Big Blog 1: 90s Country to Present

 When you think about country music, you may think it is all about beer, girls, and trucks. While some of that may be true country music goes deeper than that. It may lack a sense of culture to you, but I am here to show you differently. Country music has been around for ages, but my all-time favorite is 90s country. Yes, I may be a bit biased, my dad is the cause of this. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you'll fall in love with it too. While the 1990s was only thirty-something years ago, a lot has changed. You can see it in the clothes we wear, the way we talk, but most importantly, in our music. 

Country music, in the United States, originated in the Appalachian Mountains around 1910. A couple of fiddle players started playing country music in those mountains.  As said by the band "Alabama" you got to have a fiddle in the band. It did not actually become a genre until around 1920. "The first commercial country record was made by Eck Robertson in 1922 on the Victor Records label" (Dooley 1). Country music started out as a mix of Blues and Jazz. Later it mixed with Rock and Gospel. 

Now onto what we really want to know. What artists actually sing in this genre and more about the music. Some of the early 90s singers include the following: Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, and my personal favorite George Strait. Each artist has a very different sound and expresses themselves in their own way. In order to appreciate and learn about Country music, you have to dig deep and listen to melody, instruments, and lyrics. There is no better way to understand this than to listen to some 90s country!

This is "Check Yes or No" by George Strait. This song is about a girl in his class who is writing him love letters and how it progresses through time. In this song, you will hear a couple of things. First, you will hear George Strait and his beautiful voice. Then you will hear a guitar and a piano. A guitar is one of the key things in country music. You will hear this again throughout most songs in country music. 

Next, we have Garth Brooks. This is "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks. His vocal range is very different from George Strait. George Strait has a higher pitch allowing love songs and more upbeat songs to come with ease. Garth Brooks has a deeper pitched voice allowing songs like these to have a stronger effect on listeners. Here we have a wider range of instruments including the following: Bass, Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano, and Violin. 

Last on our 90s Country selection is Reba McEntire. You will find most of her songs are about love and heartbreak and can become very depressing. But, Reba is one of the greatest female country artists of all time. She sets the tone in country music for women. 

Country music in the 90s is very different from Country music now. In earlier Country, you might hear more meaningful lyrics. A lot of songs are about family, love, or hard work and making yourself a better person. Now, I do not blame you for your opinions on country music if you are referring to this time period. From the male artists, you may hear a lot about beer, trucks, tractors, and girls. From female artists you may hear a lot about a cheating boyfriend, killing your boyfriend, one-night stands, and did I mention cheating boyfriend? Some of the top Country music artists from the present time include the following: Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, Luke Combs, and once again Tim McGraw. While listening to current Country Music, be patient with me. I know most people tend to turn their nose up at it nowadays, but just listen. Some of these artists have some real country talent. 

This is "Two Black Cadillacs" by Carrie Underwood. This song is up for interpretation. In my opinion, it is about two women finding out they have been cheated on and together murdered him. Pretty dark right? You will hear some of the basic instruments of Country music. Her lyrics are very different from the songs above. I want to compare her mainly to Reba McEntire. Reba is very soft-spoken in her music a lot of the time. Carrie Underwood has a very strong voice and is very bold in her songs. 

Now the iconic "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood. Just to show another piece by this artist and allow you to get the gist of her tone and her lyric use. 

This is "When It Rains It Pours" by Luke Combs. In this song, you guessed it, beer and women. The instruments are the same as the ones used in George Strait's song "Check Yes or No". The tempo of the instruments is different allowing a completely different storyline. 

90s Country may be my all-time favorite, but Country music as a whole has come a long way. From the beginning in the Appalachian Mountains, to now it has molded and new. Overall, 90s Country has similarities in instruments but differs in style and lyrics. Each style is unique. 90s Country will sound more meaningful and poetic, while Present time may sound ignorant to the naked ear.

Dooley, Sean. “Tracing Country Music History from Jimmie Rodgers to Garth Brooks.” LiveAbout, www.liveabout.com/the-history-of-country-music-934030.

McCarthy, Amy. “LOOK: Top 10 Country Artists of the 1990s.” The Boot, TheBoot, 2 Apr. 2020, theboot.com/top-90s-country-artists/.

“Top Country Artists.” New Country Songs, newcountrysongs.com/top-country-artists/.