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How The Sound Of Country Music Changed

Jewly Hight

In 2013, Kacey Musgraves emergence onto the country music scene hinted at changes that would arrive over the next five years. Musgraves' new album, Golden Hour , might signal her freedom from that same landscape. Kelly Christine Sutton/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

In 2013, Kacey Musgraves emergence onto the country music scene hinted at changes that would arrive over the next five years. Musgraves' new album, Golden Hour , might signal her freedom from that same landscape.

Evolution follows a familiar pattern in plenty of popular music genres. Fearless newcomers or agile established stars with credibility to burn veer from the dominant aesthetic, adopting approaches to music-making that come off as savvy correctives to what everyone's used to hearing. And if what they're doing really begins to catch on, bits and pieces are absorbed into the mainstream, subtly or significantly shifting the genre's center, before something completely different comes along to catch the public's ear. Just think of how many hip-hop trends, from the street-hardened fatalism and stark beats of trap music to the punchy, triplet flow spawned by Migos' experimentalism , have bubbled up from the underground, and eventually even altered the feel of mainstream pop .

These cycles propel country music forward too, but they're unfolding at a more deliberate pace in a genre where innovation tugs against preservation and the path to success often passes through conservative terrestrial radio. That's why it's taken years for the stylistic shifts anticipated by Kacey Musgraves, Sam Hunt and Maren Morris to actually arrive. Musgraves' emergence, five years ago, generated discussion about the potential for changes in country's outlook, attitude and style, but it's only now, with the release of Golden Hour , her third proper, major label album, that she sounds truly freed from having to claim her place in the country landscape.

Pop, hip-hop and R&B have far higher turnover rates for hits, thanks to massive streaming numbers and radio programming that favors the hot and new over the familiar. But besides making the most of the digital outlets favored by young listeners, most mainstream country artists are still expected to pledge their fealty to the format and court radio's long-term support, which can be a deeply demoralizing endeavor due to programmers' tendency to stick to one thing that's working at a time and pay attention to little else.

Is Politics Gone From Country Music? Listen Closer

Since participating in the country world has always been as much a matter of cultural identification as musical identification, and as much about being claimed by the audience as branded for the marketplace, artists also face a tension between engaging with popular trends and conveying a sense of connection to country's lineage and core values. Some of modern country's most frequently invoked archetypes, Garth Brooks and Shania Twain, were initially viewed as interlopers, their modernizing of studio and show production, self-presentation and songwriting disrupting the genre's status quo and grabbing ears beyond it. Over time, they both made convincing cases that redefining what country superstardom looked, sounded and behaved like didn't undermine their country affinities — that their broader ambitions needn't threaten their places in the format. And eventually, plenty of other artists followed their lead in making flashier music videos, beefing up their backbeats and staging shows with the energy and theatricality of arena rock.

"Every time someone starts to make a real noise or pisses people off, later they get revered for it," observes Shane McAnally, now one of Nashville's most influential writer-producers and developers of new talent. "This [rising] class of artists right now, most of them would say their number one favorite artist is Shania or Garth. And at the time those people came along, it was like, 'Y'all are ruining country music.' I mean, it seems like every time I hear those words, we just get a whole lot more people listening to country music."

Earlier this decade, there was a prolonged moment when contemporary country sounds and sensibilities seemed to consolidate around the so-called "bro country" template . Male acts at every tier of the industry were incorporating sometimes dated hip-hop flourishes into feel-good hybrids and cocksure, youthful displays of masculinity. The tailgating soundtrack was having its day, while hard times, relational strife and emoting in general receded from country radio playlists. But in the midst of that beat-driven bluster, noteworthy new arrivals on the margins of the mainstream forecasted shifts in momentum.

First came Kacey Musgraves, a singer-songwriter salvaged from the roster of Mercury Nashville's shuttered roots imprint. She blended deliciously arch and detailed songcraft with western kitsch and indie irreverence with a low-key insistence on tolerance , an approach to making social statements that helped map the coming changes in country discourse ( see the accompanying timeline ). But the coolness of her delivery was so antithetical to the muscled-up performances dominating playlists in 2013 that, at least in the short term, she enjoyed more visibility than commercial clout. It couldn't have helped her standing with country radio that she didn't really labor to hide her disdain for the direction pop-country was taking at the time, though she was plenty pop-savvy (and would eventually even go on tour with Katy Perry).

Taylor Swift had proven the potential of a personalized singer-songwriter approach half a decade earlier. Stepping into the spotlight as a teenage striver, she invested equal energy in winning over young, female fans and powerful, middle-aged gatekeepers, and achieved success on such an astounding scale that she established a new paradigm for mainstream country aspirations. Musgraves's arrival couldn't have felt more different; she seemed far more comfortable in an individualistic role that didn't require asserting her place at the center.

Sam Hunt on stage in Nashville during CMA Fest in June 2015. Rick Diamond/Getty Images hide caption

Sam Hunt and Maren Morris arrived on the scene in the years that followed, each of them possessing fluency in the postures and cadences of millennial pop that turned heads and blurred boundaries. "[M]odern country singers love to flaunt phrases and attitudes borrowed from hip-hop, but Hunt's borrowings are softer and sneakier," observed Kelefa Sanneh . Jon Caramanica had a similar take on what Morris was up to: "Think of all the ways dissenters have tried to upend country in recent years: by sneaking in rhythmic vocal tics learned from rappers, by thinning out the genre's musical baggage, by pledging inclusive values. Ms. Morris, an astute synthesizer, has studied and perfected them all."

Hunt was a southern college quarterback-turned-country brooder, staking out a position between sensitivity and swagger. After a youth spent performing on the local circuit in her native Texas, Morris was on track to write for other artists on Music Row until it became clear that she was the one best equipped to convey the real-talking perspectives in her songs. In 2013, Hunt tested the waters with an initially free acoustic mixtape — his version of rap's preferred buzz-building tool — before releasing a 2014 album that applied a conversational flow reminiscent of Drake to small-town settings and downtempo country-pop production. Morris self-released an EP in the summer of 2015 whose surprise success on Spotify landed her on a major label that fall and led to a full-length debut the following year that was sleekly rhythmic, casually irreverent and slyly sensual . She proved she could belt at the top of her range, like many a country-pop diva before her, but spent more time luxuriating in her lower register, sauntering into hooks with her sultry attack and deftly delivering eye-rolling inflections .

