Explore the Sound created by Nashville Country Music Artists.

Explore the Sub-Genres and Evolution of Country Music

Country Music has evolved over the decades from a variety of sounds hailing from different areas throughout the United States. Here, we give a brief overview of the evolution of the country music sound.

Hillbilly Music Early Country

THE 1920s | RURAL SOUTHERN UNITED STATES - Hillbilly Music is considered the first formal term for Country Music, coined by record producers as a label for Southern music. These songs drew on traditional tunes of folk, ballads and hymns passed down through generations and incorporated the fiddle and banjo as the main instruments.

The first stars include Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family, whose songs were first captured on August 1, 1927, in the historical Bristol, Tennessee, recording session.

Archetypes of Early Country The Carter Family

LISTEN TO EARLY COUNTRY

The Carter Family

Jimmie Rodgers

Charlie Poole

DEVELOPED IN THE 1930s | APPALACHIAN REGION - Bill Monroe described Bluegrass as, "Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound.”

Bluegrass is derived from a mix of cultures in the Appalachian region of the United States. The English and Scottish settlers brought jigs, reels, and fiddles, while Black musicians of the area introduced the banjo. The sound developed and reached audiences through the radio.