Country music originated in the South of the United States. It has its roots in several earlier types of music, such as Blues, Gospel music, and Celtic music among many other old music genres. Although it appeared in the 1920’s, the term Country Music was not used until 1940. At the same time, a different type of music emerged in the Southwestern part of the country with roots in Germany, the Czech Republic, the British Isles, and Mexico. This amalgam of ethnic music from different groups of immigrants was originally known as Western Music. It originated in Appalachia, especially in Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky. The most common instruments played by Western musicians are the guitar, steel guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, harmonica and drums each introduced by immigrants from different countries, Country Music format is played by more radio stations than any other genre of music and is directed towards adults. Today, Country Music is a popular genre of music all over the world in addition to the United States.
Country Music is made up of many different categories such as Western, Nashville Sound, Bluegrass, Outlaw, Honky Tonk, Cajun, Rockabilly, and more recently, Neo-country Music. Columbia Records was the first recording company to release recordings of Country Music in 1924.
The Carter Family and Jimmy Rodgers were the first Country artists to be recorded in 1927 in Tennessee and Virginia. Jimmie Rodgers’ music was rooted in traditional ballads and his lyrics were based on his personal encounters and the feelings he experienced in his own life. Artists like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, and many other male singers followed in his footsteps and wrote songs about love, death, and suffering. A.P. Carter and his wife Sara along with their sister-in-law Maybelle, formed the Carter Family. Their music was influenced by the ballads originating in the hills of Virginia. The two women wrote their own songs and paved the way for female country singers like, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynne among many others.
The Country Music Association was formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1958. During this period, Rockabilly was very popular across the country. In 1956, Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” were on top of the Billboard’s charts. By the 1960s Nashville had become the center of Country Music with major record producers turning it into a very profitable industry. In their quest to achieve greater popularity among mainstream audiences, these producers encouraged influences from Pop Music and other successful genres.
Today, Country Music has evolved into several different genres, each characterized by different use of instruments, beats, and chord combinations. New generations of younger artists continue to make Country Music the most popular genre of music among adults in the United States.
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