By Charlie Stone

Hank Williams, Sr. in 1948. Photo credit: WSM Radio via Wikimedia Commons.

Do you like country music? From Hank Williams, Sr., to Post Malone, the genre varies wildly. Country music can be a polarizing topic. Music is constantly subject to characterization, and our beloved category of music has diverged into subgenres that have people arguing over what defines “real” country music.

The real roots of country music can be traced to the bluegrass and classic mountain music that emerged from the South in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These first folk songs had their origins in Scotch-Irish culture of the people who settled Appalachia in America’s early days. Sounds change over time, and as groups traveled, the music spread influence. By the 1920s, the sound had become mainstream, and The Grand Ole Opry made its first country music radio broadcast in 1925. 

Nashville is considered the genre’s capital, and Gene Autry became one of the faces of a growing style in the mid-20th century. Acoustic guitar, drums, mandolin, and other folk instruments gave the music a clean sound much different from the popular fast jazz of the era. Autry’s acoustic, clean tone, paired with lyrics sympathetic to a southern and western lifestyle, gained popularity. Vocals with lyrics relatable for listeners across the southern United States brought Autry and Williams, Sr., into the mainstream. Elvis Presley’s heavy influence from country in his early rock and roll lead him to top the charts, and his sound subsequently influenced newer country artists. Country artists introduced to rock and roll by Presley would begin to incorporate more technical beats and electrical setups into their albums. 

George Strait’s 1981 album Strait Country. Image courtesy of MCA Records.

Country music got louder in the second half of the 20th century, as new artists moved onto the scene. Merle Haggard is an example of an artist who could record old-fashioned sounding country, while also writing songs with faster and more upbeat tempos. Haggard’s work spanned folk, bluegrass, and blues, all utilizing similar instruments and a clear sound. 

As rock elements began to emerge, synthesizers and electric instruments became common on country records. Artists like Dwight Yoakam and groups such as Alabama found popularity using these new sounds. People took a liking towards rock and blues-style guitar and rhythm, coupled with clear vocals and a faster beat. 

Time and influence gave way to the Southern rock of the seventies, when bands mixed rock and country. Lynyrd Skynyrd experimented with country vocals combined with rock instruments, making music people continue to love. With lyrical similarities to southern country of the past, Skynyrd produced relatable music for listeners who found passion and truth through their songs.

Country music reached into more rock and pop sounds nearing the end of the last century. Groups featuring entirely distinct sounds separated themselves from the roots of the genre. Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith explored the “Pop Country” sound, which became synonymous with the 90s and early 2000s Nashville. Within the past twenty years, however, the genre has turned back closer to its roots. 

Pop country has its outlets today, and modern self-described cowboys Zach Bryan and Morgan Wallen bring pop sounds into the genre’s modern mix. Wallen is known for utilizing more synthesizers and technical components, while a few of Bryan’s albums resemble classic country. Pop country has been prone to criticism, prompting a stereotype that the genre is boring and all the songs sound similar. Sir Mashalot, a YouTube mix artist, made a video to demonstrate this, mashing multiple songs and artists from the early 2000s pop country era due to their similarities in sound and beat. Mashalot commented how, “when I heard the striking similarities of these particular hits, I thought it would be fun to throw them all in a mix.” 

Post Malone has been a dominant name within hip hop for nearly ten years, with six number-one hits and ten Grammy nominations. Recently, he has turned to country music in order to focus on his roots and upbringing. Malone was a country fan growing up, In a video for Vice Canada in 2019, he said, “my favorite artists in country are Hank Williams, Sr., Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson.” Throughout his journey, he believed he would become a country artist.

David Crutcher (left) with music legend Michael McDonald. Photo credit: David Crutcher.

Collegiate alumnus and keyboard player David Crutcher (‘13) is currently on tour with Malone as the artist continues to experiment in country music. Crutcher has worked for years in Nashville as a studio musician. Crutcher is “naturally gifted musician,” according to Match advisor and Upper School English teacher Vlastik Svab, who taught Crutcher and has been a fan for many years. He began playing piano at age three, and as a teen, Crutcher played piano and keyboards with local musicians around the Richmond area, as well as in many Collegiate productions and band performances. He graduated from Belmont University’s School of Music in 2017 and also works as a keyboard and organ technician, repairing vintage organs and keyboards for both local Nashville musicians and legendary artists from around the country. 

In an interview for The Match, Crutcher said, he “just finished two months going around doing a small U.S. tour,” with Malone, and the group plans to “start up again next year for the summer.” The recent leg of the tour mainly focused on the East Coast, and Crutcher commented that the tour “played Virginia Beach, and a bunch of my buddies from when I was at Collegiate were there.” Additionally, they played “Nissan Stadium in Nashville, and that was Post’s first stadium show, so it was cool for him.”

When asked about the innovation into pop country and artists such as Wallen and Bryan, Crutcher referenced the term “bro country” and its presence among modern country artists. Songs that typically mention pickup trucks, fishing, and church are all grouped together, as they feature similar chord progressions and lyrics. Audiences sort these artists closely and argue over its true right as a country genre. Critics of the sort define it as pop music, citing the use of synthesizers and auto tune. 

Crutcher impressing Post Malone and his band with his keyboard skills during a concert. Photo credit: David Crutcher.

However, the churches and backroads have become appealing. Crutcher mentioned how “that has been the thing for a long time. And tourists who come to Nashville and want to go to Broadway, do the whole Nashville thing, that’s what they’re singing along to, and that’s what they’re playing in pedal taverns and bars.” “Bro country” is mainstream among country fans. The term “Bro country” has been around since the 2010s, starting with the Florida Georgia Line song “Cruise.” Lead singer Tyler Hubbard sings about his “brand new Chevy with a lift kit” and driving “down a back road,” undeniably fitting the pop country formula. Certain artists use modern pop instruments, such as the keys and electric guitar, while embracing traditional country. Other new country groups might feature more acoustic sounds, like the fiddle, double bass, and steel guitar.

Malone has explored similar work, including his latest album, this year’s F-1 Trillion. Crutcher stated, “there is a new, more musical development, and it is Post Malone’s thing.” Malone grew up listening to Johnny Cash, and his new work is “more of a throwback to the older country sound,” according to Crutcher. After making the decision to switch genres, Malone “came to Nashville and put this group of studio guys together. They created an album really quickly.” Crutcher explained how it was a tireless effort with a clear vision and sound.

Sturgill Simpson. Photo credit: Deborah Chadsey/The Santa Barbara Independent.

The “new musical development” is not exclusive to Malone. Billy Strings and Sturgill Simpson, who have both attracted larger and larger crowds in the last few years, draw inspiration from that first generation of country music stars. Listening to modern country music with fast-picking acoustic guitar and stand up double bass is a steady affirmation of the genre’s adaptation and variety. 

Many Collegiate students listen to this style of country music, Mac Montague (‘25) enjoys the “guitar and bluegrass sound” of Strings, as well as his higher-pitch voice. Personally, I enjoy both old bands and new characters, like Strings and Simpson. I find “bro country” decent as well, and 1990s classics by Kenny Chesney and new hits from Luke Combs scatter my charts. Regardless of one’s tastes and genre preferences, country music is likely to continue evolving and changing, as older artists influence new faces.

Featured image courtesy of RCA Studios.