What Modern Songwriters Can Learn From George Strait’s Refusal To Chase Trends

George Strait is often referred to as “The King of Country”, and there’s a reason for that. After over 50 years in the music business, the singer has found a way to remain relevant without reinventing himself or chasing the popular sound of the moment. Ever since he started honky-tonking in the 70s, Strait’s sound has stayed on our radar and stuck in our heads. His secret to success? We’re still trying to figure it out.

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In 1981, Strait found himself thrust into the country spotlight pretty rapidly after the release of “Unwound”, his first single with MCA Records.

In the late 70s, Dolly Parton had made a crossover into pop music with “Here You Come Again”, and plenty of other artists were starting to gear in that direction. For a solo newbie like Strait to top the charts more than fifteen times during the 80s with his traditional country sound, well, it was impressive to say the least.

In a 1982 interview, Dave Scott, who’d helped book Strait at the time, expressed surprise at his success.

“In the last few months, every one of his songs has been No. 1,” Scott shared. “George is a very popular artist, but we didn’t know he would be this popular when we booked him. But apparently, he is more popular than we thought he was.”

Even when artists like Shania Twain and Garth Brooks made pop-country mainstream in the 90s, Strait stayed the course. With hits like “Love Without End, Amen,” which became the first single to top the Hot Country Songs Chart since “Here You Come Again”, he showed audiences that he was here to stay. Not only that, but he was going to do things the George Strait way.

How Has George Strait Stayed Relevant After All This Time?

Surely, there must be some sort of magic advice Strait can give to those songwriters who are trying to stay as relevant as he has.

Well, as he told Billboard in 2013, he’s not exactly sure what has kept him going strong, but having an identity outside of music doesn’t hurt.

“It’s hard to say why I’ve had the longevity that I’ve had,” Strait admitted. “I’ve definitely been conscious of overexposure, though. I don’t do everything that presents itself. I don’t do a lot of TV. I’ve never let the music business be the only thing in my life. There are other things that I love to do as well.” The country icon then went on to describe the things he enjoys outside of music, like being in nature, golfing, fishing, and hunting.

As far as the songs go, Strait does give himself credit for being able to pick the ones that suit him best.

“I’ve always said that it’s hard to put my finger on what it is exactly that tells me that a song is right for me,” Strait shared. “But it comes down to the melody first. You can have a really well-written song, but without a great melody it’s probably not going to go too far.”

In 2024, Strait took home the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award from the CMAs, an honor awarded to “an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in country music.” Looking at the past five decades, it’s hard to find a time when George Strait wasn’t one of the most revered voices in country.

Ultimately, it seems like that’s a testament to Strait, who’s always been the best at one thing: being himself.

Photo by: Paul Natkin/Getty Images