English

Noun

country and western ‎(uncountable)

1. (music) A diverse field of American popular music that grew out of hillbilly music and features elements from rural peoples across the Southern and Western United States.
2. Early term for country music.

Alternative forms

• country & western
• country-western

Usage notes

Country and western was in use mainly from the 1930s to the 1950s, when the Western influence on the field became less pronounced, leading to the term being shortened to country music. It is, however, still occasionally used as a synonym for country music, especially in reference to songs with a definite Western or cowboy influence.

References

• 2001. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: North America. Garland Publishing. Ellen Koskoff (Ed.). Pgs. 77-80.