Editing Country rock

{{short description|Music genre}}
{{For| the geological term|Country rock (geology)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Country rock
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[country music|country]]}}
| cultural_origins  = Late 1960s and early 1970s, [[Southern United States|Southern]] and [[Western United States]]
| derivatives       = {{hlist|[[Roots rock]]|[[Southern rock]]|[[Heartland rock]]|[[cowpunk]]|[[alternative country]]}}
| subgenrelist      =
| subgenres         =
| fusiongenres      = [[West Coast country]]
| regional_scenes   =
| other_topics      = {{hlist|[[Country folk]]|[[country pop]]|[[progressive country]]|[[outlaw country]]|[[Texas country music|Texas country]]}}
}}

'''Country rock''' is a music genre that fuses [[Rock music|rock]] and [[Country music|country]]. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal styles, and additional instrumentation, most characteristically [[pedal steel guitar]]s.<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock>V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, ''All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul'' (Backbeat Books, 3rd ed., 2002), p. 1327.</ref> Country rock began with artists like [[Waylon Jennings]], [[Buffalo Springfield]], [[Michael Nesmith]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[Nitty Gritty Dirt Band]], [[the Byrds]], [[the Flying Burrito Brothers]], [[The International Submarine Band]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/article.asp?xid=681|title=Gram Parsons : the father of country rock lives again : July 1999|website=Countrystandardtime.com|access-date=December 21, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/buffalo-springfield|title=Buffalo Springfield &#124; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame|website=Rockhall.com|access-date=December 21, 2021}}</ref> and others, reaching its greatest popularity in the 1970s with artists such as [[Emmylou Harris]], the [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]], [[New Riders of the Purple Sage]], [[Linda Ronstadt]], [[Little Feat]], [[Poco (band)|Poco]], [[The Charlie Daniels Band|Charlie Daniels Band]], and [[Pure Prairie League]]. Country rock also influenced artists in other genres, including [[The Band]], the [[Grateful Dead]], [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]], [[The Rolling Stones]], and [[George Harrison]]'s solo work,<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> as well as playing a part in the development of [[Southern rock]].

==Definition and etymology==
[[Rock and roll]] has usually been seen as a combination of [[rhythm and blues]] and country music, a fusion particularly evident in 1950s [[rockabilly]].<ref>B. Horner and T. Swiss, ''Key terms in popular music and culture'' (Wiley-Blackwell, 1999), p. 104.</ref> There has also been cross-pollination throughout the history of both genres; however, the term "country-rock" is used generally to refer to the wave of rock musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s who began recording rock songs with country themes, vocal styles, and additional instrumentation, most characteristically [[pedal steel guitar]]s.<ref name="Bogdanov2002C-Rock"/> [[John Einarson]] states that, "[f]rom a variety of perspectives and motivations, these musicians either played country with a rock & roll attitude, or added a country feel to rock, or folk, or bluegrass. There was no formula".<ref>J. Einarson, ''Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock'' (Rowman & Littlefield, 2001), {{ISBN|0815410654}}, p. 1.</ref>

The term ''country-rock'' had rarely been heard until the critic [[Richard Goldstein (writer, born 1944)|Richard Goldstein]] used it the June{{nbsp}}6, 1968 issue of ''[[The Village Voice]]''.{{sfn|Hjort|2008|p=176}} In his piece, titled "Country Rock: Can Y'All Dig It?", Goldstein counted several artists as moving towards country-friendly material – including [[Moby Grape]], [[Stone Poneys]], [[Buffy Sainte-Marie]], [[the International Submarine Band]] and [[Bob Dylan]] – but he expected [[the Byrds]]' forthcoming album, ''[[Sweetheart of the Rodeo]]'', to represent the new genre.{{sfn|Hjort|2008|p=176}} Before the Byrds' album was released in August{{nbsp}}1968, Goldstein considered [[the Band]]'s debut album, ''[[Music From Big Pink]]'', as the "first major album" of the country-rock movement when he reviewed it for ''[[The New York Times]]'' on August{{nbsp}}4.{{sfn|Hjort|2008|p=177}}<ref name=Goldstein>{{cite news|last=Goldstein|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Goldstein (writer, born 1944)|title='Big Pink' Is Just a Home in Saugerties|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 4, 1968|page=20D|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1968/08/04/89134438.html?zoom=14.81&pageNumber=135|url-access=subscription|via=[[TimesMachine]]}}</ref> Key to the genre, Goldstein wrote, was that the album had country music's "twang and{{nbsp}}... tenacity", but it also "[made] you want to move" like rock music.{{sfn|Hjort|2008|p=177}}<ref name=Goldstein />

