In the 1970’s Nashville continued to polish up country music and project a more urban image.  But a new CBS television series, “Hee Haw” flew in the face of that sophistication.  The show mirrored the successful “Laugh In” series, but rather than featuring the topical humor of “Laugh In,” “Hee Haw” was set in the fictional Kornfield Kounty , the cast routinely dressed in bib overalls and depicted stereotypical hillbilly behavior.  The show’s emcees, Buck Owens (“Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms”) and Roy Clark (“Yesterday, When I Was Young”), were country music stars.  Owens reflected the hard-edged Bakersfield sound of country music, while Clark represented the smoother Nashville sound.  The show featured country music guests such as Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, and Charlie Rich.

The Nashville sound that had become so dominant in the 1960’s (sometimes called “Classic Country”) continued to evolve.  Orchestral productions and even the use of choirs for background vocals produced many cross-over hits.  While it had always been desirable for a country record to make it to the pop chart (more money) in 1970’s Nashville it became more of a goal.  Increasingly, the record producers were crafting songs by country artists that would appeal to a pop audience, a movement called “countrypolitan.”  An early example was Lynn Anderson’s “Rose Garden.”  Originally written and recorded by Joe South, Anderson wanted to record it even though it was considered a “man’s song.”  Husband and producer Glynn Sutton didn’t want her to record it, but finally relented.  Given the full countrypolitan treatment with a lush string section, the record went to number one on the country chart for five weeks and made number three on the pop chart.  Other examples of cross-over success were Kenny Rogers (“Lucille,” #1 country / #5 pop), Dolly Parton (“Here You Come Again,” #1 country / #3 pop), John Denver (“Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” #1 country / #1 pop), Glen Campbell (“Rhinestone Cowboy,” country #1 / pop #1).

As fits the pattern of country music’s history, the lush Nashville sound eventually produced a counter movement.  For the 1970’s it was “outlaw country.”  Spearheaded by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, some country artists rejected the notion that success depended on making country sound more like pop and country stars to look like pop stars.  Both Nelson and Jennings eschewed the colorful rhinestone jackets of the country star, wearing casual clothes and letting their hair grow long. With songs like “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,” Lukenback Texas,” and “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” the outlaws produced #1 country records.

While the “outlaws” were rejecting the pop country influence, some pop artists were embracing a country influence.  From a musical community in Laurel Canyon, California a genre that came to be called “country rock” emerged.  Linda Ronstadt had a hit record in 1967, “Different Drum” with The Stone Poneys.  Not much happened again until 1975 when “You’re No Good” reached #1.  While the song seems most appropriate for the rock genre, it did make it to #10 on the country chart.  Two members of Ronstadt’s backing band, Don Henley and Glen Frey formed The Eagles and soon produced a pop #1 of their own, “Best of My Love.”  While The Eagles are a rock band, “Lyin’ Eyes,” number two on the pop chart, also made it to #8 on the country chart.

Another sub-genre of rock and roll that had a decided country influence, “southern rock” developed in the 1970’s.  Groups like The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd produced records like “Ramblin’ Man” and “Sweet Home Alabama” that had a country flavor to them.

One striking development of 1970’s country music was the rise of the female vocalist.  While singers such as Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells, Wanda Jackson, and Skeeter Davis had hit records in the 1950’s and 1960’s, country music was mostly a boy’s club.  In the 1970’s the female vocalists became headliners of their own instead of opening acts for the male singers.  Loretta Lynn (“Coal Miners Daughter”), Tammy Wynette (“’Til I Can Make It On My Own”), Dolly Parton (“Jolene”), Barbara Mandrell (“Sleeping Single In A Double Bed”), Chrystal Gayle (“Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”), and Tanya Tucker (“Lizzie and the Rain Man”) posted numerous number one country songs.

The decade also produced highly successful country duets.  George Jones and Tammy Wynette scored three number ones during the 1970’s: “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Golden Ring,” and “Near You.”  “After the Fire Is Gone,” “Lead Me On,” “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man,” “As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone,” and “Feelins” were all number ones for Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty.  Porter Wagoner featured Dolly Parton on his syndicated television show, and they charted many songs, including a number one, “Please Don’t Stop Loving Me.”  Dolly Parton also had a number one with her farewell song when she left Wagoner’s show in 1974, “I Will Always Love You.”

The 1970’s made it clear that a variety of music was covered by the country umbrella.  There was the continued influence of rock music coming from the outside and a push from traditionalists from the inside.