The Thing Garth Brooks Did for Country Music That Nobody Talks About

Garth Brooks burst into country music in the late '80s and changed the landscape forever. But there's one particular impact he made that no one really talks about today.

During a recent interview on Taste of Country Nights, Phil Vassar was asked which country star raised the floor in the '90s, as far as how much money country artists can command for shows.

"Garth [Brooks]. Garth definitely took things to a new level," Vassar says. "Just the energy of the shows, that Garth put into it."

Think of it like what Tiger Woods did for golfers on the PGA Tour back in 1996.

Brooks single-handedly brought country music to the forefront of American culture in the early '90s, bringing the genre's stock way up.

We were in high demand, and he knew it.

"For me, that was some of the greatest moments in country music," Vassar recalls.

"Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" was the first single, and it set the stage, reaching No. 8 on the country Billboard charts. Subsequent singles raced to No. 1.

Vassar remembers how Brooks started selling out stadiums around the same time as Brooks & Dunn did, and that both the duo and the rising star delivered electric, interactive experiences.

It was a far cry from the stereotype of a guy and a guitar in front of a microphone, singing sad songs about being lonely.

Brooks adopted a headset microphone so he could move all around the stage, and he hasn't really stopped moving since. He'd be dripping sweat, and fans ate it up. It wasn't a concert — it was a show!

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So, other artists had to follow suit if they wanted to make big bucks — they had to put some electricity into their performances and really give the crowd their ticket's worth. They can thank Garth for inflated bank accounts, especially back then.

What Is Garth Brooks Biggest Hit?

Arguably, Brooks' biggest hit is still "Friends In Low Places" (1990).  It was on top of the country charts for a whopping four weeks and won Single of the Year awards from both the CMA and ACM.

Who Is Garth Brooks Married To?

Brooks is married to fellow artist Trisha Yearwood. The two will celebrate twenty years of marriage in December of 2025.