Hunt's music had pensiveness and finesse and felt a little ahead of the country curve. His vocal style shared little with the boxier rapping other country artists had tried, so much so that Brad Paisley made Hunt's delivery a punchline during a CMA Awards monologue. (That was also the year that Chris Stapleton — a grizzled, southern soul belter who'd labored beneath the radar for years and earned Nashville's goodwill in the process — gave a breakthrough performance alongside his wife Morgane and buddy Justin Timberlake.) Seemingly every discussion of Hunt's music took up the question of whether it could legitimately be called country . Even so, what he was doing felt like a descendant of the hick-hop already populating radio playlists, and his songs quickly spread from streaming sites to airplay.

Maren Morris performs in Las Vegas in April 2016, just before the release of her debut album, Hero. Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for ACM hide caption

Maren Morris performs in Las Vegas in April 2016, just before the release of her debut album, Hero.

The format was slower to acknowledge Morris' cultural and stylistic impact . Radio's decision-makers claimed that their market research proved playing women was a liability to the format , a commercial justification that nonetheless had substantial social impact, marginalizing female voices and viewpoints. Morris wasn't terribly interested in adopting an attitude that radio would consider sufficiently agreeable for a woman; she was slightly brash and sexually frank , and her initial breakthrough brought little airplay.

Last year, the country scene didn't generate any galvanizing new trend-setters. (Affable everyman Luke Combs easily stood out, but his strength was harmonizing country's red-blooded recent past with its beat-propelled present.) Instead, 2017 was the year that the pop-conversant mindsets informing Hunt and Morris' music finally moved the center of gravity in the country mainstream, and other artists made their own use of the space they helped clear. "The perception has changed," notes McAnally, who's worked closely with Musgraves and Hunt and co-written with Morris. "People in the immediate industry aren't seeming as offended by people blatantly using the sounds that are considered pop." Even though Stapleton was something of a one-man bulwark against glossy, beat-driven production — his sinewy, classic sound selling millions of albums to adult fans — his rule-breaking success was also frequently invoked as a sign that things were changing.

Hunt mostly laid low in 2017 aside from releasing a pair of songs. "Body Like a Back Road," a breezy, braggy number with slinky organ and guitar licks over a bass-and-handclaps groove, was the one that received all the promotion. It became not just the song of summer, but spring and fall too with its record-setting, 34-week stay atop Billboard 's Hot Country Songs chart, fueled to a great degree by streams and downloads. Morris made a long, slow, 10-month climb to her first solo No. 1 with " I Could Use a Love Song ," reaching the pinnacle a couple of weeks into 2018. She was also called upon to lend her voice to a cross-genre collaboration with the DJ Zedd and a euphoric, dance-pop-influenced hit that signaled the stylistic repositioning of one of country's ascendant superstars, Thomas Rhett.

An agile centrist eager to please fans and industry gatekeepers alike, Rhett displayed an excellent instinct for the pace of evolution in the format. He'd begun applying lessons learned from the suave showmanship of Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake on his 2015 album, finding his greatest success as a crooning romantic , but now felt even freer to try out any pop flavor that captured his attention. He covered an impressive amount of territory in 14 tracks, from a hard-twanging, line dance-friendly number featuring his country songwriter dad to dejected, conversational balladry , surging, EDM-style synths, quiet storm seduction and mellowed-out dancehall grooves, some of his production choices aligning closely with the aesthetics taking center stage in the pop world.

Rhett made clear that his unfettered stylistic sampling didn't undermine his core identity as a country artist, which was his way of acknowledging country-pop's competing priorities. "I think my voice is the glue," he told Jon Freeman, "and I think just being so involved in the production process and just having my identity all over this record is what makes it cohesive."

Kelsea Ballerini was another congenially striving young star with a handful of hits under her belt who made use of country's coziness with current pop last year. The arena-headlining duo Florida Georgia Line did the same, teaming up with a newbie country hit-maker, guesting on EDM pop and trop-house singles and pulling off a reverse crossover move with pop singer Bebe Rexha. Some artists seized the opening to roll out more dramatic reinventions. Distancing herself from her previous rep as an earnest teenage belter, Danielle Bradbery insisted on shaping last year's album around sensibilities that she could claim as her own, resulting in wintry, programming-reliant production and a sulkier style of singing .

RaeLynn had spent her first several years in Nashville searching for middle ground between her inclinations and the whims of country radio. On some of her early releases, it felt almost as though she was trying to hold the rhythmic friskiness of her delivery in check . But in Hunt and Morris's wakes, she found herself between record labels and newly emboldened. Working with a vocal coach, RaeLynn shed the notion that she needed to distinguish between the "country side of [her] voice," with its deliberate exaggeration of her peppery Texas twang, and her more relaxed pop mode. She hunkered down with her collaborators to make her debut album, an appealing portrait of young womanhood's vacillation between audacity and insecurity that was framed with precise picking, brittle beats and whooshing synths.

Says RaeLynn, "I felt with my other records, 'This has to sound like this.' And instead of stressing about where it should fit in, we just made the record we loved and what we thought sounded incredible and what I wanted to hear over and over again."

McAnally was put in charge of a major label imprint last year (along with Musgraves' manager Jason Owen), and one of his first moves was to sign Walker Hayes, who'd gotten zero traction earlier in the decade with an amiable, Barenaked Ladies-ish, pop-rock angle on country. Cribbing a move from the Sam Hunt playbook, McAnally had helped lay the groundwork for Hayes's rebranding as a breezily wisecracking, beatboxing, sung-spoken storyteller by releasing a pair of minimalistic mixtapes, cheekily dubbed 8-tracks, through his publishing company in 2016. For the proper album that followed, they made only minor tweaks to the formula: a live rhythm section here, a whimsical piano countermelody there. It would've been hard to imagine Hayes's DIY-style quirkiness and mischievous, Macklemore-ish delivery adding up to a top 10 country album several years back.

