What kind of music is called country music, and what is the difference between it and pop music?

Early Country

Early commercial country music is in the same vein as the traditional folk songs brought by British immigrants in the southern United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, early country music did not adhere to the tradition of oral narrative. Instead, it often used instruments such as violins to play melody instead of the human voice. Country musician John Carson combined these two traditions, both singing and playing on his 1923 song "78," which is considered early country music's first best-selling single.

The most famous group of this period is undoubtedly The Carter Family - their importance to the development of country music cannot be overstated. They are the keepers of the Southern folk tradition. They are considered "The First Family of Country Music". Their song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" is as a model of country music as "Wildwood Flower" and is the first For the first time, Maybelle Carter’s infectious guitar style was introduced to people. The Stoneman of Galax, Virginia was also a pioneer of early country music.

Jimmie Rodgers, "The Father of Country Music." He took the public's acceptance of country music to a new level and is one of the most influential singers in the history of pop music. His unique voice and lyrics for the down and out brought it national fame. As a result, he laid a new and solid foundation for country music. Original from his brief recording career (1927-33), his singing and songwriting style has not gone out of style even now.

Cowboy music (Cowboy)

Cowboy music comes from Americans’ fascination with the Great West, which is also reflected in Hollywood movies. The rednecks were now transformed into well-dressed and spirited cowboys and cowgirls singing romantic songs from the countryside. Showing the romantic scene in the lonely prairie. Westerns always show a free-spirited cowboy singing around a campfire after a hard day's work, chasing a long bus. This clean look was adopted by many musicians, such as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers, which made country music more and more popular.

Western Swing

A Depression-era music born in the dirty dance halls of Texas and Oklahoma, the West Swing grafts the feel of country music onto complex jazz rhythms. Using a lineup that is different from traditional country music and closer to a big band (usually including trumpet). Bob Wills soon took the undisputed crown of this musical genre. He was a true innovator in improvisation with his band The Texas Playboys. His ability to bring out the best in his peers and himself on any given night has had a profound impact on country music history. Other Western swing bands included founder of the eclectic music form Milton Brown (and his Musical Brownies) and Spade Cooley. Today, bands like Asleep At The Wheel continue this country music tradition.

Blue Grass

A kind of exquisite, pure and original music that is easy to identify. Eclectic music has two or three harmonies, intense rhythms, and unbridled emotions. This "lonely and high-pitched" sound originated from the "String-band Movement" in the late 1920s. It became famous in the band "The Blue Gass Boys" from founder Bill Monroe. Bluegrass music was Bonnie Clyde, the Beverly Hill billies' push in the late '60s, won over a whole new audience. Today, bluegrass music still maintains a high influence, such as the famous country musician Alison Krauss.

Honkyu-Tonk

A free-flowing, often noisy form of music that originated in the bars of the post-war South. In the late 1940s, country music's venue shifted from public social gatherings to bars, where performers no longer worried about maintaining a "family ethic" in their songs. As a result, the lyrics often reflected the harsh reality of modern blue-collar workers. situation.

Hank Williams' songs that fascinated women and imitated men made honky-tonk a mainstream form of country music in the early 1940s. He lived what he sang, but his excessive lifestyle eventually led to his premature death at the age of 29.

Rockabilly

In Memphis in 1953, the racial boundaries in music were also clearly divided. Most black people listened to rhythm and blues (R&B), while country music at the time was popular music with white people. In order to find a way to integrate black and white music, producer Sam Phillips wanted to find a white boy who could sing black songs for his record company "Sun Records". So there was Elvis Presley----Elvis Presley.

Producer Sam Phillips is responsible for producing classics such as Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and cultivating breakthrough artists such as "Elvis Presley". Created a hybrid music form that later became known as "rockabilly". Although this form of music was not very popular in the 1950s, many different musicians such as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lenis and Carl Perkins began their musical careers by recording such songs.

The Nashville Sound (The Nashville Sound)

The "Nashville Sound" is mainly orchestrated with piano, strings and background harmony, with traditional violin and banjo The accompaniment is different, which is also a well-known characteristic of the Nashville sound. In the late 1950s, as country music gradually declined, some producers such as Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley consciously expanded the interest of country music and made it closer to mainstream pop music.

In the early 1960s, this shift was realized for nearly every country artist from Patsy Cline to The Browns (with the help of a large group of musicians in Nashville recording studios), resulting in many such song titles Topping the country and pop music charts.

Country-rock

A music form originating from California, which later interacted with the hippie movement and brought their "back to nature" feelings to the countryside. in music. Cursed by the value of traditional country music for their drug use and long hair, rockabilly artists strive to tap into the tastes of those traditional music fans.

Pioneers of the late 1960s like Gram Parsons (and The Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and later Emmylou Harris) added a rock-and-roll rhythm to traditional country songs of nostalgia and heartbreak. Later, bands like The Eagles took this hybrid form to the top of the pop charts. Today, bands like The Desert Rose Band (led by Byrds collaborator Chris Hilman) continue this musical tradition.

Outlaw

The so-called "outlaw" is just a continuation of the tradition of country music that emphasizes the roots of color. It is a betrayal of the Nashville sound. This is not a new type of music, just a return to tradition and a betrayal of the production system at that time.

At the center of this storm is Willie Nelson. In 1968, he was frustrated by Nashville's rejection of his newer, more personal attempts at music. Nelson left Nashville and went to Austin, Texas, where he started an annual concert and attracted other similar then-unnoticed singers and songwriters such as Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson et al.

