By: Alexa Bell

Which music genre sold 44.60 million albums in 2012, making it the fourth popular in the U.S.? Country (Music Album Sales). To some it is a word, others a lifestyle, and it may very well be a heritage.  This interesting genre started as folk music in the Appalachian Mountains, was dressed up by folks in the 1920s who were hoping to make it into the recording business; their music quickly gained wide popularity (Birthplace of Country Music: A Local Legacy).  The folk music was adapted in different parts of the country and many different sounds emerged over the years.  Many famous people have sung this type of music and given their contribution, such as Al Dexter, Conway Twitty, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, and, of course, George Strait.  Now, radios such as 104.3 and 92.3 play oldies and “fresh” music from this genre.  Many believe it has become too pop-cultured, some embrace the style, and others wonder what country is exactly.  Country music is an important genre in American History and culture because of its influence on the lives of the artists, listeners, and development of other music genres

            One of the most popular music sections today had very humble beginnings.  In the 1920s, the recording business kicked off, but people would have to “travel to New York to record their music” (Birthplace of Country Music: A Local Legacy).  Ralph Peer, from Victor Records, traveled to Bristol, Tennessee, searching for “new sounds.”  A small family with the name of Carter auditioned on the 2^nd of August, in 1927.  The group consisted of A.P. Carter, his wife Sarah, and her cousin Maybell.  Their work was based off of the folk music in the Appalachian Mountains, their instruments included fiddle, banjo, and acoustic guitar.  This style was named “hillbilly music.”  The family sang of ”love, loss, joy, and depression”.  At the time, the nation plunged into dark depression and the people craved expression.  As a result, the Carter Family’s sales rocketed.  Later, Carter traveled to the mountains to find new material for songs.  Sadly, it resulted in family complications in which “Sara fell in love with A.P.’s Cousin.”  “Sara Divorced A.P. in 1936, but the group stayed together until 1943 when they disbanded (The Carter Family: Will The Circle Be Unbroken).  Their style served as an inspiration for “American folk, country, and bluegrass music” (The Carter Family: Will The Circle Be Unbroken).  Many carried similar melodies and instrumentals off on a tangent to continue the development of this up-beat genre. 

            Another man auditioned for Mr. Peer, just two days after the Carters did.  His name was Jimmie Rogers and he sang an old style known as “blue yodels”.  He was born in Pine Springs, but said that he considered Meridian, Mississippi to be his hometown.  He worked on the rails with his father and became a railroad brakeman.  Unfortunately, he was forced to retire that job because of his tuberculosis.  He tried many different professions but was “drawn to music”.  As Jimmie Rodger’s popularity grew, “he continued to write his own songs of home, family, and sweethearts”.  He also based some of his work off of his own great “marriage and his love of working on the railroad” (Jimmie Rodgers).

Many different sounds emerged from the pure “hillbilly-country” that Carter and Rodgers sang, one of those being Nashville sound.  In Tennessee, lots of “variations have been produced,” and it all started in 1925 when the Nashville Barn Dace was established (A Look at the History of Country Music).  The first program on November 28, 1925 was only about an hour long, and “most fans agreed” with the first performer, Uncle Jimmy Thompson, that broadcasting was not nearly long enough.  “Within fifteen years it Grew to a 4 ½ hour program on Nashville’s WSM radio,” giving growth to both the Barn Dance and the radio station (Tassin 73). By 1933, it was known as The Grand Ole Olpry.  National broadcasting from the Olpry led to a great flood of young people; some of them broke into the world of country music as big stars. Some of these singers include Ernest Tubb, Pasty Cline, Buddy Holly, Kitty Wells.  They all brought their enthusiasm and ideas for their own music.  Sounds blended and Chet Atkins stepped in, encouraging blending the fiddle and guitar with pop-culture melodies.  Also, “complete orchestras were brought in to add a lushness, or softness, to the country sound. This era of country was the beginning of the age of contemporary country music” (A Look at the History of Country Music).  By 1960, Chet Atkins, being possibly the most influential man in music, had created Nashville Sound (About Nashville sound/countrypolitan).

