-1991 Billboard starts using sales data from Sound Scan

-Before record stores estimated how many records sold

-Sound scan change to a bar code system that was exact 

- In the first week using sound scan, data showed that Nashville music selling way higher than estimates

- In this week,  Garth Brooks album went from #4 to 16

- This was important because radio stations saw how popular country really was and many decided to switch and become country stations

- Country sales double from 1989 to 91 and then double again from 91 to 93

-Garth brooks later releases first country album to debut at #1 on Billboard charts

- Before this, radio considered a public trust so the government had to worry what was on radio

- Before you could only own a few radio stations

- Deregulation allows companies to buy as many radio stations as they want- so there could be someone in Boston programming hundreds of country stations

-new type of country music in the 90s

- Americana allows for people who no longer fit in country's narrow parameters

- began with Gillian Welch writing a song for Emmylou Harris called "Orphan Girl" on wrecking ball- first americana album

- Got her Start on Porter Wagners syndicated TV show

- Her an porter had a very bad public breakup- then she writes "I will always love you"- later becomes a monster hit

-Had a pop image different from most country - "takes alot of money to look this cheap"

- First Artist to appear on cover of Rolling Stone (when it was legit)

- "Jolene" - big hit for her that was a different type of song for her

- Wrote story songs- ones you could not come into the middle of though

- wrote songs from being in jail from drinking/speeding

- Rough childhood- poor - mother died he's young

- Songs "A week in County Jail" & "Homecoming"

- Broke alot of barriers in country music

- Creative movement - about musicians deciding about how they want the music to go

- Willie nelson wanted to do something similar to bobby bare

- Willie gets a clause to record whatever he wants- records a very plain album called "Red Headed Stranger"- the label doesn't even want to put it out but then it becomes huge- center of outlaw movement

-"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" a hit from album

-Conceptual movement about artists taking control of their own stuff

- Reaction to perceived blandness of mainstream country music in the early 80s

- Ricky Scaggs and george strait usher in movement 

- instrumental background with a "traditional" country vocal style like hank williams

- known for his drinking and escapades with women

- spent most of 70s in bad shape - drinking/coke

- reputation as "no-show jones"

- split personalities where he did a duck voice that was very mean

-rode his lawnmower to town when wife took his keys to get booze

- "He stopped loving her today" - the song that put him back on the map and made him relevant again

- Discovered by Gram Parsons- he asked her to sing with him and they recorded 2 albums in LA ("cosmic american music")

- She is distraught by his death in early 70s from a drug overdose

- "two more bottles of wine"

- used solo career to further parsons "cosmic american music"

- Wrecking Ball her huge album

-started off in the Byrds- they got booed off stage at grand ole opry because of long hair- folk/rock guys had long hair- he was an innovator

- combined traditional country and "wild" stuff- his albums in 70s sold terribly- ahead of his time & marketed poorly

- Died in early 70s from overdose at joshua tree

- "I can't dance"

- Wanted by the outlaws

- consisted Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings

- From texas- doesn't have all his fingers from an accident

- At first he had a disagreement with Waylon jennings- wanted him to look at his album- finally waylon did and then really liked it

-they went on to record album with all songs written by billy joe shaver

- Called Honkytonk Heroes and became a big deal

- Big part of the outlaw movement

- all about artistic freedom and artists taking control

- goes to Texas to Armadillo World headquarters to record the music that he wants

- "blue eyes crying in the rain"

- Lullabies, Legends, and Lies -his big album

- Stories based from Shel Silverstien 

- Some very big hits from the album

-they produced their own songs because the producer was very busy

- grew up well, well eduacated, good at everything

-went to pomona, played football, track, boxed

-became a Rhodes Scholar

- Goes into military and excels at that- flew helicopters in officer position

- turns down being prof. at west point to come to Nashville and write songs- becomes janitor at studio where Johnny Cash records

-Cash befriends him when Kris receives letter from mother disowning him

-Cash finally listens to Kris's tapes and they're good

- "Jesus was a Capricorn" & "To beat the Devil"

- Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson all meet up

- modern era of country music begins

- combination of hippies and rednecks- opening up the genre

-technology began in the 90s that fixed pitch problems- was not used in excess like it is now

- Meant you could be not that great of a singer and still be a country star- looks became alot more important

- temptation to ignore talent in favor of looks i.e. shania twain

- Very pop oriented country that seemed different at the time 

- teamed up with Mutt Wang who was known for producing def lepperd and AC/DC- some songs he produces aren't very good but get stuck in your head

- shania was an example of use of auto-tune and favoring her good looks

- 80s part of neotraditional country music

- Album: Storms of Life

-Workout addict- started this craze in country music

- "On the Other Hand"

- Signed with tony Brown at MCA but then left because they were "trying to change her to pop"

Biggest female country star of 80s and 90s

- melodic switch in songs to let Reba belt out that big note she was known for

- "Whoever's in New England" - appealed to soccer mom crowd

- Johnny Cash's daughter

- part of great credibility scare

- was married to Rodney Crowell- his 3 solo albums didn't do well- then they split up and she becomes famous and he has to produce "seven year ache" (steel guitar sounds like synth) which is about him being a shitty husband

- Guy at MCA

- Signed all of the great credibility scare artists

- was looking for a new type of country sound

- was known as best steel guitar players

- paul mcCartney came to Nashville to record and recorded "Sally G" with Lloyd green on steel guitar

Nanci Griffith

- folk influenced called "folkabilly"

- signed by tony brown at MCA

- great credibility scare

- "love at the five and dime"

- the term Gram Parsons came up with (Emmylou Harris singing with him)

- blend of country roots, R&B, and rock

-ahead of its time, innovative 

-

- Travis Tritt

(others were: Garth Brooks, Clint black, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alan Jackson)

Johnny Cash- "hurt"

Loretta Lynn "Portland Oregon" (Jack White)

Who sang "on the other hand" - co written by don schlitz

A song that is about the singer deciding not to cheat

Which best describes Ricky skaggs music of the 80s?

Every detail in tom t. hall's "A week in country jail" is true.

T or F?

- ditched first main singer and found Natalie Mayne

- she sounded alot like Joy lynne white- one of the best singers in nashville the past 20 years, precursor and influence on dixie chicks

- huge musical talent (fiddle, vocals)

- second biggest selling country artist last year

- a crossover artist- not just locked into country

-"you belong with me"

- grew up in pennsylvania- moved to hendersonville (where cash was from) and got songwriting lessons