The REAL Significance of George Strait’s Record-Setting Concert

On Saturday (6/15) at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, George Strait officially shattered the all-time record for attendance at a single concert with 110,905 tickets sold. The attendance breaks the previous record of 107,019 fans in attendance at a 1977 Grateful Dead show at Raceway Park in New Jersey. Other festivals and multi-day events (Woodstock, et al.) have pulled bigger attendance numbers, but this is the record setter for a single concert. Parker McCollum and Catie Offerman opened the show.
Lots of folks were sharing photos and congratulations for George Strait on Saturday and Sunday, with many of the posts going viral from the eye-popping images and numbers. These days, if something goes viral on social media, it’s often because it’s false. That is what makes it so unbelievable. But in this case, it was 100% true. Still, people couldn’t believe that a guy that hasn’t been relevant in mainstream country and on country radio in over a decade could pull such a crowd.
George Strait is the record holder for the most #1 singles in country music history. But his last Top 10 song came in 2012—twelve years ago—and his last major CMA award was in 2013. He has released multiple singles since then, but similar to what happens to most every aging country star, at some point, the industry and radio puts them out to pasture.
Sure, part of of the eye-popping attendance numbers from Texas is a supply/demand situation. George Strait “retired” from touring in 2014. But over the last couple of years, he’s been adding more and more one-off stadium dates. The record-setting show at Kyle Field where the Texas A&M football team plays is one of ten stadium shows Strait is playing in 2024. So it’s not like there aren’t other opportunities to see him.
But what the record-setting show proves is that Strait is still very relevant in country music. It’s just that he’s no longer relevant in the country mainstream, which is increasingly becoming less relevant to the public at large and more like niche programming itself, while everything ignored by “mainstream” country is becoming the mainstream.
In 2015, then CEO of Sony Records Nashville, Gary Overton, notoriously stated, “If you’re not on country radio, you don’t exist.” Overton ultimately had to eat those words. Even in 2015, this proclamation was already becoming increasingly irrelevant. In 2024, it’s downright laughable. That’s what you need to understanding when oogling at the eye-popping images and numbers from the George Strait concert. It’s validation that the people are in charge of country music now, not the Music Row power brokers.
Sure, radio still has some sway. But as Eric Church said last year,
“There’s people in the country music industry that have had multiple No. 1 songs that couldn’t play their own high school, and there’s guys out here that have never, ever been on country radio that are doing eight thousand tickets.”
Forget 8,000. Try 110,905. But perhaps George Strait is the exception, not the rule. After all, he had more #1’s than anyone else in country music, even if that’s all now in the past. At least, this is what some in the industry would retort with. But at the same time George Strait was entertaining 110K in Texas, Zach Bryan was in Denver, Colorado at Mile High Stadium on consecutive nights, and both shows to sold-out capacity.

Zach Bryan has never had a song do better than #20 on country radio, and has only had two songs chart in the Top 40 on country radio in total.
At this point, it’s almost redundant to point all of this out. The power dynamic has been so inverted in country music, it’s a new day, and grousing about “gatekeepers” on Music Row feels silly.
But it’s not just the country industry that continues to try and peddle a false narrative about what’s important and popular in country music. The Academic class that is curiously obsessed with country music continues to push the idea that it’s radio that defines what country music is, and that country is almost solely centered around Nashville.
As supposed country music “historian” Amanda Marie Martínez said recently, “Country radio continues to be the most effective way to obtain listeners for artists working in the genre. Success within the format also determines eligibility for Country Music Association (CMA) awards. In short, it’s both the surest pathway to legitimacy in a tight-knit industry as well as a source of financial benefit.”
Whenever you hear Academics or journalists outside of country music speak about the genre, they always parrot out these radio-centric and Nashville-centric talking points because it affirms their worldview that a few select people are in control of country music, and the genre is inherently racist and controlled by “old White men.” Historically, this isn’t that far off. But it in the present tense, it’s hubristic, incorrect, and irresponsible.
