How and why is Garth Brooks the second best selling music artist in the USA?

[WildRanger]

After The Beatles Garth Brooks is the second best selling music artist in the USA, where he has sold 150 million albums. So it means he was enormously commercially successful. I don't mind him and I haven't even heard more than three or four of his songs, but this is very surprising to me.
How and why? Your opinions?

[MirrorMask]

He probably sold more records than anyone else beside the Beatles.

[WildRanger]

He probably sold more records than anyone else beside the Beatles.

That applies only to (North) America. The rest of the world don't even have a clue who Garth Brook is.

[Adami]

Because many people like him?

[romdrums]

He's got a lot of friends in low places.

[emtee]

Because many people like him?

Bingo.

No further discussion needed.

[TAC]

He's pretty much responsible for the blowup of the country crossover scene, which is huge today. He made it relatable to people that didn't like country music. With Garth Brooks, suddenly suburbia, and all their money, listened to country music.

[WildRanger]

Because many people like him?

Yep, I suppose that's true. But to be the second best selling music artist while there is a ton of other popular music artists?

[King Postwhore]

He's pretty much responsible for the blowup of the country crossover scene, which is huge today. He made it relatable to people that didn't like country music. With Garth Brooks, suddenly suburbia, and all their money, listened to country music.

You mean chicks.

Because many people like him?

Yep, I suppose that's true. But to be the second best selling music artist while there is a ton of other popular music artists?

Country music is absolutely huge.  For someone like me who doesn't like it, it's hard to understand why it's so popular because we don't follow any aspect of it.

[HOF]

I don’t think people realize how popular country music is now and was especially in the 90s. My family took a good number of cross country trips growing up, and there were almost always more country radio stations in any given place than rock stations. At least in “flyover country” as it were. Then you get someone like Brooks who was a great entertainer with a huge stadium show, and he was able to pull in a chunk of non-country fans too I imagine.

[Adami]

Yea. This forum likely focuses on the upper east coast and west coast of America. But most of America isn’t super represented here or in the prog community and a lot of them love country.

[TAC]

Upper East Coast representing!

[goo-goo]

There's a Netflix documentary on Garth. They even show highlights of the tour in the UK and it was packed. That's how big Garth is. He is also big in other parts of the world.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81283911

Check it out. It's an interesting watch, that's for sure.

[WilliamMunny]

Because many people like him?

Yep, I suppose that's true. But to be the second best selling music artist while there is a ton of other popular music artists?

Yeah, I mean, isn't the answer painfully obvious? Whether or not 'you' like it, get it, understand it, or any other iteration of the like, the fact remains that the numbers don't lie—Garth Brooks was a MAJOR crossover artist who's appeal is reflected in his album sales.

I know a handful of songs (am not a country fan by a long shot), but as someone who ran a record store for a decade, I can assure you that Country and Hip Hop dwarf Rock/Metal in every measurable way. Makes total sense to me.

[T-ski]

He's got a lot of friends in low places.

This is the only response.

[WildRanger]

Yea. This forum likely focuses on the upper east coast and west coast of America. But most of America isn’t super represented here or in the prog community and a lot of them love country.

So country music is much more popular in RURAL America than URBAN America? Rock music is much more popular in urban America than rural?
It makes sense.

[Adami]

Yea. This forum likely focuses on the upper east coast and west coast of America. But most of America isn’t super represented here or in the prog community and a lot of them love country.

So country music is much more popular in RURAL America than URBAN America? Rock music is much more popular in urban America than rural?
It makes sense.

What? No. Country is popular in both rural and urban America. Are you under the impression that everything in America outside of the North East and California is rural?

[WildRanger]

Yea. This forum likely focuses on the upper east coast and west coast of America. But most of America isn’t super represented here or in the prog community and a lot of them love country.

So country music is much more popular in RURAL America than URBAN America? Rock music is much more popular in urban America than rural?
It makes sense.

What? No. Country is popular in both rural and urban America.

Is country more popular than rock in urban America? I doubt it.

[DragonAttack]

Never heard of Garth Brook.

[Lonk]

Yea. This forum likely focuses on the upper east coast and west coast of America. But most of America isn’t super represented here or in the prog community and a lot of them love country.

