Today’s video is a beginner’s guide to country music subgenres — because there are A LOT of them, and it can be confusing.
00:00 – Intro to Country Music Subgenres
02:54 – Definition of Country Music
03:41- Bro Country
04:28 – Boyfriend Country
05:00 – Neotraditional
05:30 – Pop-Country
06:13 – Everything Else in “Mainstream”
07:02 – Red Dirt
07:57 – Texas Country
09:18 – Bluegrass
10:01 – Appalachian
10:34 – Americana
12:08 – Southern Rock
12:32 – Alt-Country
12:53 – Country Rap
13:52 – Everything Else in “Indie”
14:44 – A Lesson I’ve Learned
Patreon: http://patreon.com/gradywsmith
Merch: http://gradywsmith.threadless.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5SBRhqxctG4awl4apGxaZm?si=rfPPDv4uSBOPTrM-uSFkSw
Subreddit: http://reddit.com/r/CountryMusicStuff
Discord: https://discord.gg/REc6sNx
Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/gradywsmith/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gradywsmith
Instagram: http://instagram.com/gradywsmith
Facebook: http://facebook.com/gradysmithwriter
source
45 comments
This was a freakin doozy to make, and I hope y'all enjoy it! This is a very complex topic, and I know it's only skimming the surface. If you're someone that wishes people weren't so worried about how we classify songs into genres, just stay tuned for the last 90 seconds. Love y'all. -Grady
What abt Shania
I tend to split modern country into two large subgenera: Western/Appalachian(Red Dirt, Appalachian, Texas, Bluegrass) and Southern(Bro, Pop, Boyfriend). I tend to notice that the artists and songs I tend to not like often mention Georgia and other deep south states in their music, which makes me think that the forces at work destroying country are chiefly southern, and more specifically urban southern. BTW, Colter Wall falls square into my "Western" category, as well as Sierra Ferrell, Zach Bryan, and Tyler Childers, etc.
Pop country can be renamed.
Its POP That isnt County.
Boyfriend Country can..
Go !!
For what it's worth, Canadian country tends to be influenced by Canadian folk (Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, the late great Stan Rogers), Celtic folk which obviously has a lot in common with Appalachian folk traditions, perhaps being more overtly Scottish/Irish, and western traditional country which has a lot in common with Red Dirt – Alberta and Saskatchewan bleed right into Nebraska, Montana and Oklahoma in terms of culture. In the mountains of rural BC where I grew up, as in Appalachia, there is a long tradition of labour movement folk, which filtered into the punk rock movement in the 1980s. Generally, Canadian country is more folksy, traditional and small town/farm community oriented.
Heaven country honestly. There are so many songs about seeing someone again in heaven it grinds my gears. Be original
and now KPOP is starting to do country too lol. What you call that? K country?
Yikes barley mentions the mandolin in bluegrass/Appalachian 😷
only thing I think you really missed honestly is old time music
As you said bluegrass was created in the 40's, and thank you for that since the misinformation that it's older is quite common, but it was created from a basis in actual folk songs, which nowadays keep being played in communal settings which is called 'old time music.'
Bluegrass is like a virtuosic form of old time with specific musicians creating their own songs, basically the model that country itself follows today. Old time's a bit different since people don't really write new songs, it's a body of songs developed over time rather instead.
Bluegrass and old time are kind of on a spectrum and they do bleed into each other, mostly bluegrass taking on influence from old time, but the main difference besides specific songs and playing styles is that old time is most often characterized by jam sessions.
Groups of people get together to play these old folk songs, and that honestly is its main characteristic feature
10:01
I came to this video trying to find an answer to a question but I'm still confused. I'm trying to figure out what sugenre the song "Christmas for cowboys" as done by Jon wolfe would be. It's my favorite country sound, but I have no idea what it's called.
i feel that boyfriend country is when bro country graduates college and grows up lol
What is Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour album considered?
Modern country?? You mean pop rap. It's all just one big noise. Nothing country about it. This current mob just haven't got the ingredients. They can't sing the country songs. Absolutely dreadful….. Big big noise.
I don’t know if you’ve done it already, but you should try to tackle country vs (American) folk and where Americana falls in that conversation.
I like both types of music: Country and Western.
I know this is way late but what would Zach Bryan fall under?
Love the Blue Brothers clip! Haha
Let me simplify this video for y’all there is country then there is pop country and then there is sh*t
I woudld list "post 9/11 country" as it`s own category
Y’all need to listen to Johnny Cockerson
If there's a "Boyfriend Country" surely there must be "Girlfriend Country" as well right?
Bluegrass deserves more love on this channel, IMO.
Thanks for the video. I hear people saying, "you hate country because you don't really know what it is." Well, now I can definitively say it's shit.
My favorite subgenres is dark country. And wild western country.
What category would Zach Bryan fall under? Surprised you didn’t mention him in this video.
Jimmy Buffett is The guy I think of when I think of Beach country
One of my personal favorite little genres in country is Cosmic Country, epitomized by songs like “Universal Sound” by Tyler Childers, and “Turtles All the Way Down” by sturgil Simpson. Like an optimistic spiritual Appalachian outlaw vibe that’s present in a lot of songs but never the artist’s whole deal.
boyfriend country is influenced by the chainsmokers
"Country" music is not a JON RAH. It is a derivative style of Blues. QED
there also franco country coming out of quebec and louisana
Great video. It's a shame you focused little on alt-country! That has been the most significant deviations from country as far as i can tell. Not really formed from Southern rock per se but rather, as the name suggests, from alternative rock of the 90s. Especially Georgia's own R.E.M. and their country-rock tracks being big influences.
Richard Buckner, Son Volt, Vic Chesnutt have put out great stuff. The late great Vic was even spearheading "post-country" with his last albums dabbling in the alt-rock post-rock sound.
I was hoping you'd mention Mickey Guyton and Maddie & Tae and name where you think they fall under country subgenres. Speaking of which, you said Kacey's first two albums are neotraditional. Where would you place "Golden Hour"?
Hardy, rock and country and Upchurch, Charlie Farley, Colt Ford rap country
What was that last song? The one that introduced the "everything else" category.
Country rap definitely opened the door to the entire genre for me. It’s been real fun exploring the entire genre of country and finding out what I like!
Country rock with pop
Pop country from the 90s
yeah yeah poeple are talking wich punk subgender is the best, dude I just liscent to daft punk
Thank you so much for this video! I'm Italian and ever loved country music. Now I can know specificic subgen for my flavours!
this video failed to mention a whole range of by-genres like folk and gospel, and new internet trends like dark country/ southern gothic
Whats the song of 12:34?
Very useful. I realize I actually dislike profoundly 90% of country music but love 10% of it…
Thank you for this great video. This German lad here isn't that clueless any more. As a Rock guy, I'll check out Koe Wetzel and Whisky Myers. Hardy's album still rules. Any other suggestions?
Comments are closed.