==History==
===Origins===
[[File:Gram Parsons.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gram Parsons]] in 1972]]
Country influences can be heard on rock records through the 1960s, including [[the Beatles]]' 1964 recordings "[[I'll Cry Instead]]", "[[Baby's in Black]]", "[[I Don't Want to Spoil the Party]]", and their 1965 recording "[[I've Just Seen A Face]]", the Byrds' 1965 cover version of [[Porter Wagoner]]'s "[[A Satisfied Mind|Satisfied Mind]]", or [[the Rolling Stones]] "High and Dry" (1966), as well as [[Buffalo Springfield]]'s "Go and Say Goodbye" (1966) and "Kind Woman" (1968).<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> According to ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music'', the Beatles' "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", their cover of the [[Buck Owens]] country hit "[[Act Naturally]]" and their 1965 album ''[[Rubber Soul]]'' can all be seen "with hindsight" as examples of country rock.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Kingsbury|editor-first1=Paul|title=The Encyclopedia of Country Music|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York, NY|year=2012|isbn=978-0-19-539563-1|page=106}}</ref>

Former TV [[teen idol]] and [[rockabilly]] recording artist [[Ricky Nelson]] pioneered the Country Rock sound as the frontman for his Stone Canyon Band and recorded the 1966 album ''[[Bright Lights and Country Music (Rick Nelson album)|Bright Lights & Country Music]]'' and the 1967 album ''[[Country Fever]]''. Bassist [[Randy Meisner]] joined briefly in 1970 after leaving [[Poco (band)|Poco]] and before joining [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]].

In 1966, as many rock artists moved increasingly towards expansive and experimental [[psychedelia]], Bob Dylan spearheaded the back-to-basics [[roots revival]] when he went to Nashville to record the album ''[[Blonde on Blonde]]'', playing with notable local musicians like [[Charlie McCoy]].<ref name=Wolff2000/> This, and the subsequent more clearly country-influenced albums, ''[[John Wesley Harding]]'' (1967) and ''[[Nashville Skyline]]'' (1969), have been seen as creating the genre of [[country folk]], a route pursued by a number of, largely acoustic, folk musicians.<ref name=Wolff2000>K. Wolff, O. Duane, ''Country Music: The Rough Guide'' (Rough Guides, 2000), p. 392.</ref>

Dylan's lead was also followed by the Byrds, who were joined by [[Gram Parsons]] in 1968. Parsons had mixed [[country music|country]] with [[Rock music|rock]], [[blues]] and [[Folk music|folk]] to create what he called "Cosmic American Music".<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1217687|pure_url=yes}}|title=Gram Parsons Archive, Vol. 1: Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969 review|last=Leggett |first=Steve |work=AllMusic |access-date=March 21, 2010}}</ref> Earlier in the year Parsons had released ''[[Safe at Home]]'' (although the principal recording for the album had taken place in mid-1967) with the International Submarine Band, which made extensive use of [[pedal steel]] and is seen by some as the first true country-rock album.<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> The result of Parsons' brief tenure in the Byrds was ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' (1968), generally considered one of the finest and most influential recordings in the genre.<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> The Byrds continued in the same vein, but Parsons left before the album was released to join another ex-Byrds member [[Chris Hillman]] in forming [[the Flying Burrito Brothers]]. The Byrds hired guitarist [[Clarence White]] and drummer [[Gene Parsons]], both from the  country band [[Nashville West]]. The Flying Burrito Brothers recorded the albums ''[[The Gilded Palace of Sin]]'' (1969) and ''[[Burrito Deluxe]]'' (1970), which helped establish the respectability and parameters of the genre, before Parsons departed to pursue a solo career.<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/>

