Country rock is a type of music that combines rock and country styles. It started in the mid-1960s and early 1970s when rock musicians began making songs with country sounds, and country musicians added rock elements to their music. These artists created songs that mixed rock and country themes, singing styles, and other musical instruments, especially pedal steel guitars. Country rock first appeared in the late 1960s with musicians such as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, International Submarine Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, and Poco. It became most popular in the 1970s with artists like the Eagles, Grateful Dead, Gram Parsons, and New Riders of the Purple Sage. Country rock also influenced musicians in other genres, including The Band, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, and George Harrison's solo work. It also helped create the Southern rock music style.
Definition and etymology
Throughout history, the two genres have influenced each other. The term "country-rock" describes a group of rock musicians from the mid-1960s to early 1970s who blended rock music with country themes, styles, and instruments like pedal steel guitars. John Einarson explains that these musicians either played country music with a rock & roll style or added country elements to rock, folk, or bluegrass. There was no single way to do this.
The term "country-rock" was rarely used until critic Richard Goldstein wrote about it in The Village Voice on June 6, 1968. In his article, titled "Country Rock: Can Y'All Dig It?", Goldstein noted that artists like Moby Grape, Stone Poneys, Buffy Sainte-Marie, the International Submarine Band, and Bob Dylan were creating music with country influences. He believed the Byrds' upcoming album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, would best represent the new genre. Before the Byrds' album was released in August 1968, Goldstein reviewed The Band's debut album, Music From Big Pink, and called it the "first major album" of the country-rock movement. He described the album as having country music's "twang and tenacity," but also making listeners want to move, like rock music.
History
Country rock combines music and songwriting styles from 1960s country music with modern rock music. It developed mainly in Los Angeles, influenced by southern Americans moving to the city, the growth of commercial recording studios, and popular rock production techniques from the time.
Country music can be heard in rock songs from the 1960s, such as The Beatles' "I'll Cry Instead" (1964), "Baby's in Black" (1964), "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" (1964), and "I've Just Seen a Face" (1965). Other examples include The Byrds' 1965 cover of "Satisfied Mind" by Porter Wagoner, The Rolling Stones' "High and Dry" (1966), Buffalo Springfield's "Go and Say Goodbye" (1966) and "Kind Woman" (1968). According to The Encyclopedia of Country Music, The Beatles' "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party," their cover of Buck Owens' "Act Naturally," and their 1965 album Rubber Soul are now seen as early examples of country rock.
Ricky Nelson, a former teen idol and rockabilly artist, helped shape country rock as the leader of his Stone Canyon Band. He recorded the 1966 album Bright Lights & Country Music and the 1967 album Country Fever. Bassist Randy Meisner briefly joined Nelson's band in 1970 before joining The Eagles.
In 1966, as many rock artists moved toward more complex and experimental music styles, Bob Dylan returned to simpler, roots-based music by recording his Blonde on Blonde album in Nashville with local musicians like Charlie McCoy. His later albums, John Wesley Harding (1967) and Nashville Skyline (1969), are seen as creating the country folk genre, which influenced many acoustic folk musicians.
Dylan's approach inspired The Byrds, who added Gram Parsons in 1968. Parsons mixed country, rock, blues, and folk to create what he called "Cosmic American Music." Earlier that year, Parsons released Safe at Home (with recordings from 1967) with the International Submarine Band, which used pedal steel guitar and is considered the first true country-rock album. His time with The Byrds led to the 1968 album Sweetheart of the Rodeo, widely regarded as one of the most influential country-rock recordings. After leaving The Byrds, Parsons formed the Flying Burrito Brothers with fellow ex-Byrds member Chris Hillman. The Flying Burrito Brothers released The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) and Burrito Deluxe (1970), which helped define the genre.
Country rock was popular in California during the late 1960s, with bands like Hearts and Flowers, Poco (founded by Richie Furay and Jim Messina, former members of Buffalo Springfield), and New Riders of the Purple Sage. Some folk-rock bands, such as the Beau Brummels and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, also adopted country influences. Other artists, like The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, John Fogerty, Mike Nesmith, and Neil Young, explored country sounds in their music. The bluegrass band the Dillards successfully transitioned to rock music, with Doug Dillard later forming Dillard & Clark with ex-Byrds member Gene Clark and Bernie Leadon.
