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The history of country music essay
The history of country music essay
The history of country music essay
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Rong Rong Professor Haley Speech Two October 27, 2016 Speech: The Development of Country Music Specific Purpose Statement: By the end of my speech, I want my audience to describe the 4 generations of country music and its depiction of American’s lives and values. INTRODUCTION: Attention Getter: When I was 12, my father bought many albums of American music and played them on car, and it was the first time I got to know different types of American music. I liked rock by Bon Jovi, and pop by Whitney Houston, but the one I loved the most was a lively and lovely music, the country music. Thesis Statement: Originating in the 1920s, country music developed four distinct generations and it reflected American’s lives and values. Credibility …show more content…
Country music experienced a great transition from the mid-1950s. 1. Country music went to a crossroad in the mid-1950s that a new style called rockabilly emerged. Rockabilly was a style combining rock and roll and country music. According to “Country Music” published by “World Book” in Ebsco Host, “many early stars of rock and rockabilly had country roots, including Everly Brother and Elvis Presley”. As rock and roll thrived, the traditional western cowboy music declined in the 1960s, but another style, countrypolitan, which aimed at mainstream market, kept growing in the late 1960s. 2. In the 1970s, a new style called Country pop emerged. Country pop was a blend of countrypolitan, folk and rock. The 1970s was the golden time of country music that it became the mainstream of music and made a great success on mainstream markets. Famous songs such as “Country Road, Take me home” by John Denver, “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton and “Top of the World” by The Carpenters was very classic. D. As pop thrived and became the mainstream in the 1980s, country music began to decline. Country pop was still the dominant style of country music …show more content…
The lyrics of country music reflect people’s lives as times changed. According to "Poetry For The People: Country Music And American Social Change", published by Southern Quarterly in Ebsco Host, country music depicted “the white, Protestant and working-class Southerner”, “addressed their pain, their dreams struggles, beliefs and moral dilemma”. 1. For example, the song “Waiting for a Train” depicted “unemployed rambler during the Great Depression”, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” depicted the separation of lovers during a war, and “California Dreaming” depicted the singers’ nostalgia for California. B. The lyrics of country music reflect people’s values as times changed. According to “Real Country: Music and Language in Working-Class Culture", published by MasterFILE Premier in Ebsco Host, country music depicts the ethos of American people, for instance, country music “demands a consideration of race, and “speaks to aspects of gender identity…and intersections of religion with contemporary mas culture”. 2. For example, the song “When Our Army And Our Navy Overtake the enemy” disseminated patriotism during the WWII, “Vietnam Blues” reflected that a majority of American opposed to the Vietnam War, and “Man In Black” protested racism in 1970s.
Times have changed, and along with the times so has country music. American country music lovers have went from Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings, just two of the many classic oldies, to Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, two very appealing country music artists. However, it is not only the tune of the music that has changed, it is the image, the appeal, and overall the type of icons the media is portraying these modern music stars as. Icons such as Lynn and Jennings had identifiable features within their music as well as their appearance that spoke sweet southern belle and rugged twang. Whereas Underwood’s and Bryan’s appeal now is much more sexualized than it was during the oldies. These changes affect the way modern day singers are marketed compared to former country music stars, instead of focusing on talent it is now looks.
For almost 90 years, The Grand Ole Opry has withstood the test of time to become one of the tried and true traditions in country music. From the show's humble beginnings as an obscure radio program, to it's renowned place today as one of the premiere stages for music, The Grand Ole Opry has had an extremely colorful and interesting existence. Over the 88 years that have passed since the show's inception, The Grand Ole Opry has featured many talented performers. Those performers, along with social changes and economics, have all contributed to the growth and success of The Grand Ole Opry.
Lewis, George H. “Lap Dancer or Hillbilly Deluxe? The Cultural Constructions of Modern Country Music”. Journal of Popular Culture, Winter 97, Vol. 31 Issue 3, p163-173, 11p
After over three decades of broadcasting from the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry, a live country radio program, moved about nine miles out of the city to Opryland U.S.A. A few months following the move, hostess Carolyn Holloran said “Country music is wherever the soul of a Country music fan is!”1 This quote was spoken in reference to the relocation of the Grand Ole Opry. Nevertheless, it can transcend this context to further describe the genre of Country music. From its roots in the Appalachians, to its commercialization and crossovers, Country music has come to represent the culture of the Southern United States. Through this music people have formed a collective identity which respects the past and hails the future. It is a genre that has grown and changed with its people.
In the 1950’s country rock was an unknown genre to many mainstream audiences and with the emergence of rockabilly artists in the late 1960’s country rock grew and continued to grow in popularity during the 1970’s through the 1990’s because of style, sound, and the new way country rock audiences perceived it. Country rock from the 1950’s to the 1990’s has been perceived similarly and differently by its audiences over time because of it’s original country sound and its similar rock sound.
When people hear country music, they think of “Rednecks” or “Hillbillies” out on the country side singing songs about losing their wife, dog, best friend or any other sad subject. This is not true and it showed by becoming one of the most popular music forms of the 20th century. Country music is one of the best-selling genres after rock and pop.