During the 1930s, “new substyles emerged,” including honky-tonk.  In 1936, Al Dexter was the first to actually use the term “honky-tonk” in his song “Honky Tonk Blues” (A Look at the History of Country Music). Other people that wandered in this style included Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams. Tubb released “Walking the Floor Over You” in 1941 and accomplished an amazing sale of more than one million copies.  Williams’ song “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” from 1953 is arguably the most well-known song from the honky-tonk era.  This sound was engulfed in steel guitars and drums (History of Country Music).  This type of music was especially poplar in pubs across Oklahoma and Texas since the prohibition act was repealed in 1933.  Many people could now drink and listen to loud music in a public pup without having to worry about being caught while drinking in a “speakeasy” (A Look at the History of Country Music).  

            Theaters were also popular in Oklahoma and Texas during 1935-1948.  This entertainment featured the lives of cowboys accompanied “with sounds from the hills of Tennessee and the bayous of Louisiana.”  Lyrics were usually about the “pains and sorrows of life on the western frontier.”  These songs included at least one long, “lonesome, whistle from [a] mellow-sounding wind instrument,” usually from the flute (A Look at the History of Country Music).  Songs from Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans were extremely popular among the theater-watchers.

As the years rolled over to the early 1950s, Rockabilly Sound emerged.  This section of country “mixed southern hills music and the blues”; “becoming faster paced and keeping a constant rhythm” (A Look at the History of Country Music).  The young Americans liked the new sound because their lives, too, were becoming “quicker paced than their parents” because of new inventions and societal changes (History of country Music).  “This music became popular” through the works of the “Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, Carl Perkins and the king himself, Elvis Presley” (A Look at the History of Country Music). “Rockabilly music was the foundation for what would later become known as "Rock n' Roll" music” (History of Country Music). 

            By the sixties, country music started taking the shape that Americans know it. “By this decade, the country music format had greatly changed. Now complete orchestras, lush string sections, and vocal backup were brought in to add a softness to the music. Synthesizers, studio effects, and over-dubbing were also used to create a richer, fuller sound.” Mean while, in California, there was also a sub-category, called the “Bakersfield Sound; popularized by Buck Owens and The Buckaroos.” “This would be the beginning of contemporary country music” (Country Music of the 1960s). However, during the late 60s, artists like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings directed music toward “outlaw country” (Country Music of the 1960s).  The term of “outlaw country” “is derived from the song ‘Ladies love Outlaws’ written by Lee Clayton and sung by Waylon Jennings on his 1972 album” (Outlaw Country).  This label was given to “singers who grew their hari long, wore denim and leather and looked like hippies in contrast to… the singers… that were pushing the Nashville Sound” (Outlaw Country).  These singers had great success and the music brought back “the rawness and life force of country music. The songs were about drinking, drugs, hard working men and honky tonk heroes. The music was more like rock and roll and there were no strings in the background” (Outlaw Country).

            As Presley left the stage of Rockabilly country, Pop country grew in the 1970s.  At first, the term “pop country,” referred to country songs that made it onto the top 40 radio (Country Music).  However, the style quickly changed.   Country music became more deviated when Pop singers decided they could get higher sale records if they made it into the country genre.  Singers like Glen Campbell, John Denver, Olivia Newton-John, and Anne Murray wiggled into the realm.  This new sound met widespread acceptance and popularity.  For example, “Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" was among one of the biggest crossover hits in Country music history” (Country Music).  In 1974, Olivia won best Female Country Singer, and as a result, a handful of listeners were sent into outrage.  Artists such as Gorge Jones and Dolly Parton formed Association of Country Entertainers.  Debates sparked in 1975 about whether or not country was )detouring too far from its own roots; however, the ACE was short lived (Classic 70s Queens of Country Music).  Still, the rebellion against pop country did not end.  In 1975, when John Denver was selected for Country Music Association Awards, Charlie Rich “set fire to the envelope with a cigarette lighter” to, in a way, protest the “pollution of country music” (Country Music).

