How American Idol Changed Country Music
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
- American Idol has given us huge country stars like Carrie Underwood, Scotty McCreery, and Kellie Pickler, and in today's video, I want to look at the impact that the singing competition has had on country music. This was a labor of love, and I hope you enjoy!
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Not gonna lie, guys, I LOVE this video. It's probably the hardest I've worked on an edit in the past year, so I hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane, too! I do a broad overview of the show first. Then starting at 3:15, I talk about the biggest country stars the show has produced. Starting at 14:20, I talk about the show's broader cultural impact. At 18:15, I offer my bonus hot takes about American Idol.
Thanks for taking your time and making quality. I appreciate it man!
Grady Smith thank you so much for speaking the truth of the idol machine that was and still is through the still popular contestants. There have been no Oscar/ Grammy winners to come from any of the other shows, I try to explain this to people all the time, but people are just always like THE VOICE THE VOICE THE VOICE. And yes it is a great tv show, but it will never be what idol is/was. I’m speaking from my very small experience in season 12 making it to the top 30.
th-cam.com/video/TbXZtU8R9Vc/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for giving me my biggest Grin of the week. I saw someone link to the video on Twitter, a video about Country music, not my cuppa, but mentioning Haley had me intrigued. Worth the watch, enjoyed the whole video, especially the end ;)
@@micahjohnson6719 Wow! I just watched the video you linked. You have an amazing voice! I hope you keep singing, Micah. You have a real talent. Much love.
blond3grl thank you so much and God bless you
I'm not even 30 and I have never felt so old as i did listening to you talking about Idol as though it belongs to a bygone era 😅
Lol my bad.
I’m 14 and this makes me feel old
It does though.
Same here lol!
Scotty mccreery is so underrated! I saw him when he opened for Rascal Flatts in 2015 and he was incredible! Great voice and a great performer!
Shae Barger yeah. I saw him at the Opry in 2014. (ironically Chris Janson also played that night). It’s been great to almost watch him grow up country from Feelin it (which he preformed live) to Five more minutes and This is it.
He's my favorite. I have seen him 3 times! I absolutely love him♥️
caseynm yeah. One of my personal favorites was The Trouble With Girls. It came out when I was in high school and I loved it.
I love these more video essay style videos. I'm sure they take more work, but they're always worth it.
Means a lot, thank you!!
I'm glad you brought up Danny Gokey & his country album (which IS a great one) then his CCM career (I've seen & helped on 2 of his concerts, he's an amazing talent). BTW, Phil Stacey ALSO did a Christian project after his minor country hit (but has disappeared since)....
Haley Reinhart's Bennie and the Jets performance was probably one of the greatest performances of all time. I remember watching it and will never forget it.
I love what she's been doing over at Post Modern Jukebox
I didnt even remember her until grady brought her up, cause I was little watching it in like elementary school when she was on but she was by far my favorite. For sure had the hots for her lol
Aaman Patel I totally agree, I still watch TH-cam videos of her cover to this day! Such a great cover.
Growing up in a foreign country, I would never have been exposed to country music if it weren't for idol. Not only did idol produced stars like Carrie & Scotty, it gives so much explosure for Country music with the Country Week, old and new. I'd never knew names like Johnny Cash, Reba, Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack and Martina McBride. And Yes Haley Reinhart have gave some of the best performances in Idol history.
reba"s voice is beyond words
Want real country ? Listen to Reba, George Strait and Alan Jackson !!!!!
Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum auditioned twice on American Idol but never made it past the preliminary rounds to see the judges. I'm happy she still managed to have success in country music.
She was in american idol?!
I’ll never forget calling back to back, for hours,- trying to get through the *busy signals*, just to VOTE!
Dang, that makes me feel ancient 😆
Great job, Grady. I can still remember Kelly Clarkson singing A Moment Like This after she won American Idol. She became overwhelmed with emotion and had to stop for a moment and compose herself in the middle of singing the song while the lyrics and her real life experience all came together at once. It was such a powerful, memorable moment. Do you remember that?
Sure do! That was when I hopped on the bandwagon. I only watched like the last 3 wks of the first season.
Kellys winning moment was america TV history. What a moment!! Kelly started this whole reality competition tv trend last decade
And just look at Kelly now! She's killin it with her music, her new talk show is a fan fave, plus I still She's touring?? And all the while, being a singlemother, going thru nasty divorce. Mad respect for this woman!!
#TeamKelly
Forever thankfull with American Idol for discover Carrie Underwood!!
I miss your reactions "Carrie Underwood Wednesday" (or whatever day it was lol).
