Jon Highlights Two Lost Hits That Are as Pure Country as Country Gets From Vern Gosdin and Mark Chesnutt

Country music has come a long way over the years to be the top music format on radio today. Some people complain that today's country is much more pop than it used it to be and has lost it's country way. Others think today's country is great and can't get enough of Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Justin Moore, Carrie Underwood and The Band Perry just to name a few. The fact is, country is not much different today than it used to be because country has been constantly evolving since Jimmie Rodgers brought it down from the mountains. It's hard to believe, but when Hank Williams hit in 1948, there were those who said he wasn't country and too hardcore...can you imagine? I believe that is what makes country so great and the constant evolution has only made country music better.

I admit to being a traditionalist and country music purest myself and I do think that some of today's country sounds the same and tends to follow an assembly line mentality in terms of presentation. Searching through YouTube the other day reminded me why I chose country as my music of choice in the first place.

Vern Gosdin, who was known as the voice, had one of those voices that epitomized the very essence of the country sound and at his peak, was just as modern as he was traditional. Gosdin's 1989 hit, That Just About Does It is undeniable proof of that. You could hear and feel the hurt in Gosdin's amazing voice and that is what separates the men from the boys in this business.

Another artist of the modern era that I don't believe gets anywhere near the recognition he deserves for being one of the truly great voices of traditional country music is Mark Chesnutt, who is one of the only country artists that I have actually PAID to see and would pay to see again. Chesnutt's debut single from 1990, Too Cold At Home takes us back to a time when traditional country was king and Chesnutt remains one of the best ever. You can enjoy both of these pure country hits below.