CHANGES IN COUNTRY

AND ROCK MUSIC

Melissa Demarest & Niki Avgerinos

CHANGES IN COUNTRY MUSIC

THROUGH THE YEARS

Popularity
Age Brackets of Country Music
Listeners

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

44-64 & 65+

Figure 1: Age Brackets of Country

Music Listeners, Source:
billboard.com

Gender Percentage of Country Music

Listeners

Males

Females

Figure 2: Gender % of
Country Music Listeners,
Source: billboard.com

MAP OF UNITED STATES COUNTRY

MUSIC CONSUMPTION
Country music is popular throughout
the United States

Shows the opposite of the

stereotypical view of country music
listeners

Figure 3: Country Music Listeners Map, Source:

forbes.com

ALL OF THE SUB GENRES OF

COUNTRY MUSIC
HonkyTonk-1950s
Countrypolitan- 1960s

Outlaw Country- 1970s

Pop County- 1980s
Arena Country- 1990s
Country Wide- 2000s

1960s artists: Patsy Cline, Glen

Campbell
Excluded fiddle and banjo

1970s artists: Willie Nelson, Merle

Haggard
Utilized Texas and western imagery,
struggles, heartbreak and crime

1980s artists: Dolly Parton, Kenny

Rogers
Electric guitars, keyboards and
horns used

SUB-GENRES OF COUNTRY MUSIC

Honky-Tonk:
1950s
Played in beer joints &
dance halls

Rhythmic and strong beat

Realistic portrayal of
modern American Life
Mostly about cheating,
drinking, loose women,
religion and family
Key Artist: Hank Williams

Arena Country:
1990s

Country-Wide:
2000s

Honky-tonk & folky

songwriting, 70s arena
rock and big choruses

Piano pop, country rap,

hip hop, heartthrob
image, pop star

Added dramatic rock

touches to concerts and
videos

Key Artists: Luke Bryan,

Florida Georgia Line,
Taylor Swift, Hunter Hayes

Set the bar impossibly high

Crossover success to this

day
Key Artists: Garth Brooks,
Shania Twain, & Dixie
Chicks

Figure 4: Hank Williams

Concert Promotion.
Source:
www.icollector.com

Figure 5: 2000s Country

Artists. Source:
www.massachusettsgirlwitha
southernappetite.wordpress.
com

Figure 6: Carrie Underwood 2012

Blown Away album cover. Source:
Brides, Carrie Underwood Wears Irina
Shabayeva for New Blown Away
Album Cover
Shows her album will be about
heartache and disaster
Shows meaning of album on
cover and location

Figure 7: Kenny Rogers 1980 Lady

album cover. Source: CBS Local
Media, Kenny Rogers Likes To
Throw Things at His Audience.
Doesnt show anything about
the meaning of his album
Lists track list

1956 vs. 2015 Music Video Differences

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDr_7LN-Ew
Maddie and Taes Fly 2015: about growing up and how
times change and to cherish the moment even if it is bad
that it will get better and push through it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq0fUa0vW_E
Johnny Cashs I Walk the Line 1956: about loving someone
so much and no matter what they do you will always be
there for them and will do anything for them

COPYING WORK BETWEEN

COUNTRY ARTISTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxGbwiV4Mo8
Todd Snider- Beer Run

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3_JjftksJU
Garth Brooks and George Jones- Beer Run

SYMBOLS OF COUNTRY MUSIC

Symbols today:
Cowboy hats & guitars

Primary voices of early American roots music

Banjo & fiddle
Guitars for the rich and elite

Figure 8: Country
Symbols. Source:
www.pinterest.com

Figure 9: Banjo &

Fiddle. Source:
www.flickr.com

GUITARS IN COUNTRY MUSIC

Women played the guitar as parlor instrument
Late 1880s

Popular through mass production and mail order catalogs

Guitar was adopted by both black, white, rural, working class musicians
Technological changes to guitars
Better bracing using metal instead of gut strings
Electrification and amplification
Easier to play than banjo & fiddle

Figure 10: Country

Music Guitars. Source:
www.takelessons.com

NUMBER OF SONGS THAT MADE

BILLBOARD TOP 100 EACH YEAR
SINCE 1965
Figure 8: Country vs. Rock Music
Billboard Top 100 Comparison.
Source: www.vocativ.com

GENERATION PREFERENCE OF
MUSIC
1990s now of country music
The way messages are sent through their songs
Artists I like:
Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Dixie Chicks, Carrie Underwood

Figure 9: Shania Twain

Rock this Country Tour
2015

Figure 10: Garth

Brooks World Tour
2015

CHANGES IN ROCK MUSIC THROUGH

THE YEARS

POPULARITY
Elvis Presley

The 1975

Very Popular
Well known today
Has had many records out for years

Not as popular
Only one album out

Figure 11: The 1975 Drops New Remix.

Source: Lollapalooza.com

CHANGES IN ROCK MUSIC

1950s
Rock n Roll

Now
Indie Rock
Alternative Rock
Figure 12: Arrival of Elvis
Presley on the Charts in 1956.
Source: The OzHistory blog

Figure 13: Imagine Dragons.

Source: BillysSprotsGrill.com

MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE

DECADES
1950s
Elvis Presley

1960s
The Beatles

1970s
Elton John

1980s
Prince

1990s
Mariah Carey

Figure 14: Music Genre Popularity Chart.

