Country Folk Pop
tagStarted 1968Peak 1971-1980Last big hit still active
Folk pop tinted with country: dobro, pedal steel, fiddle and tight high harmonies meet acoustic-guitar songcraft and pop-sized melodies. Warm, twangy but smooth, it sits between Nashville and the singer-songwriter folk world without the slickness of mainstream country pop. Storytelling lyrics, gentle shuffle rhythms and a sunlit, rural-romantic mood define the sound.
History
Emerged late-1960s as country-rock and folk pop converged in California. John Denver and Glen Campbell brought rural warmth to pop radio; the Eagles' country-folk harmonies and Linda Ronstadt's roots covers expanded it. Mary Chapin Carpenter and Kacey Musgraves later renewed the folk-leaning, story-driven country-pop blend.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_pop
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_rock
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/country-pop-ma0000011880