Neo-Traditionalism (Country Music)

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Under neo-traditionalism means a return to the traditional roots of country music , which was initiated in the 1980s by a small group of performers. Strictly speaking, a distinction is made between the more progressive New Traditionalists and the more conservative Neo Traditionalists ; however, in many cases it is difficult to draw a clear line.

prehistory

By the 1970s, pop influences had gained the upper hand in country music. Performers such as Linda Ronstadt , Kenny Rogers , Barbara Mandrell and Lee Greenwood dominated the scene. The highlight was the urban cowboy movement in the early 1980s , which was triggered by the film of the same name. The merger with pop music was extremely successful commercially.

development

The beginnings

The name "neo-traditionalism" was first used in 1986 when a group of young musicians, Randy Travis , Steve Earle and Lyle Lovett , entered the scene and made a name for themselves with traditional music. A trend initiated by musicians like George Strait , John Anderson or Ricky Skaggs in the early 1980s developed into an independent style. The neo-traditionalists encountered a receptive music industry, as record sales had slumped as the urban cowboy boom subsided. They were supported by producers such as Jimmy Bowen and Tony Brown, and later by Keith Stegall.

Ricky Skaggs brought bluegrass elements to his then singing partner Keith Whitley , Steve Earle was the successor to the outlaw movement and John Anderson had similarities with Lefty Frizzell . The O'Kanes were successful with guitar folk and vocals. The Judds , who experimented with swing , blues and country, were particularly successful . Randy Travis embodied the down-to-earth character. At the end of the 80s the group Shenandoah was formed , whose music also contributed to the upswing of the neo-traditionalists.

The next generation

At the end of the 1980s, a new generation came to the fore. Musicians like Reba McEntire , Vince Gill , Steve Wariner or Clint Black opened the genre to influences from other styles, especially rock , rock 'n' roll , blues and swing. This laid the foundations for the New Traditionalist Movement , whose superstar Garth Brooks made country music the most popular music genre in the United States during the 1990s. Around the same time, the country duo Brooks & Dunn had their first successes.

In their wake, many traditionalists broke through to the top of the charts. The wide-brimmed because of their Stetson hats Hat Acts performers mentioned to Alan Jackson , Tracy Lawrence , Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Byrd shaped the sound of the 1990s, the next Honky Tonk , atmospheric ballads and country rock and the Western Swing restored to new life . Suddenly artists like Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings were in demand again, old hits were thrown on the market in snappy new editions and tribute records were enjoying a boom.

The newly founded American music channel CMT (Country Music Television) showed video clips in a typical southern ambience and record sales rose steadily. Typical of the neo-traditionalists was the commercialized "slick sound", which was suitable for any disco. In the mid-1990s, Garth Brooks had sold more than 150 million records after just a few years in the business, and the labels achieved record sales with country music. Despite some efforts, the phenomenon did not transfer to Europe, but it did to Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Over time, artists such as Little Texas , Trisha Yearwood and Jo Dee Messina established themselves who fused pop elements with traditional motifs and made country more attractive to the general public. Artists like Gretchen Wilson , Dierks Bentley or Brad Paisley achieve high sales with this type of country music even after the turn of the millennium.

2000s

Despite a predominantly female pop wave towards the end of the 1990s, the neo-traditional style of music continued to set the tone in country music until 2007. This was followed by a longer rocking phase until hip-hop rhythms found their way into country music from around 2013 . At the beginning of this development was the bro-country movement, mainly carried by male performers , which produced mainly danceable party songs.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ "Allmusic Guide: Genre Neo-Traditionalist Country"
  2. ^ "Allmusic Guide: Genre New-Traditionalist Country"