from 1980-84, they were a lot of country crossover artists that hit the top 40 or the Hot 100. i can name some them from the top of my head: Kenny Rogers, Ann Murray, Ronnie Milsap, The late,great Eddie Rabbit, Johnny Lee, Don Williams, Dolly Parton, Sylvia, Terry Gibbs, John Anderson,Dottie West,Vince Gill(Pure Prairie League),Crystal Gayle, Mickey Gilley(remember Gilley's), Fred Knobloch, Willie Nelson, Emilylou Harris, Alabama, Rosanne Cash, Oak Ridge Boys, Juice Newton, T.G. Sheppard, Lee Greenwood, Deborah Allen, and Mac McAnally just to name a few. but by '84 Nashville record companies and the critics of Music Row started to complain about the overblown of country artists crossing over to pop and losing their country roots. so, almost all of the country artists stopped having hits on the pop charts until 1987 when the now-defunct country group Restless Heart stunned everyone when they hit #33 on the pop chart, #3 on the a.c. chart after hitting #1 on the country chart. they score 2 more hits in the 80's, "Why Does It Have To Be(Wrong Or Right)" and "New York(Hold Her Tight)". in the 90's they had 3 more hits, "'Til I Loved You", "When She Cries", & "Tell Me What You Dream". now if you hear anyone complaining about country crossing over to pop now, all you got to say is look back at the 80's or even further that the 40's to the 70's. those were magical times and they shouldn't be complaining about country losing its roots because they never have. why do you think they called it diversity? looked at the Billboard Hot 100 charts now and then tell me, who's complaining about country crossovers now? no one should. to anyone think that country has lost its roots,"GET OVER IT!!!" what do you think?

: from 1980-84, they were a lot of country
: crossover artists that hit the top 40 or the
: Hot 100. i can name some them from the top
: of my head: Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, Ronnie
: Milsap, The late,great Eddie Rabbit, Johnny
: Lee, Don Williams, Dolly Parton, Sylvia,
: Terry Gibbs, John Anderson,Dottie West,Vince
: Gill(Pure Prairie League),Crystal Gayle,
: Mickey Gilley(remember Gilley's), Fred
: Knobloch, Willie Nelson, Emilylou Harris,
: Alabama, Rosanne Cash, Oak Ridge Boys, Juice
: Newton, T.G. Sheppard, Lee Greenwood,
: Deborah Allen, and Mac McAnally just to name
: a few. but by '84 Nashville record companies
: and the critics of Music Row started to
: complain about the overblown of country
: artists crossing over to pop and losing
: their country roots. so, almost all of the
: country artists stopped having hits on the
: pop charts until 1987 when the now-defunct
: country group Restless Heart stunned
: everyone when they hit #33 on the pop chart,
: #3 on the a.c. chart after hitting #1 on the
: country chart. they score 2 more hits in the
: 80's, "Why Does It Have To Be(Wrong Or
: Right)" and "New York(Hold Her
: Tight)". in the 90's they had 3 more
: hits, "'Til I Loved You",
: "When She Cries", & "Tell
: Me What You Dream". now if you hear
: anyone complaining about country crossing
: over to pop now, all you got to say is look
: back at the 80's or even further that the
: 40's to the 70's. those were magical times
: and they shouldn't be complaining about
: country losing its roots because they never
: have. why do you think they called it
: diversity? looked at the Billboard Hot 100
: charts now and then tell me, who's
: complaining about country crossovers now? no
: one should. to anyone think that country has
: lost its roots,"GET OVER IT!!!"
: what do you think?

NOTE: That Restless Heart song i've forgot to mention was, "I'll Still Be Loving You". sorry about that.

Country music today's all sterile, manufactured junk like Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks. I can't stand to listen to any of it for more than a few seconds. Country music used to be cool back in the days of Johnny Cash and guys like that. Kid Rock even makes a reference to Johnny Cash in one of his recent songs. Today's country music just makes me sick.

: tell me, who's complaining about country crossovers now? no one should. to anyone think that country has lost its roots,"GET OVER IT!!!"
what do you think?

I think there is no reason to complain, because crossover hits bring in potential new fans to a particular artist/group. Many of the on-line music retailers I've visited have a section along the lines of "If you like *** try listening to ???" or "Other people who bought this CD also bought.....", leading to a wider appreciation in general, not to mention more fans/listener.

I have a few country crossover artists to add:
The Charlie Daniels Band, John Schneider, and Michael Martin Murphey.

(remember Gilley's), That would be a yes. I grew up less than a mile away from Gilley's (still live pretty close to where it was). When they were filming "Urban Cowboy" I was in Jr. High, I had to pass right in front of Gilley's to get to school. It burned down a few years back, it's just a slab now.

I like Restless Heart, "Bluest Eyes in Texas" from (1988) would be my favorite.

I loved the country hits of the early 80's like "Somebody's Knocking" by Terri Gibbs. It even made me flip over to my local country station and give the format a chance. I think it's good for the format to get people to listen to country, however I do have a beef with the current country radio's not playing anything older than Garth Brook's first album.

: I loved the country hits of the early 80's like
: "Somebody's Knocking" by Terri
: Gibbs. It even made me flip over to my local
: country station and give the format a
: chance. I think it's good for the format to
: get people to listen to country, however I
: do have a beef with the current country
: radio's not playing anything older than
: Garth Brook's first album.

I can certainly go along with that. I really got into country music back in the early 80's, but none of the country stations in my area play any of that old stuff. Earl Thomas Conley, Waylon Jennings, Don Williams, the Whites, John Conlee, Oak Ridge Boys, Eddie Rabbit ("Step By Step" is one of the greatest songs ever, not just country), Steve Wariner, Gene Watson... damn, that's got me feeling nostalgic!!

:I do have a beef with the current country radio's not playing anything older than Garth Brook's first album.

Up until a few months ago I would have totally agreed with this statement.

I live in Houston, we have 3 country stations. They all played the same crap over and over. Except for a 5 hour long oldies show every Sunday night. Now Saturday and Sunday. This same station KILT now (finally) mixes some old stuff in during the day.