#forgive me for any and all inacurracies I'm sure there are many

[amethysttribble]

AT’s Guide to Country/Western/Blue Grass/Folk/Outlaw-

AT’s Non-Comprehensive Beginner’s Guide to “Country” Music

A handful of people were nice enough to encourage my delusions of competence, so here we! For my purposes, I’m just trying to explain a little how vast the realm of ‘country’ music is, how old it is, how most of what it actually sounds like it not your perception from the radio. 

For this reason, I will not be including... any artists who you might reasonable hear on the radio station “The Highway” which tainted my youthful ear once upon a time (Chris Stapleton, I do like you). 

Cool, alright, now before I begin rec-ing, a few points of clarification:

I do not claim that my word on this is comprehensive, good, or even strictly reliable, just that I’m trying to explain a few things from how I understand them; I think I have a deeper knowledge base on this subject than most in my sphere of Tumblr, but that doesn’t mean I know everything or even most things on this subject

If music, music genre, and/or music history interest you, I highly recommend looking into the subject of country music elsewhere, there’s a lot of neat info!

I’m going to be upfront with y’all and say a lot of Country artists, new and old, hold beliefs that I and probably you don’t like. You’re mileage may vary between artist to artist on what you feel comfortable with, mine certainly does. I encourage, though, not writing off a genre of music made for/by a traditionally very poor class of people in it entirety because you think all southern Americans are ‘bad’ people (as opposed to people from the north and Pacific coast, who are ‘good’ people with ‘good’ beliefs)

Similarly, there’s a lot of Jesus in this genre that sprung up from folks musics wherein all of the progenitors were Christians. Who would have guessed. Some of the Jesus is obnoxious, some of it’s genuinely moving in my opinion: you’re mileage will vary.

We’re exploring art. 

Alright, more fun points of order!

Genre

The term ‘country’ music is a misnomer. Like most radio genres, the actual breadth of what exists is vast. There’s ALOT of different genres that get filed under ‘country’ for simplicities sake, but they are distinct. Here are a few notable ones-

Western - Country music from the American West. Same roots, developed differently by people moving out west in the 19th century. Think Cowboy Songs, Roy Rogers is a classic example. Incorporates aspects of Lantino sound.

Blue Grass - Very Appalachia. Fiddles and banjos, VERY acoustic. People who play Blue Grass are proud of that and like to shred on the strings, so in that vein, loves to go FAST. Blue Grass loves folk songs and and making songs that sound like folk songs

Folks - What it says on the tin, classic folk songs. Most ‘Folk Country’ that comes to mind is not actually historical folk! For example, ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’? Written in 1980! 

Rocakbilly - Elvis, Elvis, Elvis, think Elvis and his contemporaries. Hillybilly with Country roots making Rock music.

Blues - A traditionally Black genre of music that was co-opted by white entertainers like Johnny Cash and Elvis, but you knew that. Bassy, also  acoustic, but there are more horns. Blues is the basis for a lot of genres, including ‘country’, rock, and jazz (and many more). Still, has a distinct sound

(they all have distinct sounds that I can’t really explain, I’m sorry T_T)

Outlaw - emerged in the 1970s and 80s, the ‘edgy’ version of country music. This isn't your grandpappy’s Honky Tonking, we’re going to discuss poverty, drug addiction, and curse. This one’s where my heart lies, I must admit. 

Southern Rock - This ones just rock music from the South, but a lot of people count it as country. Think Lynerd Skynerd and the Charlie Daniels Band.

Classic- Hank Williams looms large. 

Recommendations

Now I’m actually going to recommend Country music that’s ‘good’. If you don’t like it, the genres not for you! If you do, congrats. (A lot of these are just my personal favorites, there’s so much more out there). I’m only recommending five artists per era, but there’s SOOOO much more out there. I’m also trying to pick people I think are emblematic of different strains of music in their eras, so there’s that too.

Hippies and Cowboys (50s & 60s)

Hank Williams: Big Papa is the patron saint of Country music, there’s been approximately 12 thousand songs written about him, in the words of David Allen Coe “no doubt, he was the greatest of all”. He died tragically young. I think his legacy is cooler than his music but *shurgs*

The exception to that is ‘I Saw the Light’, this song is a classic and it fucking slaps!

Elvis: Is Elvis a country singer? Hmmmm, honestly I say no, but his legacy is undeniable and he did come from country roots, both literally and musically. You know what Elvis sounds like.

Some recommendations anyway, Hound Dog is originally a Blues song originally sung by Big Mama Thorton

Can’t Help Falling in Love is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written, fuck you

Buck Owens: In my humble opinion, when I think of a Nashville star who embodies the ‘I’m on the radio and tv and your great grandma loved my show’ I think Buck Owens

I like this one, Under Your Spell Again

Johnny Cash: This is well known country lore, but did you know (my presumed reader) that he and his wife June (famous love story unto itself) spent their later years running a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program for country stars? They really helped people. His music was also really good.

I presume you know what Johnny Cash sounds like. Still- Ghost Riders In the Sky fucks, more Western

And if you want a song you’ve probably never heard from him, Daddy Sang Bass makes my dad cry

Merle Haggard: He was on the tale end of this era in my mind, he was a progenitor of Outlaw. He didn’t just sing about prison, he went to prison

His really famous song is Okie from Muskogee, but that ones eh (and he agrees, he thought it was stupid by the end of his life), so instead I’m recommending The Bottle Let me Down

And also Mama Tried, this ones really good.

