The Best & Worst Case Scenarios For The New Classic Country Format
One of the big stories involving the back end of country music in 2014 has been the potential formation of a brand new radio format to give a home to the older artists quickly being shuffled off of mainstream radio in the movement towards youth. The announcement of the joint venture between Big Machine Label Group and radio owner Cumulus Media called NASH Icons is what started the buzz, and then mere weeks later a regionally-owned radio station in Kentucky changed it’s name to GARTH-FM, and all of a sudden the split of the country music radio format looked to be imminent. Since then the idea has been put in sort of a limbo state as NASH Icons isn’t even set to launch until 2015, but it still looks like a format split and the formation of a “classic” country radio network is still very much a real possibility.
The big question that remains is how the new format for older country music could take shape. NASH Icons and other early players have already pegged a 25-year window as the foundation for the format, featuring many of the artists that launched their careers in country music in 1989, including Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, and Clint Black. Artists like Shania Twain and Faith Hill have also been mentioned, and so has the inclusion of new music from these artists, making the new format not just about old songs.
Depending on how it breaks, a big new batch of classic country stations on the radio could be a Godsend for classic country fans, or it could be a nightmare. Since the idea still remains in its formative stages, this is the time that classic country fans have to opportunity to voice their opinion of what they would like to see from the new format. Whether these fans will be listened to by the industry or not is another matter. In the end NASH Icons and any other station that decides to switch to the new format will be doing so not from some philosophical desire to see older country back on the radio, but as a business decision.
Assuming that 25-year window is the one constant, let’s look at the two scenarios of how the classic country format split could transpire.
NOTE: Some have said that “classic” is not the best word to describe what the new format would be. But in lieu of a better succinct describer, we will use “classic” in this case.
BEST CASE SCENARIO
- It would focus on the 25-year “classic” window, but wouldn’t shy away from dipping a little deeper into country music’s past, especially for artists who were still relevant 25 years ago, and are still relevant today. For example, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson all released albums this year that had record charting performances and were very well-received by the public. These albums were released by major labels, who would see the benefit to promoting singles through a new country format for older artists if there was one.
- It includes playlists that are wide and diverse, and don’t just focus on the narrow window of usual suspects who had their biggest success in the 90’s. It doesn’t just play the artists that were great from the classic era, but the songs that were great from the era from some of the lesser-known artists.
- Unlike the classic rock format, it keeps playlists spicy. Understand that even with older artists, there are still trends and artists can get hot, or go cold depending on current events and other factors. If an older artist is going on a big tour or is releasing a new album, there may be renewed interest in that artist that demands more rotation time. Maybe a movie or documentary about an artist is released, or maybe they make an acting appearance that may raise their public interest. Play off of those trends to keep the format engaging. It listens to what listeners want.
- It doesn’t completely cannibalize the already-existing traditional country stations, especially in markets where they are successful—“traditional” meaning stations focused mostly on music before the 1989 window. In some very small markets, the older listening audience is still going to enjoy the country oldies more than more contemporary stars from the 90’s and 00’s. And in very large markets, there will always be enough listeners to support traditional country stations. Some traditional country stations are sure to switch over to the new format because it will be more commercially-lucrative for them. But it shouldn’t be expected that all of them should or have to.
- It is almost implied that with NASH Icons, there will be some nationalized programming as part of the format. But just like with Cumulus’s current NASH network, the new format should let local programmers decide how much national programming to carry. It should encourage local shows to create personal relationships with listeners, making listeners feel like they’re listening to a live human selecting the songs just for them and their community. As Edison Research has discovered through multiple studies, people connect better with locally-generated content, and this is especially true with the older demographics a classic country format would appeal to.
- The new format leaves open the possibility of allowing new artists that play an older style of country music to be included. Of course not every younger traditional country artist can be included, but when you have a band or artist who has proven their commercial viability and wide appeal like Old Crow Medicine Show or Strugill Simpson for example, throw their new single in the rotation. This will also keep the appeal of the classic format diversified, and allow for labels to help support the format with single releases. At the least, it leaves open the possibility of having weekend shows that feature new artists with a classic sound.
