Everyone was influenced by Elvis Presley at some point. Well, more accurately, they were influenced by Chuck Berry indirectly because Elvis was influenced by him. Regardless, the King of Rock and Roll helped lay the foundation of how we understand modern pop music. His husky, southern voice swooned all the ladies and made every country boy want to put on a jumpsuit. Additionally, Presley was omnipresent on TV, inspiring lots of country artists to try their hand at what he did effortlessly. This was the near death experience of the genre, according to Chet Atkins.
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In a 1974 interview with the New York Times, Atkins outlined country music and its many arcs throughout history. There, he notes that TV fundamentally changed how artists in Nashville operated. "Since TV, songs don't stay hits as long as they once did. Hank Williams' songs, used to be on the charts for months and months. But that doesn't happen any more," Chet explains.
Additionally, he cites Elvis as a big shift in country, artists desperately trying to live up to his success. This, according to Atkins, nearly massacred the genre until it eventually swung in the other direction.
Chet Atkins Argues TV and Elvis Nearly Killed Country Music
"After Elvis Presley came along, all the country artists wanted to make pop hits. Presley almost killed country music. Every country boy thought, 'I've got to make pop records with those triplets'—those little piano trills that were played behind every rock 'n' roll singer then," Chet argues.
Inevitably, the pendulum shifted too; rock artists tried to pivot to country when following in Elvis' footsteps didn't work out. However, Atkins says you can't just waltz in the genre and expect a welcome reaction. "To sing country you've got to be a country act to begin with," Chet continues. "Although you can grow up in the city and still be a real country singer. John Prine is from Chicago but he's the countriest?son?of?a gun I ever heard. But, he appeals to the intellectual pop audience, not to the guy who runs the gas station. The gas station attendant, the farmer, the trucker, the average bluecollar worker is the country music audience. They don't want to analyze lyrics. Just hit 'em in the face with it."
At the end of the day, Chet is right. Country has always been about authenticity. As much as the genre has become "more refitted in recent years," it's all about real life experiences. Only then will fans respect the artist.