But even historically, it overlooks the Outlaw era and what Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and others were able to do. Back at the beginning of the Outlaw era in the early ’70s, folks were astounded when photos started emerging of Willie Nelson’s Dripping Springs Reunion in 1972 (aka Hillybilly Woodstock), and his subsequent 4th of July concerts.

From outside of Nashville (Texas) and apart from the conventional Music Row system, they were able to cultivate a country music revolution that eventually saw the first million-selling LP in country music, Wanted! The Outlaws in 1976.
A similar scenario is transpiring in country music right here, right now. All across the United States, megafestivals are popping up with crowds of 25,000-30,000 people traveling to hear artists that have never been heard on mainstream country radio. In fact, there are so many of these events, they’re starting to cannibalize each other. But they also happen to feature lineups with better quality artists, and incidentally, more diverse artists.
Here was Charley Crockett playing to some 25,000 people at Under The Big Sky Fest in remote Montana in 2023, 30 miles from the Canadian border.

What about Black women? Yes, in the live context in country music, many of them are supported in eye popping numbers at live country events too. This was acoustic guitarist Yasmin Williams playing for 10,000 people at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2023.

In the world of Sony Nashville’s Gary Overton, or “data experts” like Dr. Jada E. Watson who boils down country radio charts via identity, none of these artist or their fans “exist” because they’re not on mainstream country radio.
But country music doesn’t live on radio charts. It doesn’t live on X/Twitter. It doesn’t live in the halls of Academia, or in media think pieces, or online at all. It happens out in the wild. And unless you’re out in the wild, you’re missing the bigger picture. And when you see the pictures from the wild—whether it’s George Strait or Yasmin Williams—they’re often astounding, and paint a different picture from what some would have you believe.
Of course some will say, “Okay, that’s all fine. But what about the numbers?” Zach Bryan has better sales and streaming numbers than any other artist in country music at the moment not named Morgan Wallen. Tyler Childers has been a Top 10 most popular artist in country music for going on seven years. Sierra Ferrell has 2.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Sure, there are still so many worthy artists being overlooked, and that will always be the case. But whether it is oldtimers like George Strait, or scrappy up-and-comers like The Red Clay Strays who now have over 6 million average monthly listeners on Spotify, the numbers don’t lie. It’s a new era, and mainstream country radio is on the outside looking into it.
The reason it’s important to point all this out and underline it is that if you act like there is only one way to the top—and that’s country radio or major labels—you’re already putting a limitation on where independent artists of all stripes can go, including women, Black and Brown artists, LGBT artists, and all outsiders to the mainstream.
This is why so many of the efforts to find equality for women continue to fail, because they’re not looking to take advantage of the new avenues, and they misunderstand the problem. They continue to grouse about not being played on the radio as opposed to taking advantage of the other opportunities out there in the marketplace. As we’re seeing with Caitlin Clark and the WNBA, numbers can change, and dramatically. That same possibility could happen for country music with the right superstar.
One of George Strait’s biggest songs now is “Carrying Your Love With Me” from 1997. It was a #1 song when it was first released, but probably wouldn’t have been named by people as one of their favorite George Strait songs. But after another artist used the song in a sample, people started sharing the original version of “Carrying Your Love With Me” on Tik-Tok, and went viral.
As many people continue to agitate for country radio and mainstream awards to open up or even truly become a meritocracy, technology is changing the game. Instead of grousing about how “country music” won’t allow artists to “make it,” many are leveraging the new avenues imparted by technology like Tik- Tok, Instagram, and YouTube to go directly to consumers. This is how The Red Clay Strays, Wyatt Flores, Dylan Gossett, and other surging artist have found their way to success. This is how Oliver Anthony got to #1.
But this isn’t just about massive stars playing to stadiums or racking up millions of streams via viral videos. This is also about the artists out there playing to clubs packed to the gills, or to appreciative and attentive audiences in theaters, or even songwriters playing house concerts or small venues and cultivating intimate connections with fans one-on-one.
