Favorite music genres in the U.S. 2018, by age
Country music in the United States – additional information
In 2012, country music topped the list; 27.6 percent of respondents picked it among their three favorite genres. A year earlier, the result was one percent lower, which allowed classic rock to take the lead. The figures show, however, the genre’s popularity across the United States is unshakeable and it has also been spreading abroad. This could be demonstrated by the international success of (among others) Shania Twain or the second place the Dutch country duo “The Common Linnets” received in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014, singing “Calm after the storm.”
The genre is also widely popular among American teenagers, earning the second place and 15.3 percent of votes in a survey in August 2012. The first place and more than 18 percent of votes was awarded to pop music, rock scored 13.1 percent and landed in fourth place. Interestingly, Christian music made it to top five with nine percent of votes. The younger generation is also widely represented among country music performers with such prominent names as Taylor Swift (born in 1989), who was the highest paid musician in 2015, and Hunter Hayes (born in 1991).
Country music is also able to attract crowds (and large sums of money) to live performances. Luke Bryan’s tour was the most successful tour in North America in 2016 based on ticket sales as almost 1.43 million tickets were sold for his shows. Fellow country singer, Garth Brooks, came second on the list, selling 1.4 million tickets for his tour in North America in 2016.