===Expansion===
[[Image:Emmylou Harris 2006 2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Emmylou Harris]] playing in [[Rotterdam]], [[Netherlands]] (2006)]]
Country rock was a particularly popular style in the California music scene of the late 1960s, and was adopted by bands including Hearts and Flowers, [[Poco (band)|Poco]] (formed by [[Richie Furay]] and [[Jim Messina (musician)|Jim Messina]], formerly of the Buffalo Springfield) and [[New Riders of the Purple Sage]].<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> Some folk-rockers followed the Byrds into the genre, among them the [[The Beau Brummels|Beau Brummels]]<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> and the [[Nitty Gritty Dirt Band]].<ref>P. Buckley, ''The Rough Guide to Rock'' (Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), p. 730.</ref> A number of performers also enjoyed a renaissance by adopting country sounds, including: the Beatles, who re-explored elements of country in songs such as "Rocky Raccoon" and "Don't Pass Me By" from their 1968 [[The Beatles (album)|self-titled double album]] (often referred to as the "White Album"),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-beatles-white-album-mw0000418113|title=The Beatles [White Album] - The Beatles - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=December 23, 2017}}</ref> and "Octopus's Garden" from ''[[Abbey Road]]'' (1969);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/octopuss-garden-mt0010100295|title=Octopus's Garden - The Beatles - Song Info|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=December 23, 2017}}</ref> [[The Everly Brothers]], whose ''Roots'' album (1968) is usually considered some of their finest work; [[John Fogerty]], who left [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]] behind for the country sounds of [[the Blue Ridge Rangers]] (1972);<ref>J. Dougan, [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-blue-ridge-rangers-p24126/biography "Blue Ridge Rangers: Biography"], ''AllMusic'', retrieved April 9, 2011.</ref> [[Mike Nesmith]], who had experimented with country sounds while with [[the Monkees]], formed the [[First National Band]];<ref name=TMT>Andrew Sandoval, ''The Monkees: The Day by Day Story of the '60s Pop Sensation'' (Thunder Bay Press, 2005), p. 118.</ref> and [[Neil Young]] who moved in and out of the genre throughout his career.<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> One of the few acts to successfully move from the country side towards rock were the [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] band [[the Dillards]].<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> [[Doug Dillard]] left the band to form the group [[Dillard & Clark]] with ex-[[Byrds]] member [[Gene Clark]] and [[Bernie Leadon]].<ref>Einarson, ''Desperados'', p. 103</ref>

===Peak===
[[File:Dickey Betts Pistoia Blues Festival 2008.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Dickey Betts]] of the [[Allman Brothers Band]], brought elements of country rock into the band during the 1970s]]

