I grew up listening to country music on the radio in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s and what I hear today (briefly, because I cannot stand more than a minute of it) is not what I think of as country and western music. Fake and formulaic.
It’s a shame that “novices” might actually believe that what they’re hearing is C&W.
Go to post #308 and you will find a link that will take you to all of those old songs you remember.
The DJ has the most amazing country oldies record collection that I've ever heard: