to see to what extent they were similar to each other. The results showed that they were very similar to each other, and the ensuing comments showed that many feel rage, confusion and sadness over the state of popular country music. And it’s not just fans. Some artists, including Zac Brown and Vince Gill, have made their own concerns public, and songwriters on Music Row vent about it too before going into a room together to decide what to write.
When a sizable portion of an industry begins to criticize its own product, the obvious question becomes, "Why do they keep putting out the same stuff?" To answer this question would involve the creation of some formula that could account for the multiple types of human beings performing multiple roles (at publishing companies, record labels, radio stations, etc.) who may or may not have great artistic ambitions, but definitely want to keep their jobs. The formula would have to take into account egos, bottom lines, power, listener demographics and the very definition of “good music.” I haven’t spoken to anyone who has that formula figured out: The reality, I think, is that many in the industry are too busy trying to make their living to think about it too much. I have no such formula either, but I can point to one variable that might help to explain the state of things, and that is the “pitch list.”
A pitch list is a document that lists the artists who are about to make a record and the kinds of songs they’d like to put on that record. The information on the list is gleaned through meetings with the artists, or more commonly, through communications with people associated with the artist (i.e., a label, manager, or producer). Pitch lists are cobbled together for private use by music publishers who use the information to determine which songs to “pitch” to the artists or the artists’ representatives, and they’re also composed by entities, such as Pitch This Music and RowFax, which provide the information for the cost of a subscription. There are many variations of these lists that float around Music Row.
Obviously, it would be hard to measure the extent to which the pitch list contributes to the similarity of what’s on the radio, but consider this: The list is not only used by publishers to determine what songs to pitch to artists, but can be used by songwriters to write songs specifically “inspired” by the information they glean from the list.
And why not? In theory (an artistic and utopian theory, to be sure) the list could represent the artistic ambitions and desires of Music Row. It could be a document through which the unique visions of Nashville’s recording artists are communicated to some of the greatest songwriters on the planet. (For example: John Doe’s dad died when he was young, so he would like songs dealing with loss.) It could be used by artists’ representatives to show publishers and songwriters how their artists are unique. Indeed, it could provide the blueprint for a diverse Top 20. But as you will see below, it is certainly not this document. To restate the obvious: I don’t know to what extent the list shapes what becomes the Top 20. In fact, it is my opinion that this list has become less a prediction of what the Top 20 will look like in the future and more a reflection of what the Top 20 looks like now, since a songwriter or publisher looking at this list would have no choice but to turn on the radio to decipher it. This is a compilation* of direct quotes from three pitch lists I obtained. It is the future of country music.
Label: Big Machine
Artist: Garth Brooks
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits."
Label: Big Machine/Valory
Artist: Savannah Keyes
Type of Songs Sought: "Just cut four sides. Going back in. Need hits for a 15 year old. Not too country/not too pop."
Label: Big Machine/Valory
Artist: Eli Young Band
Type of Songs Sought: "Still need a few more hits to finish." / "Cut stuff they’ve written, still looking for songs; uptempo radio!"
Label: Big Machine/Valory
Artist: Rascall Flats
Type of Songs Sought: "Needing the big ballads, ala, 'Bless the Broken Road'”/ "Knows pretty much what they are cutting ... it will have to be such a special song for them to consider anything else; hipper/fresh/lyrically/sonically; have recorded 12, 'What Hurts the Most' 'God Bless the Broken Road' type of hit."
Label: Big Machine/Valory
Artist: Tim McGraw
Type of Songs Sought: "Just starting to look."
Label: Big Machine/Valory
Artist: Florida Georgia Line
Type of Songs Sought: "Will be writing for project but also looking outside hits."
Label: Big Machine/Valory
Artist: Danielle Bradbery
Type of Songs Sought: "Need hits."
Label: Black River
Artist: Kellie Pickler
Type of Songs Sought: "Needs songs like BETTER DIG TWO."
Label: Broken Bow
Artist: Dustin Lynch
Type of Songs Sought: "Country."
Label: Broken Bow
Artist: Jason Aldean
Type of Songs Sought: "Just starting to look." / "This album is going to be more party songs."
Label: Broken Bow
Artist: Jackie Lee
Type of Songs Sought: "Young soulful male" / "lyric."
Label: Broken Bow
Artist: Joe Nichols
Type of Songs Sought: "He is finished cutting but may go in and cut one more, tempo."
Label: Capitol
Artist: Kelliegh Bennen
Type of Songs Sought: "Needs singles only..has to have a song that will break her as an artist."
Label: Capitol
Artist: Luke Bryan
Type of Songs Sought: "If they cut one more it needs to be a crowd pleaser uptempo like COUNTRY GIRL SHAKE IT FOR ME…REAL TEMPO"
Label: Curb
Artist: American Young
Type of Songs Sought: "Only cutting again if they find song of the year"
Label: Curb
Artist: Andy Gibson
Type of Songs Sought: "Needs singles…does not drink so doesn’t want to sing about going out and getting drunk but wants to cut a song about having fun in other ways ways..he is rangey [sic]."
Label: Curb
Artist: Ashley Gearing
Type of Songs Sought: "HITS! Fun, rangy, tempo with a little attitude. No ballads unless super smash. Has cut a few will go back in."
Label: Curb
Artist: Mo Pitney
Type of Songs Sought: "Need up tempos ala 'Give Me That Girl.'"
