80s Traditional Revival
tagStarted 1981Peak 1986–1989Last big hit 1989
The 80s traditional revival is the first concentrated neotraditional wave: steel, fiddle, mandolin, simpler rhythm sections, and vocal styles that deliberately recall pre-countrypolitan country. The records sound contemporary but still like they know who Ernest Tubb was—which, in 1986, was practically a rebellion.
History
The movement formed in direct contrast to softer Urban Cowboy trends and restored hard-country textures to radio. George Strait, Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakam, John Anderson, and The Judds were central, and by the end of the decade they had reset the genre's mainstream center of gravity.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Country Music Project
- LiveAbout
- The Boot
- Britannica