Now I know for myself I am not a big country music fan. I know the normal country music singers such as Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Rascal Flats and etc. Country music I believe is what makes an America America. Now back in the 19 century days being an American was being white and having property and being male. (Foner,) Now when you compare country music to that, most country singers are male and white. And to be a country singer it’s only right if you have large sums of land to own with a big house on it. It’s funny how these two ideas relate to each other in two different centuries. Being male and white can really get you ahead in society. Its idea that isn’t right but it’s the reality of our country. Country music sets the standards on what an American should be life. If you ever google country music the definition of it would say something like an American popular music in the south. (Definition) Key word in the definition AMERICAN and also fiddles. Now all they had in the 1700’s was fiddles to play whe...
Roy, William G. “Aesthetic Identity, Race, and American Folk Music.” Qualitative sociology 25, no. 3 (Fall 2002): 459-469.
According to The Nashville Sound, markers that include “rural origins, stylized sets, seemingly spontaneous performance, accessible performers, and heartfelt songs can characterize country music’s authenticity” (13). The foundations of what country music has originated from are incorporated within these markers and are used to separate the real from the fake. Early country music was a means of coping with a life of work and worries; it also brought communities of the impoverished together in fellowship. The establishment of these markers glimpses into the culture and realities of many country music artists before their fame. Take for instance a family sitting huddled together on a porch on a cool summer evening listening to a family member play the banjo while another sings along. Everyone is enjoying and living in that moment and all worries are far from mind. Country music made people feel at ease and comfortable, it brought people back to their memories of the good old days. This is the way country music sh...
Country music has long been a genre of music that speaks to millions of people. Over the years country music has transformed from the traditionalism of its roots, to the modern pop culture inspired country we have today. Today country music artists are consumed with becoming famous and with making profit. But has this modern country music, which some refer to as sixth genre country, become too consumed with pop culture. For those who enjoy this genre, we must also ask if it has lost touch with the traditionalism it once had. Perhaps the country that is produced today wants to stray from its origins and become a new genre in and of itself.
Country music was brought over by the first European settlers. In medieval times, storytelling was a tradition that allowed history to be recorded when few were able to read and write. When the first British settlers came to America, they brought this tradition with them, along with songs that they had learned in Europe. The people who settled the Appalachian Mountains and the West did not have an easy life and their music gave them an outlet to express their hardships.
Country music has been an ever changing genre that evolves along with the lives of the people that listen and the artist that perform it. Today’s country music contains a wide variety of artists who have been influenced by the different subgenres that came before them. According to The Bedford Book of Genres “A genre is a composition’s kind, category, or sort. Genres give us a way to categorize or describe types of compositions”. (Braziller and Kleinfeld) Exactly what country music is today can be hard to define, but a look back at the history of the genre shows how it has adapted to the audience that listens to it and how current artist draw inspiration from it. There are two things we need to know
Music has been ingrained in the American heart for generations. From African American slaves singing songs to boost the overall happiness of the people they worked with (Songs in Slave Society, 2009) to the Beatles performance on The Ed Sullivan Show that was seen by 73 million people, or 40 percent of the U.S. population. (Lule, 2012) With the explosion in the popularity of owning a home radio, it has further shaped American culture and its values. In 1922 there were 60,000 households in the United States with radios; by 1929 the number had topped 10 million. (David Marc, 2000) When radio stations started, creating programming, it started breaking down racial bonds, not immediately there were still white only radio stations, yet Black radio became more common on the AM dial. (Lule, 2012) With varying musical styles that could be picked up on any radio by any race, enabling people to gain insight into different cultures, bringing with it, acceptance of those differences. Early Black disc jockeys even began improvising rhymes over the music, pioneering techniques that later became rap and hip-hop. This new personality-driven style helped bring early rock and roll to new audiences. (Lule, 2012) Between the years 1960 and 1966, the number of households capable of receiving FM transmissions grew from about 6.5 million to some 40 million. (Lule, 2012) During the sixties music was a platform for artists to share their feelings on many different social issues, including civil rights and race relations; drugs, affluence, and consumerism; the Cold War; Vietnam and the peace movement; the sexual revolution; women’s liberation; and ecological and environmental concerns. (Ward, 2002)
In conclusion this report has helped us understand the significance of Music in America. Also, the impact it has on music we listen too. Music is very much like a big chain reaction. Rock ‘N’ Roll, much like music today, stood out and was in a way rebellious. Parents now hate Rap and we love it. People in the 70’s loved Rock ‘N’ Roll and parents hated it. This shows that maybe no matter how much older people deny it, the time gap and generation gap is not too far apart. Without Rock ‘N’ Roll the World would without a doubt be changed. Any guess to that of which way would be a good one.
Country Music is everywhere. It may come blaring from a neighbor’s house, blasting the radio from a car or truck, or even playing quietly in a restaurant; but why exactly is Country Music so popular for people to listen to? When it comes to Country Music, the lyrics comes straight from the artist`s hearts where people can relate to them; the rhythm and beat are unique to the specific song, and the artist knows exactly how to tell a perfect story in the song.