"Now that I know what's possible, if I meet an artist that somebody else thinks just does not fit, that makes me really drawn to 'em," McAnally explains. "That was the Walker Hayes story. The more I heard people say, 'This will never work on country,' that made me want to work with him more. And [I] wanted to push him more and say, 'What would you do if you had no limitations?'"

During a recent event at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum honoring the accomplishments of Cindy Mabe, the president of UMG Nashville, the label exec spoke of how much more sustainable and satisfying it is working with artists who have distinct musical identities, personas and vantage points, who have potential to be what she called "disrupters" of the format's status quo, rather than soundalikes. That wasn't just business speak. There's an element of self-awareness to country's current evolution, which is not to imply that there's any sort of coordinated, industry-wide effort to counterbalance the excesses of the bro country years. Individuals involved in making or promoting the music have ideas about where they'd like to see the genre go, what elements they want to add to the mix, what the multi-generational audience will identify with. That's a big reason why a mover-and-shaker like McAnally takes on such a wide array of projects (including those on the traditional side, like Midland's meticulously crafted Urban Cowboy update ). It's a way of trying to make room.

When Hayes took up familiar country themes, like a marriage ruined by drinking, he did so from a fresh, acutely diaristic angle, describing in detail what it's like to stew in self-loathing, unable to toss out the last beer haunting him in the fridge. Likewise, the title track of Rhett's album Life Changes was a droll summation of his journey from aimless college kid to country headliner whose fans follow his wife on Instagram. Both songs were in step with " Drinkin' Too Much ," the sleeper that Hunt quietly released ahead of "Body Like a Back Road." "Drinkin'" was meant to feel like it was ripped straight from the pages of his life. Over fingerpicked acoustic guitar, Hunt bared his guilt-ridden soul to an ex — whom he identified by name — pleading, "I know you want your privacy, and you've got nothing to say to me/But I wish you'd let me pay off your student loans with these songs you gave to me." People compared it to " Marvin's Room ," a likeness Hunt surely recognized himself, having frequently including the Drake song in his live sets . "Drinkin'" may not have been a smash, but it may be an indication of where country-pop is headed from here.

In the past, country artists weren't expected to sing their autobiographies in any literal sense. But in songs like these, and those by a small but growing number of compelling, post-Musgraves arrivals like Kassi Ashton and Jillian Jacqueline , the implication is that they're conveying the specificity of their experiences and asserting their individuality. That's happening on a musical level too, with those importing the outsider postures of pop-punk and emo (see: Kalie Shorr , Muscadine Bloodline , Tucker Beathard ) and preparing to put out albums that flaunt their musical eccentricities, be it Dierks Bentley's gestures toward mountain mysticism or the Brothers Osborne's funky, wild-eyed improvisation . Stapleton's impact can certainly be seen in the momentum building behind brawny, band-based music-making.

Pop music has become increasingly withdrawn of late, alienated in its skepticism and chilly textures. A hermetic aesthetic would never fly in country, where there's a premium placed on conveying widely shared sentiments and just generally being accessible. But artists sprinkled across the country landscape, from the fringes to dead center, are exploring the potential of playing up the particular. And Musgraves is once again clearing and claiming space for her music, this time just a few steps beyond where some of the most interesting country-pop action is.

On Golden Hour , she hasn't entirely abandoned the tools with which she built her persona, the understated sarcasm, subtle use of psychedelic western imagery or artfully idiosyncratic references to kitsch. But none of that is the main event. Musgraves' new priorities are pensive reflection, confessional clarity and delicate sentimentality in the key of classic country and pop. And her current fascination? What comes of outgrowing the appeal of blissfully detached, carefully curated images and deciding to explore the emotional landscape beneath them.

There's an airy lift to the album's melodies and a sparkling sophistication to its textures, all gentle strumming, crystalline steel guitar, precise, plucked banjo and gauzy synths. The overall effect brings to mind everything from Glen Campbell to Laurel Canyon singer-songwriters, Beck's moony introspection on the album Sea Change and the adult folk-pop of Mindy Smith .

That's no accident. Musgraves co-produced the album with a new pair of collaborators, Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian, with whom she also co-wrote just over half of its 13 tracks. Though Tashian and Fitchuk have each assembled quite a list of mainstream country credits in recent years, they first found their footing working with the quietly refined voices that populated the Nashville songwriting scene, like Smith, Sarah Siskind , Griffin House and Tashian's own soft rock band The Silver Seas . Now Musgraves's latest work is uniting contemporary perspectives, intimate expression and awareness of writerly lineage in a way that nobody in her space quite has before.

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country music , style of American popular music that originated in rural areas of the South and West in the early 20th century. The term country and western music (later shortened to country music ) was adopted by the recording industry in 1949 to replace the derogatory label hillbilly music .

Ultimately, country music’s roots lie in the ballads, folk songs, and popular songs of the English, Scots, and Irish settlers of the Appalachians and other parts of the South. In the early 1920s the traditional string-band music of the Southern mountain regions began to be commercially recorded, with Fiddlin’ John Carson garnering the genre’s first hit record in 1923. The vigour and realism of the rural songs, many lyrics of which were rather impersonal narratives of tragedies pointing to a stern Calvinist moral , stood in marked contrast to the often mawkish sentimentality of much of the popular music of the day.

More important than recordings for the growth of country music was broadcast radio. Small radio stations appeared in the larger Southern and Midwestern cities in the 1920s, and many devoted part of their airtime to live or recorded music suited to white rural audiences. Two regular programs of great influence were the “National Barn Dance” from Chicago , begun in 1924, and the “Grand Ole Opry” from Nashville , begun in 1925. The immediate popularity of such programs encouraged more recordings and the appearance of talented musicians from the hills at radio and record studios. Among these were the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers , whose performances strongly influenced later musicians. These early recordings were of ballads and country dance tunes and featured the fiddle and guitar as lead instruments over a rhythmic foundation of guitar or banjo . Other instruments occasionally used included Appalachian dulcimer , harmonica , and mandolin ; vocals were done either by a single voice or in high close harmony .

