (who is still churning it out), Reba.