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Alternative country drew on traditional American country music, the music of working people, preserved and celebrated by practitioners such as Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, and the Carter Family, often cited as major influences. [8] Another major influence was country rock, the result of fusing country music with a rock & roll sound.
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In contrast to alternative country, which pushes the boundaries of country music from the inside, alternative country-rock is music made by outsiders who love the sound and spirit of country.
- Uncle Tupelo – Anodyne (1993) The last entry in the band’s catalog before Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar parted ways saw the band at its most fully realized.
- Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998) Up until this album Lucinda Williams was primarily known for her songwriting, earning a Grammy for Best Country Song with Mary Chapin Carpenter’s crossover hit “Passionate Kisses.”
- Gillian Welch – Revival (1996) Gillian Welch and her musical partner may have hailed from Los Angeles and Rhode Island, respectively, but they arrived on the alt-country scene in 1996 as if they’d just melted out of Depression-era Appalachian Mountain ice.
- Son Volt – Trace (1995) Long before there was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, it looked like Jay Farrar was the genius behind Uncle Tupelo, as Trace was a near-perfect collection of laid-back alt-country ballads like the brilliant windows-rolled-down “Windfall” and guitar-charged college rockers like lead single “Drown.”
- Rank and File – “Amanda Ruth” (1982) One of the first bands to bear the descriptor “cowpunk,” Rank and File also had pedigrees in actual punk. Brothers Chip and Tony Kinman were in The Dils, a California band that had tight, Everly-like harmonies which were unusual in their genre.
- Meat Puppets – “Plateau” (1984) The resident cowpunks on the SST roster in the 1980s, Arizona’s Meat Puppet’s nonetheless translated their country and western influences through a hardcore filter on their debut album.
- Lone Justice – “Ways to Be Wicked” (1985) Maria McKee had a commanding stage presence, a ferocious energy, and a voice that bore a resemblance to one of her earliest supporters, Dolly Parton.
- Mekons – “Hard to Be Human Again” (1985) On paper it might not seem likely that a post-punk group from the same Leeds scene as Gang of Four and Au Pairs would end up recording one of the first great alt-country records.
- Uncle Tupelo
- Lucinda Williams
- Cowboy Junkies
- Steve Earle
- Rosanne Cash
- Lyle Lovett
- The Jayhawks
- Jason Isbell
Uncle Tupelo was an Illinois music group that was active between 1987 and 1994. The trio of Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy and Mike Heidorn recorded four studio albums during that time frame. Their debut album, No Depression, became a nickname for the entire burgeoning alternative country genre. After the band broke up, Farrar and Heidorn formed Son Volt;...
Three-time Grammy winner Lucinda Williams has said that she never felt part of the "straighter country music industry of Nashville." Her 1979 debut album featured a more traditional country style and received little interest from radio stations. Her 1988 self-titled album featuring the song "Passionate Kisses" came to be regarded as an "Americana c...
Canadian alternative country band Cowboy Junkies formed in Toronto in 1985 and features siblings Michael Timmins, Peter Timmins, vocalist Margo Timmins, as well as bassist Alan Anton. After their song "Sweet Jane" was featured on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack, the band gained more recognition in the United States. Their 19th studio album, 202...
Singer-songwriter-producer-author Steve Earle released his first EP in 1982. The "Copperhead Road" and "Guitar Town" singer has won three Grammy awards and has released 21 studio albums to date, including 2021's J.T. In addition to creating alternative country music, Earle has written a play, novel and book of short stories. He is also a vocal oppo...
Rosanne Cash may be the eldest daughter of country legend Johnny Cash, but her music and talent speaks for iteself. Her breakthrough hit, 1981's "Seven Year Ache," topped the country charts and became a crossover hit. Cash won a Grammy for in 1985 for "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me," but it was the introspective 1990 album Interiors that earne...
Four-time Grammy winner Lyle Lovett is best known for his hit song "Cowboy Man." His music is a fusion of many different genres, including rock, country, folk blues and gospel, but it's his clever lyrics that have made him an alternative country legend. Lovett, who moonlights as an actor and was married to Julia Roberts for two years, released his ...
The Jayhawks were at the forefront of the Twin Cities music scene during the 1980s and early 1990s. Their 1992 album, Hollywood Town Hall, is often cited as one of the most influential alternative country albums of all time. Guitarist-vocalist Gary Louis once said, "We defined our own little pocket and found our own voice." The band, whose most not...
Jason Isbell is a former member of Drive-By Truckers who is also known for his work with the 400 Unit and as a solo artist. The Alabama native released his first solo album in 2007. Isbell, a four-time Grammy winner, cites Neil Young as a major influence on his music. Some of Isbell's most lauded singles include "Alabama Pines," "Cover Me Up," "24 ...
Jun 13, 2017 · Discover the top 10 alternative country music artists who have thrown everything, from rockabilly, folk-rock and punk, into their roots rock stews.
Sep 30, 2023 · Alt.country was sometimes infused with a rock and even punk flavor, and Steve Earle’s 1988 song “Copperhead Road,” which has sold more than a million copies, is one of the quintessential...