With the migration of many Southern rural whites to industrial cities during the Great Depression and World War II , country music was carried into new areas and exposed to new influences, such as blues and gospel music . The nostalgic bias of country music, with its lyrics about grinding poverty, orphaned children, bereft lovers, and lonely workers far from home, held special appeal during a time of wide-scale population shifts.

During the 1930s a number of “singing cowboy” film stars, of whom Gene Autry was the best known, took country music and with suitably altered lyrics made it into a synthetic and adventitious “western” music. A second and more substantive variant of country music arose in the 1930s in the Texas-Oklahoma region, where the music of rural whites was exposed to the swing jazz of black orchestras. In response, a Western swing style evolved in the hands of Bob Wills and others and came to feature steel and amplified guitars and a strong dance rhythm . An even more important variant was honky-tonk , a country style that emerged in the 1940s with such figures as Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams . Honky-tonk’s fiddle–steel-guitar combination and its bitter, maudlin lyrics about rural whites adrift in the big city were widely adopted by other country musicians.

The same period saw a concerted effort to recover some of country music’s root values. Mandolin player Bill Monroe and his string band , the Blue Grass Boys , discarded more recently adopted rhythms and instruments and brought back the lead fiddle and high harmony singing . His banjoist, Earl Scruggs , developed a brilliant three-finger picking style that brought the instrument into a lead position. Their music, with its driving, syncopated rhythms and instrumental virtuosity, took the name “ bluegrass ” from Monroe’s band.

But commercialization proved a much stronger influence as country music became popular in all sections of the United States after World War II. In 1942 Roy Acuff , one of the most important country singers, co-organized in Nashville the first publishing house for country music. Hank Williams’ meteoric rise to fame in the late 1940s helped establish Nashville as the undisputed centre of country music, with large recording studios and the Grand Ole Opry as its chief performing venue . In the 1950s and ’60s country music became a huge commercial enterprise , with such leading performers as Tex Ritter , Johnny Cash , Tammy Wynette , Buck Owens , Merle Haggard , Patsy Cline , Loretta Lynn , and Charley Pride . Popular singers often recorded songs in a Nashville style, while many country music recordings employed lush orchestral backgrounds.

The 1970s saw the growth of the “ outlaw ” music of prominent Nashville expatriates Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings . The gap between country and the mainstream of pop music continued to narrow in that decade and the next as electric guitars replaced more traditional instruments and country music became more acceptable to a national urban audience. Country retained its vitality into the late 20th century with such diverse performers as Dolly Parton , Randy Travis , Garth Brooks , Reba McEntire , Emmylou Harris , and Lyle Lovett . Its popularity continued unabated into the 21st century, exemplified by performers Kenny Chesney , Brad Paisley , Alan Jackson , Blake Shelton , Carrie Underwood , Miranda Lambert , the Zac Brown Band, and Chris Stapleton, among others. Despite its embrace of other popular styles, country music retained an unmistakable character as one of the few truly indigenous American musical styles.

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Music — Country Music

Essays on Country Music

The importance of writing an essay on country music.

Country music is a genre that has been a significant part of American culture for decades. Writing an essay on country music is important because it allows you to explore the history, evolution, and impact of this genre on society. Country music has not only influenced the music industry but has also reflected the social and political climate of the times. By writing an essay on country music, you can analyze the themes, lyrics, and musical elements that make this genre unique.

Writing Tips for an Essay on Country Music

• Research: Before you start writing, conduct thorough research on the history of country music, influential artists, and key events that have shaped the genre.
• Outline: Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ideas. This will help you structure your essay and ensure that you cover all the relevant points.
• Thematic Analysis: Consider exploring the recurring themes in country music, such as love, heartache, patriotism, and rural life. Discuss how these themes have evolved over time and their significance in the genre.
• Impact on Society: Examine the influence of country music on society, including its representation of cultural values, traditions, and the portrayal of rural America.
• Musical Elements: Discuss the musical elements that define country music, such as instrumentation, vocal styles, and songwriting techniques. Analyze how these elements contribute to the genre's distinct sound.
• Summarize your findings and provide insights into the enduring popularity and relevance of country music in contemporary culture.

Writing an essay on country music provides an opportunity to delve into the rich history and cultural significance of this genre. By following these writing tips, you can effectively explore the various aspects of country music and convey its importance to your readers.

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• The Future of Country Music

Country music is a vibrant and ever-changing genre that has had a significant impact on American culture and the world of music. From its humble beginnings in the rural South to its current status as a mainstream music genre, country music continues to evolve and shape the world around it. Whether it's through its influence on fashion, film, and television, or its global appeal, country music remains a powerful force in the world of music and entertainment.

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CMA RESEARCH & INSIGHTS

Cma is the leading provider of country music research and audience insights. through an ongoing lens of tracking and analytics, we support the industry with actionable learnings that address audience growth, music consumption, and lifestyle purchasing to address the ever-evolving country music market landscape..

Country Music Continues to Grow

Continuing significant growth, the Country Music Audience now reaches more than 139 million U.S. teens and adults due to a 9% listener growth rate over the past 5 years.

• More growth among Millennials than ever before
• Growth across all regions of the map, including non-traditional market regions
• More daily music listening versus other genres

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Music Research Paper: The Origins of Country Music

Music plays a great role in our lives as it evokes feelings and emotions that make life brighter. Our musical tastes can change and will depend on our character traits, situations, moods, or be effected by a certain event. Country is a unique musical style. It is a synthesis of cowboy and Anglo-Celtic ballads, Irish motifs, folklore, and blues. In addition to the basic instruments, musicians use harmonicas, mandolins, flutes, percussion, and keyboard instruments. These instruments help to achieve an original sound and create a special emotional coloring that creates truly unforgettable feelings of joy, fun, calmness, soulfulness, or romance.