This is country music, and all of it has value, whether it appears on a chart, or draws a massive crowd. And those that attempt to define, or confine country music to whatever is getting played on the radio or winning big awards are doing the public a gross disservice, as well as meaningful artists making real connections with fans. Country radio only represents country radio and the increasingly niche audience it serves, nothing else.
George Strait isn’t selling out massive stadiums due to luck, or even Tik-Tok. It’s because he put together a career of quality songs that withstood the test of time. And so even when the country industry at large virtually abandoned him, he was just fine. In fact, he doesn’t need country radio and the CMA Awards. It’s country radio and the CMAs that needs George Strait, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, and Charley Crockett. Because otherwise, they’re the ones that are going to be relegated to the dustbin of history, and will have difficulty drawing a crowd.
June 17, 2024 @ 10:10 am
There seems to be a huge difference between what people who don’t go to see live music listen to, and what people who regularly go to concerts like. That’s probably always been the case, but with radio becoming solely dependent on singles rather than interviews, live performances, concert broadcasts and so on it’s even more obvious.
June 17, 2024 @ 10:36 am
110,000 to see veteran Strait is an amazing number. It would be for any artist. I wish I could have been there! Hasn’t country radio become somewhat irrelevant?
June 17, 2024 @ 10:52 am
George Strait doing this isn’t a surprise, but it really ought to change the conversation about “Entertainer of the Year” or “Event of the Year” or whatever the heck. Radio doesn’t want to play his latest? Okay, fine, but even mainstream stations play some of his classics daily. He’s more than relevant because he’s still inspiring up-and-coming artists. But honestly Nashville never has known what to do with Strait, so the deafening silence will continue.
But yes, this story is, thankfully, getting redundant. We know country is experiencing a moment (and frequently has as you pointed out), we can see it in streaming and other places, and corporate radio and the big machine production companies will keep pretending their chosen avatars are the stars when everyone knows better.
June 17, 2024 @ 3:31 pm
I’m surprised he hasn’t had any big hits since Troubadour in 08′.
June 17, 2024 @ 8:30 pm
That wasn’t a 1
June 17, 2024 @ 10:10 pm
I never said it was 1#. It reached #7 I think but that is his last big hit and the last song of his that bands cover.
June 18, 2024 @ 5:01 am
He had a few big hits since then. “Here for a Good Time”, “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”, and “Give It All We Got” were Top 5 hits in the 2010s, “I Got a Car” and “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” weren’t huge radio hits but have both went Platinum and are staples of his set list.
June 18, 2024 @ 6:15 am
None of those songs have resonated like “Troubadour.”
June 19, 2024 @ 7:08 am
For the record his last #1 was “River Of Love”, which was the single after “Troubadour”
June 17, 2024 @ 11:49 am
Imagine being in radio in 2024 and having the temerity to believe the entire entity of country music runs through you…. F the industry, let it continue to self-immolate.
June 17, 2024 @ 12:42 pm
Billy Strings as well. Quite comfortably selling out arenas across the country, playing bluegrass.
June 17, 2024 @ 1:04 pm
What a great article.
“It’s just that he’s no longer relevant in the country mainstream, which is increasingly becoming less relevant to the public at large and more like niche programming itself”
Indeed. The lesson here is that to hear country music, you have to go out to, you know, the actual *country.*
June 24, 2024 @ 11:10 am
or just have a streaming platform and good musica taste
June 17, 2024 @ 3:16 pm
Hey Trigger, have you any up dated news on the possible 2025 new Waylon music. Shooter sent out a notification yesterday.
June 17, 2024 @ 5:38 pm
I’m going to have something on this soon. I just didn’t see the need to post something everyone already saw on social media, similar to the George Strait attendance record. I’d rather give some deeper context. But I don’t have any more detailed information at this point. I’m sure that will come out soon.
June 17, 2024 @ 10:23 pm
I am interested in this also. Is it “fair” to the artist to have others in charge of their estate release music that they chose not to release themselves? I am not sure how I feel about it but am curious to others ideas on this. I certainly hope that there is no AI to fill in any gaps.
June 17, 2024 @ 3:27 pm
I love that George has kept his appeal for this long but Taylor Swift would beat this record if she played in a venue that held more and her ticket prices were right.
