SSH Seminar: Political Messages and Country Music
Presented by Dr. Michael Welsh: In 1960, a country music listener was a likely Democrat and fan of Roger Miller (“King of the Road”). In 2010 that same person was likely a Republican voter and fan of Jason Aldean (“Dirt Road Anthem”). Common assertions about the causes of shifting party loyalties among members of this working class and primarily white demographic focus on race, socio-economic identity, or elite manipulation of wedge issues. This study investigates six decades of country music for shifts in themes and dispositions that will provide insight into the concerns and motivations of this key voting bloc. Beginning with a comprehensive list and set of lyrics for all 2,440 annual top-40 songs in country music between 1950 and 2010, this study counts appearance and psychological valence (positive or negative) of themes frequently described as contributing to a shift in this voting subset.
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