Daughtry was probably my favorite artist from idol and Steven Tyler was a fun judge.
Let's also not forget that, I know this isn't a country artist. But, American Idol gave us Daughtry, one of my favorite rock bands and there has never been a time where I got tired of listening to their songs. Especially my favorite "No Surprise"!
American Idol is not the first TV show to make stars of people on a TV show singing competition, I'm old enough to remember Ed McMahon announcing Sawyer Brown as the winner of Star Search.
"Cassadee pope came from the voice"
*Scowls in Hey Monday fan
I was just going to mention that lol. I love Candles.
Riiiight??
"I Don't Wanna Dance" is on my running playlist
@@GradySmith you forgot one of the biggest star of The Voice in the recent years? Morgan Wallen.
@@christinafazeera740 yeah, I talked about it in my solo video on Morgan, so I think I felt like it had already been covered here, but yeah I guess it just slipped my mind!
This made me so nostalic! They used to show how hard the contestants were having to work... It really did seem like music boot camp!
We thank American Idol for Carrie Underwood.
Yes we do!!!
Awesome to see that you put Austin Michael's picture in here!
I was a 4 yr old watching scotty mccreery audition and telling my mom he was gonna win I'm now 13 and have seen him 3 times and bc of making posters got to meet him. I dont remember it I just remember shaking a lot and being told i was okay then leaving and crying he puts on a great show and I absolutely love him more than anything
Carrie Underwood the best to ever come from American idol.
Steven Sushi Kelly clarkson is better ...-Fight me
Kelly Clarkson holds that title.
Yes Carrie is the best
@@hiatusmode989 Carrie is way better Carrie still has a voice Kelly her voice changed when she gained weight now I like Kelly but I like Carrie more
Jazz Carrie Underwood fan What does voice have to do with weight??? Kelly never loses her voice,she is better than before...Technique wise,Carrie isnt anywhere near kelly....I love Carrie too but facts are facts
I ain't ashamed to say as a Guy from the Philippines, Scotty is who turned me to country, he lead me to Josh Turner, which lead me to toby keith rodney atkins, blake shelton and so on. I found this channel this year. It's been about a few yrs and I'm still falling in love with country music
The first season I watched was with Lauren and Scotty. It became my favorite show and Lauren became my favorite artist.
Totally agree with you about Elliott Yamin. He was my go-to guy that season, and I was crushed when he didn't win. But yeah...what a GREAT voice he has. And he's just a super-nice, down-to-earth guy too.
Thank you for recognizing Caleb Lee Hutchinson love his music too
"Laughed all the way to the bank"🤣🤣🤣
Great video! I haven’t watched idol in years but such a good trip down memory lane.
American Idol was definitely a family show tradition for my family. It was a show that everyone could sit down and watch and just enjoy. Hard pressed to find 100% family television now a days.
Really enjoyed the video, idk if you will see this but I really notice the amount of work you put into this and all your videos. It shows and I think you have a very professional quality to your videos and commentary! Keep up the great work!
interesting that Adam Lambert didn't even get a mention. Another example of someone who didn't win but it is a superstar. !
He is, but this is about American Idol contestants that released COUNTRY music. Kelly Clarkson has been featured on country songs.
I moved from where I grew up near Oakland, CA to Louisiana for graduate school in 2007. It was night and day. Everyone I knew at school, work and my apartment complex in Baton Rouge watched the show, religiously. I could tell you about 3 or 4 that did so in Bay Area. They would sit through two nights of it a week, with one show being just a series of "when we return" cliffhanger eliminations. I think country much benefited (sometimes not deservedly) because of the fact it had a strong South/Midwest following.
Season 5 was your favorite? Aaaa. Taylor Hicks? LOL
Taylor’s a unique performer and I get that people don’t like him. His on stage wackiness was strange to some, but imo, he honestly has an amazing voice. He’s got that southern charm when you meet him and he’s got a great passion for music.
All in all season 5’s top ten was stacked w talent; the best part being so many styles of music represented.
Thank you for mentioning Danielle Bradbery and Cassadee Pope! I think they need more attention!
Non American here. Country music caught my attention when I first heard Joshua Gracin singing on the 2nd season of American Idol. He was amazing, but not sure where he is atm.
Unfortunately Josh went through some really bad times. I can't remember the specifics but he was suffering from mental health issues. He was my favorite from S2.
He went through a divorce and has remarried. He is still releasing music that can be found in a Google search.
The big number of country AND Christian artists (Danny Gokey, late great Mandisa, Colton Dixon, Chris Daughtry to an extent, Carrie with her inspo & gospel material/projects, etc.) is SHOCKING!
