Country Music has many different types of sounds. There is the Honky Tonk sound, the Western sound, the Rockabilly sound, the Outlaw sound and most popular the Nashville sound. Country Music got its beginnings in the early 1920's. Country Music is mainly derived from folk music that mainly began in the Appalachian Mountains.
The Honky Tonk sound was mainly popular in roadside pubs and meeting houses in Texas and Oklahoma. The Honky Tonk sound includes the sounds of steel guitars and drums. The main performers that spread the Honky Tonk sound were Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams. One of the best known records in the Honky Tonk era was released by Hank Williams titled Your Cheating Heart.
The Western sound of Country Music often talked about how lonesome and hard life on the western frontier was. This type of music was more popular with the cowboys of Texas and Oklahoma, but also stretched into Louisiana, and New Mexico. Some of the famous western artists were Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.
The Rockabilly sound was a mix of southern hills music and the blues. Rockabilly sound arose in the early 1950's. The most famous artist of this time was the king, Elvis Presley. The Rockabilly sound was popular with Americans because it was a faster pace and had a constant rhythm. Other artists of this time period include Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, and the Everly Brothers.
Another type of Country Music would be the outlaw type of music. The performers who made Outlaw music popular were Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr. Outlaw music wanted to go for more of the bad boy image of country music and actually was very popular. The music usually consisted of lyrics that talked about drinking or other immoral things.
The Nashville sound is perhaps what most people today are familiar with. The Nashville sound used synthesizers, studio effects, and overdubbing to create a sound that no steel guitar could match. The Nashville sound currently includes megastars such as Garth Brooks, Reba McIntire, the Dixie Chicks, and the duo of Brooks and Dunn. Without a doubt today's country music has seen its most popularity ever.
Sources:
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