Country music has always been somewhat on the fringes. Though it has long been one of the biggest (and most beloved) genres, it has failed to reach casual listeners. You are either a country lover or a hater. There is little in between. However, there have been key moments throughout popular culture when country music has reined supreme. Find three pivotal moments when country music–and the accompanying way of life–has left its mark on culture, below.
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Outlaw Movement
“The Outlaw Movement” certainly affected country music and its culture. In the ’70s, artists like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings got their fellow musicians to skip the prim and proper routine that the Grand Ole Opry had been pushing for decades, and opt for something grittier–more down to earth. But, The Outlaw Movement’s influence extended beyond the artists that helped to proliferate it.
Country music fans also adopted the new, grungier lifestyle. For many years, country was the genre of the straight and narrow. Following this movement, those on the fringes of culture began to listen to what country artists had to say. It was a major switch-up in the natural order.
Cowboys ain’t easy to love
And they’re harder to hold
They’d rather give you a song
Than diamonds or gold
Urban Cowboy
The release of Urban Cowboy in 1980 prompted a stark turn to a country way of life–even amongst city slickers. Fashion started to get a westerly tinge and the accompanying soundtrack put country music on the top of the charts.
This film has a legacy that is felt even today. Countless urban dwellers dream of coming down to the South to try on the country way of life. The ever-growing population of Nashville is evidence to this fact. Broadway is lined with urban cowboys, trying to get their slice of the country life. Few country music emblems have been quite as transformative on culture.
Yellowstone
In a similar vein, the runaway hit Yellowstone has proven to be equally as culturally impactful as Urban Cowboy was. On top of the show featuring actual country stars and their songs, the depiction of life out west has been enticing enough to jumpstart a country revolution.
Hordes of fans have made the trip out to Yellowstone (or similar locations) to emulate the show (the good parts anyway…) Like Urban Cowboy, country fashion has made its way into popular culture as a result of this show’s success and the accompanying soundtrack has added a western tinge to country music at large.
Photo: Paramount Press Express
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