I remember learning about new songs and downloading tons of music after Idol episodes as a kid. Can’t wait for new music from Caleb Lee hutchinson! He is staying true to himself and putting out great music.
Josh Gracin also had that awesome song 'I want to live' - that chorus and his delivery in that song is just awesome.
He is so underrated - I still listen to his music now. Brass Bed was 💯
Been watching Idol since the very beginning. The one that I remember liking from the very beginning of the season and still am a huge fan of is Scotty McCreery. A guy I felt connected with since I first heard him. Carrie Underwood was amazing and incredible, but Scotty was just so likable and resonated with the kind of country I liked. With that said, there are so many country artists from American Idol that have made some awesome music in the industry!
(Also, my favorite non-country singer is Caleb Johnson by far. Dude brought back classic rock with flair!)
I am with you! Scotty and Lauren are the only two I saw the audition and wanted to see win. I don't remember anyone else's auction. Stopped watching the year Carrie won because the person I liked got voted off and I didn't like any of the other singers.
I love American Idol. Leaving out the country conversation, this show has taught me so much about different types of music! Also, season 6 finalist Chris Sligh co-wrote the big Rascal Flatts hit "Here Comes Goodbye." I love what you said about how AI has placed an emphasis on the contestants rather than celebrity judges; that has always been my issue with "The Voice."
I agree - I also love Kara DioGuardi and I always agreed with her. More recently, forever grateful that she played a role in Ingrid Andress' career.
Now that Katy Perry is a judge, the emphasis is on the judges. I should say that she tries her hardest to steal the spotlight from the contestants and from the other judges.
Scotty McCreery has always been one of my favorite country singers, 5 more minutes is such a deep and meaningful song to me, I lost my dad and grandpa and a few other people who I wish I could have 5 more minutes with, country music as a whole is just completely incredible and truly hits home for a lot of people. Love this video shinning light on some singers from Idol who are incredible artists and people in general
Damn has it really been that long since Carrie was on AI? When I was a kid I remember watching "You Can Be a Star" on TNN (The Nashville Network) and my mom watched Sawyer Brown on "Star Search."
Bucky is so underrated and so good I'll walk and probably won't have to be my 2 favorites of his while I like his cover Commodores Sail On and Nicklebacks Never gonna be alone
I have seen him in concert a couple of times. He puts on a great, fun, energetic show. Hope to see him again. When I saw him his brother Rocky was also part of the band.
Really been enjoying your videos. My Uncle finished 2nd to Chris Young on Nashville Star. Casey Rivers. He went to high school with Miranda Lambert
I came from China and I started watching the American Idol back when I was in college online. The first season I watched was Season 4 and kept watching till maybe like season 10, a bit of here and there afterwards. It could be some random reality show that I watched out of my dorm days but man this one is special. It introduced me to the one and only Carrie Underwood but more importantly got me into Country Music, the only genre that I listen heavily till now. And finally got me here to your channel like 3 years ago. It’s been 15 years since then and it’s amazing how one show has this much significance on my life. So thank you for walking me down the memory lane, it’s a good one. Keep it coming Grady.
Brooke White performed "Let it Be" by The Beatles and it's my all time favorite performance from American Idol. I wish she had more of a mainstream career but following her journey of motherhood and artistry on instagram is super fun. I just remember how awesome that cover was.
Season 7 had so much amazing talent. David Cook, David Archuleta, Brooke, Carly, Michael Johns! By far my favorite.
@@carpelucem I agree!!!
Loved this video Grady. I was saying to someone recently that Idol has turned out far far more than any other reality show. And some have really stood the test of time. Just like theirs...Your hard work is noticed!
I know Pickler. She's a real life sweatheart!
I've never had the pleasure of meeting Kellie Pickler, but she just comes across as one of the most genuine, nicest, sweetest, darling people ever. I can't imagine anyone not just loving her as a person if they met her. If she's anything in real life like she is on TV and someone told me they met her and didn't like her... I would probably not want anything to do with that person. lol. She's just a little ball of light in an ugly dark world.
Thats how I got into country music in the first place! Being from outside of the U.S., I didnt know anything about country music, but I would watch every competition show, and Carrie was always in American Idol to promote her singles, so she became the first country artist I listened to as a teenager
This introduced me to Brooke White, and I'm hooked. 🌴
Yeah ive heard of it, it gave us the queen herself - Carrie Underwood
Damn Right It Did
Carrie isn't the queen...