June 18, 2024 @ 7:45 am
I dont think Taylor Swift can come anywhere near what George did at Kyle Field. She is not COUNTRY just a dull singer of song that have no meaning and not much sense.
June 17, 2024 @ 4:38 pm
I don’t see the basis for complaining about Strait not getting his new singles on currrent country radio stations. Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen also don’t get their new material played on contemporary radio (to my knowledge). They’re legacy concert acts.
June 17, 2024 @ 5:36 pm
But traditionally, country radio was always the format that played more “Country Gold” selections from the past along with modern singles. Over the last 20 years or so, mainstream country has basically become a totally Top 40 format.
Also, you’ll hear plenty of Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen on the radio. For many years, the classic rock format was one of the strongest formats on radio. Though granted, they didn’t always play the NEW singles from these folks.
June 17, 2024 @ 10:29 pm
Country radio has been a current music format for generations. I don’t know the exact date, but early in the Garth Era–maybe 1992– I remember seeing an aritcle in Billboard that said that anything that predates Randy Travis–i.e. 1986–has been purged from country radio.
June 19, 2024 @ 8:05 am
Lucky is right. “Young Country” WYCD in Detroit mocked Johnny and Conway in its house ads. That takes stones when the Playlist includes Rednex.
June 17, 2024 @ 4:44 pm
Great article Trigger, You always have such a profound analysis of the obvious that most people either don’t see or don’t want to see because it doesn’t benefit them.
June 17, 2024 @ 4:48 pm
Not to say that King George is not relevant with today’s listeners but he has a built in audience from when country radio was relevant. He (and many others) became popular Because of country radio and many of those listeners are around today and willing to shell out money to hear the songs that made him a legend.
June 17, 2024 @ 5:33 pm
No doubt, and that is an important point to underscore.
It’s also important to say that radio isn’t completely irrelevant. Obviously, some artists have utilized it to create a following, even if it’s not near what it was many years ago.
But this is the reason I gave other examples of success without country radio. I could have given some more, but taking the viral George Strait stadium photos and piggy backing off of them, we can see that many other non-radio stars are doing quite well without it.
June 18, 2024 @ 5:41 am
Blair,
Excellent comment. Radio was very influential in Strait’s rise to success.
June 17, 2024 @ 6:01 pm
The King at Kyle Field, College Station: The issue is not about Nashville CEOs’, mainstream media, or new technology aiding or making George Strait relevant or irrelevant in country music. George Strait is synonymous with traditional country music that resonates with fans that hold traditional values first and foremost. However, the music appeals to all music lovers to include Black and Brown people, the LGBT community, and artists. Therefore, George Strait will always need mainstream country radio for publicity if his 1997 single “Carrying Your Love with Me” is what is currently being played on radio in 2024. What an irony.
June 17, 2024 @ 6:20 pm
Whenever I get worried about the future with AI, I read Sylvia Payton’s comments, and become a little more assured.
June 17, 2024 @ 6:09 pm
I am not sure how many people listen to the radio for music anymore. I have no idea because I haven’t listened to the radio for music since the 70’s when the “underground” FM stations were bought up and turned into AOR/Classic Rock.I got used to listening elsewhere.
For all its ills, I think the internet has a lot to do with the “real” Country resurgence. Everybody controls what they listen to anymore and I think they are less inclined to let radio stations with computerized playlists waste their time any more.
June 17, 2024 @ 8:27 pm
Amen. Great piece of writing and so true today. Times have changed and the industry knows it but is too old and stubborn in their ways to accept. However, their hand will be forced eventually as you mentioned. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
June 17, 2024 @ 11:07 pm
Can I just say I LOVE that country music kinda getting back to it’s roots before it became a business model and was music of the people for a Saturday night or Sunday service.
The snarker in me really hopes this new reality sees the death of major labels, the charts, and awards shows. And the music just speaks for itself and the fans speak with their applause and attendance.
