I was more amazed at the big popularity of country (and definition is sort of vague) earlier in the 1900s....due movies and stars like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers or ? Never been much a fan, my dad was of the "only two kinds of music I don't listen to, country and western", altho I do like some artists here and there....bluegrass I prefer to twang and seems a lot of country does more resemble rock these days.