Amazing video and edit 🙌🏼 your hard work shows
absolutely LOVED THIS VIDEO!!! love this analysis you should do more like this!
Skyler Lane was awesome! Never forgot she singing gunpowder and lead. God bless that girl wherever she is now
I believe a lot of why the other shows don't produce many stars was American Idol's original purpose was to get people on a specific music label which would then pour a lot of promotion money to back them. The other shows award people with some money or a few hours at a recording studio and that's it.
The show served as the promotion. Kelly appeared when record sales were at their peak compared to following seasons and Carrie appeared when the Idol audience was at its peak.
Great video Grady! The editing was on point!
My favorite is when they don’t win but they make it bigger than the winners
Loved this video. Totally nostalgic, reminded me of a few names I hadn’t heard in years!!
Awesome video, Grady! This took me down memory lane as well. I grew up on American Idol. I remember what a phenomenon it was. Everybody watched it and talked about it. I can't believe it's been so long since it premiered!
This video was very well done. The only season I ever watched was while I was living in a camper in Arizona, but according to Grady, it was the best season ever.
What a great video! Took me back to a lot of great memories watching Idol growing up. What an incredible impact American Idol on so many aspects of our lives.
Thank you so much for this video! Idol was a massive part of my life -- I spent so many hours in my childhood calling to vote, back when AT&T was still Cingular Wireless. Lol. There are so many artists this show has produced who have made really cool music that people don't talk about. I freaked out when you mentioned Bucky's "I'll Walk" in an earlier video. Like, who even knows that song?! I really enjoyed this walk down Idol Memory Lane.
Bucky Covington came to play at my hometown twice. I was a big fan of his when I was younger. Criminally underrated
Great overview of the show, I love it
This video is amazing. As a longtime American Idol fan, you really hit the nail on the head on why this show is special.
Grady this was an awesome video, the work you put in really showed and I enjoyed every bit of it. I think you (personally) could probably make another 5 videos about American Idol itself lol keep doing your thing man, video essays are your jam and you crush it every time.
Great job, as a life long American Idol fan this is so nicely done. Bravo👏🏻👏🏻
i love how maren was rejected from like all shows and yet shes still HUGEEE
This video was such a joy to watch, I grew up on American Idol and can remember calling in to vote in the season 5 finale because I loved Katherine McPhee so much! I'm amazed my all the clips and photos you included, really made it such a trip down memory lane.
I really like this video. I think this is one of the best you’ve ever done. Even though I haven’t watched American Idol for many years it’s amazing to find out that the artists I like are from that show. I usually find out by the dj on the radio or from you after watching this video. Very informative. Love this.
Man we were even following American Idol down here in NZ.
I love Grady even more for putting out an American Idol video. Definitely one of my favorite shows and a cultural phenomenon. Shout out to RVA!
No one:
Grady: Lauren’s got PIpes
Lauren Alaina should be as big as Carrie Underwood
I sort of remember she slid off the stairs. Damn, that could make to AFV!
Another great and very creative concept for a video 👌🏼
My childhood! This video made me feel so nostalgic. I was only in elementary school when idol was at its peak, but my entire class (including teacher) would have a class session every week to talk about the show and who our favorites were. My family went to a huge neighborhood party to watch/ celebrate Carrie's win (it was pretty expected). I was in third grade and my friends and I all made posters even (idk why exactly other than excitement) 😆
I loved this video! I have watched idol from the beginning! Thank you♥️
Awesome video Grady, down here in Australia we got (and still get American Idol) and for me it was always supremely better than our own Australian version and the reason I felt that way was because of all the great Country styled artists the show produced (along with the Kelly Clarksons, Jennifer Hudsons, etc). It really is a shame that so many of those talented artists werent able to sustain the chart careers, but they were and are all great. Love your videos, your knowledge, your articulation, your passion, your sincerity, your fairness and honesty and your commitment to flying the flag for true country music, whether it be a big mainstream artist or a struggling independent ... if it sounds like country, if it sounds authentic and sincere you endorse it and that is awesome. Love all your videos and this was one of the best.
I've quite enjoyed this season of American Idol so far. There's some amazing talent on display throughout!
I feel like you put in a lot of work for this video. Well done, very well done.
Back in the 70’s my cousin Tom T Hall said Pop Goes the Country and today you can say the same about American Idols has brought Pop Country back to the for front
Subtle name drop is subtle
In all seriousness though... I love Tom T Hall.
American idol introduced me to country music when I was 12 and scotty mccreery was on. I liked his voice so I followed him to the genre and got introduced to many other country artists and now I mainly listen to country
Totally agree, Season 5 was the best! I remember going to school and talking with my classmates about our favorite contestants.
