Country music history

See Article History Alternative Titles: The term country and western music later shortened to country music was adopted by the recording industry in to replace the derogatory label hillbilly music.

It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the s.

History of Country Music | Vocabulary | EnglishClub

The term country music began to be used in the s when the earlier term hillbilly music was deemed to be degrading, and the term was widely embraced in the s, while country and Western has declined in use since that time, except in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it is still commonly used in the United States.

In the Southwestern United States a different mix of ethnic groups created the music that became the Western music of the term country and Western. Country music has produced two of the top selling solo artists of all time.

Contemporary musician Garth Brookswith million albums sold, is the top-selling solo artist in U. While album sales of most musical genres have declined, country music experienced one of its best years inwhen, during the first six months of the year, U.

Moreover, country music listening nationwide has remained steady for almost a decade, reaching Immigrants to the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North America brought the music and instruments of the Old World along with them for nearly years.

The Irish fiddle, the German derived dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar, and the African banjo were the most common musical instruments. The Country music history among musicians from different ethnic groups produced music unique to this region of North America.

Appalachian string bands of the early twentieth century primarily consisted of the fiddle, guitar, and banjo. This early country music along with early recorded country music is often referred to as Old-time music.

As a result of this cohabitation and extended contact, Texas has developed unique cultural traits that are rooted in the culture of all of its founding communities.

The music at these halls, brought from Europe, included the waltz and the polka, played on an accordion, an instrument invented in Italy, which was loud enough to fill the entire dance hall.

The first commercial recording of what can be considered country music was "Sallie Gooden" by fiddlist A. Eck Robertson in for Victor Records. Columbia Records began issuing records with "hillbilly" music as early as Many "hillbilly" musicians recorded blues songs throughout the decade.

The steel guitar entered country music as early aswhen Jimmie Tarlton met famed Hawaiian guitarist Frank Ferera on the West Coast. Their songs were first captured at a historic recording session in Bristol on August 1,where Ralph Peer was the talent scout and sound recordist.

One effect of the Great Depression was to reduce the number of records that could be sold. Radio, and broadcasting, became a popular source of entertainment, and "barn dance" shows featuring country music were started all over the South, as far north as Chicago, and as far west as California.

During the s and s Cowboy songs, or "Western music", which had been recorded since the s, were popularized by films made in Hollywood.

His mix of "country" and jazz, which started out as dance hall music, would become known as Western Swing. Spade Cooley and Tex Williams also had very popular bands and appeared in films. At the height of its popularity, Western Swing rivaled the popularity of other big band jazz.

Country musicians began recording boogie inshortly after it had been played at Carnegie Hall, when Johnny Barfield recorded "Boogie Woogie". The trickle of what was initially called Hillbilly Boogie, or Okie Boogie later to be renamed Country Boogiebecame a flood beginning around late The Hillbilly Boogie period lasted into the s, and remains as one of many sub-genres of country into the twenty first century.

Gospel music, too, remained a popular component of country music. Another type of stripped down and raw music with a variety of moods and a basic ensemble of guitar, bass, dobro or steel guitar and later drums became popular, especially among poor white southerners.

It became known as Honky Tonk and had its roots in Texas. This music has been described as "a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, a little bit of black and a little bit of white These "honky tonk" songs associated barrooms, were performed by the likes of Ernest TubbTed Daffin, Floyd Tillmanand the Maddox Brothers and Roseand Hank Williamswould later be called "traditional" country.

Country music - Wikipedia

In this post World War II period "country" music was called "folk" in the trades, and "hillbilly" within the industry. In Billboard replace the term "hillbilly" with "folk songs and blues", and switched to "country" or "country and western" in Moon Mullican played Western Swing, but also recorded songs that can be called rockabilly.

Bill Haley sang cowboy songs, and was at one time a cowboy yodeler. Haley became most famous as an early player of rock n roll.

Lefty Frizzell played in honky tonks adapting Jimmie Rodgers -stylings to this environment, thus creating a sound that was very much his own. Between andcountry crooner Eddy Arnold placed a total of 8 songs in the top Beginning in the mid s, and reaching its peak during the early s, the "Nashville Sound" turned country music into a multimillion-dollar industry centered on Nashville, Tennessee.

Under the direction of producers such as Chet AtkinsOwen Bradleyand later Billy Sherrillthe " Nashville sound " brought country music to a diverse audience and helped revive country as it emerged from a commercially fallow period.

This sound was notable for borrowing from s pop stylings:The First Country Records. Ralph Peer of Okeh records the music of Fiddlin' John Carson in an empty loft in Atlanta. Carson's record becomes a regional hit and convinces Peer that there is an untapped market for "hillbilly" music.

These early Bristol recordings laid the groundwork for much of the country music that followed. Because Bristol is not usually thought of as the place where country music began, it was especially important that the U.S. Congress recognized Bristol's contribution to music history.

Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the s.

Country music was one of the first genres of modern American popular music, and old-time music was its earliest style. It developed in the southeastern states of the USA as a mix of folk music from the British Isles, church music and African American blues.

Country music was one of the first genres of modern American popular music, and old-time music was its earliest style. It developed in the southeastern states of the USA as a mix of folk music from the British Isles, church music and African American blues.

Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the s.