Everybody seems to be going country these days. And it isn’t a new phenomenon. Lots of rock, pop, folk, blues, and other musicians have ditched their genres to make the switch to country music. These four artists either took a temporary break to make a country album or two, or switched sides completely to become certified country musicians. Let’s take a look!
Videos by American Songwriter
1. Elvis Costello
English artist Elvis Costello is mainly associated with new wave music, particularly for his work in the 1970s. However, Costello became interested in country music in the early 1980s and decided to try his hand at the genre. The result was the Nashville-produced Almost Blue in 1981. The album features a number of covers of famous country music songs.
2. Van Morrison
Singer/songwriter Van Morrison is no stranger to experimentation. He’s produced music in a number of different genres, from jazz to rock and roll. Back in 2006, Morrison decided to dive headfirst into country music with the album Pay The Devil.
3. Elle King
Some might know Elle King as the voice behind the earworm hit “Exes And Ohs” from 2015. Now, her fans know her as a country singer. Her duet with Dierks Bentley on “Different For Girls” was a pretty big hit in 2016, as was her work with Miranda Lambert on “Drunk (And I Don’t Want To Go Home)” in 2021.
4. Aaron Lewis
When it comes to musicians who ditched their genres to make country music, this one is particularly interesting. It’s pretty unusual to see a well-known metalhead make the transition to country music. That’s what Staind’s Aaron Lewis did after a career in metal throughout the 1990s. Lewis has released several EPs and studio albums in the country genre since 2010.
Photo by David Redfern
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