Thank you for this. I have to say, I remember watching the first 10 seasons, etc. LOVED Carrie from day one. Thanks for the memories!
Grady once again I immensely enjoyed this video. It wasn't only a walk down memory lane but reminded me of why I used to love American i idle.
This video is very well done and states the facts and also puts into words what I have always thought and felt about Idol in comparison to the other singing shows. Idol has been the only legit talent show catalyst to a professional career in the music industry. People claim how much better The Voice is over Idol. But Idol paved the way for every other singing show after it. The Voice pales in comparison to the number of mega stars they've produced to Idol. The Voice is a show that puts more emphasis on the celebrity coaches than the singers themselves. I never cared for the format of the Voice, where we hear them sing the song 4 or 5 times being coached and rehearsing before they actually sing it for the audience. It's too hard to keep track of the contestants that bounce around from coach to coach... well they were on this team, then they were on that team, and yada yada yada. And how they cram multiple seasons per year at is overwhelming. I have always enjoyed Idol - 1 season per year. I don't think it will ever be what it was. In the early years it was something that was ground breaking. something new for the country to participate in. But the nostalgia and camaraderie has worn off. The repetitiveness has gotten old, even though ABC has made the attempted to breathe new life into it. It's faster paced, once they go to live shows. It's not as drawn out and long as it's preceding seasons on Fox.
Grady you brought back a whole bunch of memories for me. Yes Haley Reinhart! I still look forward to hearing new music from her. She still puts out great material. I forgot completely about Elliott! This was my favorite of all your videos and I love them all. Thanks man 🙏
I'm from Brazil and I was introduced to country music thanks to Lauren Alaina... We don't really listen to country music here and I only knew a couple of Taylor Swift songs and that was basically it. Then, I started watching American Idol season 10 and Lauren was my favorite. But not only I loved her, I started listening to the original versions of the songs she was singing (Flat On the Floor, Any Man of Mine...) and that introduced me to this whole new genre to me that I had no idea I'd like this much. Now Lauren has solidified herself as my favorite singer but I listen to a lot of different country artists as well :) so thanks American Idol! great video.
europeans love country music.
Omg ELLIOTT YAMIN! I totally forgot about him!
Dang Season 5 really was the best.
And Mandisa (RIP) ALSO came from Season 5 as well, plus Daughtry....
I love your reflection on American idol...good outlook
Great Video Grady
Hearing just how huge American Idol was back in the day compared to today's shows is crazy
this was so great. thank you.
You should talk about all country the voice winners/contestants!!!
I love your pick for top 3 favorites. Those were my top 3 as well. I would also add Melinda Doolittle as a good one.
Great video! You can see the work you put into it and it's a nostalgic walk for me, for sure! Big David Cook fan myself! Though he hasn't been quite the superstar like others, he has made a name for himself in the songwriting area. Most notably (and most relevant to this video) he co-wrote "Kiss you tonight" by David Nail! ☺️
This is such a great video! I used to watch American Idol with my grandmother and it was fun to relive some of it here. I totally agree that Kara DioGuardi was underrated-- I loved her!
Josh Gracin was/is my favorite off the show. Hes kinda doing his own thing right now. He went through some mental issues and a divorce. Hes remarried now and has a newborn baby. You should really check his version of "Mercy" on his TH-cam channel. Its awesome!
We Kansas Citians are very proud of David Cook even though he never really broke out onto the music scene after winning. Another great video as usual Grady!
But it's 13 years after he was on the show, and he's still making a very good living putting out music. His latest EP was released last month called The Looking Glass. His performances on Broadway (in between touring) were terrific as well.
Haley Reinhart is seriously amazing! I listen to her House of The Rising Sun cover almost weekly. She’s doing great over at Postmodern Julebox! Her Creep cover is 👌🏻
Loving your videos 😌
Fun walk down memory lane of American Idol!
i really enjoyed this video! i was pretty young when idol was a thing, and my family never really watched it. so i was like genuinely surprised how many names i recognized. i didnt know how many country stars it pumped out.
these videos on like, country music "history" (lmao its not that old) are really neat and i think it'd be cool if you'd do a video on 9/11 and the war on terror's impact on the country scene. i saw like a SINGLE post about it and it sparked an interest. im sure it'd be... challenging, with the delicate subject matter. but i'd definitely be interested to see what you dig up.
Amazing choices for your Top 3 Idol contestants! I love Haley, Elliott and David Cook so much!!!
Great video. I learned a lot.