Listen: Country music examples
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About Country music
Country music is a music genre that emerged in United States in the 1920s. It is usually classed as a form of popular music and music of North America.
Among the best-known names in the style are Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Steven Seagal and Bing Crosby.
Country music has given rise to 18 subgenres on this site, such as Bluegrass music, Country pop, Western swing and Alternative country.
From Wikipedia
Country music, also known as country and western or simply country, is a music genre originating from the United States. It is known for its ballads and dance tunes, identifiable by both traditional lyrics and harmonies accompanied by banjos, mandolins, fiddles, harmonicas, and many types of guitar; either acoustic, electric, steel, or resonator guitars. Once called hillbilly music, the term country music was popularized in the 1940s.
Genre family tree
Parent genres (↑) and subgenres (↓) of Country music.
- ↑ popular music
- ↑ music of North America
- ↓ Bluegrass music
- ↓ Country pop
- ↓ Western swing
- ↓ Alternative country
- ↓ Nashville sound
- ↓ Western music
- ↓ Bakersfield sound
- ↓ Honky tonk
- ↓ Country folk
- ↓ Australian country music
- ↓ Progressive country
- ↓ Texas country music
- ↓ Czech tramping music
- ↓ Country and Irish
- ↓ Truck-driving country
- ↓ Canadian country music
Key artists
- Elvis Presley
- Bob Dylan
- Taylor Swift
- Miley Cyrus
- Steven Seagal
- Bing Crosby
- Johnny Cash
- Tina Turner
- Kevin Costner
- Ray Charles
Related genres
Questions people ask
Real questions from the Stack Exchange community – follow a link to read the discussion.
Frequently asked questions
What is Country music?
Country music is a music genre that emerged in United States in the 1920s. It is usually classed as a form of popular music and music of North America.
Where and when did Country music originate?
Country music originated in United States in the 1920s.
Who are famous Country music artists?
Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Steven Seagal and Bing Crosby.
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q83440 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Country music – CC BY-SA 4.0
- MusicBrainz genre – CC0
- Don'tLetYourDealGoDown2 by Charlie Poole († 1931) – Public domain
- Johnny Cash – New Mexico by Traditional song, no author – Public domain
- George Jones sings 'I'm Ragged But I'm Right' by Traditional – Public domain