Jun 30, 2026

Ep. 110: Post-9/11 Country [TEASER]

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration

Although country music is often viewed as a conservative genre today, many of its early stars held progressive political views, raising the question of when and why the genre underwent a political shift. Numerous think pieces have attributed the change to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, blaming them for causing country to become “a music genre solely produced by and for working-class white Americans who held conservative political views.” But there is counter evidence that suggests the genre began to drift in a rightwing direction prior to 2001, such as the mainstream success of God Bless the U.S.A by Lee Greenwood in 1984. To what degree is the assertion that “9/11 ruined country” fair?

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin to answer the question by examining two older country music subgenres that starkly contrast post-9/11 country: outlaw country and “working class country.” The two then analyze patriotism before and after 9/11, with Nathan detailing how Johnathan Haidt’s research found that patriotism is innately stronger amongst conservatives. They then discuss several post-9/11 country songs that demonstrate the direction country music went in following the attacks: Where Were You by Alan Jackson, Travelin’ Soldier by The Chicks, and Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue by Toby Keith. The episode concludes with a discussion of when and why country music moved on from its War on Terror themes.

Links:

Nathan’s Post 9-11 Country Spotify Playlist

Post 9-11 Country Spotify Playlist

Country Music - Encyclopedia Brittanica

Chicken Fried: A Musical Exploration of Southern Values in Modern Country Music by Abigail Schneider

Stars, Stripes, and Country Music

9/11 RUINED Country Music - Record Breaker

Episode 119: How the Right Shaped Pop Country Music - Citations Needed

Country Music Stars Challenge Al-Qaeda - The Onion

2001 Country Music Awards - Hosted by Vince Gill

The Dixie Chicks Interview by Diane Sawyer for Primetime Live - President Bush Controversy

Toby Keith And American Nationalism