Country Music: How It All Begun

Introduction

Country music has a plain melody, which allows the infinitive number of combinations of the similar themes. It is about traditions of the Old-time Southeastern America, which became the base for the modern country music styles. The first thing which comes to minds when talking about the country music is a movie about a cowboy. However, the birth of this style was accompanied by another condition.

In fact, the history of the country music started in Nashville in a next way: “One Saturday night in 1927, DeFord Bailey stepped up to the microphone during a country music radio show in Nashville, put a harmonica to his lips and began imitating the sounds of rushing locomotives” (Glanton). However, Atlanta also has a right to be called a birthplace of the country music, because of the main elements of that time – radio, record studio, live touring, songwriting and song publishing – which gave the life to the commercial country music, were concentrated in Atlanta (Peterson).

Historical Overview

DeFord Bailey was the first Afro American to start “The Grand Ole Opry,” the show of symphonic music, and he received recognition as a show’s biggest talent and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame (Glanton). In fact, black people helped a lot in the creation of the country music and still have fun clubs today. The fiddle was the leading musical instrument for the dancing music in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and a fiddle played by a black person in a tavern for white people and on the plantation for slaves was great entertainment.

Country music is one of the first styles of music in modern America. It took its development in the South-East of the United States and represented a hybrid of British folk music, Afro-American blues and church music. The commonly used instruments were acoustic guitar, autoharp, mandolin, fiddle and banjo (Errey).

The distinguishing feature of country music from the other genres is that here the music is appropriate to the lyrics. The meaningful storytelling is the same important as the music cover. Moreover, people will love the song in which the story reminds them their own experience.

The topic which one can hear in nearly each country song is the meaning of home, which can be real or imaginative (Culture and GmbH). Now it refers to be a symbol of traditional “domestic paradise” which does not really exist anymore in a fast-pacing life of progressive America. In the centre of attention, there is always the beauty of nature, rural area and warm family surrounding, in contrary to the imperfections of always hurrying modern urban life.

Main Themes

Country music is always a nostalgy for the earlier life which was harder, but more simple. The main idea is the idealization of home, as a place for raising children and building a family without poverty, violence and divorce (Culture and GmbH). The songs describe the life on the farms, the agrarian area where ideal home can be created, which represent the whole nation.

However, such a traditional music did not become traditional in the very beginning. It appeared in the 1920s and rose to the national level in the late twenties- early thirties. Hillbilly, how the country music was called, was firstly accepted by rural and newly urban whites in the South and Midwest (“Country Music As An American Culture”). Later, at the end of the thirties, this music changed from the local to national level.

The early country was similar to the folk tales. The live concerts and songs with the instrumental music differed between the regions and were telling about the history and culture of the specific geographical locations. This specific made this genre a very personal type of music.

In the 1930s the most popular movies in Hollywood were Westerns. The actors who wanted to get the reward should show up in the role of a “kindly singing cowboy” (“The Evolution Of Country Music”), which created the romantic vision of the wild west in the imagination of Americans for a long time. At this historical period, the country music was closely tied to cinematography. Famous country genre songs were usually ballads telling their own stories about the cowboy heroes.

In the 1940s, when rock’n’roll came to the popularity, country music had to adapt to the faster rhythms to be able to compete in the commercial society, and the new country style is known as “Honky Tonk” appeared. Unfortunately, as a result, it did not resist the competition with rock-n-roll, and this style of music became less popular than previous country genre. Nevertheless, the impressive detail was that a lot of rock-n-roll artists of the future generations took inspiration from the country music.

In the 1950s the genre was reinvented in the idea of uniqueness instead of competition with modern genres. In the 1960s the musicians came to conclusions that the country music genre is too commercialized. That provoked the trials to bring back more feelings, humanity and passion to the country style (“The Evolution Of Country Music”).

New Styles of Country Music

After the 1960s more new styles of country music were created, like outlaw country, country rock, folk rock, country pop. Country music has changed a lot since the beginning date, but it is not going to go away quickly. It is something that is going to continue and become more and more popular. Now the country is more rock based, and the themes changed for parties, summer sunshine and broken hearts or hopeless love (Barletta). Country music is around one hundred years old now, and it came through evolution from the slow ballads to the mix of new styles, where you can not recognize country anymore.

Country music is one of the first styles of music in modern America, development in the South-East of the United States on the mix of British folk music, Afro-American blues and church music. The melody was plain and commonly used instruments were acoustic guitar, autoharp, mandolin, fiddle and banjo. The first thing coming to mind when talking about the country music is a movie about a cowboy. However, the first country music was created and further supported by Afro-Americans and became famous in the western movies ten years later. Trying to stay competitive in the music market, country music was transformed in many new country styles in its history, which sometimes hardly remind the original country music. Nevertheless, country music is very promising nowadays, and it is believed to remain its popularity in the future.

Works Cited

Barletta, Natalie. “WHAT IS COUNTRY MUSIC TODAY?.” Southern News 2014. Web. 4 Jan. 2018. https://thesouthernnews.org/2014/11/19/what-is-country-music-today/. “Country Music As An American Culture.” Xroads.virginia.edu. N.p., 2018. Web. 3 Jan. 2018. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s/radio/c_w/essay3.html. Culture, Country, and GRIN GmbH. “GRIN – Country Music As Reflection On The American Culture.” Grin.com. N.p., 2005. Web. 3 Jan. 2018. https://www.grin.com/document/35848. Errey, Matt. “History Of Country Music | English Club.” Englishclub.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 3 Jan. 2018. https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/music-country.htm. Glanton, Dahleen. “African-Americans In The Rural South Helped Create The Genre, But The Industry Has Failed To Recognize Their Contributions.” Chicago Tribune (1998): n. pag. Web. 3 Jan. 2018. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-09-16/features/9809190003_1_deford-bailey-roots-of-country-music-african-americans. “The Evolution Of Country Music.” The Grizzly Rose. N.p., 2017. Web. 3 Jan. 2018. https://www.grizzlyrose.com/evolution-of-country-music/. Peterson, Richard A. “Peterson, 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Origins Of Country Music.” Press.uchicago.edu. Web. 3 Jan. 2018. http://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/662845.html.

