atari2600

where did this come from? i swear anytime i ask someone what kind of music they like, thats what they say! ill even admit i was guilty of this when i was younger...now i notice everyone says it.

why is it 'except country' (which i dont even like)? why not 'except reggae' or 'except classical' or other types of nontraditionally popular music?

very odd IMO

Gdrlv

7 or 8 years ago, this would've been my answer for what I listened to. Big mistake. I feel sorry for anyone who goes through life without knowing the beauty of real country/Americana music.

muggins

I have no idea why everybody always seems to say "everything except country."

I grew up on country music, and until recently I have never found any reason not to like it. In the past 5 or 6 months, it seems as though mainstream country has begun merging with gospel, which really turns me off. I'd much rather hear a good George Strait (at least he is still holding out) song than some guy telling me about how I'm going to burn in hell and ride the "Long Black Train" if I don't accept his religious views.

So, I've just been listening to more techno and classical lately, though I would never claim "everything except country".

B.S.Preston,ESQ

Yup. Country is where it is at. I have favrites from every genre, but country dominates my MP3 collection. Of the 2,037 songs I have in iTunes, 1,475 are country. But for example, just today I bought from the iTunes music store: Love is all we need--Celine Dion, The Real Slim Shady--Eminem, and Sister Christian--Night Ranger, all of which I think shows a pretty big range of musical tastes.

das Monkey

Because reggae and classical don't suck?

It's probably because most Country artists (and the industry as a whole) have sold their souls to Pop. When people say "except Country," I doubt they mean traditional Country or Country/Western but the current form of the genre. They're still missing out, but not by much.

Really the only thing I don't listen to is Grindcore/Death Metal.

das

B.S.Preston,ESQ

I actually DO think they are thinking more about the traditional country. Most people I talk to think it's people crying about a tear in their bear, or standing by their man or stuff like that. But yeah a lot of today's artists have sold their souls, esp. Tim and Faith, both of whom I liked when the first came on the scence, can't stnad them now.

tha_dvd_man

I like enjoy almost every genre of music to some extent, including reggae and classical..."except country". I've heard quite a bit of it, and I just don't like it. A lot of it annoys me, but most of it doesn't particularly bother me....I'd just never intentionally listen to any of it.

POWERBOMB

I used to work in a record store back in the day and when I had a customer ask for a recomendation of music "except country" I would be a smart ass and take them to clasical, latin, jazz or world music. After a few minutes and some questioning I suggested some country artists I tought they might like. A few even came back and asked for more country.

I think most peoples' perception of country music is backasswards racists redneck hillbilly. But that is just sterotype.

evenflow

atari2600

i wasnt saying country sucks but ive heard that same answer so many times from everyone i ask! when did it become a saying?

cartman

Hmmm, I usually say everything except rap and death metal. (I agree with POWERBOMB above)

Josh-da-man

Everything except rap, country, and r&b.

I happen to like death metal.

dpganz

I say this a lot, except i add in rap also. Why? Because I can't stand any country music i've heard. I used to listen to it when I was younger, but since then have come to dislike it greatly. I dont say "everything but classical etc" because I like classical and the etc. There might be people out there that dont like country because of the sterotypes and such, but I dont think thats why you hear this so much. But, I also dont like other types of music, like 80s rock. I dont include that because its getting into subgenres. I like rock, and I'm not going to list for 20 mins what I don't like. Country pretty much sums it up well enough. Of course, depending on how strict you want to be on what country is, I do like Wilco.

Another thought is because country seems to be that type of music you like or hate. If you hate it, you want to stress the fact that you think it sucks over latin music, even if you dont like latin.

Giantrobo

I agree.

I used to be the same way. But now I say "everything but NEW Country".

Classic country and the sub genres are very good.

woofman

County music is just such an easy target to make fun of. Tell me Billy Ray wasn't asking for it with that hair and that song. I find it more fun though to make fun of all music equally , why discriminate.

I happen to love (traditional) country & death metal thank you very much.

I can see it now, "Bloody Bluegrass" Dolly vs. Cannibal Corpse, the remixes.

atlantamoi

If someone has heard a lot of rockabilly, Johnny Cash and late 50's rock music and still hates country music then I say more power to 'em. That saying means squat if all you're talking about is Shania Twain.

My catch-phrase would be "everything except heavy metal"... I've heard plenty of it over the past 25 years to know that it's a genre I'll keep on the backburner.

Groucho

Everything except country and rap. No offense to all you sister-loving gangbangers out there.

SAShepherd

Why? Because country (and rap, that's the other genre that gets used in the phrase) is large enough to permeate the culture as a whole and therefore (unintentionally) reaches people who hate it. It's not like Dr. Pepper is using reggae and/or death metal to sell more product.

glasschicken

I say Rock! with a little rap on the side. (not rap-rock)

Hiro11

If you think you don't like country, buy anything by Lucinda Williams. It will change your mind.

the aftermath

I used to say it when I was younger, 'cause country just seemed so boring to me, and I just couldn't stand the twang in some country artists' voices.

The only country song I like is Kenny Rogers - The Gambler, and that was introduced to me by Wyclef Jean.

If anyone has any other recommendations, I'd be happy to give Country a shot. Oh yeh, only the good stuff, not Country-Pop (Dixie Chicks, Shania, etc). I hate that crap.

Tarantino

I listen to everything except country.

I can find Reggae that I like. I can find Classical that I like.

No country though.

iggystar

You know I used to say that, I just couldn't stand the twangy sound -- drove me crazy. A few years back a friend of mine who loves country tried to get me to listen, you know, she's driving so the country station would be on - I told her I'd never listen don't like the sound. Well, we swapped some music one day, some things I recommended to her and vice versa -- one of the few was Dixie Chicks "Fly" -- and I loved it. Then we got free tickets to see Trisha Yearwood -- I enjoyed it. I bought Shania Twain's "Up" on EW's recommendation, loved it and actually cannot stand the red, more pop sounding album. Been to the Chicks and Shania in concert.

Granted my country is way mainstream, but for someone who's line was "everything but country" (and meant it, R&B, rap, rock, metal, jazz, techo were the only types in my collection) it's been nice checking out a new genre. It's still new to me, but I'm digging it, so if you guys have anymore suggestions about country artists, let me know.

iggystar

Why the change? I can't really say, but the signature country sound that used to grate my nerves, banjoes, strings, etc. are starting to grow on me.

C_Fletch

I used to say that but then again I used to be an ignorant F&%* so.........

I think that is why people say that. It is REALLY hard to listen anything in the mainstreem country these days so it is REALLY hard to expand your horizons. I just got lucky when I started getting into music that I listened to as a child. A great deal of it was country, old school, i.e. Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers(early songs), etc. I think every genre has it's 'little gems' that everyone has heard of or that STAND THE TEST OF TIME. These are the musical artists I enjoy.