Shitty, modern, "new" country music? Throw a few "Artists" names at me.

what's the purpose?

You'd be helping me out with a little photo project. For this particular shot, I'll need some albums of some of the folks out there who are successfully making mainstream "modern" country that is just horrible, overproduced pap.

touché

Rascal Flatts and the Dixie Chicks immediately come to mind.

The Dixie Chicks do have some material out there that is more bluegrass-oriented that is not bad.

Dixie Chicks are alright. I don't really know who sucks the hardest on the new country front because I'm able to avoid pretty completely, but Big N Rich? Kenney Chesney? These are the names that spring to mind.

are you going to create an art piece that features country music and human feces? if you then set it on fire and pissed on it that would be REAL ART.

big & rich

What's the group with that chubby dude with hair like Guile from streetfighter... Rascall Flatts?

I'm sure y'all will wear this as a badge of honor (and why wouldn't you?), but based on the responses, y'all have no fucking clue what is going on in country music.

Lady Antebellum

not really even country. More like Southern-pop.

not really even Southern pop. More like...

Ha... crackers got the panties in a knot 'cause of suggested dilution to what is "real" country. Lady Antebellum "is" the modern Nashville. And you also insult Alan Parsons.

Can't argue with you on the Lady Antebellum proclamation, and my panties are hardly in a knot. My response to yours was really one to clarify for the purpose of Modem's original post.

Modem - I'd say Rascal Flatts is the epitome of what is wrong with "country" aka overcommercialized, mass-produced for the lowest common denominator shit that Music Row is responsible for. They turned Hootie into a country star too.

There are a few Nashville "country" artists who frequently get critical acclaim, Miranda Lambert being the first example that comes to mind along with Dierks Bentley.

I would reference the CMA Festival link I included earlier and go by the promo photo/head shot to set your judgements.

Hootie.

I do like that one lady antebellum mega hit, I also don't mind taylor swift...so fucking shoot me.

big & rich is probably the worst.

Then teach us, professor.

I think you have to mention Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith since they are both A. Terrible but B. Able to fill football stadiums. Then there's Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood and the Aldean dude. There's also stuff like Civil Wars (bad) and Zac Brown Band (surprisingly ok). Honestly, my only exposure to this music is occasionally listening to Imus but even I can name a few relevant players.

I mean, Rascal Flatts is definitely in there, but there's probably a dozen or more other huge stars in the genre right now and you guys are throwing out The Dixie Chicks (who broke up years ago) and Big & Rich (who I'm pretty sure haven't had a hit in 5 or 6 years)

It would be like someone starting a thread about who the biggest stars in hip hop are and half a dozen people saying "Lil Jon" and "DMX"

I'd say Civil Wars are more AAA/Americana/Folk than mainstream country.

That's certainly how they are marketed, Stu, but their terribleness pulls them down with all the rest.

Country Radio is naturally quite huge in Nebraska, so it is difficult to avoid hearing certain artists or ignoring promotions/commercials for certain shows/festivals.

When I think of Modern Country, I think Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, The Band Perry, Zac Brown Band, Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood. They pervade every country station and nearly every pop station in the heartland.