So country music is much more popular in RURAL America than URBAN America? Rock music is much more popular in urban America than rural?
It makes sense.

What? No. Country is popular in both rural and urban America.

Is country more popular than rock in urban America? I doubt it.

You can doubt it all you want, doesn't mean is not true.

[Stadler]

He probably sold more records than anyone else beside the Beatles.

That applies only to (North) America. The rest of the world don't even have a clue who Garth Brook is.

Not true; he sold out multiple nights in Dublin in a matter of hours.   The shows were later cancelled because of zoning board issues, but still.  If memory serves, he's big in Australia as well.

Any regional "lack" of popularity is as much a function of the genre - American country music - than it is him.  I have ZERO doubt that if he wanted to, he could be a massive rock star, metal star, etc.

Having said that, SOME of his sales success is marketing.  He's played the game magnificently.   His first box set was his first six studio records repackaged with one bonus track each; each sale of that box set counted as SIX records, AND counted as another for each of the individual records.  His second box set was a similar package, starting with his seventh album ("Sevens") and the double live set.  Then he put a box set with I think four CDs of cover tunes - rock, country, etc. - modeled after his Vegas residency, and repackaged in his greatest hits CD.   So every sale of that box counted as 7 disks (there was a DVD too) AND his greatest hits rang up numbers as well.

Notwithstanding that gamesmanship, I love the guy.  He's more or less sincere, he's very talented (I've seen him live twice and both times were killer), and he makes music that people like.  Not sure there's more we can ask from our artists.

[Adami]

Yea. This forum likely focuses on the upper east coast and west coast of America. But most of America isn’t super represented here or in the prog community and a lot of them love country.

So country music is much more popular in RURAL America than URBAN America? Rock music is much more popular in urban America than rural?
It makes sense.

What? No. Country is popular in both rural and urban America.

Is country more popular than rock in urban America? I doubt it.

Depends which city. Nashville? Definitely. New York? Maybe not. Not sure why it matters. Are you competing with country for popularity?

[cramx3]

Yea. This forum likely focuses on the upper east coast and west coast of America. But most of America isn’t super represented here or in the prog community and a lot of them love country.

Not sure location has much to do with anything besides this being a prog community so we obviously aren't going to generally be a group of country fans.

Here in NJ, the country concerts are the biggest sellers.  It's extremely popular.

And that's the answer to the OP, country music is extremely popular.

I actually want to check out one of the big country shows one day just to experience it

[Stadler]

Upper East Coast representing!

BOOM!




Country is massive.  I go to a lot of shows, generally.  Most of the rock/metal/prog shows I see now are in theaters - 3 to 5,000 - or clubs - 750 to 3,000.   I go to a number of shows with my wife, and almost all of them are country, and all of them are at the 10k arenas and amphitheaters.  I've seen Luke Bryan and Keith Urban individually headline the same venue as Kiss and Maiden, and arguably there were more people at the former.   It's also a different crowd; Maiden was 80% men, and the women that were there were with the men.  The Keith Urban shows I've been at (I've seen him four times) are roughly 50-50, and are couples, families, girl's nights out, guy's nights out, etc.   My wife goes to very few shows on her own, but she has a friend that... let's say knows someone in the Patriots organization, and gets tickets to the stadium shows up at Gillette; and every year she goes to see Keith Urban and/or Kenny Chesney in the stadium. 

[Anguyen92]

I actually want to check out one of the big country shows one day just to experience it

Try to check out Zac Brown Band.  Saw them in Irvine, CA in 2019.  They are great.  They have like four guys harmonizing at once at times.  They also do classic rock covers as well and do them well.

[Adami]

Yea. This forum likely focuses on the upper east coast and west coast of America. But most of America isn’t super represented here or in the prog community and a lot of them love country.

Not sure location has much to do with anything besides this being a prog community so we obviously aren't going to generally be a group of country fans.

Here in NJ, the country concerts are the biggest sellers.  It's extremely popular.

And that's the answer to the OP, country music is extremely popular.

I actually want to check out one of the big country shows one day just to experience it

That’s fair. I guess I was equating location to culture.

[hefdaddy42]

He puts on a hell of a show.  His show is a straight up rock show.

