The History of Country Music

Join us as we explore the rich history of country music, from its humble beginnings in the Appalachian Mountains to its current status as a global phenomenon.

Origins of Country Music

Country music is a genre of music that originated in the Southern United States in the 1920s. It is a blend of traditional American folk music and blues. Country music is also considered to be a form of American popular music. The first commercial country music recording was made in 1922 by theCarter Family.

Appalachian music

Appalachian music is a genre of American folk music that developed in the Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots come from English, Scots-Irish, and Scottish ballads brought over by British and Irish immigrants. These songs were combined with music from French, German, and African American traditions to create a unique American sound.

The first commercial recordings of Appalachian music were made in the 1920s by folklorists like John Lomax and Dorothy Scarborough. These early recordings captured the sounds of a disappearing way of life, as many of the traditional musicians who performed this music were elderly.

Appalachian music has been revitalized in recent years by musicians like Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, and Doc Watson. It has also been influence by artists outside of the region, such as Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

Cowboy songs

The cowboy song is a form of folk music that originated in the Western United States and has been popularized by artists such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. The songs are typically about the everyday lives of cowboys and ranch hands, and often include themes of love, loss, and hope.

The first cowboy songs were likely improvised around campfires or during work tasks, and were later adapted into more formal compositions. One of the earliest known cowboy songs is “The Cowboy’s Lament”, which was published in 1876. This song tells the story of a cowboy who has been killed in a gunfight, and is lamenting his life as he lays dying.

Since the early days of cowboy music, the genre has evolved to include many different styles and influences. Today, country music is one of the most popular genres in the United States, with artists such as Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Florida Georgia Line achieving mainstream success.

Folk songs

The folk songs of the hill country were two types: those brought over from Britain and Ireland by the earliest settlers, and those created by the settlers themselves. The music of both types was originally sung without accompaniment, although fiddles (violins) were sometimes used. These songs were passed down orally from one generation to the next.

Rise of Country Music

Country music has been around for centuries, with its roots in the American south. The genre has evolved over the years, and today, it is one of the most popular music genres in the world. Country music is known for its simple, yet catchy melodies, and its stories of love, loss, and hope.

The Carter Family

The Carter Family was a country music group that performed and recorded between 1927 and 1956. The group consisted of Alvin Pleasant “A.P.” Delaney Carter (1891–1960), his wife Sara Dougherty Carter (1898–1979), and their daughter Maybelle Addington Carter (1909–1978). Maybelle’s cousins, sisters Ellen N. “Elly” Weston and Anita S. “Janet” Weston, were also members of the group at various times during its existence.

The Carter Family is one of the most important and influential groups in the history of country music. Their recordings, which included such classics as “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”, “Keep on the Sunny Side”, and “Wildwood Flower”, helped to define what country music would become. In addition, A. P. Carter’s songwriting skills and Sara Carter’s distinctive vocal style were major forces in shaping the sound and style of country music.

Jimmie Rodgers

Jimmie Rodgers is often called the “Father of Country Music.” He was the first country artist to have a major impact on pop music, and his recordings are still some of the most popular and influential in the genre. Rodgers was a master of the new recording technology of his day, and his records were some of the first to make use of studio effects like reverb and echo. He also had a keen ear for finding and developing new talent, and he helped launching the careers of many famous country musicians, including The Carter Family, Bob Wills, and Hank Williams.

Hank Williams

Hank Williams is considered one of the most important country music artists of all time. He was born in Alabama in 1923 and began his musical career in the 1930s, performing on radio and in small clubs. His first hit song, “Move It On Over,” was released in 1947.

Williams had a string of hit songs in the late 1940s and early 1950s, including “Mind Your Own Business,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” and “Cold, Cold Heart.” He also wrote songs for other artists, including “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “Kaw-Liga.” Williams became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1949.

Williams’s popularity continued to grow until his untimely death at the age of 29. He influenced a generation of country music artists, including Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and George Strait. His songs are still played on country radio stations across the United States.

Modern Country Music

In the mid-20th century, a new form of country music arose in the United States. This new type of country music was a mix of traditional country music, folk music, and blues. This new sound quickly became popular and soon became known as “modern country music.” Today, modern country music is one of the most popular genres of music in the United States.

Outlaw country

Outlaw country is a subgenre of country music, most popular during the 1970s and early-1980s, sometimes referred to as the outlaw movement or simply outlaw music. The term is used both nostalgically and pejoratively to refer to country music artists who rejected the mainstream Nashville sound in favor of a more traditional, rock-influenced approach or one that expanding existing subgenres, particularly honky tonk. Outlaw country artists rejected the production values of the Nashville establishment and instead treated their music with a more raw and experimental approach.

The origins of the outlaw image are often traced to Merle Haggard’s 1968 hit “Mama Tried,” which helped spark a wave of working-class country artists who sounded more authentically personal than their polished Nashville counterparts. These artists disdained the artificiality of the Nashville production style, which relied heavily on string sections and background vocals to sweeten the sound of records; instead, they strived for a harder, “rootsier” sound that would better reflect their own personal experiences. Outlaw country also carried an anti-establishment attitude—a disdain for the conservative values that favored traditionalist approaches to country music.

Artists such as Haggard, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings all achieved massive mainstream success while remaining true to their outlaw roots; others, like Billy Joe Shaver and Townes Van Zandt, failed to find a wide audience but were revered by their peers for their iconoclastic approach to country music. In general, outlaw country artists sought to capture the grit and hardness of traditional honky tonk while also expanding its sonic boundaries with elements drawn from rock & roll and folk.

Country pop

Country pop is a subgenre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. A combination of the original musical style with elements of popular music, country pop acts are sometimes criticized for lacking authenticity and connection to older, classic country. Nevertheless, many country pop artists have been able to find success on both the country and pop charts.

The term “country-pop” was first used in the late 1950s by Johnny Cash, when he described his own sound as “folk songs with a beat”. The term would later be used by Gram Parsons in 1968, when he leftThe Byrdsto formThe Flying Burrito Brothersand pursue a more rock-influenced sound that he described as “cosmic American music”. Parsons’ vision of country-rock would be realized in 1971 with the release of his albumGrievous Angel.

In the 1970s, many traditional country artists began to crossover into the pop charts, including Lynn Anderson (“Rose Garden”), Crystal Gayle (“Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”), Mac Davis (“Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me”), Willie Nelson (“Always on My Mind”), Kenny Rogers (“Lucille”), Anne Murray (“Snowbird”), Dolly Parton (“Here You Come Again”), Emmylou Harris (“Boulder to Birmingham”) and Linda Ronstadt (“Blue Bayou”). The popularity of crossover artists would continue into the 1980s with the likes of Juice Newton, Ronnie Milsap and Barbara Mandrell finding success on both the country and pop charts.

In 1985, Steve Winwood releasedthe albumBack in the High Lifewhich featuredthe song “Higher Love”. The song would go on to topthe Billboard Hot 100 chart and wina Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Back in the High Lifeis often creditedwith ushering ina new eraof adult contemporary music which featureda more polished sound thanthe previous decade’s output. Country pop acts such as Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw would find massive success throughoutthe 1990s and 2000s.

Bro-country

Bro-country is a subgenre of country music that started in the early 2010s. It is characterized by themes about beer, trucks, and partying, and often features county rap or rock elements. It has been criticized for its lack of authenticity and for perpetuating negative stereotypes about country music and its fans.