            Variations of country music in 60s and 70s were generally accepted by the country audience; on the other hand, some sounds did not go too far.  In the early 1980s, the Urban Cowboy Movement began.  This music started when John Travolta released “Urban Cowboy” and became even more popular with Dolly Parton’s move 9 to 5 (Country Music)

When enough people were tired of country pop, new artists decided to “remind young audiences of what made music great in the first place” (Country Music)  George Strait, Ricky Skaggs, the Judds, Randy Travis, and Ricky Van Shelton brought country music out of the Urban Cowboy Movement and into Neo-traditional.   They sang of love and hometowns, “capturing audiences with talent and older melodies” (Country Music) (History of Country Music).

This country genre is still experiencing super-stars such as Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Reba MacEntire, Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood.  Each of these people have amazing success stories with breaking into the business.  Garth Books was discovered in Nashville and created music “which blend rock’n’ roll theatrics with his country-flavored music.  He is the biggest crassover star in history, with both pop and country fans claiming him as their own” (McCall 53).  Martina McBride did Garth’s opening act for his mammoth tour in 1992, and she released an album a year later.  Songs like “My Baby Loves Me”, “Life #9”, and “Independence Day,” “showed a confident side to McBride,” and she still going strong with heart-filled songs such as “Always Be This Way,” and “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” (Roy 91).  Tim McGraw’s popularity kicked off with the release of “Indian Outlaw.”  “Folks in the country dance clubs loved its sassy rhythms,” His album jumped to the number one in both country and pop charts in 1994 (Roy 96-97).  His next release, “Don’t Take the Girl,” “became his first number one single” and proved he could also be a “powerful ballad singer” (Roy 97).  He continued to stay on top with his third album, All I Want.  “’I Like It, I Love It,” maintained the number-one spot for five straight weeks “and now rivals ‘Indian Outlaw’ as McGraw’s signature song” (Roy 97). 

New stars have the young audience dazzled.  Singers such as Hunter Hayes and Scotty McCreery capture audiences with their talent, familiar subjects, and individual melodies.  Singers from this age have sparked debates among ordinary people and researchers over the question of what makes country music identifiable.  Some believe strongly that pure country is gone; others insist that the music isn’t so bad, and some enjoy listening to many eras of music.  Country music is defined as  “a song form distinguished either by the kinds of instruments used to play it or by the supposed ‘simplicity’ of its lyrics” (Hume 1).  Yet there are, as always, connotations to accompany a definition.  Everyone views life and objects differently, making it hard for society to agree on or pinpoint a truth.  Hume says that Country music, “with all its styles and subgenres, has usually appealed to a cohesive group of people with certain attitudes and lifestyles in common… Country music has been a unifying force, an expression of ‘we are all alike’” (2).  Instrumentals used in modern-day country are slightly different to the ones used by the Carter family.  However, guitar is still popularly used, being almost a staple in country music.  “Drums, where present, play with the bass,” and are used to fit a beat to the tone of the song, giving it almost a honky-tonk sound (Hume 2).  Subjects are fairly similar – loss, love, good memories, and country pride.  Some changes in subjects came along “as the audience changed… The question of which music qualifies as ‘country’ is relative to what the country audience will accept” (Hume 2).  Also, voices have changed since the beginnings of country music, for example, no one yodels like Jimmie did.  Tastes have changed throughout the years and the general audience of music is enamored by Kellie Clarkson, Katie Perry, and Bruno Mars.  Sometimes country stars team up with pop stars to create new pieces and duets – for example, Rascal Flatts and Natasha Bedingfield released “Easy” in 2011 and was on the Hot 100, “debuting on the chart at No. 87” (Natasha Dedingfield Explains).

