I've been getting into country music lately, and I was hoping for any suggestions anyone might have. I'm looking for the toughest artists out there. Currently listening to= Hank Jr Joe Diffie Travis Tritt Tim McGraw Blake Shelton The King Chris Stapleton The Highwaymen (Nelson, Cash, Haggard, Kristopherson) Josh Turner Dwight Yoakam Reba Dolly Dierks Bentley Brooks and Dunn Brad Paisley Garth Help me out, and please let me know if there are any down n dirty, tough sounding country artists I'm missing out on.
Eric Church Your current list doesn't have a lot of tough sounding country artists. Hank Jr. is about the only one on your list that I would call tough sounding traditional.
Trace Adkins sings about Badonk-a-donk and tries to rap. Not traditional. Not good. But I will check out the others. Thank you. BTW, claiming Joe Diffie, Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley and Merle Haggard aren't tough sounding country singers is absolute nonsense. You're clearly not a musician.
No, I'm not a musician, but I've been listening to country music my whole life (50 years). I didn't see Merle Haggard on your list (the Highwaymen group is not hardcore country--Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson are in most of their stuff). Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley are great, but they aren't hardcore tough sounding country music singers. I missed seeing Joe Diffie, who is hardcore country. I like most of the folks on your list, they are mostly good artists, but most of them aren't tough, dark traditional country. Garth Brooks is the king of pop country.
