Big Bog: Country

     Hearing about this Big Blog, I was excited to learn more about how music genres were formed. Country, the songs are all about beer, girls, and trucks. Even though this is partly true, I wanted to learn more about the history and how it was brought to America. The country is a genre of music that originates in the Southern and Southwestern parts of the United States. Country music was first produced in the 1920s, focusing mainly on middle-working-class Americans and the so-called "blue-collar" lifestyle. In short terms, a blue-collar American lifestyle is a group of people who take part in hard manual labor. Jobs considered blue-collar include electricians, construction, mining, warehouse work, etc. Many people work "blue-collar" physically demanding jobs today, just like in history. 

    Modern country is a lot different than older country music. The main components that make up a modern country came from the Appalachian Mountains, Tennessee, and parts of Mississippi and Louisiana. Fun fact the US Congress has officially recognized and named Bristol, Tennessee, the "birthplace of country music." The accordion, banjo, bass, drums, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, washboard, and piano are used to create country-style music. These instruments are still used in modern country music, which is impressive since instruments and music have come a long way since then. There were 6 main generations of country music and how it changed.  Im going to recap the first 4 generations and then talk about today and modern country. 

    Generations of musicians blended English ballads with Celtic and Irish fiddle songs and added their own influences. The first generation was in the early 1920s, launching the country's earliest recording artists like James Gideon "Gid" Tanner. He was an old-time fiddler and a part of the band Gid Tanner and his skillet Lickers, one of the most innovative and influential string bands of this time. They were from Georgia and created the first ever "hillbilly" songs and records. They used guitars, banjos, and the fiddle, followed by their vocals, to make their music. Their kind of music is fast-paced and has many note changes, almost like what you would expect from the old country. They would sing about their jobs, daily work, and the blue-collar American life they have to live to provide and survive. Over 5 years, they created and recorded 88 sides, and their best-selling single was "Down Yonder." Down Yonder was a hillbilly breakdown, which is when a part in the song has various instruments, solo parts, and breaks. They can also repeat verses together. Breakdowns are a very popular country music style, particularly in bluegrass styles. 

    

    The next generation is from around the 1930s to the 1940s. The radio was a significant and widespread source of entertainment at this time, along with "barn dance" shows.  These shows featured country music and were all around the south, going as far North as Chicago and West to California. This was the primary way the country was spread throughout America during this time, not just staying in the South-East. Since country music made its way west, cowboy songs and Western music were popularized in Hollywood films. This caused the rise of Hiram "Hank" Williams, who was a part of many western movies and the "singing cowboys." Hank was a musician and singer-songwriter born in 1938, raised in the Great Plains, and became popular in Hollywood. He then created a string band named "Drifting Cowboys" that also appeared in these films and made other debuts. His music was a mix of jazz and country, which started as dance hall music and then became western swing. He was also one of the first country musicians to add the electric guitar to his string band. He and his band recorded 55 singles that made it to the top 10 of the Billboard country and western Best Sellers charts. One fun fact about Hank is that his songs have been remade and covered by today's most famous country singers like Luke Combs, Tim McGraw, Lainey Wilson, and Joey Allcorn. 

       

Here is a video of Lainey Wilson's cover of "Lost Highway" by Hank Williams. 

    
    The next generation started around the time World War II was coming to an end. In this period, components of Gospel music became a popular part of country music. Nearing closer to the end of the 1950s and early 1960s is when country music started to boom emerge. Since Tennessee was the "birthplace of country music," the Nashville Sound turned country music into a multimillion-dollar industry in Tennessee. This brought the rise of Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves. They were two of the most famous country artists from the Nashville area and got a great incline to the Country genre of music at this time. Cline and Reeves both died in separate plane accidents. This hit the Country music genre hard, and the loss of these two famous artists caused a significant decline in the genre's popularity during the 1960s. 

    The fourth and fifth generations were from the 1970s-1990s. This was when the use of outlaw country, country pop, and folk music were all incorporated into the country music genre. Outlaw country is a subgenre of American country music that was created by a small group of artists who fought for and won their creative freedom outside of the Nashville Sound, which dictated the majority of the country music in this era.  Outlaw was a mix of blues, rockabilly, and honky tonk music. Pretty much the main things people think of when they hear country music; are bars, girls, beer, and trucks. The people in this time and outlaw country were heavily influenced by Hank Williams, one of history's most famous country music artists. In the 1980s, artists went against the norms and rejected more polished country pop. This is the kind of country we have today. In the 1990s, stadiums, and shows started to prosper.

