History of Country Music

In the 1940s, country as a music genre reached national popularity. Now, country music existed long before the 1940s, and it wasn’t invented by groups of mostly white, conservative men that it is so often associated with. As a long time listener of country musicians such as Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, George Jones, and Jerry Reed, I’d certainly been exposed to multiple different sides of the genre, but I’m sad to admit that I don’t know much about the origins of country. Join me on this journey down the twangy path that is the history of one of my favourite music genres, country music.
Preface
To preface, it’s important to note that there’s multiple different kinds of country music. There’s outlaw country, cowboy country, honky-tonk, and bluegrass, just to name a few. When I talk about the origins of country music, I’m not just talking about the origins of one of its subgenres; I am discussing the genre as a whole. It also goes without saying that I don’t know everything about country music, artists, or the history of the genre. It is a genre that I’ve grown up listening to and has a strong personal connection with, so this is a combination of my research on its history and my personal experiences with the music.
Origins
The origins of country music can be traced to the 17th century, when European and African immigrants to North America brought their folktales, folk songs, favourite instruments, and musical traditions. I think that what makes country music interesting, like any long-standing genre, is that the music is such a blend of different cultures. The themes expressed in country music often include love, heartbreak, loss, and the dangers of capitalism. These are problems faced by all people, but specifically those of lower socioeconomic status and other marginalized communities. Country music has changed over the years, but I think that what has allowed it to remain such a vibrant part of American musical culture is the fact that it tells the story of so many people. In a scene from the popular American animated show The Simpsons, one character expresses that there’s a country song to express every event in a person’s life and I think that, generally speaking, that’s pretty true. There’s songs about being left by your spouse, quitting your job (or wishing that you could), loss, losing your farm and all your possessions due to a flood, the justice system, gambling, talking birds, and getting hit by a train the day you got released from prison. If it’s happened to you or if it can in some way be related back to systemic problems in America, odds are there’s a country song for it. Due to the fact that country music grew into existence from the combination of numerous cultures of people immigrating to America and facing struggles due to that, it is able to articulate the stories of many different people.
The 1900s saw a lot of change for America and the country music industry. The inventions of the phonograph, radio, television, and other electronic media shaped the progress of country music during this time period. This made the music much more accessible, both for listeners and creators. In 1920, the Sears Cataloge began selling both instruments and songbooks, which greatly expanded the music industry. The Grand Ole Oprey brought country music to a new audience as of November 28, 1925 by playing country music on the radio, and eventually on television. In 1929 the country was hit by the Great Depression, and no one had money to spare on records and radios. Country music stuck around through the Depression and when World War began, the USO brought country music to a new global audience. The genre skyrocketed to popularity within America after WWⅡ, and some of the most well-known country artists arose after this time. This includes talented artists such as Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson. The Country Music Hall of Fame opened in 1967 and has since become a place for recognizing the greatest country musicians and performers. Since it opened, it has grown to contain the likes of Reba McEntire, Roy Acuff, Marty Robbins, and Hank Williams.
Modern Country
A lot has changed since the 1970’s, and it seems that country music is here to stay. With the internet and online music streaming now being widely available, listeners have the ability to find new musicians, but also the ability to reconnect with the artists of the past. New singers have hit the scene and the use of new technology has often changed some of the signature sounds of the genre, but the idea of country music as emotional, thought-provoking, story-telling music has stayed the same. I also think that it’s important to acknowledge the racist history and current state of country music. As someone who isn’t the most knowledgeable about modern country music, I say this as an outsider looking in, but there seems to be a sort of incorrect segregation of country music and the idea that it has always been a very conservative genre. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, as the whole genre was created by the blending of different cultures and pre-existing genres.
Over the course of my life, country music has continued to be one of my favourite genres and learning about its history has only made it all the more fascinating to me. I look forward to learning more about the history of country and the genres that it originated from as more of its history is uncovered in the future.
Interested in getting into country music? Check out a few of my favourite songs and covers here:
“Daddy Sang Bass,” The Holy Land, by Johnny Cash
“Casey’s Last Ride,” Kristofferson, by Kris Kristofferson
“The House of the Rising Sun,” 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, by Dolly Parton
“He Stopped Loving Her Today,” I Am What I Am, by George Jones
“The Bird,” The Bird, by Jerry Reed
“Highwayman,” Highwayman, by the Highwaymen