| It has been around for decades, growing back in the | | | | hardened Country Music fan can have problems |
| 1920's with such artists as 'Eck" Robertson and | | | | distinguishing Country from other pop genres, if we |
| Jimmie Rodgers, but this has come far since them, in | | | | look at someone like Carrie Underwood, a popular up |
| leaps and bounds and has become unrecognizable to | | | | and coming star, her music seems to hold little in |
| some and unpalatable to others. It can be hard to | | | | common with the this Music singers of old, and |
| imagine how the two eras of Country Music could be | | | | despite her, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish |
| so different yet the same. With such diversity among | | | | her music from modern day pop. |
| artist and sub genres such as Pop and Rock, just | | | | Is there one thing that determines whether you are |
| what makes Country Music Country? | | | | listening or not? A purist might say that it hasn't truly |
| Instrumental | | | | been Country since the 1970's where the term |
| Is it the instruments? Traditionally it had fiddles and | | | | Countrypolitan came into being, and C. Pop became a |
| even high spirited instrumentals, and later slow simple | | | | genre. It is here we lose it, for them anything that |
| chords, but if that makes, then it definitely rules out | | | | isn't 'pure' Country, should not be considered in this |
| almost all the top Country artists on today's top ten, | | | | genre. |
| and even many older artists. | | | | Those that branch off from the Genre to |
| Lyrics | | | | "Traditional" in an effort o preserve their C. Music |
| Traditionally this Music had very recognizable lyrics. | | | | heritage; do they see something specific lacking in |
| The song would tell a distinctive story, of loss, pain | | | | the modern day Country Music? Perhaps it is the true |
| and life lessons, this set it aside from many other | | | | commercialization of Music genre, that has ruined it |
| genres of music, but this 'old' style seems lost in | | | | for so many of the traditional music lovers, after all, |
| today's modern world, and even the 'story telling' | | | | you can write a song that you love, or you can write |
| lyrics seem to be lost among more commercial type | | | | a song that will sell, those two ideas hardly ever |
| songs. | | | | cross over, at some point in their careers, it is forced |
| Twang | | | | to choose between the two, and ever readily, many |
| Has it truly lost its twang? Is it the twang that | | | | choose popularity over the traditional and not so |
| makes Country? Many modern songs have lost their | | | | popular styles, many even crossing genres completely |
| twang, but does taking the twang out, take the | | | | and turning their back on their old Country style. One |
| country out? Does Country become merely pop or | | | | day will this Music be so far gone from the sounds of |
| maybe blues? When we listen to this Music, we | | | | C. Music Pioneers that is completely and ultimately |
| recognize a certain element that distinguishes it from | | | | unrecognizable as a C. Music form, and will Traditional |
| other subgenres of music. But even the most | | | | C. Music be lost forever? |