4 Country Artists That Know How To Keep It Country (No 90s Country-Pop Here)

Don’t get me wrong, I love a 90s pop-country jam. There’s nothing like Shania Twain or a little Tim McGraw when you need a little pick-me-up. But if you’re in the mood to honky-tonk, there’s nothing like some good classic-sounding country. Here are four artists who stay true to those traditional country roots, even amidst changing trends.

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George Strait

It’s a hefty challenge to talk about traditional country artists without mentioning Strait. I almost didn’t include this guy because I wanted to be a little more original, but then I figured, he’s probably called the King of Country for a reason. Even when pop country music was the shiny hot thing during the 90s, Strait kept his cool, releasing music that kept us honky tonking through the decade.

Cody Johnson

A rodeo cowboy at heart, Cody Johnson is about as country as it gets. This neo-traditional Texas singer knows what it means to stay true to your roots. In an interview with Holler, Johnson touched on his experience watching country music evolve over the years.

“I grew up watching award shows, and things have changed,” he admitted. “I remember hearing the best of the best authentic country music. But now at 36, as an artist, it’s hard to watch how over the top the shows have become. I wish they could let it be what it’s supposed to be. When I was on an awards show earlier this year, I was thinking, ‘What the hell happened to my country music?’ But I walked up on that stage in a sport coat and a cowboy hat and sat down on a stool and played ‘Human’ and walked out. I was proud of that.”

Miranda Lambert

Although Lambert definitely got experimental with her sound back in the early days, her last couple of records—Palomino and Postcards From Texas are super country.

Even in 2011, Lambert reflected on the influence traditional country music has had on her personally, especially as a woman in the industry.

“To me, country music is about real life,” she told NPR, “the good and the bad. That’s why country started, and it was because of Hank Williams telling true stories. And I don’t see why a woman can’t tell the truth just as fast as a man can.”

Zach Top

Zach Top has a sound that’s reminiscent of the greats, but also a voice that’s all his own. In his opinion, traditional country is where it’s at.

“I feel like fans of country always find something new that comes along that’s a little different, a little wacky, and they go chase that,” he admitted to Whiskey Riff. “The industry goes and chases that for a while until it’s kind of played itself out. Then it always swings back to the traditional, what we’ve always known and loved to be country music.”

Photo by: John Shearer/Getty Images for ACM