Source: Hypebot.com, Rock is the Most
Popular Genre among U.S. Album Buyers

ROCK MUSIC IN THE 1950S

Rock n Roll
Elvis Presley
Mid-late 1950s
Rock Around the Clock By Bill Haley & his Comets

Figure 15: Elvis

Presley. Source:
Artnet News, Elvis
Presley

ELVIS PRESLEY FACTS

Began career in 1955

King of Rock n Roll

Film Actor and Singer
Large fan base

Figure 16: Elvis Presley. Source: ohmymag.com

THE 1975 FACTS

Formed in 2002

Released their first EP in 2012

Members

Matt Healy
George Daniel
Adam Hann
Ross MacDonald
Figure 157: The 1975. Source: The Telegraph,
Something Dark and Dirty Lurking Under the Skin

INFLUENCES
Elvis
Changed music
Influenced many

The 1975
Michael Jackson
The Rolling Stones

Figure 18: The Rolling Stones. Source: WDVE Rocks

MUSIC FROM EACH ARTIST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDID_E0FDUU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsYE078RQCI

Figure 19: Elvis Presley.

Source: wikipedia

DIFFERENCES IN MUSIC VIDEOS

Elvis Presley
Everyone dancing
Takes place in a jail
Singing the whole time

The 1975
Scenes change
No dancing
Reflects lyrics

Figure 20: SETTLEDOWN. Source:

youtube.com

DIFFERENCES IN MUSIC STYLE

Elvis Presley
Rock n Roll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=lzQ8GDBA8Is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=3rQEbQJx5Bo

The 1975
Indie Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=-dMFqFX1sVc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=aUGwDf7nLrs

ROCK MUSIC NOW

Alternative Rock

Indie Rock
Not as popular
The 1975

Figure 21: The Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Albums

of 2015. Source: OfficialCharts.com

PERSONAL PREFERENCE
Wide variety of genres
Including

Punk rock
Classic Rock
Alternative Rock
Indie Rock
Pop rock

Figure 22: Blink 182.

Source: Shareonfb.com

Figure 23: All Time Low.

Source: Kerrang

Figure 24: AC/DC. Source:

Huffington Post

WORKS CITED
Maddie&TaeVevo. "Maddie & Tae - Fly." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
Mare, White. "Johnny Cash I Walk the Line." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
Boulder House Concert. Todd Snider Beer Run. YouTube. YouTube, 9 Dec. 2012. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
Wright, Glenn. George Jones & Garth Brooks-Beer Run- Live-ACM 2000. YouTube. YouTube, 22 Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Nov.
2015.
Crazy4patsycline. Patsy Cline-Crazy. YouTube. YouTube. 8 Jul. 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
Inspiration4him1. Good Hearted Woman- Willie Nelson (1974) Live. YouTube. YouTube. 27 Nov. 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
LillilyputDolly1. Dolly Parton Here You Come Again on Dolly Show 1987/88 (Ep 14, Pt2). YouTube. YouTube. 9 Mar. 2012.
Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
OfficialSF. Elvis Presley- Jailhouse Rock (HD Music Video). YouTube. YouTube. 1 Jun. 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.

The1975Vevo. The 1975- Settle Down. YouTube. YouTube. 29 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
TheKaiZerS. Elvis Presley- Hound Dog. YouTube. YouTube. 1 Feb. 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
Hey. Elvis Presley- All Shook Up. YouTube. YouTube. 6 Aug. 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
The1975Vevo. The 1975- Pressure. YouTube. YouTube. 4 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
AlanaAnala. Chocolate(Audio)- The 1975. YouTube. YouTube. 30 May. 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.

WORKS CITED CONTINUED

"Elvis Presley- Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 23 Nov.
2015.
"90's Music Overview." 90's Music Overview. Rock Music Timeline. Web. 23
Nov. 2015.
"The 50 Best Rock Bands Right Now | SPIN - Page 3." Spin. SpinMedia, 16 Oct.
2015. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
"The 1975 Bio | The 1975 Career." MTV Artists. Viacom International Inc. Web.
23 Nov. 2015.
"Honky Tonks, Hymns, & the Blues." Honky Tonks, Hymns, & the Blues. Web. 27
Nov. 2015.
"Power of Country Music, CMA Music Festival Reflection." Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
"Country Music Genres List." Music Genres List RSS2. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.
"Real Country Music: The Honest Truth About Country Music Sub-Genres."
Nash Country Weekly. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.

REFERENCES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDr_7LN-Ew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq0fUa0vW_E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxGbwiV4Mo8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3_JjftksJU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-wJNpWgss8&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dVBbDOWLR70
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3PM4zfHYBk&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDID_E0FDUU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsYE078RQCI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQ8GDBA8Is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rQEbQJx5Bo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dMFqFX1sVc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUGwDf7nLrs

REFERENCES CONTINUED
http://www.biography.com/people/elvis-presley-9446466#death-andlegacy
http://www.rockmusictimeline.com/1990s.html
http://www.spin.com/2015/10/the-50-best-rock-bands-right-now/3/
http://www.mtv.com/artists/the-1975/biography/
http://www.countryweekly.com/music/real-country-music-honest-truthabout-country-music-sub-genres

http://www.musicgenreslist.com/music-country/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/pauljankowski/2015/06/25/the-power-ofcountry-music-a-cma music-festival-reflection/
http://www.honkytonks.org/showpages/countryguitar.htm