Not Only Samples but Research Paper Assistance as Well

If you enjoy country music as much as our author, this music research paper should inspire you to write a great paper! We believe that a well-written sample can help more than any guideline or piece of advice. Look thought the sample and underline the most interesting moments and ideas that you can use in your own paper. Also, look though the works cited list to find even more ideas in the original sources. If for some reason you won’t be able to finish your paper on your own, ask EssayShark writers for help. Place the order and get a finished paper on the due date! For more inspiration, check another music research paper on major themes in Bob Dylan’s songs on our blog.

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• Review Article
• Published: 29 March 2022

Music in the brain

• Peter Vuust   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4908-735X 1 ,
• Ole A. Heggli   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7461-0309 1 ,
• Karl J. Friston   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7984-8909 2 &
• Morten L. Kringelbach   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3908-6898 1 , 3 , 4  

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume  23 ,  pages 287–305 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

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Music is ubiquitous across human cultures — as a source of affective and pleasurable experience, moving us both physically and emotionally — and learning to play music shapes both brain structure and brain function. Music processing in the brain — namely, the perception of melody, harmony and rhythm — has traditionally been studied as an auditory phenomenon using passive listening paradigms. However, when listening to music, we actively generate predictions about what is likely to happen next. This enactive aspect has led to a more comprehensive understanding of music processing involving brain structures implicated in action, emotion and learning. Here we review the cognitive neuroscience literature of music perception. We show that music perception, action, emotion and learning all rest on the human brain’s fundamental capacity for prediction — as formulated by the predictive coding of music model. This Review elucidates how this formulation of music perception and expertise in individuals can be extended to account for the dynamics and underlying brain mechanisms of collective music making. This in turn has important implications for human creativity as evinced by music improvisation. These recent advances shed new light on what makes music meaningful from a neuroscientific perspective.

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An ALE meta-analytic review of top-down and bottom-up processing of music in the brain

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Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by The Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF117). The authors thank E. Altenmüller and D. Huron for comments on early versions of the manuscript.

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Peter Vuust, Ole A. Heggli & Morten L. Kringelbach

Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK

Karl J. Friston

Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Morten L. Kringelbach

Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

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Patterns of pitched sounds unfolding over time, in accordance with cultural conventions and constraints.

The combination of multiple, simultaneously pitched sounds to form a chord, and subsequent chord progressions, a fundamental building block of Western music. The rules of harmony are the hierarchically organized expectations for chord progressions.

The structured arrangement of successive sound events over time, a primary parameter of musical structure. Rhythm perception is based on the perception of duration and grouping of these events and can be achieved even if sounds are not discrete, such as amplitude-modulated sounds.

Mathematically, the expected values or means of random variables.

The ability to extract statistical regularities from the world to learn about the environment.

In Western music, the organization of melody and harmony in a hierarchy of relations, often pointing towards a referential pitch (the tonal centre or the tonic).

A predictive framework governing the interpretation of regularly recurring patterns and accents in rhythm.

The output of a model generating outcomes from their causes. In predictive coding, the prediction is generated from expected states of the world and compared with observed outcomes to form a prediction error.

The subjective experience accompanying a strong expectation that a particular event will occur.

An enactive generalization of predictive coding that casts both action and perception as minimizing surprise or prediction error (active inference is considered a corollary of the free-energy principle).

A quantity used in predictive coding to denote the difference between an observation or point estimate and its predicted value. Predictive coding uses precision-weighted prediction errors to update expectations that generate predictions.

Expectations of musical events based on prior knowledge of regularities and patterns in musical sequences, such as melodies and chords.

Expectations of specific events or patterns in a familiar musical sequence.

Short-lived expectations that dynamically shift owing to the ongoing musical context, such as when a repeated musical phrase causes the listener to expect similar phrases as the work continues.

The inverse variance or negative entropy of a random variable. It corresponds to a second-order statistic (for example, a second-order moment) of the variable’s probability distribution or density. This can be contrasted with the mean or expectation, which constitutes a first-order statistic (for example, a first-order moment).

(MMN). A component of the auditory event-related potential recorded with electroencephalography or magnetoencephalography related to a change in different sound features such as pitch, timbre, location of the sound source, intensity and rhythm. It peaks approximately 110–250 ms after change onset and is typically recorded while participants’ attention is distracted from the stimulus, usually by watching a silent film or reading a book. The amplitude and latency of the MMN depends on the deviation magnitude, such that larger deviations in the same context yield larger and faster MMN responses.

(fMRI). A neuroimaging technique that images rapid changes in blood oxygenation levels in the brain.

In the realm of contemporary music, a persistently repeated pattern played by the rhythm section (usually drums, percussion, bass, guitar and/or piano). In music psychology, the pleasurable sensation of wanting to move.

The perceptual correlate of periodicity in sounds that allows their ordering on a frequency-related musical scale.

Also known as tone colour or tone quality, the perceived sound quality of a sound, including its spectral composition and its additional noise characteristics.

The pitch class containing all pitches separated by an integer number of octaves. Humans perceive a similarity between notes having the same chroma.

The contextual unexpectedness or surprise associated with an event.

In the Shannon sense, the expected surprise or information content (self-information). In other words, it is the uncertainty or unpredictability of a random variable (for example, an event in the future).

(MEG). A neuroimaging technique that measures the magnetic fields produced by naturally occurring electrical activity in the brain.

A very small electrical voltage generated in the brain structures in response to specific events or stimuli.

Psychologically, consonance is when two or more notes sound together with an absence of perceived roughness. Dissonance is the antonym of consonance. Western listeners consider intervals produced by frequency ratios such as 1:2 (octave), 3:2 (fifth) or 4:3 (fourth) as consonant. Dissonances are intervals produced by frequency ratios formed from numbers greater than 4.

Stereotypical patterns consisting of two or more chords that conclude a phrase, section or piece of music. They are often used to establish a sense of tonality.

(EEG). An electrophysiological method that measures electrical activity of the brain.

