Is Country Radio Dying Out?

For years, radio has held a lot of power in the country music industry. But is it slowly losing that power? Maybe even beginning to die out? Depending on one's favorite country artist or perhaps one's preferred type of country music, the answer to these questions are pretty divided. 

Ultimately, radio stations have a big influence as they allow for songs to be heard all over the United States, essentially helping music reach a much larger audience. It is a great way to help promote music and help the artist(s) make a name for themselves. On top of all that, radio has the power the give an artist a number one hit. With all these incentives who wouldn't want their song to be played on the radio? In fact, most country artists, if not all who are played on the radio, are extremely appreciative of stations for playing their music. Country singers arguably aid in keeping radio relevant as stations often give away concert tickets or feature an interview/performance on the air. Those are just a few of many things that drive listeners to continue tuning in. 

In recent years, it seems as if more and more people are starting to ditch country radio as they argue the stations are no longer playing "real" country music. Or it could solely be the fact that one's favorite artists/bands are not played on the radio or maybe one might simply prefer having control over their music instead of having to scroll through stations and being interrupted by advertisements. Whatever the reason may be, it is no secret that radio is no longer as big as it once was.

Below are three songs that have reached number one. The first, "Aint That Lonely Yet" by Dwight Yoakam, was the number one song on the national R&R country chart for the week of May 21st in 1993. Fast forward to the week of May 14th in 2007, the number one song on the Mediabase country chart was "Good Directions" by Billy Currington. Now to the present day, the number one song on the Mediabase country chart for the week of May 23rd in 2022, was "Trouble With A Heartbreak" by Jason Aldean. Jason's song also went on to be number one for three non-consecutive weeks. Take a listen to these songs and see how country music's sound has evolved throughout time.