Country music’s biggest feuds: Where they stand today

Country music’s biggest names over the years haven’t been afraid to go head-to-head, trading blows on social media, making out at awards shows and more.

In 2015, several female artists came together to fire back at radio personality Keith Hill amid his comments about why he plays more male artists on air. The controversy was dubbed ‘Tomato-gate’.

“If you want to get ratings on country radio, eliminate the women. The reason is that mainstream country radio generates more quarters from female listeners, at a rate of 70 to 75 percent, and women like male artists,” Hill said at the time. “The expectation is that we are mainly a male format with a smaller female format. component. …Believe me, I play great female records, and we have a few now; it’s just not the lettuce in our salad. The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and such artists. The tomatoes in our salad are the females.”

Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Sara Evans, Jennifer Netels And Kacey Musgraves were among those who spoke out. In 2016, McBride told Billboard: “If you sing and write good songs, I don’t care what gender you are or if you’re transgender – if it’s a great song, it should be played.”