Country music, more so than many other genres, has a bad reputation, especially among the more “hip” crowds. The genre is frequently maligned by many people who enjoy other forms of music, from punks to metalheads to jazz enthusiasts, to classical music nerds and hip-hop Jedi, and even people who are simply fond of straight up rock and roll.

One big reason Country music is frequently maligned is that it’s often associated with the right wing, and sometimes the radical right. The mention of country music brings to mind, for many people, the image of MAGA people waving confederate flags. Another reason is that country music is looked down upon by so many is that their outlets tend to feature more mainstream, pop country acts, polished and produced country music meant for mass consumption, which many people find unpalpable. That focused promotion of more polished, mass media acts makes it more difficult for people to find the rough-around-the-edges and down home country acts that are working their way through the club circuit and through social media to find their fans.

The much more darker reason country oftentimes gets a bad rap is its association with the poor and working class. It’s basically the same reason Hip-hop is often maligned in other forums. Country music is strongly associated with poor working class white people, often characterized as “white trash.” (This despite country music being far from an exclusively white genre. So much for POC country musicians and fans, right?) This facet of the disdain for the genre is so even though many of the “country sucks” crowd do not realize that this point of class derision is where most of their own disdain comes from.

Another take is that country music is considered by many as “old fashioned”, which is a facet many country music aficionados would hold up as a positive. This is so even though the old fashioned characterization does not hurt the blues and folk genres the way it does country. The old times label is usually characterized as a positive in the blues and folk genre, invoking the kind of working class history and pride that should also apply to country music. (“White trash” strikes again!) Some acts that could be considered country try to qualify themselves as belonging to folk, bluegrass, or even rock and roll, sometimes to try and skirt the country music label, or at least water it down.

There are exceptions to the general disdain for this genre, usually with certain select individuals. Many people from all walks of life and musical tastes celebrate the works of Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, (Who brushes up with the folk music crowd,) and especially Johnny Cash. (Johnny Cash being sometimes referred to as “The original Goth.”) But they are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Country music has a myriad of origins, from European folk music to the blues and even African origins. (The banjo is based on an African instrument!) Country music and styles often strays into genres such as folk and rock and roll. Country’s music shares a symbiotic influence with those genres.

This genre also occupies a cultural milieu that leaves it open to derision and mockery from, not just the mainstream, but also from some alternative enclaves. Hip hip also gets a lot of the same treatment, often derided as a corrupt genre as seen through the lens of intense cultural racism as well as an acute dose of classism.

Much of country music speaks from the roots of the working class. A lot of country music pays homage to the poor and the working class. The classic song I’ll Fly Away speaks to the spiritual hope of those who suffer under the soul-crushing economic oppression that is ingrained into this country’s culture. Indeed, much of country music speaks to a class consciousness that is all too often missing from political and social discourse in the United States. Economic class as a social identity is sorely lacking in the US, and that’s a missing element that is doing more harm than good to this nation.

No musical genre exists in a vacuum. You talk to any enthusiast of any one particular genre of music and they will explain all of the various sub genres of that style. There are always bands and musicians and acts that cross the lines of categorization, so much so some acts are hard to define. (Fishbone is a good example. I’ve heard them defined as everything from rock to ska to punk and even some comparisons to certain forms of jazz. Don’t ask me to explain the jazz thing. It wasn’t mine!)

That’s why some acts that clearly have a country vibe can try and compare themselves to folk or bluegrass or even rock and roll. Even if those labels are sometimes bandied about to try and insulate an act from the “country” label, either in an attempt to distance itself from the genre’s reputation or to try to appeal to a wider audience, it’s not always inaccurate or illegitimate to do so.

Some people will still try and point to social issues with country music, pointing to its popularity with the right wing, focusing on performers and fans who are conservative or even skirt with the radical right. Those are valid points, but it certainly is not the only genre that has such complications. Punk and metal certainly have their own issues with white supremacist fans and bands, but very few point to that blemish in those genres as a reason to disdain the entire culture. Rock and roll and the blues have certainly had their fair share of controversy, especially in the realm of misogyny. Many acts of those genres make no bones about blatantly sexist attitudes and even practicing acutely misogynist lifestyles.

If you’re still not sold on the idea of country music, I would suggest you take the time to look around, try and find those bands that fly under the pop music radar, the ones that aren’t being promoted by mainstream music outlets. And look around at your own music. A lot of detractors of country music still listen to folk, to punk, to straight up rock and roll, and they can find a lot of bands and songs that they listen to touch base with this genre from time-to-time. From the multiple homages to Johnny cash to a reggae band playing a Kenny Rogers cover to folk and rock and roll musicians taking side roads that verge or land straight ahead on the country music genre.

And if all else fails, try to tell yourself that you don’t want to shout the chorus to country road.