Outlaw Country
Also known as outlaw country music
A concise, evidence-based entry for the 1970s outlaw country movement, centered on its anti-Nashville stance, artist-driven control, and close ties to honky tonk, progressive country, and rough-edged storytelling.
Origins and context
A 1970s country-music backlash against the Nashville sound, especially in Texas-linked and artist-controlled recording circles.
The sound
Characteristics
- Story-driven vocals
- Electric and acoustic guitars
- Bass
- Drums
- Fiddle
- Steel guitar
History
The label took hold in the early to mid-1970s as a pushback against the heavily produced Nashville sound. AllMusic traces the style to artists who wanted more artistic control and a harder-edged, more direct country sound, with Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson becoming two of its best-known figures. The movement drew on honky-tonk, folk, blues, and rock and roll, and it was helped along by landmark records such as Willie Nelson’s Shotgun Willie and Waylon Jennings’ Honky Tonk Heroes. The term also widened into a broader scene around albums like Wanted: The Outlaws!, which helped turn a rebellious posture into a marketable identity.
Notable artists
- WJWaylon Jennings
- WNWillie Nelson
- MHMerle Haggard
- JCJessi Colter
- DADavid Allan Coe
- KKKris Kristofferson
Essential listening
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