- Since the Country Music Association (or CMA) is made up of elements of the country radio world, they add new awards to recognize the new format. Similar to how the Grammy Awards distinguish subgenres and “Classic” and “Contemporary” artists in separate awards, name a “Classic Country Album of the Year”, “Classic Country Song of the Year”, and “Classic Country Artist of the Year”. You could still keep the purity of some of the other awards, like the “Entertainer of the Year”. As we saw with George Strait, classic entertainers could still be considered for any individual artist distinction. But a few select awards to recognize great contributions from classic country artists that would otherwise go unrecognized would fill the same gap that is opening up in radio for classic country artists.
WORST CASE SCENARIO
- The “classic” country format becomes nothing more than a way to consolidate and streamline most or all of the existing traditional or classic country radio stations by firing local talent and implementing syndicated programming 24/7, or close to it.
- It focuses on a narrow range of artists that had only the very top of commercial success in the early 90’s an not much more, avoiding artists whose heyday was before 1989 completely or whose fame was short-lived.
- Playlists are rarely or never freshened like the current classic rock format to where the new format plays virtually the same songs for decades.
- It mostly cannibalizes country music’s existing traditional country stations to the point where songs and artist from before 1989 can barely be found on the radio dial.
- It ignores both the legends that are still putting out commercially-successful music, and the up-and-comers.
- NASH Icons on the radio is nothing more than an infomercial for the label arm of the organization, with little to no outside support for other artists or meaningful representation of classic country music.
- Classic country artists are still left with little to no representation at country music award shows.
Cooper
July 22, 2014 @ 7:46 am
I have a feeling that if it does happen, it will definitely be the worst case scenario (just my gut). However, I don’t think it will come to fruition. Garth Brooks’ comeback will halt all of these ideas currently being tossed around Nashville.
Trigger
July 22, 2014 @ 8:56 am
Garth not willing to play ball with NASH Icons and going straight for the mainstream is definitely a dynamic that has taken the wind out of the sails of this idea. Garth’s comeback has to encapsulate somewhere close to 50% of the energy and dollars of this idea, and if he’s not on board in and capacity (remember he sent a cease and desist to GARTH-FM) then it’s going to be difficult to pull off. The third scenario is this doesn’t happen at all, and NASH Icons was just a bunch of talk to get investors and and board members at Cumulus off of Lew Dickey’s back for a little longer.
Trigger
July 22, 2014 @ 9:07 am
The timing for NASH Icons and this whole classic country idea is just plain bad. They’re probably a good six months out from launching in earnest, and Garth is coming back and all the momentum that includes right now. In the end this timing issue may go down as the reason the whole “classic” idea never gets off the ground.
RD
July 22, 2014 @ 8:03 am
I’m not sure about all of the elements of the worst case scenario coming to fruition, but if this does happen, it will be exactly like the current classic rock format, in that they will play the same 150 songs over and over for years. You will never hear album tracks or obscure songs only released on box sets, etc. unless its a “Deep Cut Hour,” that happens every other Thursday for an hour, and even then they will play the country equivalent of “Woman from Tokyo.” It wasn’t a top 10 hit, but everyone has still heard it a thousand times.
Adam Carolla was talking about this on his podcast the other day. The market research says that more people are likely to listen to a song simply because they’ve heard it before, even if they thought it was a mediocre or shitty, than listen to something they might not have heard.
Wez
July 22, 2014 @ 8:21 am
Just this past week Satellite radio released a channel called Y2 Kountry playing music only from the first decade of the 2000s. This station definitely falls under this “new classic country” format.
Aaron
July 22, 2014 @ 8:28 am
holy crap.. Y2Kountry? Sounds like “Worst Case Scenario” here we come.
Trigger
July 22, 2014 @ 9:03 am
I think Y2Kountry is its own test case, and doesn’t really encapsulate the same 25-year idea as what this “classic” radio format would. Satellite has a ton of very niche stations only supported by a few thousand listeners, so it’s hard to look at any of them specifically and spy a trend, but it is an interesting footnote of how country could fragment into a few different formats down the road.
