Garth Brooks has had a profound, inarguable, and lasting impact on country music. He is one of the true standouts of the modern genre. In terms of consistent mass popularity and excellence, Brooks remains in a lane by himself. Per the Country Music Hall of Fame web site, he can legitimately be credited with many significant advancements in country music.
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For example, Brooks' robust personality elevated media interest in the genre. He was instrumental in lifting country music concerts onto a par with major shows rooted in other types of music in terms of "ticket sales and excitement." And he made country more "mainstream" as opposed to being an entertainment scene outlier. These are four Garth Brooks songs that contributed to those and other desirable ends.
"The Thunder Rolls"
The thunder sure did roll - and a polarizing controversy rumbled around this song from Brooks' 1990 album No Fences. He co-wrote it. Per Wide Open Country, the video for this track about domestic violence sent out huge shock waves. It depicts an abused wife who, having gotten to the end of her rope, shoots her husband. Brooks even donned a get-up that featured "a fake beard, glasses, and a wig" to play the vile spouse. He is unrecognizable.
Unable to get past the violent content of the video, CMT declined to air it. Per the outlet via Entertainment Weekly, supportive radio stations campaigned in favor of it. Women's shelters also got on the bandwagon for the song. Whatever you thought of it, Brooks succeeded. He shined a very bright light on the muscle that country music could wield to deliver a message.
"Friends in Low Places"
People love this track. Per Wide Open Country, it's "one of the greatest songs in country music." A big part of its popularity rested with its authentic depiction of a lively throng at a local watering hole. Many can identify with that kind of buzzy, small-town atmosphere. "You can even hear somebody crack open a beer into the microphone,..." Everybody is hoisting a brew or two, there might be twangy music on tap, and the dress code is cowboy casual. It was Brooks' version of an eternal anthem for the regular guy and gal. It proved how relatable the best country music should be.
"The Dance"
This song nabbed two major ACM awards and is considered "one of the songs people think of when they think of great country music of the 90s," per American Songwriter. The singer talked about the two-fold implications of this track.
Brooks said, "To a lot of people, I guess 'The Dance' is a love gone bad song. Which, you know, that it is. But to me, it's always been a song about life. Or maybe the loss of those people that have given the ultimate sacrifice for a dream that they believed in, like the John F. Kennedys or the Martin Luther Kings. John Waynes or the Keith Whitleys."
"The Dance" proves that country can be about small-scale heartbreak as well as monumental loss and tragedy.
"Unanswered Prayers"
If country music teaches relatable lessons about life, this song has to come in near the top of the list. Per Holler, Brooks ran into a long-ago flame when he was with his current spouse. He realized how grateful he was for her rather than aching for an idealized past that never was. He explained, "Every time I sing this song, it teaches me the same lesson...happiness isn't getting what you want, it is wanting what you've got." Amen!
