| Cowboy pop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1970s and 1980s inNashville, Tennessee |
| Typical instruments | |
| Other topics | |
| Alternative country | |
Cowboy pop ismusic genre coined in 1984 by music journalistJ. D. Considine in his review ofScenic Views byRubber Rodeo.[1] Usage of the term has varied.[2] In the late 2010s, the term began to be used to describe country-influenced indie rock and indie pop bands.[3][4][5][6]
Following Considine's coining of the term "cowboy pop" in the 1980s, the term was used retrospectively to describe a broad range of music recorded throughout the 20th century. In the early 2000s, music journalists such asBarry Mazor,John T. Davis, andRichard Carlin began to describe pop ballads used inwestern films as cowboy pop. Barry Mazor calledJimmy Wakely a "cowboy pop singer" and argued that "when singing cowboy movies ruled, Hollywood hardly made a distinction between the sounds of cowboy pop balladeers and another sound entirely, born in Texas, in which Jimmie Rodgers had a formative role."[7][8] As an actor and cowboy pop balladeer, Wakely sang in many of the western films in which he appeared, such asRiders of the Dawn andSilver Trails.[9][10][11] Similarly, John T. Davis calledMarty Robbins a "cowboy pop balladeer," who would later act and provide music for western films such asGun of a Stranger.[12][13] Marty Robbins' 1959 song "El Paso" was featured onCowboy Pop, a 2011 compilation released by Ling Music Group.[14] Similar to Jimmy Wakely and Marty Robbins,Wilf Carter's 1949 recording "Bluebird on Your Windowsill" was described by Richard Carlin as "the kind of cowboy pop that is treasured as a kitsch classic."[15] Wilf Carter's songs were also used to score cowboy films, such asJohn Ford's 1939Stagecoach.[16] Though these popular cowboy singers preceded the coining of the term cowboy pop by music journalist J. D. Considine, they have been identified in retrospect for their singing of pop ballads in the context of western films.
Beyond the early pop balladry of cowboy singers like Jimmy Wakely, Marty Robbins, and Wilf Carter, the term cowboy pop has also been used to describe soft rock performers from the 1970s and 1980s who embodied cowboy aesthetics in their music, such asMichael Martin Murphey andAlex Harvey.Stereo Review referred to Michael Martin Murphey as a cowboy pop singer andJazzTimes similarly referred to Alex Harvey's 1971 song "Rings" as cowboy pop.[17][18] In December 1974, soft rock singerPaul Davis released the song "Ride 'Em Cowboy," which peaked at #4 on Billboard'sPop-Standard Singles and #27 onthe Hot 100.[19][20] In the context of baroque pop music,Van Dyke Parks' employed cowboy aesthetics in his 1989 song "Cowboy," whichThe Wire described as "a complex narrative about Hawaii and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour."[21] Parks went on to produce Utah Carol's "Cowboy Pop Song" in 2001.[22]
In the late 2010s, the term cowboy pop began to be used to describe several country-influenced indie rock and indie pop bands inNew York City.[3][4][5][23] Some associated groups includeBabies' Babies,Baby Jey,Cut Worms,Dark Tea,Dougie Poole,New Love Crowd,Sam Evian,Widowspeak, andWilder Maker, several of whom have performed together.[24] In 2015,Stereogum described Wilder Maker's music as "cowboy pop that’s got one eye wandering toward outlaw territory and one fixed on catchy melodies."[3] The influence ofoutlaw country was similarly noted byNew Commute, which described Dougie Poole's music as an "intersection of experimental pop and outlaw country."[25]London in Stereo called Widowspeak's 2017 releaseExpect the Best an "accomplished album that would fit snugly in a cowboy pop genre."[4] In a 2018 interview, Baby Jey cited influences such asPrince and 1980s country singersTanya Tucker,Keith Whitley, andJohnny Lee, giving further context to the development of contemporary cowboy pop.[26]
As of 2018, the music blog aggregatorHype Machine employs the term cowboy pop as amusic genre.[27]