Is American Country Music really a big deal outside of the U.S.?
 

Howdy y'all!
As the owner and program director of an online radio station, I find it curious at our huge International listeners base.

How popular is classic and mainstream American Country outside of the continental U.S?

What are your thoughts?

If American country is big outside the US (not counting **** like Toby Keith), I'm going to assume it's because Europe has become more culturally homogenized than the US has been, being a giant land mass without the same buildup. All you need for country/folk music to flourish is country folk to make it. America is big, countrified, and has had only a few hundred years to build up an entire continent.

Appreciate that perspective....makes sense. And no Luke Bryan zone here!

Both American Folk music and Country music has roots from the British Isles, Scandinavia and Europe. Well for who influences who (is Europe influence by American Country or vice a versa), I would say there is a bit back and forth. There are some influence I don't know much about the music scene in Europe.I've came across an Austrian Country singer, so there must be some Country fans there. Benny Andersson from Abba has an orchrestra, BAO. The band does song that I would consider sounding like American Country music but not with as a typical guitar band. I thinkthe music of BAO probably be considered as Schlager and Folk. Then there is First Aid Kit which has a nice old time Country style to them.

Will need to look them up! Sounds Interesting

Of course it all comes down to Abba with you.

If you wanna check out American country that isn't just pop nonsense, then I will always suggest Townes Van Zandt, the absolute master of old school folk country. I don't even listen to much country, but Townes transcends taste.

My recommendation was Benny Anderssons Orkester not ABBA. Found them trying to figure out the difference between BoA and Bôa. A simple typographical error lead me to this wonderful band.

BAO & Helen Sjöholm - Du Är Min Man (Live Allsång På Skansen 2008)

Mega meh.

Country music is actually rather popular over in China. I actually don't know why that is.

Believe it or not... yodeling is very popular in Korea - as amazing as that might sound.

Country music is geographical. In Sweden, in the larger cities such as Stockholm, you hear country music sometimes and singers like Dolly Parton and such come every year and do quite well . We also have singers like Jill Johnson or Lasse Stefanz who sing country ( on tv she even hosts a show from her house in Nashville) and have done well. That is, if you are talking about typical American sounding country music. A country festival pops up now and again. As far as I know, there is not one radio station in Stockholm dedicated to country music but you find them on the net.

Dansband is a big type of music but bigger outside the larger cities. It sounds alot like country and has influences from it. Wherever this is popular, you probably would find that country music is popular.

Speaking about country, this is coming to us and a few other countries:

Country 2 Country :: ABOUT

I listened to at least a minute of every YouTube in this thread, none of them really were my thing but at least they weren't trying desperately to fit into some Nashville factory cookie-cutter idea of what style and substance they needed to comply, as if there was a producer with a checklist ticking off items "Truck...Dirt Road...Moonlight...Painted-On Jeans...check check check and check". At least Euro-Country (what I've heard here anyway) is it's own thing.

Can't speak for other parts of the world.

*edited to add: Batty's songs were American Folk Country

Euro country for Euro white trash.

Maybe so