A method of analysing steady-state evoked potentials arising from stimulation or aspects of stimulation repeated at a fixed rate. An example of frequency tagging analysis is shown in Fig.  1c .

A shift of rhythmic emphasis from metrically strong accents to weak accents, a characteristic of multiple musical genres, such as funk, jazz and hip hop.

In Aristotelian ethics, refers to a life well lived or human flourishing, and in affective neuroscience, it is often used to describe meaningful pleasure.

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Vuust, P., Heggli, O.A., Friston, K.J. et al. Music in the brain. Nat Rev Neurosci 23 , 287–305 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-022-00578-5

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Diverse Music Essay Topics for Students and Music Enthusiasts

Table of contents

• 1 How to Write an Essay on Music
• 2.1 Argumentative Essay Topics about Music
• 2.2 Topics for College Essays about Music
• 2.3 Controversial Topics in Music
• 2.4 Classical Music Essay Topics
• 2.5 Jazz Music Essay Topics
• 2.6 Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics
• 2.7 Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Music is a magical world of different sounds and stories. When we talk about music, there are so many things we can explore. Writing essays about sound lets us share our feelings and thoughts about this wonderful art. In this collection, you will find 140 music essay topics.

These topics are carefully chosen to help you think and write about sound in many exciting ways. Whether you love listening to music or playing an instrument, these topics about music for an essay will spark your creativity. They cover everything, from your favorite songs to the history of music. So, get ready to dive into the sound world with these fun and interesting essay ideas!

How to Write an Essay on Music

Writing an essay about sound can be a fun and exciting way to express your thoughts and feelings about this amazing art form. Whether you are working on college essays about music, or research paper topics on music, here are some steps to help you create a great piece of writing.

• First, choose a topic that you are passionate about. It could be anything from your favorite musician to a specific sound genre. For a college essay about sound, you might want to share a personal story about how music has impacted your life. For argumentative essay topics about sound, consider issues like the importance of sound education or the effects of music on the brain. If you’re working on a research paper on sound, explore the history of a certain music style or the role of sound in different cultures.
• Once you have your topic, start with some research. Look for interesting facts, stories, and opinions about your topic. This will give you many ideas and help you understand your topic better.
• Next, create an outline for your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and keep your writing clear and focused. Start with an introduction that introduces your topic and grabs the reader’s attention. Then, write a few paragraphs that explain your main points. Each paragraph should focus on one main idea or argument. In your writing, explain things in a way that’s easy to understand. Use simple words and short sentences.
• Also, try to include examples and personal experiences to make your essay more interesting and relatable.

Need help with essay writing? Get your paper written by a professional writer Get Help Reviews.io 4.9/5

List of Topics about Music for an Essay – 40 words

Discover a world of music topics to write about in this list! From fun ideas to controversial topics in music, these essay suggestions will inspire you to explore the diverse and exciting universe of music.

Argumentative Essay Topics about Music

Dive into the world of melodies and rhythms with these essay topics about music! Whether you’re passionate about different genres or curious about the impact of sound, these argumentative essay topics will guide you to explore and express your views on various musical aspects. So, let’s get ready to write and debate about the diverse and vibrant universe of sound.

• Is Melody Essential in Every School’s Curriculum
• The Impact of Melody on Mental Health
• Should There Be More Support for Local Musicians
• The Role of Songs in Cultural Preservation
• Does Modern Melody Lack Originality
• The Effects of Sound on Productivity
• Are Music Award Shows Biased
• The Importance of Lyrics in Songs
• Should Songs Be Used in Advertising
• The Influence of Music on Fashion Trends
• Does Melody Promote a Better Global Understanding
• Should Explicit Sound Be Censored
• Are Songs Festivals Beneficial for Local Communities
• The Role of Technology in Melody Production
• Is Classical Melody Still Relevant in the Modern Era
• The Impact of Social Media on Musicians’ Success
• Should Music Be Included in Workplace Settings
• The Role of Melody in Political Movements
• Are Music Streaming Services Fair to Artists
• The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody

Topics for College Essays about Music

Step into the rhythm of words with these research paper topics about music, perfect for college essays. These topics offer a wide range of ideas, from personal experiences to cultural impacts, inviting you to explore the profound influence of sound. They are designed to inspire deep thought and passionate writing, helping you connect your academic skills with your love for melody.

• How Sound Influences Fashion Trends
• The Role of Melody in Different Cultures
• Personal Growth Through Learning a Musical Instrument
• The Evolution of a Specific Melody Genre
• The Impact of Songs Streaming Services on Artists
• Music as a Form of Social Protest
• The Psychological Effects of Melody on the Human Mind
• The Importance of Songs Education in Schools
• The Relationship Between Melody and Memory
• How Technology Has Changed the Way We Experience Music
• The Representation of Women in Music
• Music’s Role in Personal Identity
• The Influence of Melody on Mood and Behavior
• The Resurgence of Vinyl Records in the Digital Age
• The Globalization of Music and Its Effects
• The Economic Impact of the Songs Industry
• Melody as a Tool for International Diplomacy
• The Ethics of Music Sampling and Remixing
• The Role of Melody in Film and Media
• The Future of Live Music Performances

Controversial Topics in Music

Embark on a journey through the provocative and often debated realms of music with these 20 topics on controversial topics in music. These topics are designed to stir thought and conversation, challenging you to explore the music world’s more contentious and complex aspects. From ethical dilemmas to cultural controversies, these subjects offer diverse perspectives for deep exploration and spirited discussion.