The greatest commercial success for country rock came in the 1970s, with [[the Doobie Brothers]] mixing in elements of R&B, [[Emmylou Harris]] (the former singer with Parsons) becoming a star on country radio,  and [[Linda Ronstadt]], the "queen of country-rock", creating a highly successful pop-oriented brand of the genre.<ref name=Tawa2005/> [[Pure Prairie League]], formed in Ohio in 1970 by [[Craig Fuller]], had both critical and commercial success with five straight Top 40 LP releases,<ref>W. Ruhlmann, [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pure-prairie-league-p5198/biography "Pure Prairie League: Biography"], ''AllMusic'', retrieved April 8, 2011.</ref> including ''[[Bustin' Out]]'' (1972), acclaimed by AllMusic critic Richard Foss as "an album that is unequaled in country-rock",<ref>{{Citation|last=R. Foss |title=Bustin' Out Pure Prairie League: Review |journal=AllMusic |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/bustin-out-r15920/review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508085945/http://www.allmusic.com/album/bustin-out-r15920/review |archive-date=May 8, 2011 |url-status=dead }}.</ref> and ''[[Two Lane Highway]]'', described by ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' as "a worthy companion to the likes of the Byrds' ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' and other gems of the genre".<ref>Rolling Stone #194 August 28, 1975.</ref> Former Poco and Buffalo Springfield member Jim Messina joined Kenny Loggins in a very successful duo, while former members of Ronstadt's backing band went on to form the [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]] (two members of which were from the Flying Burrito Brothers and Poco), who emerged as one of the most successful rock acts of all time, producing albums that included ''[[Desperado (Eagles album)|Desperado]]'' (1973) and ''[[Hotel California (Eagles album)|Hotel California]]'' (1976).<ref name=Tawa2005>N. E. Tawa, ''Supremely American: popular song in the 20th century: styles and singers and what they said about America'' (Scarecrow Press, 2005), pp. 227-8.</ref> However, the principal country rock influence in the Eagles came from [[Bernie Leadon]], formerly of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Eagles are perceived as shifting towards hard rock after he left the band in late 1975. [[The Ozark Mountain Daredevils]] had hit singles "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" (1974) and "Jackie Blue" (1975), the latter of which peaked at #3 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] in 1975. [[The Bellamy Brothers]] had the hit "Let Your Love Flow"(1976). In 1979, the Southern rock [[Charlie Daniels Band]] moved to a more country direction, released a song with strong bluegrass influence, "[[The Devil Went Down to Georgia]]", and the song crossed over and became a hit on the pop chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/charlie-daniels/biography/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114110941/http://www.cmt.com/artists/charlie-daniels/biography/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 14, 2014|title=Charlie Daniels - News, New Music, Songs, and Videos - CMT|website=Cmt.com|access-date=December 23, 2017}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Outside its handful of stars, country rock's greatest significance was on artists in other genres, including the Band, [[Grateful Dead]], [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]], [[the Rolling Stones]], and [[George Harrison]]'s solo work.<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> It also played a part in the development of [[Southern rock]], which, although largely derived from [[blues rock]], had a distinct southern lilt, and it paved the way for parts of the [[alternative country]] movement.<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> The genre declined in popularity in the late-1970s, but some established artists, including Neil Young, have continued to record country-tinged rock into the 21st century. Japan even took influence in the 70s with country rock mainly in the kayokyoku genre. Artists such as [[Takuro Yoshida]], [[Lily]] and [[Saori Minami]] have often dabbled with country rock in their music. Country rock has survived as a cult force in Texas, where acts including [[the Flatlanders]], [[Joe Ely]], [[Butch Hancock]], [[Jimmie Dale Gilmore]], and California-based Richard Brooker have collaborated and recorded.<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/><ref>P. Buckley, ''The Rough Guide to Rock'' (Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), pp. 145-6.</ref> Other performers have produced occasional recordings in the genre, including [[Elvis Costello]]'s ''[[Almost Blue]]'' (1981)<ref name=Bogdanov2002C-Rock/> and the [[Robert Plant]] and [[Alison Krauss]] collaboration ''[[Raising Sand]]'', which was one of the most commercially successful albums of 2007.<ref name="top50">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071220102738/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17601851/the_top_50_albums_of_2007/24 "The Top 50 Albums of 2007"]. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. December 17, 2007. Retrieved December 20, 2007.</ref> [[Kid Rock]], who broke through into mainstream success with a [[rap rock]] sound, gradually developed a country rock sound.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://crypticrock.com/kid-rock-sweet-southern-sugar-album-review/|title=Kid Rock – Sweet Southern Sugar (Album Review) – Cryptic Rock|website=Crypticrock.com|date=November 3, 2017|access-date=February 1, 2018|archive-date=January 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127203327/http://crypticrock.com/kid-rock-sweet-southern-sugar-album-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013, British country rock band [[Rocky and the Natives]] released ''Let's Hear It for the Old Guys'' with two American members, drummer [[Andy Newmark]] and acoustic guitarist [[Bob Rafkin]]. Rafkin had written "Lazy Waters" for [[The Byrds]] from the 1971 album ''[[Farther Along (The Byrds album)|Farther Along]]'', and Andy Newmark had played on the 1973 [[Gene Parsons]] album ''[[Kindling (album)|Kindling]]''.  Canadian country rock band [[Blue Rodeo]] has found considerable success in Canada, selling multi-platinum albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and continues to receive frequent radio airplay on Canadian radio stations.  Later in 2013 Rocky and the Natives' country rock cover of John Lennon's "[[Tight A$]]" was included on the ''[[Lennon Bermuda]]'' album.

