OPINION: Why I Love Country Music

As a radio DJ, I have worked for over a dozen stations, playing different styles of music.  Everything from alternative rock, to top 40, to classic rock, to country.

When I took this job with B98.5 in the summer of 2016, it had been over a decade since I had done anything with a country station.  As a result, I had a lot of catching up to do.  Over the next few months, I read everything I could about the artists, the songs, the venues, and the lifestyle.

The more I learned, the more my appreciation for the music grew.

And, I realized, what I like most about the music was the storytelling aspect of the songs.  There is no other modern musical style where you can identify the songs based on the stories told in the song.  Here at the station, this happens all the time.  I'll ask Quinn to tell me the name of the song where "even though the guy isn't with the woman, he still loves her so much that it makes him smile when she is happy".  Within a second, he'll tell me that it's Tim McGraw's "Just To See You Smile"

Another example, if I mention the song where the dad realizes the kid is learning his actions by watching him, you'd almost instantly realize I was talking about Rodney Atkin's "Watching You".

Or, the song about the guy whose luck changes for the better after his girlfriend dumps him (following a weekend bender).  Obviously, it's Luke Combs "When It Rains It Pours".

Don't get me wrong, I am not dissing other music genres.  As a wedding and event DJ, I get exposed to all types of music.  And, honestly, I appreciate all types of music.

What do you like most about country?  What's your favorite song?  Artist?