The first country album to go platinum came out almost 50 years ago. See what it was, and look back on more country music milestones.

Over the past century, the country music genre has become one of the most popular and recognizable within the American music industry. It first originated in the early 1900s, particularly among working-class Southern Americans. Elements of fiddle songs, ballads, banjo, jazz, and blues became entangled together, leading to its official recognition as a genre (often referred to as "hillbilly music") by the 1920s.

From there, country music grew roots in the city of Nashville, Tennessee, where the Grand Ole Opry radio and television show launched the careers of icons like Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. It was also the place where the genre had its "Big Bang" moment, when talent scout Ralph Peer began to scout Southern talent and came away with legendary acts that would continue to shape the genre and put Nashville on the map as Music City.

Even now, country music continues to evolve. Tracks like Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" in 2019 and Beyoncé's 2024 hit "Texas Hold 'Em" have ignited crucial debates about the genre's historic exclusion of Black artists. Amid the success of crossover songs like 2024's "I Had Some Help," which united country hitmaker Morgan Wallen with pop star Post Malone and debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, the boundaries of country music are expanding to include diverse artists and other genres.

To celebrate how far country has come, Stacker compiled a list of noteworthy genre moments and milestones over the past 100 years. We scoured news articles, retrospectives, and other historical resources to find one significant recording, milestone, or event for each year from 1921 to 2023. Read on to learn more about the evolution of country music, from the early 20th century to the present.

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