I've been on a country kick lately, which is driving my girlfriend BATTY, but you see growing up on a farm and all, and doing chores with my dad and grandpa, we listened to OLD TIME country. There were a couple AM stations that played it when I was a little boy (80's)... So we'd hear, Buck, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb, Don Williams, Paycheck, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, etc. I remember when Dwight Yoakam came out and dad and I were both sad, because grandpa wasn't around to hear him, and his Bakersfield sound.
I sometimes didn't always like it then, and there is still some that I don't care for. BUT, I do really love Buck and the Buckaroos, Don Rich and Buck on those Teles were just too cool. I always loved Johnny's deep baritone, and his simple band, Haggard I loved for the writing, and George Jones, Loretta and Tammy for their voices and stories. Ernest and Buck were grandpa's favorites, when I hear them today, I think fondly of my grandpa, and simpler times.
These days I dig, Hank III, Redd Volkaert, some Brad Paisley, Dwight, and Moot Davis, for country, otherwise I don't listen to the stuff at all. The stuff on regular FM country stations drives me crazy.