Bakersfield sound

E245811

The Bakersfield sound is a twangy, electric-guitar-driven style of country music that emerged in mid-20th-century Bakersfield, California, as a raw, honky-tonk alternative to the polished Nashville sound.

All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Bakersfield sound canonical 25
Bakersfield country music scene 1
Bakersfield sound canon 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (89)

Predicate Object
instanceOf country music subgenre
music genre
contrastWith Nashville sound
countrypolitan
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
culturalOrigin Dust Bowl migrants in California
Okie community in Bakersfield
derivative alt-country
country rock
outlaw country
hasCharacteristic barroom performance aesthetic
barroom storytelling lyrics
blue-collar perspective
driving backbeat
emotional, working-class lyrics
emphasis on electric instruments
fiddle used in a more aggressive style
honky-tonk dance rhythms
limited use of background choruses
limited use of string sections
live-band feel
minimal orchestration
nasal vocal style
prominent Telecaster guitar tone
raw production style
rebellious attitude toward Nashville establishment
strong backbeat influenced by rock
telecaster lead lines with sharp attack
themes of heartbreak and drinking
twangy electric guitar
up-tempo shuffle grooves
use of pedal steel guitar
hasInfluenceOn Americana
Red Dirt music
rock music
hasQuality alternative to polished Nashville production
associated with migrant and oilfield workers
more aggressive and edgy than Nashville sound
influenced Alan Jackson
Brad Paisley
Dwight Yoakam
Marty Stuart
The Derailers
Yoakam–Buck Owens collaborations
alt-country movement
country rock of the 1970s
modern neo-traditional country
musicFusionGenre country music
rock and roll
musicSceneCenter Bakersfield honky-tonks
The Blackboard Cafe
Trouts (Oildale)
notableArtist Bonnie Owens
Buck Owens
Don Rich
Ferlin Husky
Fuzzy Owen
Maddox Brothers and Rose
Merle Haggard
Red Simpson
Susan Raye
The Buckaroos
Tommy Collins
Wynn Stewart
notableSong Act Naturally
Mama Tried
Streets of Bakersfield
The Bottle Let Me Down
I've Got a Tiger By the Tail
surface form: Tiger By The Tail

Together Again
peakPeriod 1960s
placeOfOrigin Bakersfield
surface form: Bakersfield, California

California, United States
surface form: California
recognizedAs foundation of West Coast country music identity
major alternative to Nashville country in the 1960s
recordLabelAssociation Capitol Records
Tally Records
startTime 1950s
mid-1950s
stylisticOrigin Western swing
honky-tonk
rhythm and blues
rock and roll
typicalInstrument Fender Telecaster
acoustic rhythm guitar
drum kit
electric bass
fiddle
pedal steel guitar

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (28)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Bakersfield knownFor Bakersfield sound
Bakersfield hasMusicGenreOrigin Bakersfield sound
Merle Haggard genre Bakersfield sound
Merle Haggard movement Bakersfield sound
Nashville sound contrastedWith Bakersfield sound
Streets of Bakersfield genre Bakersfield sound
Streets of Bakersfield isPartOf Bakersfield sound
this entity surface form: Bakersfield sound canon
A Thousand Miles from Nowhere influencedBy Bakersfield sound
Hillbilly Deluxe genre Bakersfield sound
Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room genre Bakersfield sound
Gone hasMusicalInfluence Bakersfield sound
A Long Way Home hasMusicalInfluence Bakersfield sound
This Time hasInfluence Bakersfield sound
The Country Music Capital of the West Coast linkedToSubgenre Bakersfield sound
this entity surface form: West Coast country music
Merle genre Bakersfield sound
subject surface form: Merle Haggard
The Strangers activeIn Bakersfield sound
The Strangers partOf Bakersfield sound
this entity surface form: Bakersfield country music scene
Okie from Muskogee genre Bakersfield sound
Mama Tried subgenre Bakersfield sound
The Fightin' Side of Me hasSubgenre Bakersfield sound
Sing Me Back Home subgenre Bakersfield sound
Workin' Man Blues genre Bakersfield sound
Branded Man subgenre Bakersfield sound
Lefty Frizzell influencedGenre Bakersfield sound
Bonnie Owens genre Bakersfield sound