I would think that having a unique sound in popular music is difficult. It seems a lot of commercially successful musicians acknowledge the influence of music that came before them, and often, the influence came from genres totally different than what they’re producing.
@ibstubro > “George Strait got it right.” I hear ya. I started listening to country in the eighties during the ‘big hat’ era: George Strait, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, etc. Being my first exposure, it remains my favorite era. Then, Garth came along and gradually began the shift towards country with a rock influence, and showed the country music world what showmanship/entertainer really meant with his high energy, visually stimulating stage performances.