OAJ Hot Take: Country Music Didn’t Move Right—The Right Moved to It
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The piece below is part of our weekly blog post series written by the Open-Air Journal team where we explore issues at Heller, current events, or whatever is presently on our minds.
No musical genre today is as closely linked to a political stance as country music is to conservatism. This alignment was not always there; rather, conservatives deliberately shaped it over time. While the right-wing reputation of country music is well-established, its origins reveal a more complex relationship. Initially, country music emerged from a rich mix of traditions that captured diverse experiences and social critiques. Conservative forces capitalized on social trends during the era of the Southern Strategy, shifting the genre rightward. Conservatives co-opted country music to serve their political agendas, and many artists aligned with these values to achieve commercial success.
Country music originates from an amalgamation of genres as diverse as those singing the songs: folk, blues, bluegrass, Puebloan music, Appalachian tunes, Black church hymns, field songs, and cowboy ballads. This culminated in a rich fusion of sound that initially reflected a broad range of themes, from working-class struggles to heartbreak. The genre’s early political alignment with the New Deal—a leftist initiative of the 1930s that white, Democratic Southerners supported—illustrates its initial connection to progressive social programs. In an attempt to create work for artists, The New Deal’s Federal Music Project employed musicians to record, teach, and write songs. This enabled struggling, working-class country musicians to continue producing music that reflected the hardships of rural America, preserving the genre’s connection to labor struggles and populism. However, by the 1960s, conservative movements began to reshape the genre as a feature of the Southern strategy and in response to the backlash against the Civil Rights Movement. This shift was marked by the strategic use of country music by figures like George Wallace (famous for proclaiming “segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever”), who embraced its growing conservative sentiments during his 1968 Presidential campaign. Notably, Tammy Wynette performed her song “Stand by Your Man” at Wallace’s rallies, symbolizing the genre’s use to appeal to the working class while also supporting a staunch segregationist. Songs like Wynette’s exemplify how country music began to reflect and amplify the political divisions of the era. Conservatives recognized the genre's sway over white working-class voters and seized the opportunity to solidify country music’s alignment with right-wing ideologies.
Merle Haggard’s 1969 hit “Okie from Muskogee” demonstrates how the genre’s musicians found success by embracing traditional values. The song, which started as a joke poking fun at small-town life and its opposition to counterculture, quickly became an anthem for Southern listeners who rejected the ongoing anti-war protests and cultural changes of the 1960s. Though Haggard and his bandmates never intended the song to carry an earnest political message, it resonated with conservative listeners who latched onto its themes of traditionalism and national pride. Seeing the commercial success and widespread appeal of “Okie from Muskogee,” Haggard, like many country artists, leaned into patriotism and conservatism as a growing market was emerging. Country music became a powerful tool for conservative politics as artists tapped into these sentiments to achieve lucrative success.
In 2003, country trio The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) received a torrent of backlash after lead singer Natalie Maines criticized President George W. Bush and the Iraq War during a London concert, stating, “We’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.” Immediately, country radio stations pulled their music, and fans turned on the group, with album sales plummeting and protests erupting. Country music dominates the airwaves in the US, with more radio stations dedicated to the genre than to any other. This dominance makes radio play essential for success in the industry, especially in the pre-streaming days of the early 2000s. The Chicks became an outlet for conservative fear post-9/11, while also demonstrating the conservative gatekeeping that continues to dominate the industry. Dissent or diversion from right-wing ideology continually results in professional exile (see: the nontraditional but undeniably country “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X upturning the genre in 2018). Blacklisted artists who challenge conservative norms may struggle to regain a foothold, reinforcing political control over who thrives. The Chicks' ostracization shows how conservative power holders punish artists for straying from the political expectations of country music. The genre’s conservative gatekeepers control both cultural and commercial success.
Strategic efforts by the right have transformed country music, originally a genre with diverse roots, into a homogenous one. This transformation of the genre's early inclusivity, which included substantial Black influences, has been overshadowed by its current role as a bastion of conservative values. The co-opting of the genre by figures like George Wallace exemplifies how political forces have reshaped country music. Additionally, artists like Merle Haggard, who reoriented their message to meet demand and achieved success with his accidental hit, further pushed country music to the right. The backlash the Chicks faced showed how entrenched this alignment remains after decades. As the landscape evolves with more diverse audiences and artists, the genre’s capacity to overcome its conservative stronghold remains uncertain. Artists like Kacey Musgraves, Beyoncé, and Shaboozey have risen in the genre, challenging boundaries and merging country music with diverse influences. As these artists push the genre forward, the future of country music may hinge on its ability to embrace this evolution and reflect a broader, more inclusive range of voices and stories.
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