Americana (music)

Americana is an amalgam of American folk music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influences. Americana, as defined by the Americana Music Association (AMA), is "contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band."

Americana as a radio format
Americana as a radio format developed during the 1990s as a reaction to the highly polished sound that defined the mainstream music of that decade (similar pressures also led to the formation of the classic country format at around the same time).

Because of listener interest in the artists who do not fit as comfortably in the country or rock genres, a radio format called "Americana" was developed by the AMA and reported by R&R (Radio & Records, a radio trade publication). Born out of Triple A, non-commercial, country and other formats, the Americana format is the sum of the parts that have showcased Americana music since its inception.

The AMA grew out of the format as an effort to bring all Americana music supporters, performers, and professionals together to expand the visibility and viability of the music. The radio format, including the term "Americana," began in early 1995 through the efforts of Rob Bleetstein of San Francisco, and Jon Grimson of Nashville. Bleetstein became the first Americana chart editor as Gavin magazine (a former radio trade publication) created the first Americana radio chart, which was published on January 20, 1995. This came about when KFAT radio in Gilroy, California went off the air, and Bleetstein went to the Gavin Report, asserting that they were missing a category of music. He described the KFAT format, which had the widest playlist of any station in the country, and most of whose artists whose music would come to be known as Americana. Bleetstein worked closely with KFAN "Texas Rebel Radio" in Texas and KPIG, KFAT's descendant, in California in developing the Americana format. Both stations had been on the air with their own versions of an independent format for several years and had been instrumental in the development of the AAA format as well. The publisher agreed and gave Bleetstein the job of creating and running the chart. Grimson coined the term Americana and became the first Americana radio promoter after having promoted the music previously at Warner Brothers Records Nashville, and promoting those releases that WB worked to radio formats outside the mainstream country stations. The AMA was later established to expand the musical format outside of strictly radio, but still including the radio aspect as well.

Americana artists
Some of the notable artists in the genre are:


