Country Music (2019)
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.
📺 Seasons & Episodes
Specials39 episodes
1. PBS Previews: Country Music
⏱ —A special preview of the series. Meet the filmmakers, go behind the scenes, and enjoy exclusive clips from the films.
2. Country Music: Live at the Ryman Concert
⏱ —Join celebrated musicians for a concert celebrating the series. Hosted by Burns and featuring performances and appearances by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash, Rhiannon Giddens, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Marty Stuart, Dwight Yoakam and more.
3. Ketch Secor: Old Fiddle and Banjo Tunes
⏱ —DVD Special Feature Disc 1 -1
4. Rhiannon Giddens: The Mix in Country Music
⏱ —DVD Special Feature Disc 1-2
5. Charlie Daniels: The Devil and the Fiddle
⏱ —DVD Special Features 1-3
6. The Oak Ridge Boys: "Farther Along"
⏱ —DVD Special Features 1-4
7. Old Hymns: Dwight Yoakam and Betty Johnson
⏱ —DVD Special Features 1-5
8. Dolly Parton: "Pretty Fair Maid"
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 1-6
9. "Will the Circle Be Unbroken": Country Music's National Anthem
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 2 -1
10. Wynton Marsalis: "Wildwood Flower"
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 2-2
11. Betty Johnson: The Johnson Family Singers, 1930
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 2-3
12. Ralph Stanley: The First Song Mother Taught Me
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 3-1
13. Hank Williams: The Songwriter and Performer
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 3-2
14. Randy Scruggs: The Carter Scratch, Travis Picking, Doc Watson
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 3-3
15. John McEuen: Earl Scruggs' Banjo Style
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 3-4
16. Don Maddox: The Most Colorful Hillbilly Band in the World
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 3-5
17. Elvis: The Hillbilly Cat
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 4-1
18. Patsy Cline: Tough Edges, Big Heart
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 4-2
19. Mel Tillis: Learning to Talk Through Singing
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 4-3
20. Johnny Cash: Poet Performer
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 4-4
21. The Bryants and "Rocky Top"
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 4-5
22. Music Row's A-Team
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 5-1
23. The Genius of Roger Miller
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 5-2
24. Jeannie Seely: Women in Country Music
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 5-3
25. Loretta Lynn on Songwriting
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 5-4
26. The Artistry of Merle Haggard
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 5-5
27. "Help Me" Written by Larry Gatlin
⏱ —DVD Special Features Disc 6-1
28. "Ruby, Don't Take your Love to Town" Written by Mel Tillis
⏱ —Special Features Disc 6-2
29. Kris Kristofferson's First Song
⏱ —Special Features Disc 6-3
30. "Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine" Written by Tom T. Hall
⏱ —Special Features Disc 6-4
31. "He Stopped Loving Her Today": The Story Behind the Song
⏱ —Special Features Disc 7-1
32. Dolly Parton: The Songwriter and Celebrity
⏱ —Special Features Disc 7-2
33. Johnny Cash: Following the Gospel
⏱ —Special Features Disc 7-3
34. Hank Williams, Jr.: On His Own
⏱ —Special Features Disc 7-4
35. Marty Stuart's Mandolin
⏱ —Special Features Disc 8-1
36. Johnny Cash: His Legacy
⏱ —Special Features Disc 8-2
37. Marty Stuart: Back to the Source
⏱ —Special Features Disc 8-3
38. The Song Into Outer Space
⏱ —Special Features Disc 8-4
39. Country Music — Behind the Scenes
⏱ —Special Features Disc 8-5
Miniseries8 episodes
1. The Rub (Beginnings -1933)
⏱ 111 minSee 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.
2. Hard Times (1933 -1945)
⏱ 113 minWatch 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.
3. The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945 -1953)
⏱ 113 minSee 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.
4. I Can't Stop Loving You (1953 -1963)
⏱ 111 minTravel 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.
5. The Sons and Daughters of America (1964 -1968)
⏱ 114 minSee 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.
6. Will The Circle Be Unbroken? (1968 -1972)
⏱ 111 minLearn 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.
7. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973 -1983)
⏱ 139 minWitness 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. Don't Get Above Your Raisin (1984 -1996)
⏱ 114 minLearn how “New Traditionalists” like George Strait, Randy Travis and the Judds help country music stay true to its roots. Witness both the rise of superstar Garth Brooks and the return of an aging Johnny Cash to the industry he helped create.
