Neotraditional country
Under neo- traditionalism is meant 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 between the more progressive New Traditionalists and the conservative Neo Traditionalists; However, a clear distinction is difficult in many cases.
Prehistory
In the 1970s Popeinflüsse had won in the country music the upper hand. Performers such as Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell and Lee Greenwood dominated the scene. The highlight was the early 1980s, the Urban Cowboy movement that was triggered by the eponymous film. The merger with pop music was commercially very successful.
Development
The beginnings
The name "neo- traditionalism " was first used in 1986, when with Randy Travis, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, a group of junior musicians came onto the scene, which drew attention to himself with tradition -oriented music. A trend in the early 1980s by musicians such as George Strait, John Anderson and Ricky Skaggs had been initiated, developed into an independent style. The neo- traditionalists met a receptive music industry, because the record sales slumped massively with the waning Urban Cowboy boom. They were supported by producers like Jimmy Bowen and Tony Brown, Keith Stegall later.
Ricky Skaggs brought with his former Gesangespartner Keith Whitley bluegrass elements, Steve Earle was the successor of the Outlaw Movement, and John Anderson had similarities with Lefty Frizzell. The O'Kanes were successful with guitar folk and vocal harmonies. Particularly successful were the Judds, who experimented with swing, blues and country. Randy Travis embodied the earth character. End of the 80s, the group Shenandoah, who also contributed with their music to the expansion of neo- traditionalists formed.
The next generation
In the late 1980s a new generation played in the foreground. Musicians such as Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Steve Wariner or Clint Black opened the genre to influences from other styles, especially for Rock, Rock'n'Roll, Blues and Swing. Thus, the foundations for the New Traditionalist Movement were laid, the superstar Garth Brooks for the most popular style of music made the country music during the 1990s in the United States. Around the same time, the country duo Brooks & Dunn had initial success.
In its wake many traditionalists the breakthrough to the top of the charts. The performer called because of their wide-brimmed Stetson hats Hat Acts to Alan Jackson, Tracy Lawrence, Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Byrd shaped the sound of the 1990s, the awakened next Honky Tonk, atmospheric ballads and country-rock and the western swing to life. Suddenly artists like Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings were again asked old hits were thrown into snappy new edition to the market and Tribute plates celebrated boom.
The newly founded American music channel CMT ( Country Music Television ) showed video clips in a typical Southern ambience and record sales steadily increased. Typical of the neo- traditionalists was the commercialized "Slick Sound", which was suitable for each disco. Mid-1990s had Garth Brooks sold more than 150 million records in business after a few years, the labels achieved with country music record sales. Despite some efforts, the phenomenon could not be transferred to Europe, but rather to Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Over time, artists such as Little Texas, Trisha Yearwood or Jo Dee Messina established, the pop elements fused with traditional motifs and Country made more attractive to the masses. Despite a mainly female dominated Popwelle the late 1990s, the neotraditionelle style of music within the country music until today remained dominant. Artists like Gretchen Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley achieve high conversions with this type of country music.