You are right to a point, but you are splitting hares.
At the height of their popularity, they mouthed off and what happened? They got benched for a while. That benching resulted inn that reduction you mentioned from top to 2nd tier. Gold records should have been multi platnum. The multi platnums should have been far bigger. And they should NEVER have been opening acts. EVER.
Their ‘success’ following the great Maines exploration into liberal patriotism cost them tens of millions of dollars. Their opening act rebirth meant people were not going there to see them, but the openers. And their sales came in large part from liberals hoping to prove our side wrong.
That’s all true as well.
But most importantly of all in this, they forever have a ‘*’ attached to their names. They are forever to be known as the band whose short-round little lead singer DESTROYED the career they could have had, potentially legendary depending on what critic/insider you talk to and left them lessened overall. They have never regained the spark they had. Their music does not have the best in the business lining up to associate themselves with the DC name anymore. The T-shirt sales and other PR items are hard to move in comparison to their pre spazout numbers and most importantly, their main outlet, Country Radio TO THIS DAY gets hate mail whenever they get airplay.
I stand by my statement in light all of the above, They destroyed their career. Sure they still have one. Sure they make money. But Natalie isn’t getting the invites and interviews she was. She isn’t the bell of the ball dispite efforts at rehab. and she is a whole lot less richer than she would be had she not opened her big fat America hating mouth.
Edit:
Their opening act rebirth meant people were not going there to see them, but the...”HEADLINERS”