 * Alison Krauss
 * Allison Moorer


 * Alabama Shakes
 * Austin Lucas
 * Amber's Drive
 * America
 * American Aquarium
 * Amy LaVere
 * Anders Osborne
 * Anderson East
 * Andrew Bird
 * Angaleena Presley
 * Ari Hest
 * Artie Tobia
 * Asleep at the Wheel
 * Avett Brothers
 * The Band
 * The Band of Heathens
 * Band of Horses
 * Beck
 * Bellwether
 * Ben Kyle
 * Beta Radio
 * Big John Bates
 * Bill Frisell
 * Billy Bragg
 * Blake Mills
 * Bob Dylan
 * Bob Seger
 * Bob Woodruff
 * BoDeans
 * Bonnie Raitt
 * The Bottle Rockets
 * Brandi Carlile
 * Brian Fallon
 * Brown Bird
 * Bruce Hornsby
 * Bruce Springsteen
 * Buffy Sainte-Marie
 * Butch Walker
 * Calexico
 * Carla Olson
 * Carolina Chocolate Drops
 * Carbon Leaf
 * Charlie Haden
 * Chely Wright
 * Chris Stapleton
 * The Civil Wars
 * Cody Canada and The Departed
 * Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
 * Corb Lund
 * Cory Branan
 * Counting Crows
 * Cory Chisel
 * Chuck Ragan
 * Craig Silver
 * The Creekdraggers
 * Cross Canadian Ragweed
 * The Damnwells
 * Danny and the Champions of the World
 * Danny O'Keefe
 * Danny Schmidt
 * Darlingside
 * Dave Alvin
 * Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer
 * David Ackles
 * David Lindley
 * David Olney
 * Dawes
 * The Decemberists
 * The Deep Dark Woods
 * Delbert McClinton
 * Delta Rae
 * Delta Son
 * Dido
 * The Dixie Bee-Liners
 * Doc Watson
 * Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors
 * Drift Mouth
 * Drive-By Truckers
 * Duane Eddy
 * Dustin Kensrue
 * Dwight Yoakam
 * Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
 * Eilen Jewell
 * Elephant Revival
 * Elle King
 * Elizabeth Cook
 * Emmylou Harris
 * Ezra Lee
 * The Felice Brothers
 * First Aid Kit
 * The Flatlanders
 * Fleet Foxes
 * Flying Burrito Brothers
 * Frank Hannon
 * The Gaslight Anthem
 * Gear Daddies
 * Gene Clark
 * George Ezra
 * Gillian Welch
 * Gram Parsons
 * Grateful Dead
 * Greg Graffin
 * Gregory Alan Isakov
 * the Growlers
 * Gurf Morlix
 * The Handsome Family
 * Hayes Carll
 * Herrick (band)
 * The Head and the Heart
 * The Hold Steady
 * Horse Feathers
 * Hurray for the Riff Raff
 * The Infamous Stringdusters
 * Iron & Wine
 * JD McPherson
 * Jakob Dylan
 * James McMurtry
 * Jason Isbell
 * The Jayhawks
 * Jeffrey Foucault
 * Carla Olson
 * Jerry Douglas
 * Jim Lauderdale
 * JJ Cale
 * Joe Pug
 * John Doe
 * John Fullbright
 * John Fogerty
 * John Hiatt
 * John Driskell Hopkins
 * John Mellencamp
 * John Paul White
 * John Prine
 * John Stewart
 * Jolie Holland
 * Jonathan Byrd (musician)
 * Josh Ritter
 * Judy Collins
 * Justin Townes Earle
 * Kacey Musgraves
 * Kamikaze Hearts
 * Karla Bonoff
 * Kelly Willis
 * The Knitters
 * Kurt Vile
 * Langhorne Slim
 * Larry Campbell
 * Leftover Salmon
 * Lera Lynn
 * Leon Russell
 * Leonum
 * Levon Helm
 * Linda Ronstadt
 * Loretta Lynn
 * Lucero
 * Lucinda Williams
 * The Lumineers
 * Lyle Lovett
 * Mandolin Orange
 * Martha Redbone
 * Mary Chapin Carpenter
 * The Mavericks
 * Mavis Staples
 * The Menzingers
 * Michael Nesmith
 * Micky & the Motorcars
 * Mike Brown
 * Mike Ness
 * Mike Gordon
 * Buddy Miller
 * Julie Miller
 * Moonsville Collective
 * Mumford & Sons
 * Murder by Death
 * My Morning Jacket
 * Nathaniel Rateliff
 * Neil Young
 * Neko Case
 * Neutral Milk Hotel
 * Nick 13
 * Nickel Creek
 * Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
 * Old 97's
 * Old Crow Medicine Show
 * Over the Rhine
 * Parker Millsap
 * Patty Griffin
 * Pete Seeger
 * Pinegrove
 * Poco
 * Pokey LaFarge
 * Porter Wagoner
 * Punch Brothers
 * Railroad Earth
 * Reckless Kelly
 * The Rave-Ups
 * Ray Wylie Hubbard
 * Rhiannon Giddens
 * Richard Campbell
 * Richard Thompson
 * Richmond Fontaine
 * River City Extension
 * Rob Heath
 * Robert Earl Keen
 * Robert Gordon
 * Robert Plant
 * Rocky Votolato
 * Rodney Crowell
 * Rosanne Cash
 * Ry Cooder
 * Ryan Bingham
 * Ryan Adams
 * Sara Watkins
 * Sarah Jarosz
 * Scott Holstein
 * Shakey Graves
 * Shovels & Rope
 * Sierra Hull
 * The Silent Comedy
 * Son Volt
 * Sons of Bill
 * The Broken String Band
 * The SteelDrivers
 * The Steel Wheels
 * Steve Earle
 * Sturgill Simpson
 * The Devil Makes Three
 * The Mavericks
 * The Tallest Man on Earth
 * The White Buffalo
 * Tift Merritt
 * Todd Snider
 * Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
 * Tom Russell
 * Tony Rice
 * Townes Van Zandt
 * Trampled by Turtles
 * Uncle Tupelo
 * Valerie June
 * Van Dyke Parks
 * Stoll Vaughan
 * The Texas K.G.B.
 * The Vespers
 * The War on Drugs
 * Waxahatchee
 * The Weavers
 * The Wood Brothers
 * The Whybirds
 * Wilco
 * Willie Nelson
 * Willie Nile
 * Zac Brown Band