A revival of country music blended with rock features in the 2020s was titled "ronky tonk" in the music press, with acts such as [[Zach Bryan]], [[Jackson Dean]], and [[Bailey Zimmerman]] identified by ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''.<ref name="rk">{{Cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=November 30, 2022 |last1=Newman |first1=Melinda |last2=Nicholson |first2=Jessica |title=Ronky Tonk: Country's New Musical Explosion Is 'Not the Typical Dirt Roads and Tailgate' |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/jelly-roll-zach-bryan-country-new-rock-sound/}}</ref><ref name="rk22">{{Cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=December 23, 2022 |last=Roland |first=Tom |title=Ronky Tonk, Race & Radio: Country Music Looked to the Future With One Eye on the Past in 2022 |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/2022-review-country-music/}}</ref> [[Jelly Roll (singer)|Jelly Roll]] is another crossover artist that blends a unique fashion of country and rock,<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/country/jelly-roll-interview-nashville-ryman-9631132/ | title=Nashville Native Jelly Roll on Shifting from Hip Hop to Country-Rock: 'I Want to Change the Way Music is Done on Those Streets' | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] }}</ref> sometimes with [[Country rap|hip hop]] influences.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jelly-roll-mn0003327654/biography | title=Jelly Roll Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More | website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref>

==Country metal==
{{for |the aesthetic also referred to as countrycore|cottage core}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Country metal
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|[[Country music|Country]]|country rock|[[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]}}
| cultural_origins  = 2000s
| derivatives       = 
| subgenrelist      =
| subgenres         = Countrycore
| fusiongenres      = 
| regional_scenes   =
| other_topics      = {{hlist|[[Alternative country]]|[[sludge metal]]|[[Southern rock]]}}
}}

'''Country metal''' is the fusion country music elements with [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and sometimes other elements elements such as nu metal and hard rock. [[Brantley Gilbert]] and [[Hardy (singer)|Hardy]] have been described as country metal, with Hardy incorporating nu metal elements into his sound.<ref name="billboard.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/country-metal-music-hardy-brantley-gilbert-hard-rock/|title=Are You Ready for the ‘Country Metal’ Sound? Rock’s Revival Takes Rural Route|first=Tom|last=Roland|date=March 7, 2023|work=Billboard}}</ref> The roots of country metal can be traced back to ''[[Rebel Meets Rebel]]'', a 2006 album by [[David Allan Coe]] featuring [[Dimebag Darrell]], [[Vinnie Paul]], and [[Rex Brown]], all from [[Pantera]]. [[Allmusic]] described the album as a "groundbreaking" mix of country and heavy metal, and noted that [[fiddle]] is included, being played by Joey Floyd.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/rebel-meets-rebel-mw0000407040|title=Rebel Meets Rebel - Rebel Meets Rebel &#124; Album |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] also noted that [[Jason Aldean]]'s thunderous 2008 single "[[She's Country]]" received comparisons to [[AC/DC]].<ref name="billboard.com"/>

'''Countrycore''' is a genre term created by the media to describe the style of Brazilian band [[Matanza (band)|Matanza]], who fuse country music with heavy metal and hardcore punk.

==See also==

*[[List of country rock albums]]
*[[List of country rock musicians]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hjort |first1=Christopher |author1-link=Christopher Hjort |title=So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-by-Day 1965–1973 |date=2008 |publisher=Jawbone Press |location=London |isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Country music}}
{{Rock music}}

[[Category:Country rock| ]]
[[Category:Country music genres]]
[[Category:Rock music genres]]
[[Category:Fusion music genres]]