New country music is very easily accepted by country listeners.  As new music comes out by favorite artists, their albums hit radios hard, some shooting into top 40s.  Some, however, are not as widely accepted by country listeners.  The Band Perry and Taylor Swift occasionally release music that is classified as country, sparking what some may consider heated debates on social media.  Taylor Swift was considered more country a few years ago, with songs like “You Should’ve Said No,” “Sparks Fly” and “Love Story,” later, songs such as “Begin Again” and “Back to December,” fit nicely into both pop and country cultures; now, with her newest release of “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” she is considered mostly pop.  What caused her gradual change in genres?  Her new instrumentation and voice “offer a new pop sound” that still plays on country radio with pieces such as “22” (Is it Country or is it Pop?).  The Band Perry features the siblings Kimberly, Reid and Neil Perry.  A few years ago, “If I Die Young,” received very interesting responses.  In 2011, “the band learned that their song had achieved Double Platinum certification from the RIAA fro sales exceeding 2 million just as Memorial Day Weekend began” (Band Perry’s “If I Die Young”).  Many liked the music and the lyrics put to it because they could identify with feeling lonely and sometimes even wanting to give up on their life.  Others rejected the song because of the slight pop culture instilled and argued that the song was purely complaining about life (Band Perry’s “If I Die Young”).  The bands most recent song, titled “Better Dig Two,” tells a story of a young lady getting married, and explaining that she want to be with her love even in death.  The beat and melody are more imposing with steel guitars playing in the background. This song plays regularly on radio and “spent two weeks in the top spot and marked the siblings’ first #1 in Canada” (The Band Perry Celebrate #1 Status for Better dig Two). 

 Country music is an important genre in American History and culture because of its influence on the lives of the artists, listeners, and development of other music genres.  Fundamentals and the purity of this genre can be traced back to the Appalachian Mountains, the Carter family, and Jimmie.  Changes to subjects and the music occurred over time to appeal to the growing audience and the lifestyle swings throughout years.  Subjects remain mostly the same: of love, hard work, life decisions and occasionally having a good time.  Instruments change slightly: the flute, harmonica, and fiddle are hardly used presently, yet the guitar remains a must-have with drums and a piano accompanying.  The definition of what makes the music portion of the song country is almost personal preference in these years with all the variations.  However, getting past political, historical, and musical facts, one may finally come to the meaning of country.  It is expression, love and a sense of uniting among those who hold each other and their values dear to the heart.  This genre is a way to give people pride, comfort, accomplishment, and break from busy lives every once in a while. 

Works Cited

“America’s Story: From America’s Library: Birthplace of Country Music: A Local Legacy.” America’s  Library. The Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.

“Classic 70’s Queens of Country Music: Olivia Newton – John Comes to Nashville Via Australia.” 70s Country Music Queens. Squidoo, © 2013. Web. 1 Mar. 2013.

“Country Music; Origin, History, and Background Information.” Audials Software. Windows, n.d. Web.  22 Feb. 2013

Tassin, Myron Fifty Years at the Grand Ol Opry. New York: Publican Pub. Co., 1975. Print. 8 Mar. 2013.

Harden, Lydia; Hoekstra, Dave; McCall, Micheal; Morris, Edward; Williams, Janet; Wix,    Kimmy. The Stars of Country Music. Don ray and Shawn Williams. Lincolnwook, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd., 1996. Print. 8 Mar. 2013.

“History of Country.” Aces and Eights. Cd universe, 2011. Web. 1 Mar. 2013.

“History of Country Music.” Hitching Post Social Club. N.d.

Humes, Martha. Guide to the Greatest in Country Music: You’re So Cold I’m Turnin’ Blue. New York: Viking Press, Penguin Books, 1982. Print. 8 Mar. 2013.

 “Jimmie Rodgers.” Last.fm. CBS Interactive, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 22 Feb 2013

“More About the film The Carter Family: Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” American Experience. PBS, 5 May 2005. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.

 “Music Album Sales in the United States in 2012, by Genre (In Millions)” Statisa. (partner of Dowjones), Jan. 2013. 22 Feb. 2013.

Rene, Ashley “Is it Pop or Country? Or, does it even matter?” Storify. Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.

“The Band Perry Celebrate #1 Status for Better Dig Two.” Country Music Tattle Tale.

“The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young” Reaches Double Platinum Certification.” Country Music Rocks. 1 Jun. 2011. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.

“The History of Country Music: A Look at the History of Country Music, and the artists who paved the road for the superstars of the industry today.” Essortment. Demand Media, © 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2013

Extra reading:

“Carter Family Fold.” Carter Fold Show. Carter Family, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013.

Floyd, John. Sun Records An Oral History. New York: The Hearst Corporation: Avon Books, 1998. Print. 8 Mar. 2013.