He has a ton of charisma, and he has "it" that allows him the ability to choose and write songs with great hooks and lyrics that many people find relatable.  And then when you see him live, he fucking brings it and makes everyone in the arena feel like his special guest.

[Stadler]

Yea. This forum likely focuses on the upper east coast and west coast of America. But most of America isn’t super represented here or in the prog community and a lot of them love country.

Not sure location has much to do with anything besides this being a prog community so we obviously aren't going to generally be a group of country fans.

Here in NJ, the country concerts are the biggest sellers.  It's extremely popular.

And that's the answer to the OP, country music is extremely popular.

I actually want to check out one of the big country shows one day just to experience it

Go see Keith Urban; I'm not guaranteeing you'll love it, but it's got everything one might want in a live show:  decent songs, he's a hell of a guitar player, his band is good, he's got enough of a stage show to be interesting (it's not Maiden, though) and he does a little thing in the middle where he will talk to the crowd, read the signs, and sometimes pull someone up on stage.  It's a fun show, and if you're looking for a night out with your partner, you could do a LOT worse. 

[hefdaddy42]

I actually want to check out one of the big country shows one day just to experience it

Try to check out Zac Brown Band.  Saw them in Irvine, CA in 2019.  They are great.  They have like four guys harmonizing at once at times.  They also do classic rock covers as well and do them well.

Yep, I like the Zac Brown Band.

I would LOVE to see Chris Stapleton live.

[pg1067]

My opinions:  Don't have any; don't listen to country music, but I can easily answer your "how" and "why" questions:

HOW:  He released music.

WHY:  Lots of people like his music.

[Stadler]

He puts on a hell of a show.  His show is a straight up rock show.

He has a ton of charisma, and he has "it" that allows him the ability to choose and write songs with great hooks and lyrics that many people find relatable.  And then when you see him live, he fucking brings it and makes everyone in the arena feel like his special guest.

Gotta repeat this.  He's the real deal live.

I saw him in Boston at the Fleet Center (TD Garden, now), and at one point, he sat down on the edge of the stage and played... American Band by Grand Funk, and Against The Wind by Bob Seger, just him and an acoustic.   The capacity of that building for a concert is somewhere north of 19,000 and you could hear a PIN drop.   He kept 20k people rapt with just his voice and a guitar.   Your mileage may vary, but that to me is a star.

[Stadler]

I would LOVE to see Chris Stapleton live.

Interesting; I'm a huge country fan, but he does nothing for me.  I feel like I've heard it all before on the first four Allman Brothers records.   Plus his "Maggie's Song" is basically a Faces/Rod Stewart The Band/"Cripple Creek" rehash. 

[cramx3]

This summer coming to the amphitheater near my house...

Luke Bryan
Zac Brown Band
Jason Aldean
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton

Now that I look, it's like if there was one genre that had the most concerts at this venue (the biggest I believe in capacity in NJ) are country shows.

Maybe I'll take up some of your suggestions...

[Stadler]

This summer coming to the amphitheater near my house...

Luke Bryan
Zac Brown Band
Jason Aldean
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton

Now that I look, it's like if there was one genre that had the most concerts at this venue (the biggest I believe in capacity in NJ) are country shows.

Maybe I'll take up some of your suggestions...

Of that list, I'd go see Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan (that guy can sing, and the crowd will be to your liking).   I think generally, you'd get support for Zac Brown and Chris Stapleton.  Thomas Rhett is a bit too "bro-country" or "country pop" for me.

[cramx3]

This summer coming to the amphitheater near my house...

Luke Bryan
Zac Brown Band
Jason Aldean
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton

Now that I look, it's like if there was one genre that had the most concerts at this venue (the biggest I believe in capacity in NJ) are country shows.

Maybe I'll take up some of your suggestions...

Of that list, I'd go see Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan (that guy can sing, and the crowd will be to your liking).   I think generally, you'd get support for Zac Brown and Chris Stapleton.  Thomas Rhett is a bit too "bro-country" or "country pop" for me.

Looking further... Luke Bryan is already almost sold out and the lawn tickets are $95 after fees.  This is my hold back, as prices are just a bit high for something that's more of an experiment.  But also shows just how extremely popular this genre is.