Country Music Test Questions
Loretta Lynn made her comeback with who?
Jack White
why did the Dixie Chicks lose popularity?
They openly spoke against the war in Afghanistan and president Bush
what was the first country music album to sell more than one million copies
Wanted! The Outlaws
Ricky Skaggs' music in the 80s can best be described as
acoustic based
What is Tom T Halls middle name
doesnt have one
Was the Dixie Chicks Not ready to make nice album successful?
yes
Unprecedented sales successes by acts such as Garth Brooks and Telecommunications Act of 1996 helped to establish new rules of major label Music City commerce. Slogan best for the new attitude -
"Sell a million, get on the radio or get out of mainstream country music"
Explain how the Telecommunications Act of 1996 set the stage for the ban on the Dixie chicks' music on country radio and explain the reasons for that ban.
- Stated that there was no limit to the number of radio stations a company can own - Lead to small number of companies dominating all the stations - 12 companies dominated 65% at one point - Manipulated what was on the stations - chose what songs to play - only played mediocre song because didn't want very positive/very negative response songs that could cause people to change the station - Negative impact on great artists - great songs not being played - Ban Dixie Chicks - on country music radio - while on tour they made a negative comment about being ashamed to be from the same state as George W. Bush when in Europe touring - negative reaction from some people so no longer played (equal-but-opposite theory) o Only played what they were sure would not make listeners change the channel and the Dixie Chicks were controversial
Tom T. Hall's "Homecoming" song is about -
A singer seeks to explain himself to his father
What is the most commercially successful band of the 80s and 90s?
Alabama
Emmylou harris' Orphan Girl is an example of what type of music
Americana
The "Great Credibility Scare" artists wound up being labeled as
Americana
who threatened to beat up Waylon Jennings
Billy Joe Shaver
Dominant country music producer in the 70s
Billy Sherril
Emmylou Harris wrote a song in the wake of Gram Parsons' death. It referenced canyon on Fire, "the prairie and the sky," and a "sad story full of heartbreak and desire." It was called
Boulder to Birmingham
1. Which of these musicians was not important in bringing about country music's "Outlaw Movement of 1970s?" - Conway Twitty, Bobby Bare, Willie Nelson, Waylong Jennings
Conway Twitty not important in the "Outlaw Movement of the 1970's"
Gram Parsons joined the rock band the Byrds and helped turn that band into a country group for the famed Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. What was Parson's term of this blend of rock n roll ethic and country music?
Cosmic American Music
This person was present at Sun Records during the early years of rock'n'roll, was a friend and producer to Johnny cash, influenced Kris Kristofferson to move to Nashville (they talked about trains together on Kris' first night in town), discovered and produced Charly Pride and produced Waylon Jennings' wondrous Dreamin' My Dreams album
Cowboy Jack Clement
Name the singer who rose to popularity in 1980s with honk-tonk material about guitars & Cadillacs
Dwight Yoakam
Who was the Kentucky-raised singer-songwriter who moved to California, made music that harkened to older country honky-tonk forms and became a hit-maker in the 1980s and 90s
Dwight Yoakam
Who was the fiddler who traveled from Texas to NY and recorded an important country music song?
Eck Robertson
Who was the woman who sang harmony vocals and duets with Gram Parsons and then went on her own career following parson's death?
Emylou Harris
T or F: Randy Travis, George Strait, and Foster and Lloyd were all neotraditionalists
False
True or False: the success of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson meant that major country artists would never have to have producers or record label executives involved in their musical decision making
False
True or false: Johnny Cash landed a helicopter on Kris Kristofferson's front lawn in hopes that Kris would record a Johnny Cash song
False it was the exact opposite
T or F: In "On the other hand" the protagonist decides to cheat on his wife
False, decides not to
T or F: the Dixie Chicks' first 2 albums were not influenced at all by anyone who had come before them
False, they were heavily influenced by Joy Lynn White
which artist refused to use auto tune
Garth Brooks
who proved to be the most popular member of the class of 89?
Garth Brooks
Who sang "He Stopped Loving Her Today"
George Jones
who is a smooth, class sounding country singer?
George Strait
Emmylou Harris' "Two More Bottles of Wine" - Was similar in sound and presentation to?
Gram Parson's "I Can't Dance"
Emmylou Harris was most influenced by
Gram Parsons
Who was the first country music star to appear on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine
Hank Williams
Who influenced the dixie chicks heavily
Joy Lynn White
What successful military man moved to Nashville to become "a songwriting bum?"
Kris Kristofferson
who is the singer/songwriter who published short stories in Atlantic Monthly, who was a great athlete and went to teach at West Point before moving to nash?
Kris Kristofferson
Name the steel guitarist who played with Paul McCartney, the Byrds, Nanci Griffith, Ricky Skaggs and thousands of others
Lloyd Green
What steel guitar player played on the Sweetheart of the Rodeo album, on Paul McCartney's "Sally G," on Charley Pride's early albums, with Don Williams, with Ricky Skaggs in the 1980s and on into the Americana movement with Nanci Griffith?
