Some fans favor a limited use of the term to describe traditional American music styles such as traditional folk music and bluegrass. Increasingly, however, Americana refers to just about any form of music influenced by or derived from these traditional American music styles. This more expansive use of the term includes a variety of musical styles which originated or developed in North America. Thus, bluegrass, folk music, blues, zydeco, country rock, and alternative country all fit under the umbrella known as Americana.

Despite the variety of musical styles involved, there are some common threads which run through all Americana music. First, all of these styles exist to some extent outside of the commercial mainstream of popular music. In fact, to many fans, Americana is synonymous with "non-commercial." However, obscurity is not a requirement of Americana. Many Americana artists are very well known and successful in both country and popular music circles. For example, Alison Krauss, Ricky Scaggs, Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris are all Americana artists who have achieved commercial breakthroughs into the country and/or rock mainstream. But even with their commercial success, these artists retain a commitment to traditional musical styles which form the basis of Americana.

Another common characteristic of Americana is its rural roots. Most Americana styles originated or developed in rural America. Whether it was the Appalachian home of bluegrass, the Mississippi home of the delta blues, or the Louisiana bayou home of cajun and zydeco, all of these styles share a common rural ancestry. It is this characteristic of Americana which distinguishes it from other musical styles native to the United States, such as jazz and hip-hop which originated in a more urban environment. Of course, the original rural musical styles have developed though the years and much of today’s Americana may bear little resemblance to its rural past. 

A final shared characteristic of all Americana music is perhaps the most obvious, as it provides the source for its name. Americana music is music which is native to America. Its styles and sounds developed from a complicated mix of outside sources, including English, Irish, Scottish, African, Spanish, Carribean and many other musical influences. However, the result of this mixture was a variety of new and unique musical styles which were easily distinguishable from the outside influences which contributed to the sound. Of course, not all Americana artists are American. Artists such as Kasey Chambers, Richard Thompson, and Elvis Costello are a testament to the world-wide influence of Americana.

Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter what Americana is or is not. Like all good music, Americana is something to be listened to – not defined or categorized. If you enjoy it, that’s all that really matters.

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NOTABLE QUOTES ABOUT AMERICANA MUSIC

"Musically, Americana has much to do with bearded white people pawing acoustic instruments, employing minimal production (with a hint of twang), and dropping at least a few lyrical nods to the big Southern rivers. Loosely, its traditional folk music, a symbiotic swirl of bluegrass, gospel, blues and classical guitar-and-vocals emoting."

"It sounds like a lot to ask, yet it’s possible that this ultimate modern movement – this genre that provides an opposition to everything stodgy and corporate – is already here. The fact that it has been around for a bit, growing in ranks, right under our noses, just makes it an even more perfect response to everything transient in pop. It’s been called Americana, neo-country, and alternative country, and it was born – depending on who you ask – when the American grunge movement died, when the angelic country soul singer Gram Parsons declared his vision of ‘Cosmic America Music’ in the late Sixties, or when Hank Williams first strapped on his two-dollar guitar."

Tom Cox, "Twangs Can Only Get Better,"
Guardian (U.K.) Media, October, 2001.

"Americana is American roots music based on the traditions of country. While the musical model can be traced back to the Elvis Presley marriage of hillbilly and R&B that birthed rock n roll, Americana as a radio format developed during the 1990's as a reaction to the highly polished sound that defined the mainstream music of that decade. By also including influences ranging from folk to bluegrass to blues and beyond, Americana handily bridges the gap between Triple A radio and mainstream country."

The Americana Music Association,
Nashville, Tennessee, © 2005,
www.americanamusic.org