Episode Guide

Explore the history of country music, from its deep roots in ballads, fiddle and banjo tunes, church music, and the blues to the beginnings of its mainstream popularity.

Watch country grow in popularity during the Great Depression and World War II as America falls in love with singing cowboys, Texas Swing, and the Grand Ole Opry’s Roy Acuff.

See how, amid the cultural changes of post-war America, the hard-driving sounds of bluegrass and honky-tonk are born, and a new star, Hank Williams, emerges on the scene.

Travel to Memphis, where Sun Studio artists Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash usher in the era of rockabilly. 200 miles east, a softer side of country – the Nashville Sound – emerges from the studios on Music Row.

Watch as, in a time of cultural upheaval, country music reflects a changing America, as Loretta Lynn addresses women’s concerns, Merle Haggard champions the common man, and audiences look beyond skin color to embrace Charley Pride.

Learn how country music responds to a nation divided by the Vietnam War, as Army captain turned songwriter Kris Kristofferson sets a new lyrical standard, and artists like Bob Dylan and the Byrds find a recording home in Nashville.

Witness a vibrant era in country music, with Dolly Parton finding mainstream success, Hank Williams Jr. and Rosanne Cash emerging from their famous fathers’ shadows, and Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings launching the “Outlaw” movement.

Learn how “New Traditionalists” like George Strait, Randy Travis, and the Judds help country music stay true to its roots. Witness both the rise of superstar Garth Brooks and the return of an aging Johnny Cash to the industry he helped create.

Follow the story of country music from its humble beginnings in the early 20th century to the mega-concerts of the 1990s.

Explore the work of photographers featured in Country Music.

Country music rose from deep and intertwined roots – from fiddle tunes and hymns and from work songs and ballads; from smoky saloons and secluded Appalachian hollows; from barrios along the southern border and the wide-open spaces of the American West.