Their simple, root-oriented attempt is to maintain country music's unique and even crude personal expression before blindly catering to popular tastes. Not only did the apostate movement cater to die-hard country music fans, but it also found echoes on radio stations and on campuses. As a result, in 1976, as Waylon & Willie wished, "The Outlaws" became the first million-selling album in the history of country music, opening the door to country music with roots.

New Traditional Country

A music style that returns to an era when artistry and musicality were more important than image. Neo-traditionalism found inspiration in early country music and was a precursor to what became known as New Country.

Ricky Skaggs, a rare talent inspired by Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley, surpassed all artists of his time and brought country music back to its roots. Not only are traditions carried forward and created, but they are also popular. Skaggs is not alone, as Randy Travis has brought traditionalism to the forefront of country music with his beautiful melodies and exquisite vocals.

New Country

A form used to broadly describe country music that returned to its roots in the mid-1980s. But with the addition of some guitar and drums, this country music is closer to rock-pop. Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Shania Twain and LeAnn Rimes are among the many artists listed under this catalog. It does not use instruments such as violins and acoustic guitars, which distinguishes it from traditional country music.

Alternative Country

A contemporary derivative of rockabilly, with an emphasis on noisy electric guitars, which makes it closer to rock than to country. The name of this growing movement, "No Depression", comes from a song by the Carter Family, which held high the banner of freedom and self-sufficiency, and their records were also published by a number of independent small labels. Uncle Tupelo (now deceased) and the Jayhawks were the pioneers of this movement, and today's Son Volt, Wilco and Golden Smog have pushed it to its climax.

Retro

With its clear guitar sound and distinctive lyrics, Retro traces its roots back to country music before the Nashville sound, which was composed of Initiated by musicians such as Junior Brown, BR5-49, Big Sandy, Fly Rite Boys and Wayne Hancock.

Singer/Songwriter

This growing group comes from an acoustic background in neo-traditional country music. They gather at places like Nashville's Bluebird Cafe, where they have "Songwriters Night" every week, and then brainstorm and write a song. Leaders include Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, the Dead Reckoing Crew (including Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch and Mike Henderson).

[Edit this paragraph] Side branch of country music

Cajun music (Cajun)

A kind of music with a cheerful rhythm and full of syncopation, which spreads in the southwest The French-speaking Acadian people of Louisiana. The music mainly features violin and accordion, and the band also includes a drummer, but the music is still considered closer to acoustic music. Jimmy C. Newman, Dong Kershaw and Eddy Raven are among the greats of contemporary Cajun music.

Conjunto

Born near the Grand Canyon at the end of the 19th century, Conjunto combines the rhythms of polka and waltz with Mexican folk music. Flaco Jimeney and the Texas Tornadoes band are examples of this music. famous spokesperson.

Tejano

Rooted in traditional Mexican music, Tejano ("Texas" in Spanish) has its hearty lyrics and danceable rhythms. In the Tejano world, Emilio and Shelly Larees are two recognized artists.

Zydeco

A heavy, electroacoustic music derived from the combination of Cajun music and the Creole culture of southern Louisiana. This music is sung in French and is influenced by blues crescent and African music. C.J Chenier and Buckswheat Iydeco are the hottest bands of Zydeco music.

The so-called pop music refers to those instrumental music and songs that are short in structure, popular in content, lively in form, and sincere in emotion. They are loved by the masses, widely sung or appreciated, and are popular for a while and even passed down to future generations. These pieces of music and songs are rooted in the rich soil of public life. Therefore, it is also known as "popular music". Pop music originated from American jazz music. At the beginning of the 20th century, a kind of jazz music composed of multi-ethnic cultures emerged in the United States. This new music, with its unique way of playing (singing), refreshed the audience's ears and eyes, caused a sensation in the United States, and soon spread to Western European countries. Today, popular music encompasses an extremely wide range of content. Among the instrumental music, it includes rich and colorful light music, jazz, swing, disco, tango, waltz, various different styles of dance music and the soundtracks of various small operas.

The characteristics of instrumental works in popular music are: distinctive rhythm, lively or lyrical grace, various playing methods, changeable sound, rich colors, concise texture levels, small band size, and electro-acoustic instruments are often used in modern works. The characteristics of vocal music works are: rich in life, lyrical, interesting, wide range, popular techniques, smooth tunes, easy to sing; lyrics are mostly in daily life language, simple and easy for listeners to accept and sing; most singers have their own style Pop stars have different vocal methods and are not bound by vocal music schools. When singing, emotion is more important than vocal skills. They are free and uninhibited, natural and friendly, and can easily arouse the audience's screams. The strong accompaniment of the small band blends well with the singing. One body. Because pop music has the above characteristics, it can connect with the masses and is easily accepted by everyone regardless of their cultural level. Pop music is also popular music. As a popular cultural phenomenon mainly for entertainment, the development of pop songs is closely related to the development of society. It has become a part of daily life, especially after the 1990s, with the The country's open policy has made the content and form of pop songs more diversified and more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The pop music of the 1990s has undergone a wide range of changes and is closer to our growth background. However, pop songs are not only art, but also entertainment and spiritual sustenance. They are also realistic records that reflect people’s lives and are even indicators of popular thoughts and ideologies. The songs we listen to now include singers such as Jay Chou, Jolin Tsai, Zhang Huimei, etc. Their songs are all pop music. The main difference between pop music and other mass media is that pop music has three characteristics: 1. Pop music is a repetitive form: the theme and connotation of pop music are constantly repeated, and it has the ability to penetrate the consciousness of readers and listeners. 2. Popular music is mostly in a non-narrative form: it emphasizes the stimulation of the receiver's physical, physiological and sensory abilities. 3. Popular music is a form of experience: music belongs to the field of art rather than science, and is the experience of a certain experience.