早期商業(yè)操作的鄉(xiāng)村音樂是與美國(guó)南部18、19世紀(jì)大不列顛移民帶來的傳統(tǒng)民歌謠一脈相承的。但早期鄉(xiāng)村樂并不堅(jiān)持口頭敘事的傳統(tǒng)，而是經(jīng)常用小提琴這種樂器奏出旋律，代替人聲的作用。

鄉(xiāng)村音樂家John Carson把這兩種傳統(tǒng)結(jié)合了起來，在1923年他的"78"這首歌中既演唱又演奏，被認(rèn)為是早期鄉(xiāng)村樂的第一首暢銷單曲。這一時(shí)期最負(fù)盛名的組合無疑是The Carter Family（卡特家族）----他們對(duì)鄉(xiāng)村音樂發(fā)展的重要性怎么描述都不為過。他們是南部民謠傳統(tǒng)的堅(jiān)守者。

他們被認(rèn)為是"鄉(xiāng)村第一家"（The First Family of Country Music），他們的那首歌《Will the Circle Be Unbroken》就象"野花"《Wildwood Flower》一樣是鄉(xiāng)村音樂的典范，并第一次把Maybelle Carter的極富感染力的吉他風(fēng)格介紹給人們。The Stoneman of Galax，Virginia也是早期鄉(xiāng)村樂的先驅(qū)者。Jimmie Rodgers，"鄉(xiāng)村音樂之父"。

他把大眾對(duì)鄉(xiāng)村音樂的接受度提高到一個(gè)新的水平，并且是流行音樂史上最具影響力的歌手之一。他那獨(dú)一無二的嗓音和為潦倒者寫的歌詞給它帶來了全國(guó)性的知名度。由此，他為鄉(xiāng)村樂打下了一個(gè)嶄新的牢固的基礎(chǔ)。他在那短暫的錄音生涯（1927-33年）的原創(chuàng)，他的歌唱和寫曲風(fēng)格.

Much like its next of kin (alternative country-rock), Americana developedduring the 1990s as a roots-oriented reaction to the slick commercial soundsthat dominated mainstream country during the decade. But while alternativecountry-rock developed out of punk, alternative rock, and country itself,Americana sprung from less raw and edgy source material.

In fact, much of whatfell under the Americana umbrella was in fact a revival of dormant countrystyles, including Western swing and rockabilly. Though considered analternative radio format, Americana did not break with country tradition;instead, it embraced it — something, ironically enough, that the music hittingthe Nashville charts throughout the era did not do.