Mason
July 22, 2014 @ 8:26 am
We have had classic country radio stations in Oklahoma ever since I can remember.
Derek
July 22, 2014 @ 8:26 am
So this whole NASH Icons thing would play music from a 25 year window starting in 1989? So from ’89-now? Or ending with the class of ’89 (so you won’t hear a artist newer than Garth)? For intstance, there’s a “HANK FM” station in Oklahoma I listen to that plays alot of 70s and 80s. The most recent song I’ve heard on that station was “Beer For My Horses” (probably only due to the fact that Willie sings on the duet). Otherwise, the most contemporary artist I’ve heard more consistently on the station is Shania… is the NASH icons vision to be a national version of this?
Trigger
July 22, 2014 @ 9:06 am
I doubt they would play anything from the 70’s on a regular basis, and very few cuts from the 80’s, unless they were later in the decade. They have said specifically the plan is to feature new music from some of these older artists, so I feel pretty confident that will happen. It think the overall idea is to start in 1989, and lead up to the artists that are starting to fall off the radio right now, artists like George Strait for example.
GregN
July 22, 2014 @ 9:07 am
The worst case to me is that 1989 is a hard and fast cutoff. For example, I heard a song last night that y’all likely know well but was new to me: Bury Me, by Dwight Yoakam/Maria McKee. Blew me away, researched it this morning to find that it was from Yoakam’s debut album in 1986. Does this mean I wouldn’t hear it on a Nash Icon station? What about Ferlin Husky? Conway Twitty?
Best case to me is this whole concept is a crack pipe dream by the CEO of a debt ridden, soulless corporation that will be broken into pieces and sold off in bankruptcy.
Bossman
July 22, 2014 @ 9:13 am
Ok I’ll say it. There is no “classic country” from the last 25 years. All that 90s “country” is awful. It’s Nashville pop. Shania Twain??? Dear lord.
SV
July 22, 2014 @ 10:01 am
Early to mid 90’s country is the best country. Of course I was born and 92 and grew up listening to it…along with a lot of the old greats like Conway. I like the 90’s. Now days…nah.
Tubb
July 22, 2014 @ 11:41 am
I have to disagree man. I recently watched the 15 or so full episodes of The George Jones Show that are on Youtube. They were broadcast in 1998/99 on TNN, and whoever posted them left most of them intact, with commercials, including commercials for other TNN shows, and I have to admit being reminded of what was going on in Country in the 90’s made me realize what an unappreciated time period that was in this genre.
Eric
July 22, 2014 @ 1:15 pm
What about Reba McEntire, Pam Tillis, Alison Krauss, Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, or early Garth Brooks?
Trigger
July 22, 2014 @ 3:04 pm
I know there’s a lot of people that see the Class of ’89 as the beginning of the end of good country music, and in many ways I can’t disagree with that stance. But the question we have to ask ourselves is would a classic country format and a split genre be an improvement from what we have today? Would it facilitate more stars, and older stars getting greater attention, and a return to the roots of country, however slight?
sir topemnat
July 22, 2014 @ 10:01 am
Alabama’s biggest hits are from the early 1980’s. So I guess those songs wouldn’t get played? And if these new stations do get started, will every major market have one?
Trigger
July 22, 2014 @ 3:08 pm
You would think songs like “Song of the South” (which was released in ’89), and “If You’re Gonna Play In Texas” would be perfect for this type of format, but who knows if they will be considered as too old. If they are, I think NASH Icons, or the radio programmers of these specific stations would be making a mistake.
nathan38401
July 22, 2014 @ 4:37 pm
“If Your Gonna Play In Texas” was released in ’84, I believe. The album before that one in ’83 “The Closer You Get” had “Dixieland Delight”. Would be ashamed if a classic country format ignored those and most of Hank Jr’s early 80’s output, ” Family Tradition”, “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound”, etc. But then again, if it only focuses on a 25 year window, it misses so much great music, that it couldn’t be called classic country anyway.