*Cue Stranger Things Intro* (70s & 80s)

Waylon Jennings / Willie Nelson: They represent the same kind of thing in my mind, and also they sung SO many songs together and sang each others songs all the time, we’re consolidating. These guys MADE the era. They get four songs.

Luckenbach, Texas, beautiful, beautiful song, a great love song.

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, a CLASSIC 

The City of New Orleans, this songs about a TRAIN and I love it and it gives me Earendil feelings.

Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys, another just really solid classic. Three of these songs I’ve made Tolkien parodies of 

Kris Kristofferson: One of my favorites of all time, he was more famous as a songwriter (he wrote like half of the top 100 for several years) but I like him individually too

Beat the Devil, this is my favorite song of all time

Jesus Was a Capricorn, this ones really funny, basically just saying chill and leave the hippies alone.

Sunday Morning, Coming Down, is such a bittersweet beautiful look at life.

David Allan Coe: he’s getting like four, I love his stuff. He loves to talk about the genre unto itself, it’s so great

Never Even Called Me By Name, there’s nothing like being in a bar and the whole damn place is singing this at the top of their lungs

The Ride, when I tell you this song BLEW MY MIND the first time I heard it

Longhaired Redneck, a song about being a country guy who mixes genres, I love iiiitttt

Willie, Waylon, and Me, a little bit of a country history lesson in and of itself!

Seldom Scene: They’re more bluegrassy! Really like them, it touches the soul

Wait a Minute, beautiful beautiful beautiful

West Texas Wind, this is the kind of music Elves would make if they sang country

Satan’s Choir, I cannot overemphasize how lovely they’re stuff sounds.

Glenn Campbell: Who can hate Glenn Campbell?

You heard Southern Nights in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, so I’m actually recommending Wichita Lineman

And also Rhinestone Cowboy, you’ll notice that being a ‘sellout’ Rhinestone Cowboy is a theme.

She Gets Her Own Category

You Know Who Dolly Parton Is, here are the must-listens

Jolene

Coat of Many Colors

9 to 5

And also all of it, go listen to Dolly Parton

Still Old, But My Dad Calls it the New Fangled Country (90s & 00s)

Billy Don Burns

Tired and Troubled Soldiers, is such an impactful song about drug abuse and empathy for addicts. and Full Blown Addict, is a FUN song about drug abuse, lol

Haggard and Hank, more genre discussion!!

Alison Kraus: This woman has one of the most beautiful voices of all time, and also she is MONEY on the fiddle, GIVE HER HER DUE!

She’s covered every folk song on earth and she was the go-to female accompaniment vocalist in country for years, I’m dead serious when I say JUST LOOK HER UP

The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn

Whiskey Lullaby, forgive the Brad Paisely, they duetted this song

Man of Constant Sorrow (thats her on the fiddle)

Drive-by Truckers

Carl Perkin’s Cadillac, even more discussion of country history. I almost put Carl Perkins on this list, he was the guy who lost out to Elvis mania

Let There be Rock, and now discussion of ROCK history, but it’s so good.

Robert Earl Keen: I’ve seen him in concert twice, such a good show. He’s more Western! Very underrated.

Ride, my second favorite song of all time.

Front Porch Song, just... I can’t describe what this makes me feel, but it feels like home.

I can’t think of a fifth artist, I was a wee child and my parents weren’t paying as close attention, I”M SORRY!

More Contemporary (If any of these people have been cancelled, I live under a rock, I’m sorry)

Turnpike Troubadours: I love these guys sound, I’m so glad they’re touring again. They’re GREAT, the best stuff coming out rn in my opinion.

Gin, Smoke, Lies, break up song but it’s her fault

Good Lord Lorrie, break up song but it’s his fault

7&7, a bad boyfriend reflects on being his first gf bad first bf, i enjoy this concept a lot

Tyler Childers: Lovely voice, please forgive the song titles

Feathered Indians, I’m begging you to look past the title of this song and give it a listen, it’s not what you think, it’s really good T_T I swear, I swear, Tyler Childers why have you done this to me

Whitehouse Road, just a classic theme executed really well

Blackberry Smoke

One Horse Town, just a good classic theme executed really well

Let Me Down Easy, this one tugs at my heart, it’s so damn sad and sweet

Cody Jinks

Hippies and Cowboys, I stole a section title from him! This is a good song about not fitting int between subcultures and yeah!

Loud and Heavy, this sounds so good

Miranda Lambert: I was originally going to leave her off as too mainstream and then I realized I couldn’t think of any other female country stars I liked well enough, *long sigh*

I like all her albums, but if I’m picking-

Me and Your Cigarettes

Bathroom Sink

Anyway her band, the Pistol Annies, is also really good

Anyway, that’s it! I hope this was instructive and musically helpful, instead of rage inducing. I feel compelled to promote myself here and say I’ve written a Middle Earth Country/Western Album that’s on Ao3, which I think is funny. I parody a lot of the songs mentioned on here. That’s all.

In conclusion-

Country music is good, the haters just- quite literally- don’t know what they’re talking about.