    The final generation of country music is from the 200s to the present. We have artists like Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Chris Lane, ERNST, Riley Green, and many others who have contributed to modern-day country music. Today, country music is much more upbeat and has hints of hip-hop blended into the songs. All these artists I listed above have hints of gospel, hip-hop, and country pop in their songs. Country music today has also shifted from a less Gospel stance and more of a patriotic view. There are still some Gospel ties into pieces, but it's steered away and added more factors and changes back a few generations ago. A new addition to country music is the use of rock in this genre, which has dramatically influenced artists from the 2000s-2010.

Here is a little playlist of the top 100 best modern-day country artists and their top hit songs. 

    CITATIONS:

Center, Norton. “The Origins of Country Music.” Centre College's Norton Center For The Arts, 23 Feb. 2022, https://nortoncenter.com/2017/03/19/the-origins-of-country-music/#:~:text=Country%20music%20originated%20in%20the,European%20immigrants%20who%20settled%20nearby.

“Country Music.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_music.

“Hank Williams.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Williams.

 

Music and Gender: The Expectations

  Gender roles are in everything we do, no matter what it is. Music gender roles are something I honestly have not thought about. But once you reflect on music and gender, it is weird to think about and realize how there are gender roles in the music aspect as well. I have a lot of examples that I can think of, but I'm only going to talk about a few. My first example of gender in music is the type of instruments men and women play and what those expectations are. Drums are a great example of this topic. Men play the drums most of the time, and that’s usually how it goes. But what's cool is when you see a girl play the drums because girls are expected to play the piano or another instrument that doesn’t portray “masculinity.” I didn’t even realize that fewer girls are playing the drums than men until I thought about gender in the music and how it affects different aspects.
    

One female drummer I found while researching is Hannah Welton. She started playing the drums when she was younger, which has stuck with her. A fun fact I found about her is that in 2013 she was invited by Prince to play in his backing band 3rdeyegirl. She is also supervised by the most renowned drummers, including Pete Erskin and Louie Bellson. Many people use the excuse that “girls don’t play the drums,” but why? There is not a single instrument made just for one gender or another. People play what they like and what they enjoy. And if you're good at something, you're going to continue to play it no matter what the instrument is. 

Another example of how there are gender roles in music is the type of music men and women are supposed to listen to. The genres men are supposed to listen to are what we would assume: Rock, Hip-hop, rap, and the list goes on. I'm not sure when men were expected to listen to these types of music began, but I think it is stupid. People can and should listen to whatever music they enjoy. This also goes for women; the assumed pop, contemporary hits, and dance-pop that women listen to should not be expected of them to listen to. Everyone is different and has different interests and things they like and dislike. Music is supposed to make people happy, feel good, and for us to enjoy. Gender expectations shouldn’t keep people from listening to what they like or want. 

 

Music and Rituals: Sports

    I've grown up playing sports and being around events that revolve around athletics. Baseball games, football games, basketball games, and soccer are all sporting events I've been to, where music is essential. The genre and style of the music played at these places are different, but they all use music for the same reasons. For example, in all these settings, music is played while the teams are warming up to get them pumped up and ready to play. For example, a song many people know that is played when teams are warming up is one that I love and put in my last blog, Enter Sandman by Metallica. Rock is upbeat, preparing people to play and be in the “zone.” Other songs that many people know are played before a match or game are Thunderstruck by ACDC and Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. Rock music is fast-paced and loud, which I think is a great thing to listen to before you play a game. Another genre of music that is used before a competition or game is rap or pop. Rap is very popular; many younger people use it to focus and prepare for competition. Some songs typically on every rap playlist are Fight Night by Migos, Started from the Bottom by Drake, and Congratulations by Post Malone. Rap has solid beats and creative lyrics. These pregame songs pump the players up, keep the crowd on edge, and prepare them to watch and stay excited. 

    Music is also used for more than just warming up and getting ready to play. In baseball, they have walk-out songs. If you're unfamiliar with baseball, many people don’t know that each player chooses a piece that will play over the loudspeakers as they walk up to bat. These songs are unique to each player and can be any appropriate song of their choice. Another fundamental music-related part of baseball is celebrating the big moments, like when someone hits a home run. One basic song most people know and is played at a baseball field is take me out to the ball game and the song Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. Everyone knows that Sweet Caroline is a song that people come together to sing, and the central part is the “dun dun dun.” Playing this song creates a sense of togetherness and unity among all fans because everyone screams that line at the top of their lungs; it is a super fun experience.