Country music is a type of American popular music that developed in the Southern United States during the 1800's. Country music combines elements of British and Anglo-American folk music, the blues, religious music, and popular songs. Country music is sometimes called country and western music.
Country music was first recorded in the 1920's. At about the same time, radio stations across the United States began broadcasting country music radio programs. Radio and records greatly increased the popularity of country music, attracting fans from outside the South. Radio and records also led country music to interact with other forms of music. This interaction changed the character of country music. New instruments were introduced and new styles emerged. The new styles combined country music with the sounds of jazz, rock 'n' roll, and pop music. These styles include bluegrass, Cajun, Western swing, and the Nashville sound.
Over the decades, country music has evolved into one of the most important divisions of the American music industry. By the mid-1990's, country music had become more popular than at any other time in its history.