Country rock became very popular in the 1970s, with bands like The Doobie Brothers blending R&B and country styles. Emmylou Harris, who worked with Gram Parsons, became a country music star, and Linda Ronstadt, known as the "queen of country-rock," created a successful pop-style version of the genre. Pure Prairie League, formed in Ohio in 1970 by Craig Fuller, achieved both critical and commercial success with albums like Bustin' Out (1972) and Two Lane Highway (1972). Jim Messina, a former member of Poco and Buffalo Springfield, had success with Kenny Loggins. Members of Linda Ronstadt's backing band later formed The Eagles, who became one of the most successful rock bands of all time, releasing albums like Desperado (1973) and Hotel California (1976). The Eagles' country rock influence came mainly from Bernie Leadon, a former member of the Flying Burrito Brothers. The band shifted toward hard rock after Leadon left in 1975. Other successful country-rock acts included the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, with hits like "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" (1974) and "Jackie Blue" (1975), and the Bellamy Brothers with "Let Your Love Flow" (1976). In 1979, the Southern rock band Charlie Daniels Band moved toward a more country style, releasing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," a song with strong bluegrass influences that became a pop hit.
Legacy
Country rock had a big impact on many artists in other music styles, such as The Band, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, and George Harrison's solo work. It also helped shape Southern rock, which was mostly based on blues rock but had a unique southern sound. Country rock also influenced parts of the alternative country movement. The genre became less popular in the late 1970s, but some well-known artists, like Neil Young, continued to make music with country rock elements into the 21st century. In the 1970s, Japan was influenced by country rock, especially in the kayokyoku genre. Artists such as Takuro Yoshida, Lily, and Saori Minami often included country rock in their music. Country rock remained popular among a small but dedicated group of fans in Texas, where musicians like the Flatlanders, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and California-based Richard Brooker worked together and recorded music. Other artists also made music in the country rock style, including Elvis Costello's album Almost Blue (1981) and the collaboration between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand, which was one of the most successful albums of 2007. Kid Rock, who became famous for a rap rock sound, later developed a country rock style. In 2013, the British country rock band Rocky and the Natives released an album called Let's Hear It for the Old Guys, which included two American musicians: drummer Andy Newmark and acoustic guitarist Bob Rafkin. Rafkin had written the song "Lazy Waters" for The Byrds in 1971, and Andy Newmark had played on Gene Parsons' 1973 album Kindling. The Canadian country rock band Blue Rodeo had great success in Canada, selling many platinum albums during the 1980s and 1990s and still receives regular radio play today. In 2013, Rocky and the Natives' country rock version of John Lennon's song "Tight A$$" was added to the Lennon Bermuda album.
A new wave of music that combined country and rock styles in the 2020s was called "ronky tonk" by music journalists. Artists like Zach Bryan, Jackson Dean, and Bailey Zimmerman were highlighted by Billboard. Jelly Roll is another artist who blends country and rock in a unique way, sometimes mixing in hip hop elements.
Country metal
Country metal is a music style that combines elements of country music with heavy metal.
In 2002, Kid Rock told a magazine called Variety that he described himself as a "country-metal-rap hillbilly." In 2006, David Allan Coe worked with musicians from the band Pantera—Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, and Rex Brown—to create a joint album called Rebel Meets Rebel. A music review site called Allmusic called this album an "innovative" mix of country and heavy metal. The review also mentioned that a fiddle was played by a musician named Joey Floyd. Another music publication, Billboard, noted that Jason Aldean’s powerful 2008 song "She’s Country" was compared to the rock band AC/DC. Artists such as Brantley Gilbert, Hardy, and Lakeview have been described as country metal musicians. Hardy’s music includes sounds from a subgenre called nu metal.
Countrycore is a term used by the media to describe the style of a Brazilian band called Matanza. This band mixes country music with heavy metal and a type of music called hardcore punk.