Essie Country Notes – The Coca Cola Parallel
08-12-26
Is Mainstream Country Music the New Coke?
The fiddle, along with the steel guitar and the unmistakable twang of country singers, are among the main ingredients that give country music its distinctive flavor. Remove those ingredients, and I’m reminded of what happened to Coca-Cola.
On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola announced it was replacing its 99-year-old formula with a sweeter version that became known as New Coke. The company made the change because Pepsi had been gaining ground, and blind taste tests suggested many people preferred the sweeter flavor.
If that story sounds familiar, perhaps it should.
Over the years, much of the country music industry replaced its traditional sound with today’s pop-country sound. In pursuit of a broader commercial audience, it gradually moved away from the fiddle, steel guitar, and country twang that had defined the genre for generations.
Does anyone else see the irony? Coca-Cola changed the taste of its pop, while country music changed into pop country.
The rebellion against New Coke was immediate—and completely unexpected. Thousands of consumers flooded Coca-Cola with angry phone calls and letters. People hoarded cases of the original Coke, organized protests, and demanded the return of the old formula.
At the height of the backlash, Coca-Cola was receiving about 8,000 phone calls a day from unhappy customers. Then, on July 11, 1985—just 79 days after introducing New Coke—the company admitted its mistake and brought back the original formula as Coca-Cola Classic.
Perhaps country music executives learned something from Coca-Cola’s experience. Instead of making one dramatic change, they changed country music a little at a time. The traditional ingredients slowly gave way to a more pop-oriented sound. By the time many longtime country fans realized what had happened, there was no single moment to rally against. The change had already taken place.
The industry also had something Coca-Cola didn’t have—a growing audience willing to embrace the newer sound. As that audience grew, traditional country music became increasingly difficult to find on mainstream radio and other country music platforms.
Still, history gives me reason for hope.
I think of another event in American history—the Boston Tea Party. It was a relatively small act of rebellion, yet it helped change not only the destiny of America, but influenced the course of history.
Essie Country probably can’t reverse the effects of “New Country,” but in its own small way, it is rebelling against changing the ingredients of country music. With your help, perhaps Essie Country can continue keeping traditional country music alive and thriving.
And who knows?
Maybe Essie Country and its followers will spark the next “shot heard around the world.”
Until next time, I leave you with Essie Country’s Fight Song, The Tree by Hannah Dasher:
Gene Johns
Founder, Essie Country
Essie Country: Home of 21st Century Real Country Music 