The Origins of Country Music
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A comprehensive look at the history of country music and its roots in American culture.
The early years of country music
Country music is a genre of American popular music that originated in the Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from the folk music of the Appalachians and other parts of the South. Country music often consists of ballads and dance tunes with simple forms, folk lyrics, and harmonies mostly accompanied by string instruments such as banjos, electric and acoustic guitars, fiddles, and harmonicas.
The first country music recordings
The first country music recordings were made in the 1920s, and they were mostly of traditional folk songs sung by poverty-stricken people in the rural South. Some of these early recordings were made by famous people like blues singer Blind Lemon Jefferson and fiddle player Eck Robertson, but most were made by unknown artists. These recordings were not very popular at the time, but they are now seen as important historical documents.
In the 1930s, commercial radio began to play country music, and it became more popular. During this decade, many important country musicians emerged, including Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. Rodgers was a successful singer who recorded many popular songs, while the Carter Family was a group of singers who performed traditional folk songs and religious music.
In the 1940s, country music became even more popular, with stars like Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb becoming household names. Williams was a successful songwriter and singer who had many hit songs, while Tubb was a beloved performer who helped to spread country music to new audiences.
The 1950s saw the rise of rockabilly, a type of country music that combined elements of rock and roll with traditional country music. Artists like Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins helped to make this new genre popular, and it is still enjoyed by many fans today.
The first country music stars
The first country music stars were probably the fiddle players who played for square dances in the late 1800s. These fiddlers, many of whom were also gifted singers, became popular entertainers in their own right and began touring the country, performing for delighted audiences wherever they went.
As the popularity of country music grew, so did the number of professional performers. By the early 1900s, there were already a few big names in the genre, including Ernest Stoneman, Gid Tanner, and Riley Puckett. These artists were famous for their distinctive style of music, which was a blend of folk and popular tunes.
As country music became more mainstream, its stars began to achieve greater success. In 1927, Jimmie Rodgers released his first recording, “Blue Yodel,” which became a huge hit. Rodgers was soon followed by other country music greats such as Vernon Dalhart, the Carter Family, and Gene Autry. These artists enjoyed tremendous popularity throughout the 1930s and 1940s
The development of country music
Before country music was ever a genre, it was the music of the people. It was the music of the working class, the music of the farmers and the music of the cowboys. It was a way for the people to express their stories and their emotions. Over time, country music has developed and evolved into the genre that we know today.
The influence of radio
In the 1920s and 1930s, country music was called “hillbilly music” and was attributed to artists such as Jimmie Rodgers, the first country artist to have a nationally-broadcast radio show. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly radio show, began to gain popularity. The show featured performances by many of the most popular country artists of that time period. The popularity of country music continued to grow in the 1950s with the advent of television. Country music artists such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash became household names.
The influence of television
Since the 1940s, country music has been influenced by tv. Western singing cowboys Gene Autry and Roy Rogers were the first superstars of country music on television. In the 1950s, Nashville sound recordings by artists such as Hank Williams and Patsy Cline began appearing on tv, helping to spread both country music and the Nashville sound to a wider audience. In 1954, Bonanza was the first tv series to feature a regular character who sang country songs; in the 1960s, The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction featured hillbilly characters and comedy with occasional country-music performances. The 1967 film Nashville featured 24 main characters, most of whom were songwriters or musicians; it is credited with popularizing the phrase “Country Music Capital of the World” and helping to make Nashville a mecca for country music performers and fans. Although it was set in Los Angeles, most of its filming took place in Nashville.
The influence of the Nashville sound
The Nashville sound is a subgenre of country music and a style of popular music that was developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Nashville, Tennessee. It was characterized by a more polished production than earlier country music, as well as by smooth, flowing melodies and vocals.
The Nashville sound was created by producers Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley, who leaned heavily on string instruments, background vocals, and pop-influenced arrangements to create a more radio-friendly sound. The sound helped make stars out of previously little-known singers like Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, and Eddy Arnold. It also brought country music into the mainstream more than ever before.
The Nashville sound began to lose some of its luster in the late 1960s and early 1970s as country music became more inflected with rock & roll influences. However, many of its core characteristics have remained prominent in country music overall.
The modern era of country music
Country music has been around for centuries, with its origins dating back to the early 1800s. The genre has since evolved and changed with the times, but one thing has remained constant: its popularity. Today, country music is one of the most popular genres in the United States, and its popularity shows no signs of waning.
The influence of rock and roll
It wasn’t long after Elvis Presley made his first recordings at Sun Studios in Memphis in the 1950s that the lines between country music and rock and roll began to blur. Country artists were soon incorporating the new sounds of rock and roll into their own recordings, giving birth to a new style of music called “rockabilly.” Turning up the tempo and adding electric guitars, drums, and horns, artists like Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash created a new sound that was both exciting and familiar.
In the 1960s, country music continued to evolve as artists like Gram Parsons brought a more experimental approach to the genre, infusing it with elements of psychedelic rock and blues. This “cosmic cowboy” style would lay the groundwork for what would become known as “outlaw country” in the 1970s. Artists like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson would revitalize country music with their own brand of rough-and-tumble storytelling mixed with a healthy dose of irreverence.
Today, country music has come full circle as many young artists are once again borrowing from the sounds of rock and roll. And while there are still plenty of traditionalists making music in Nashville, there is also an exciting new wave of country artists carrying on the legacy of those who came before them.
The influence of pop
In the 1950s, country music became a huge commercial enterprise, with such influential artists as Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline. In this era, Nashville became the undisputed centre of country music, with a host of gifted songwriters and prolific recording artists. The influence of pop music continued to be felt in country music during this period, as well as the influence of rock and roll. This was most evident in the work of such artists as Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash. In the 1960s, country music continued to be hugely successful, with a number of crossover artists such as Charley Pride and Tammy Wynette achieving widespread popularity. However, the genre also began to split into two distinct camps: the Nashville Sound and the more traditional honky tonk style championed by such artists as George Jones and Hank Williams Jr.
The influence of alternative country
Alternative country, sometimes called “hatchet country” or simply “hatchet music”, is a subgenre of country music that draws its inspiration from a variety of sources, including punk rock, indie rock and bluegrass. Alternative country artists often mix elements of these genres with traditional country music, resulting in a unique hybrid sound.
The term “alternative country” was first used in the late 1980s to describe bands such as the Jayhawks, Uncle Tupelo and The Meat Puppets. These bands were united by their debt to the roots of country music, as well as their rejection of the commercialism of the Nashville sound. They were also influenced by punk rock, which they saw as a potential threat to the well-established genre.
In the early 1990s, alternative country experienced something of a renaissance thanks to bands like Wilco and Son Volt. These groups injected new life into the genre by blending it with elements of indie rock and alternative rock. The result was a sound that was both fresh and traditional at the same time.
Today, there are many different subgenres of alternative country, each with its own distinct sound and style. Some of the most popular include Americana, twangcore, surf country and dark country.
