Country rock is a musical genre formed from the fusion of rock with country music, with its country origins being initially referenced to the rockabilly music of the 1950s.
While such cross-pollination has occurred throughout the history of both genres, the term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s who began to record country flavored records. Such individuals and groups include The Dillards, The Byrds, Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, Neil Young, Michael Nesmith, Grateful Dead, The Band, Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, Moby Grape and Area Code 615. These musicians grew up listening to early country and rockabilly music on the radio in the 1950s, and were also influenced by the emergence of rock & roll in the 1960s. The Beatles, particularly in their earlier recordings, were also recording songs with a strong country influence, such as "I'll Cry Instead", "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", "I'm A Loser", "Baby's In Black" and Carl Perkin's "Matchbox".
The term is also used for those who came after them, such as The Flying Burrito Brothers, First National Band, The Eagles, Little Feat, Linda Ronstadt, Poco, Pure Prairie League, The Doobie Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band and Barefoot Jerry, as well as many musicians that they influenced, such as those in the alternative country movement.
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