Country music at its root is largely about telling stories and sharing experiences that audiences can connect with (Fenster, 1988). Melton A. McLaurin and Richard A. Peterson explain that “Country music has often been called a storytellers’ medium… country music is unique among the major kinds of contemporary music in telling stories” (2-3). When music videos boomed in the 20th century, this aspect of storytelling was inevitably a main feature in country music videos. However, the simplicity of lyrics during the time, as well as budgetary constraints and conservative audiences, led early country music videos to lack the extravagance seen in other genres’ music videos (Frith, 2005, 100).
During the 1980s and ‘90s when music videos were increasing in popularity, country music audiences largely aligned with southern, conservative values. Dating back to the 18th century, American southern culture was largely impacted by religion, defining values that shaped day-to-day life. Strong, Evangelical religion enforced family structures of marriage, with men as providers and women as housekeepers. Additionally, southern lifestyles of farming contributed to a laid-back culture, as well as country music iconography of cowboy boots, hats, horses, etc. (“Culture in the Old South”). Because country music audiences were initially white, working-class, rural, Southerners, the videos often reflected these lives and values (Wiggins, 2009, 5). Content catered to this specific type of audience is one of the reasons why the reach of country music videos was limited during their early years (Wiggins, 2009, 9).
