This is where I disagree. A hit used to feel like a shared cultural event, regardless of the genre. Whether it was Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, The Chicks, etc., people outside country knew the records because the songs crossed into the broader culture. “Choosin’ Texas” can be a historic chart phenomenon AND expose how fragmented popular culture has become. 23 weeks at No. 1 tells us what the chart is measuring. It doesn’t automatically tell us how deeply the song has penetrated the entire culture. Those are two different conversations.
What Some Folks Really Mean When They Claim to Have Never Heard ‘Choosin’ Texas’
Proclaiming you're unfamiliar with Ella Langley's record-setting song has a lot in common with saying "I listen to anything but country."
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