CB Radio Country
tagStarted early 1970sPeak 1975–1977Last big hit 1977
CB Radio Country is chatter-heavy, slang-rich, and often semi-novelty in construction, with songs built around trucker handles, roadway coordination, and citizens-band lingo. The hooks can be silly, communal, and instantly memorable, but beneath the novelty lies a real subculture snapshot.
History
The CB craze of the mid-1970s gave trucking country a short, intense commercial spike. C.W. McCall's "Convoy" became the signature smash, and the subgenre briefly turned country charts into rolling message boards populated by Rubber Duck, Pig Pen, and every truck stop philosopher within range.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- Convoy — C.W. McCallSpotifyYouTube
- Give Me 40 Acres To Turn This Rig Around — The Willis BrothersSpotifyYouTube
- Giddyup Go — Red SovineSpotifyYouTube
- Truck Drivin' Cat with Nine Wives — Del ReevesSpotifyYouTube
- Drag 'Em Off the Interstate — Dick CurlessSpotifyYouTube
- Truck Driver's Queen — Boxcar WillieSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Truck-driving-country histories and CB-era trucking coverage