The BEST Episodes of Country Music
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Dec 24, 2021
Network: PBS
Explore the history of a uniquely American art form: country music. From its deep and tangled roots in ballads, blues and hymns performed in small settings, to its worldwide popularity, learn how country music evolved over the course of the 20th century, as it eventually emerged to become America’s music.
#1 - I Can't Stop Loving You (1953-1963)
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired Sep 18, 2019
Travel to Memphis, where Sun Studios artists Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley usher in the era of rockabilly. Ray Charles crosses America's racial divide by recording a country album. Patsy Cline shows off Music City's smooth new Nashville Sound.
8.44 
#2 - Will The Circle Be Unbroken? (1968-1972)
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired Sep 23, 2019
Learn how country music responds to a nation divided by the Vietnam War, as Army captain turned songwriter Kris Kristofferson sets a new lyrical standard, and artists like Bob Dylan and the Byrds find a recording home in Nashville.
8.42 
#3 - The Rub (Beginnings-1933)
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired Sep 15, 2019
See how what was first called “hillbilly music” reaches new audiences through phonographs and radio, and launches the careers of country music's first big stars, the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.
8.41 
#4 - The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945-1953)
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired Sep 17, 2019
See how the bluegrass sound spreads in post-war America, and meet honky-tonk star Hank Williams, whose songs of surprisingly emotional depth are derived from his troubled and tragically short life.
8.35 
#5 - The Sons and Daughters of America (1964 -1968)
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired Sep 22, 2019
See how country music reflects a changing America, with Loretta Lynn speaking to women everywhere, Merle Haggard becoming "The Poet of the Common Man" and audiences looking beyond race to embrace Charley Pride.
8.34 
#6 - Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973-1983)
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired Sep 24, 2019
Witness a vibrant era in country music, with Dolly Parton finding mainstream success; Hank Williams, Jr. and Rosanne Cash emerging from their famous fathers' shadows; and Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings launching the “Outlaw” movement.
8.26 
#7 - Hard Times (1933-1945)
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired Sep 16, 2019
Watch as Nashville becomes the heart of the country music industry. The genre grows in popularity during the Great Depression and World War II as America falls in love with singing cowboys, Texas Swing and the Grand Ole Opry's Roy Acuff.
8.24 
#8 - Don't Get Above Your Raisin' (1984-1996)
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired Sep 25, 2019
Neotraditional country artists such as George Strait, Randy Travis, Reba McEntire and the Judds keep country music true to its roots. Plus, the rise of superstar Garth Brooks and the return of Johnny Cash to the industry he helped create.
8.23 #9 - Don't Get Above Your Raisin' pt2 (1984-1996)
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired Oct 2, 2019
As country music’s popularity rocketed, the genre questioned whether it could stay true to its roots. The success of ‘New Traditionalists’ like Reba McEntire and the Judds suggested it could. Garth Brooks overcame rejection and exploded onto the scene. And after being left behind by his label, Johnny Cash returned to a studio with just his guitar and his unforgettable voice to record albums that sold millions of copies and earnt him the respect of the industry he helped to create. Meanwhile, Rosanne Cash came out of the shadow of her father to start her own music career
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