Janice Brooks
July 22, 2014 @ 10:32 am
Classic country broke down with the rules of 1996
Marfa
July 22, 2014 @ 10:38 am
Whether perceived or not, I look back on the 90s as being full of poppy, highly orchestral, country music. I think the roots of bro country and pop country as it is today comes directly from Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, etc. I owned a Garth Brooks album and now look back at it the same way I do a few other albums I’m embarrassed to admit I owned.
Nate
July 22, 2014 @ 11:51 am
The roots of “bro-country” stem from a little early-90s song you may have heard called “Achy Breaky Heart” it’s been all downhill from there
Don
July 22, 2014 @ 11:57 am
Sorry, I do not see any bro country roots in No Fences or Killing Time. I like Hank, Willie and Waylon too, but god almight there is more to country than just those guys.
Eric
July 22, 2014 @ 1:16 pm
Using the same argument, you could say that Waylon was at the root of bro-country, since he introduced a rock sound to country.
Jesse
July 22, 2014 @ 10:41 am
Honestly…who cares. Radio as we know it is fading fast. I listen to everything from bluegrass to hank3 Wayne Dale Waylon Jerry Jeff Cash Shack shakers etc… there will never be a mainstream format. All I can say is….MP3. The real issue is to support and spread the word, keep traditions alive in your own circles, and play the music for any one who’ll listen. I’ve helped many a weary music listener back to the fold by simply dropping a few bucks in the Ol internet jukebox. Music has a way of keeping itself alive with minimal help.
Applejack
July 22, 2014 @ 12:35 pm
“Music has a way of keeping itself alive with minimal help.”
Ha ha ha. God, how I wish that were true.
Trigger
July 22, 2014 @ 3:16 pm
The vast majority of people still listen to radio as their primary source of music. So you may not care, but many others do. I’m not telling you that you should care. If you’ve found the way you want to enjoy music, then I think that is great. But some people haven’t, and others feel it is our duty to make sure everyone is served with better music choices.
I wrote more about this a while back if anyone is interested.
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/new-study-proves-why-radio-still-matters
Albert
July 22, 2014 @ 1:31 pm
I’m not so sure idea of segregating the country format will ‘save country music’.It may postpone its demise , if it flies at all , but I’m not convinced it will save traditional country music . Once the older artists and older fans are gone , the genre will still be left with wherever it’s headed with the newer artists right now . The more effective approach to mission at hand , I believe, would be to continue to work towards more fully embracing and incorporating country’s roots and ‘older’ artists into today’s playlists by way of undeniably SOLID new songs, as well as the classic material those artists have recorded , and hope the traditions of the music will go on to more demonstratively influence up-and-comers.
Hunter Hayes , for instance , has almost NO traditional country elements to his music , although he wouldn’t be considered bro-co . He is as much the new direction of the genre as the Kruise Kids …..youthful energy , sex appeal , solid talent ……and good hair . If Hunter sang something traditional which was an undeniably great song , all of those young female fans of his would eat it up REGARDLESS of its production .
Many artists hedge their bets when it comes to song choices . Chris Young, Miranda Lambert , Lee Brice , Josh Turner all come to mind as newer artists with radio-friendly releases but who always include killer material of substance arranged fairly traditionally in their albums . Its apparent these artists have a feel for and a respect for the traditional ….particularly when it comes to their choice of material . I would bet that artists like these would totally embrace releasing even more traditional music if their respective labels were on board and radio would let them BE artists .
The Country genre needs to somehow weed out the toxic fluff that’s strangling the songs of substance for ALL fans …not just fans of another era’s country ( NASH ) . The artists , labels and radio stations need to provide far better options to listeners and play a larger role in maintaining the integrity and value ( s) of the genre . Until such time , and as I’ve said on many many occasions here , no one is holding a gun to my head to listen to the mindless , generic music that labels and radio are currently cranking out and I’ve located dozens of options which DO respect the artists and listeners enough to give us the good stuff .
Trigger
July 22, 2014 @ 3:12 pm
Just to clarify, I am in no way saying that this potential format split could in any way save country music. I am talking about it because I think it could be one of many very important issues that could affect the overall country landscape in a positive or negative way, and I think we need to stay informed and engaged with the issue to see where it leads.
