Country music is a product of the United States. While people all over the world have started to listen to country music. It is most frequently found playing in the United States. Some people fall in love with the sound of country music as soon as they hear it. Lately the genre has enjoyed a steady increase in popularity. Country music, like so many other things, is constantly evolving
The Early Years
Country music was first heard in the South. It was a type of music that people played when they got together and wanted to have a good time. The primary instruments that were used to create the music included the banjo, the guitar, and the fiddle. Some of the songs also had a singer. Today this original version of country music can still be heard. The music goes by a different name now. It is called bluegrass. Lester Flatts and Earl Scruggs were some of the first artist to take bluegrass out of the south and make it a nationwide craze. Today artist like Allison Krauss and Steve Martin continue to keep bluegrass alive. The movie Oh Brother Where Art Thou has a soundtrack that is an excellent example of high quality bluegrass.
The Next Incantation
The first really big country music star was Hank Williams Sr. with his distinctive twangy voice, simple lyrics, and soulful eyes. Hank introduced the world to a type of country music that was just a little different than what they had heard before. He sang songs about life and struggle. Today, Hank Williams is still considered one of the greatest country music legends ever.
The ’80′s
The 1980′s brought about some huge changes in country music. Groups like the Oakridge boys gave the music a little different sound, adding some rhythm sections that had previously been missing. The ’80′s also started showing that country music could be used to really tell stories. Perhaps the most important thing to come out of the ’80′s was some of the artists. The early ’80′s were when George Strait, Alabama, and Reba McIntyre first started to get some play time. Alabama retired just a few years ago, but Strait and McIntyre are still recording chart topping hits today. These three artists were important for taking the twangy, cheesy songs people were familiar with and adding some different sounds and instruments to make them songs everyone could enjoy.
The ’90′s
Country music in the ’90′s can be defined by one person, Garth Brooks. Although he didn’t look like a hunky cowboy, nor did he have the greatest voice, Garth Brooks did something that no other artist had been able to do before. He made it cool to listen to country music. The way that Garth Brooks did this was by being both a savvy businessman (his degree in marketing really came in handy) and also being an incredible entertainer. Musically Garth Brooks tended to play songs with traditional country lyrics, but he added some rock and roll to the lyrics.
The Next Century
The country music that is being played today bears very little resemblance to the music Hank Williams was famous for. Most of it sounds more like pop music than country. This is especially true when you listen to the current crop of female chart toppers such as Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, and Taylor Swift. However traditional country music hasn’t totally disappeared. Artist like Brad Paisley, Dierks Bently, Miranda Lambert, and Rodney Atkins are consistently showing that people haven’t totally lost their love of the steel guitar and heartfelt lyrics.