Quote:
Originally Posted by Neapolitan
Narrowing it down to 48 to 56 seems like having a war on two fronts cause there is a lot of good music before and after that time frame to compete with. I don't know if you are going to get technical with Country music versus Western Swing, but the Tiffany Transcriptions were records before '48. And '57 had hits by Elvis, the Everly Brothers, Johnny Cash, and "The Killer" - Jerry Lee Lewis. Even Marty Robins had a hit in 57 with "A White Sports Coat (and a Pink Carnation)" and if that single wasn't awesome enough he releases "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs" in '59. Sorry for the bad news, but that album shot your little theory right between the eyes.
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I'm merely stating the era I like best. I'm not stating that I don't like anything outside of that era. Out of the '57 era you mention, only Johnny Cash was truly country, though the others dabbled in it and even had some hits on the country charts. And for all his great work over many decades, Sun-era Cash will always be my favorite. (And I think Marty's "White Sport Coat," while it made him a lot of money, I'm sure, is not one of his finest hours. "El Paso" is the prime example of valid country crossover.)
Because Robbins did a good album in 1959 does not in any way negate my "theory" (which isn't a theory anyway, just a personal preference). I'm only stating the era I return to the most. I'm not closed off to any other, and have enjoyed and also sung and played country music (not to mention a boatload of rock 'n' roll) up till at least the early 80s.
Country also had a good spell in the late 80s/early 90s where it melded country influences with other more adventurous genres without losing its basic heart and soul. But that pretty much went south with the advent of the "hat acts" in the 90s.