Lloyd Green
who are two country music hall of famers who made major career comebacks with albums that was by a country radio
Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash
The soundtrack O Brother, Where Art Though? And the Dixie Chicks' most recent alums are examples of
Music that sells millions but is not heard on mainstream country radio
What did the telecommunications act of 1996 do?
Put radio airwaves in the hands of fewer people & did away with the limits on the number of stations a person or company could own
Who sang "On the Other Hand"
Randy Travis
Who had a childhood marked by run ins with the law
Randy Travis and Merl Haggard
who did entertainment magazine call "the Oprah Winfrey of country music"
Reba McEntire
Johnny Cash made his comeback with what California-based producer
Rick Rubin
The Judds early music was most influenced by who
Ricky Skaggs
The acoustic based sound of the Judds early music was most influenced by who?
Ricky Skaggs
Who were the 2 country artists most responsible for starting neotraditionalism movement in 1981
Ricky Skaggs and George Strait
Rodney Crowell produced what hit song for his wife, Rosanna Cash
Seven Year Ache
The "Great Credibility Scare" of the 1980s included such artists as________
Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith, Lloyd Lovett
What are some terms that could be used to properly describe Great Credibility Scare artist Nanci Griffith?
Storyteller, Folk-influenced, Americana forerunner
T or F: Brooks and Dunn outsold all other country duos ever
T
T or F: REba McEntire's vocals opened up an era in which many family country artists used pop like vocal gymnastics
T
Name the song written by Don Schlitz that became a hit for Kenny Rodgers
The Gambler
What song did Don Schlitz write
The Gambler sung by Kenney Rodgers
Most popular mother daughter duo
The Judds
Who wrote "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days)" included a lyric that was changed. and why did they change the lyrics
The Judds to make it more family friendly
Who was the MCA record executive who signed many "Creditability Scare" artists including Nanci Griffith, Steven Earle, and Lloyd Lovett?
Tony Brown
of the class of 89, which artist was most influenced by southern rock
Travis Tritt
T or F: "Travelin' Soldier" by the Dixie Chicks - Was a big hit that was immediately removed from the radio when controversy struck
True
T or F: Reba McEntire favored an athletic vocal approach
True
T or F: Ricky Skaggs was a neotraditionalist
True
T or F: technology can change a singer's notes from off key to on key while a singer is in the midst of a live performance
True
True or False: Garth Brooks - has sold more albums in his lifetime than the Rollingstones, Aerosmith or Neil Young
True
True or false: Mary Chapin Carpenter was a part of country music's "Class of 89"?
True
The first gold (sales of 500,000 or more) album of George Jones' career was helped along by this single, which featured a dramtic recitation, a sweeping string section and one of the most powerful vocal of Jones' career What is the song?
Why Baby Why
name at least 2 performers who performed at a big country concert near Dripping Springs, Texas on March 17. 1972
Willie Nelson and Tom T. Hall
Kris Kristofferson told nashville producers that he sang like what
a frog
Kris Kristofferson's "Jesus was a Capricorn" was about
a plea for violence
Kristofferson's "To Beat The Devil" is about
a struggling songwriter faced with the age-old question of "What if nobody listens to the things I sing?"
Shania Twain's drum sounds of the 90s were closest in sound and style to
deff leppard's pour some sugar on me
t or F: a musician must be american to be considered americana
false
T or F: "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" was a commercial and radio success and
false, just a commercial success
Where did Tom T Hall get his inspiration to write his songs
from his experiences
What is is true about the songwriting of Tom T. Hall
he was unafraid to reveal potentially embarrassing things about his life and past He also wrote songs about stories he heard from his father basically he wrote about his past experiences and memories
What did the Telecommunication Act of 1996 bring to light
it showed that controversial music could triumph, it showed that polarizing music could triumph, it basically allowed greater diversity on the radio
Waylon Jennings' music was characterized by
its rhythmic drive
what kind of song was "Crying my heart out over you"
neotraditionalist
The advent of SoundScan did what
proved country music's commercial viability
Tony Brown was a
record executive
What could Kris Kristofferson not do?
sing with great range and power. Told people he sang like a frog
Kris Kristofferson was a
songwriter, short story writer and actor
When Billboard magazine began using record sales data acquired from Soundscan in 1990s, it impacted country music's significance in the marketplace. This is because
the data indicated that country has a larger share of the market than had previously been supposed
why were Tom T Hall and Kris Kristofferson important
they changed the language of country music
During the "outlaw movement" artists like willie and Waylon did what
took creative control from record labels
T or F- Steve Earle was part of Country's "great credibility scare" of the 1980s
true
T or F: Taylor swift sings the songs she writes
true
Garth Brooks' stage shows can be described as
utilizing stage design and on-stage action that was influenced by 1970s rock'n'roll shows
Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger album was
very sparse in tone and texture, sparse in instrumentalism