8legs: Dominic j. m. howell

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Country Music Has Long Been Political

The article traces country music’s origins in the 1920s as ‘hillbilly music’ and its early racial dynamics shaping its audience.
During the Great Depression, country songs praised Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and relief programs.
In the 1970s, Nixon leveraged country music to appeal to blue-collar voters, shaping its political stance.
The piece notes how Nixon’s outreach included National Country Music Month and a Grand Ole Opry appearance in 1974.
The article discusses Cash’s decision to perform an anti-war song at the White House, signaling liberal undercurrents within country music.
Conservative shifts in the 1970s are contrasted with liberal critiques of country music by journalists and commentators.
The piece describes how songs and artists across decades intersected with broader political debates, including gender norms and liberal critique.
The analysis emphasizes that country music has been a space for both progressive ideas and partisan divides.
Liberal journalists’ critiques in the 1960s and 1970s sometimes misunderstood the genre’s messages, affecting public perception.
The article concludes that country music remains politically malleable, capable of supporting both liberal and conservative currents.

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