• The Impact of Song Piracy on the Industry
• Censorship in Songs and Its Effects on Artistic Freedom
• The Portrayal of Women in Popular Song Videos
• The Commercialization of Indie Melody Genres
• The Role of Auto-Tune in Modern Music
• Melody as a Tool for Political Propaganda
• The Influence of Corporate Sponsors in Melody Festivals
• The Ethical Considerations of Posthumous Melody Releases
• Cultural Appropriation in the Song Industry
• The Decline of Traditional Songs Forms
• The Relationship Between Melody and Substance Abuse
• The Effect of Digital Streaming on Melody Quality
• The Representation of Minority Groups in Mainstream Music
• The Debate Over Explicit Lyrics and Parental Advisory Labels
• The Rise of AI in Songs Creation
• The Impact of Reality Song Shows on the Industry
• The Role of Gender in Melody Award Nominations
• Melody and Its Influence on Youth Behavior
• The Sustainability of the Music Tour Industry
• The Shift in Melody Consumption From Albums to Singles

Classical Music Essay Topics

Go on an enlightening journey through the world of melodies and harmonies with these 20 music topics to research, perfect for crafting compelling college essays. These topics delve into music’s vast and varied dimensions, from its historical roots to its modern-day impact. They are designed to ignite your curiosity and inspire in-depth exploration, blending academic rigor with a passion for music.

• The Evolution of Melody Through the Decades
• The Influence of Classical Song on Modern Genres
• The Psychological Effects of Melody Therapy
• The Role of Women Composers in Song History
• The Impact of Social Media on Emerging Musicians
• The Significance of Folk Song in Cultural Heritage
• The Development of Electronic Melody and Its Future
• Melody Censorship and Its Implications for Artistic Expression
• The Role of Song in Film and Storytelling
• The Globalization of Songs Genres and Styles
• The Relationship Between Music and Fashion Trends
• The History of Rock Melody and Its Cultural Impact
• The Use of Songs in Advertising and Consumer Behavior
• The Effects of Song Streaming on the Melody Industry
• The Intersection of Melody and Political Movements
• The Role of Songs in Shaping Youth Culture
• The Cultural Significance of Melody Festivals Worldwide
• The Preservation and Revival of Indigenous Music
• The Impact of Technology on Songs Production and Distribution
• The Contribution of Music to Mental Health and Wellbeing

Jazz Music Essay Topics

Step into the soulful and vibrant jazz world with these music topics for essays. Jazz, a genre rich in history and innovation, offers a treasure trove of fascinating themes for exploration. These essay topics will guide you through jazz’s intricate rhythms and stories, from its early beginnings to its modern interpretations. Delve into this mesmerizing music style’s legendary artists, iconic performances, and cultural impacts.

• The Origins of Jazz and Its Early Influences
• The Evolution of Jazz Through the 20th Century
• Key Figures in the Development of Jazz Music
• The Role of Improvisation in Jazz
• The Influence of Jazz on Other Melody Genres
• The Cultural Significance of Jazz in the Harlem Renaissance
• The Globalization of Jazz Melody
• The Impact of Technology on Jazz Recording and Production
• The Fusion of Jazz With Other Musical Styles
• Jazz as a Form of Social and Political Expression
• The Portrayal of Jazz in Cinema and Literature
• The Future of Jazz in the Digital Age
• The Role of Jazz in Education and Music Therapy
• Women in Jazz: Contributions and Challenges
• The Jazz Scene in Different Parts of the World
• The Preservation of Classic Jazz in Modern Times
• The Influence of Jazz on Fashion and Lifestyle
• Jazz Clubs and Their Role in Cultural Development
• The Impact of Jazz Festivals on Local Communities
• The Relationship Between Jazz and Modern Dance Forms

Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics

Rock and pop music, with its pulsing rhythms and catchy melodies, have captivated audiences for decades. This collection of 20 unique essay topics explores the depth and diversity of these influential genres. From the electric energy of rock to the widespread appeal of pop, these topics invite you to delve into the history, evolution, and cultural significance of these dynamic music styles. Whether examining iconic artists, groundbreaking albums, or the social impact of these genres, each topic offers a fascinating avenue for exploration and discussion in your essays.

• The Evolution of Rock Songs From the 1950s to Today
• The Influence of Pop Melody on Global Culture
• The Role of Songs Videos in Shaping Rock and Pop
• The Impact of Digital Streaming on the Rock and Pop Industry
• The Significance of the Beatles in Music History
• The Rise and Fall of Glam Rock
• The Role of Women in the Development of Pop Music
• The Influence of Rock Melody on Fashion Trends
• The Changing Face of Pop Songs in the 21st Century
• The Impact of Social Media on Rock and Pop Musicians
• The Fusion of Rock With Other Melody Genres
• The Role of Rock and Pop Music in Political Movements
• The Evolution of Live Performances in Rock and Pop
• The Significance of the Grammy Awards in Rock and Pop
• The Depiction of Rock and Pop Songs in Movies
• The Influence of Technology on the Production of Rock and Pop Music
• The Cultural Diversity in the Rock and Pop Melody Scenes
• The Role of Indie Labels in the Rock and Pop Industry
• The Impact of Fan Culture on Rock and Pop Song
• The Sustainability of Rock and Pop Songs in the Streaming Era

Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Take a trip through melody and argument with these 20 music-related persuasive essay topics. Each topic, chosen for its ability to inspire compelling arguments and deep research, falls under the umbrella of musical topics for research papers. These prompts will challenge you to explore various facets of music, from cultural significance to technological impacts. As you delve into these topics, you’ll be encouraged to form strong opinions and support them with well-researched evidence, making your essays informative and persuasive.

• The Necessity of Melody Education in Schools for Overall Development
• The Impact of Classical Songs on Cognitive Abilities
• Song Streaming Services and Their Effect on the Industry
• The Role of Melody in Maintaining Mental Health
• Songs as a Universal Language Bridging Cultural Divides
• The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody Forms
• Music’s Influence on Fashion and Lifestyle
• The Ethical Implications of Auto-Tune in Song Production
• The Role of Social Media in the Success of New Artists
• The Power of Songs in Social and Political Activism
• The Benefits of Attending Live Music Performances
• Songs as a Tool for Improving Concentration and Productivity
• The Evolution of Melody Genres and Its Cultural Impact
• The Effects of Background Song in Public Spaces
• The Role of Songs in Advertising Effectiveness
• Music’s Influence on Youth and Teen Development
• The Relationship Between Melody and Emotional Intelligence
• The Future of Virtual Reality Concerts in the Melody Industry
• The Impact of Songs Piracy on Artists and Producers
• The Role of Melody in Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication

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