Country music is a very popular type of music which began in the southern regions of the United States. It saw a real boom in popularity after the 1920s. This type of music is a wonderful blend of folk music, gospel music, and Celtic music. Country music was called hillbilly music at one time. We see the introduction of the term country music in the 1940s when some believed the term hillbilly to be degrading. The country music that so many people enjoy today was made by blending the music of many cultures and ethnic groups.
Country music has brought us some of the most successful recording artists. The popular Elvis Presley had his beginnings with country music long before he sang rock and roll hits and became the “king”. Country singer Garth Brooks is the best selling solo artist in the United States. While the recent years have seen a real decline in the sale of albums we can see continued growth in country music downloads.
Nashville became the center of country music in the United States after World War II. Nashville stars such as Hank Williams and Roy Acuff went on to become international stars. While country music came out of the south its popularity spread out much farther than that after the 1960s. It is at this time that country music began enjoying huge commercial success. Country music now has acceptance around the world.
The subject matter for country music lyrics has remained farily consistent during its long history. Some of the themes commonly found in country music consist of spending time in jail, working hard, and traveling. Some other topics typically addressed in country music include religion, a troubled home life, and love. Country music often sings out about the strong feelings that come as a result of missing home and a broken heart. While country music has been shaped by a wide variety of influences over time it maintains an unmistakable character all its own.
