Country Music Artists Who Don’t Get Played Anymore

I've been picking the songs we play on our show since the 1980s. And even the casual listener notices when they haven't heard a certain song or anything from a certain artist in a long time.

The radio business is a business of finding new stars, and they like for those stars to be younger because then the younger folks listening will download the music or stream it. That's how the money gets made these days. You don't go to the record stores like we did back in the day. Also, those who are streaming and downloading tend to be a younger age group. That's why you hear all of these new artists all of the time.

My argument with management has always been that if George Strait was holding a concert in Billings the same night as Parmalee, George would be the much bigger draw.

But Parmalee is selling downloads and streams, so that's what you hear.

The good news is that accessing forgotten artists and songs has never been easier to do. Hey Siri, play "That Damned Rock & Roll" by Eric Church and Izzy Hale. Boom. It comes up right away and I can even play it over my pickup's audio system, my smart TV, or Bluetooth speaker that I keep in my golf bag.

I can't imagine what it would have been like to be working at a radio station in Nashville where the artists had to come to your studio and do their songs live in your studio.

Anyway, if you are up a little after 5 each morning and tune us in, you might hear an old song or two that you recognize.