Label: Curb
Artist: Rodney Atkins
Type of Songs Sought: "Need hits." / "Uptempo Hits." / "HAS CUT A LOT BUT THEY’RE STILL LOOKING FOR SINGLES. THINK OF DIFFERENT MELODIES; looking for something similar to 'Take a Back Road'"
Label: Curb
Artist: Lee Brice
Type of Songs Sought: "Already cut a few sides. Still looking hits." / "Mid-ups-no Georgia, Dirt Roads, Trucks, Tractors, or Tailgates"
Label: Curb
Artist: Tim Dugger
Type of Songs Sought: "Need tough, rocking, uptempo hits."
Label: Curb
Artists: Sweetwater Rain
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits."
Label: Curb
Artist: Rachel Holder
Type of Songs Sought: "Looking for hits." / "Needs radio single. Young, contemporary LeAnn Rimes."
Label: Curb
Artist: Morgan Frazier
Type of Songs Sought: "Young girl…country strong lyrics…but age appropriate/Miranda/pistol annies type of songs"
Label: Hit Red
Artist: Brian Nutter
Type of Songs Sought: "He is the first artist on Keith Urban’s new label. No trucks or back road songs..more contemporary, uptempo singalongable."
Label: Show Dog
Artist: J.T. Hodges
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits."
Label: Show Dog
Artist: Joel Crouse
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits." / "Young singer, popish country."
Label: Sony
Artist: Jake Owen
Type of Songs Sought: "Looking two more hits to finish."
Label: Sony
Artist: Sara Evans
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits." / "Looking for great songs all Tempos."
Label: Sony
Artist: Carly Pearce
Type of Songs Sought: "Allison Kraus meets Linda Rondstat [sic]. Need tempo most." / "Vibey cool, Dixie Chicks meets Linda Ronstadt; Needs tempo, unique and different songs."
Label: Sony
Artist: Miranda Lambert
Type of Songs Sought: "Need hits." / "Great songs"
Label: Sony
Artist: Kristen Kelly
Type of Songs Sought: "Need hit singles." / "Great female songs, rocking uptempo hits!"
Label: Sony
Artist: Casey James
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits." / "Great Songs."
Label: Sony
Artist: Leah Turner
Type of Songs Sought: "Gretchen Wilson meets Shania Twain." / "Edgy, contemporary Country songs"
Label: Sony
Artist: Kenny Chesney
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits." / "Great songs" / "Has cut 6 calls this 'Big Boy' album, wants Stadium Anthems"
Label: Sony
Artists: Jerrod Niemann
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits." / "Great songs"
Label: Universal
Artist: Randy Montana
Type of Songs Sought: "Still looking hits." / "Needs first single. Mid-ups…Waylonish…more of the same. Hits will be fine. Have cut 4 will go back in. Edgy, gritty, driving melodies."
Label: Universal
Artist: Lauren Alaina
Type of Songs Sought: "Need Hits." / "Needs uptempo hits with meaning. Hit songs."
Label: Universal
Artist: Mickey Guyton
Type of Songs Sought: "Already cut a few sides. Still looking hits." / "Great songs." / "Needs strong woman songs with smart lyrics. Great songs. No fluff but fun radio songs. Cut 13 already. Female pop country, UPTEMPO, SINGLE"
Label: Universal
Artist: Josh Turner
Type of Songs Sought: "Just starting to look."
Label: Universal
Artist: Easton Corbin
Type of Songs Sought: "Already cut four sides. Still looking hits." /" Modern day George Strait."
Label: Universal
Artist: Kip Moore
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits."
Label: Universal
Artist: Gary Allen
Type of Songs Sought: "Just started look again."
Label: Warner Bros.
Artist: James Dupree
Type of Songs Sought: "Alan Jackson meets Don Williams." / "Songs a la Jackson Brown [sic] & George Strait. Great songs for timeless voice. Divorced has 4 kids, won’t sing about God, will sing about drinkin, cheatin’ whatever. Country, has wide range, NEEDS TEMPO"
Label: Warner Bros.
Artist: The Farm
Type of Songs Sought: "Tempo Hits."
Label: Warner Bros.
Artist: The Invite
Type of Songs Sought: "Hits."
Label: Warner Bros.
Artist: The Railers
Type of Songs Sought: "Tempo Hits; radio hits with groove"
Label: Warner Bros.
Artist: Josh Abbott Band
Type of Songs Sought: "Need hits!"
Label: Warner Bros.
Artist: William Michael Morgan
Type of Songs Sought: Young Keith Whitley. Just starting to look.
Label: Warner Bros.
Artist: Michael Ray
Type of Songs Sought: "Just starting to look. Ala Jake Owen, Luke Bryan type songs."
Label: Warner Bros.
Artist: Jana Kramer
Type of Songs Sought: Tempo Hits.
Label: Warner Bros.
Artist: Gloriana
Type of Songs Sought: Just started looking; wide open-need smash hit.
* List sources and names of industry representatives have been removed, as the point of this publication is not to embarrass or criticize, but simply to hold a mirror up to an industry. Moreover, it should be stated that many of the artists on this list do not accept unsolicited material, and that these quotes, which are unedited (save for a piece of punctuation here and there) are from lists that were current just before or near the time the last article appeared (Sept. 12, 2013). Slashes in the "Type of Songs Sought" column indicate a description from another pitch list for the same artist.
