Country-Folk / Alt-Country / Roots Country
familyStarted 1940sPeak 1968–2005Last big hit still active
This family is the country-facing side of the roots portal: acoustic or lightly electrified songs with fiddle, steel, dobro, mandolin, and a strong emphasis on lyric craft over commercial polish.
History
Its roots reach back to the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, mountain balladry, gospel, and rural blues, but it coalesced as a recognizable modern lane when post-1960s singer-songwriters and roots traditionalists began pulling country away from slicker radio formulas.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Britannica
- Library of Congress
- Smithsonian Folkways
- PBS/AMA. citeturn6search22turn5search5turn11search17