I also think this trend, not just with country but music period, is leading more hot and varied local scenes that thriving as music fans looks for cheaper alternatives and more authentic that speaks to them and where they live.
But go get ’em George. You earned it.
June 18, 2024 @ 12:03 am
Great article. IMO, the fact that mainstream radio hasn’t played Strait in 10 years or so is mind-blowing and hard to believe. George Strait is THE biggest country artist of all time, and his career numbers back that up. Even before he decided to do stadiums in 2023 and 2024, he was selling out Strait to Vegas and other venues since he “retired” from touring and took a year off, then came back roaring. He’s King George and will always be King George to the fans….why people may ask? Yes, it partly because of his music catalog, but it’s MORE than that…it’s about HIM. He has a God-given talent, voice, looks and charisma….you can’t teach, learn or buy it. He simply has IT…whatever “IT” is. There’s NO ONE else like George Strait. He is unique and blessed beyond explanation. I tried to explain it just now and feel I fell short…I hope not. Thanks.
June 18, 2024 @ 4:05 am
I saw George Strait and Chris Stapleton two weeks ago. Not a fan of big stadium shows, but I still can’t stop thinking of the show.
June 18, 2024 @ 4:25 am
“But what the record-setting show proves is that Strait is still very relevant in country music. It’s just that he’s no longer relevant in the country mainstream, which is increasingly becoming less relevant to the public at large and more like niche programming itself, while everything ignored by “mainstream” country is becoming the mainstream.”
A great synopsis of The Way Things Are. Thanks, Trigger!
June 18, 2024 @ 6:19 am
Interesting WNBA tie-in. Clark is the biggest and best thing to hit the WNBA in all its contrived, NBA-subsidized history, however, fellow players, instead of being happy about her presence, constantly undercut her (due to jealousy, race, and sexual orientation). Country radio is playing a similar game. There are plenty of successful artists to promote but they can’t get past their insular viewpoint.
Both country radio and the WNBA won’t cash their golden tickets.
June 18, 2024 @ 6:47 am
I have followed George strait for over 40 years from the small time Iowa state fairs to the large concert he is true country and all the music he sings are pure and love there can never be an artist to replace. Thank God for all the music from a wonderful artist
June 18, 2024 @ 8:12 am
ADD on same Saturday night Kenny Chesney played to sold out crowd @ Soldier Field and Luke Combs @ SoFi Stadium
June 18, 2024 @ 8:27 am
Interesting that Scott McCreery’s song, “Damn Strait,” which reached #1 on the Billboard Country Ariplay in 2021, and which quotes no less than 6 of George’s lyrics, gets regular play on our one and only SF Bay Area country station, KBAY.
I have always loved that George is a real cowboy/horseman.
June 18, 2024 @ 8:35 am
Yes, it’s somewhat ironic that many of today country artists name drop artists like George and Hank, but you often can’t hear their actual songs.
June 18, 2024 @ 9:18 am
Is it true that Strait has enticed more people to attend these concerts because he has promised to strum his guitar THREE times per concert, instead of the usual once or twice
June 18, 2024 @ 11:03 am
I would not have anticipated drawing a line from Strait to LGBT. Interesting read.
June 19, 2024 @ 5:49 am
The narrator in “I Can Still Make Cheyenne” is obviously queer!
June 19, 2024 @ 8:08 am
The bronc self-identified as a sheep.
June 19, 2024 @ 2:20 pm
Question: “Is it “fair” to artists to have others in charge of their estate release music they chose not to release themselves?” Absolutely not fair. However, it is irresponsible for any artist to let his or her estate be determined by anybody or anyone (worst of an AI), other than the artist. My worst nightmare and scenario, George Strait’s songs being hijacked by terrorists, or the LGBT communities to expand their beliefs and lifestyles respectively. Like George Strait’s traditional country music, conservative traditional values are sustainable and here to stay, amen.
June 25, 2024 @ 6:57 am
Why no mention of Garth Brooks playing to 1M+ in Central Park? Just because it was free? To my knowledge, that’s the largest, like, ever.
June 26, 2024 @ 9:09 am
Exactly.