Eric
July 22, 2014 @ 1:45 pm
Well, this seems to fit right into the microgenre-monogenre theory. Here in the Bay Area, we do not have a classic country station, and so this NASH Icon venture will be an improvement no matter what.
the pistolero
July 22, 2014 @ 2:35 pm
It mostly cannibalizes country music”™s existing traditional country stations to the point where songs and artist from before 1989 can barely be found on the radio dial.
This is what I am most afraid of. I remember when all that music was thrown off the radio dial the last time. I’d hate for that to happen again.
Fired radio executive
July 22, 2014 @ 8:29 pm
Take it for what it’s worth. This is the worst idea ever. Country has an oldies, classics, etc format. They’ve had this since the early 1990’s. What radio WON’T TELL YOU, is they want one station and at the end of the day. They want to play Garth, Luke Bryan,Taylor Swift, Nelly (yes Nelly) and lets add Chris Brown too. One format, all advertisers.
What needs to happen is to see the value in begin a format with less watered down music. American music, Southern Ground music. Sundy Best, Jason Isbell, Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Sturgill Simpson and throw in some classic Hank, Charlie Daniel’s Band. If I wanted to buy advertising, I’d want to buy smart customers. This is that format where advertisers get a better customer. The current radio format has people who are less likely to think fast on their feet. Why? The truck bed, cold beer, moon light kinda night attracts people who work at the tag office.
Trigger
July 22, 2014 @ 9:54 pm
I agree about there eventually being one big radio station. Or it will be one big one with virtually all the genres mixed together, which sound virtually the same anyway, and a bunch of much smaller independent stations that play what they want and make very little money.
Nathan Donnelly
July 22, 2014 @ 8:57 pm
Today’s Country still sounds the same it’s just that they use electrical instruments half the time and use regular instruments on a daily basis & it’s just like Alan Jackson & George Strait Said “There’s been an awful murder Down on music row”
Adrian
July 23, 2014 @ 7:56 am
I think the worst case scenario is more likely than the best case scenario. The 25 year time frame waters down the classic country format in the name of modernization. Shania Twain getting airplay on “classic country” stations is a bad sign.
I’d guess that George Strait and Alan Jackson might get a 10 year grace period until these stations move on to more contemporary “icons”. As long as new traditional country songs are not recorded and given significant mainstream exposure, I think classic country will continue to gradually fade from mainstream consciousness and from the radio scene.
KyChris
July 24, 2014 @ 4:02 am
I live about 40 miles outside of Louisville so I can pick up the station pretty clear. I loved the station before it became Garth FM. It played real actual classic country music. There is now NO classic country station in this area. The closest you can get is late on Sunday night there is a station out of southern Indiana that plays classic and outlaw country until about midnight (I’ve even heard Hank 3 on there a few times). This new station and format is pretty awful. I find myself turning it off and listening to MP3 more often than not. Like all other stations you have to sit through three or 10 awful songs to hear the one good one. I haven’t heard a single Hank Jr song on there but you can get your fill of Pick Up Man, John Deere Green, and most of Shania’s hits over and over and over again. They have a steady rotation of about twelve songs and about every ten minutes or so they play Garth, but according to this station he apparently only has about four songs as well. One of the more irritating things is every time they play a Garth song, right before it comes on they say “and now from the man that started it all……..). I’m not real sure what that means. If this is the direction that country music format is going that is what it is, but we should at least have the choice to listen to a real classic country station. Hopefully someone will bring it back around here.
Phil Hood
October 24, 2014 @ 4:50 pm
Alan Jackson is country. Even Shania is country by today’s standards. Bring on the classic formats. It’s a cliche but Aerosmith-clones in cowboy hats are not country music. Would Usher’s music be considered bebop if he shot heroin and wore a porkpie hat? Would Mariah Carey be classical if she wore tails? It’s so ludicrous. When the hell did a hat and an accent start defining your musical genre?
B. Staggs
April 30, 2015 @ 9:43 am
How would this format be marketed. To what demographic?