Appalachia was the name given to a region of the United States that stretched from southern New York to the northern parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi during the nineteenth century. It was a rugged and hilly region primarily settled by Scots-Irish and other European settlers. Residents of the Appalachian region combined elements of their European culture with new aspects of the Appalachian region to create traditional music, which included elements of English and Irish ballads, African-American blues music, and other elements to create a distinct sound known as Appalachian music.
Appalachian music paved the way for bluegrass, country, and old-time music, and elements of Appalachian music can be found in all three genres. The Appalachian style blended several genres and instruments to create a distinct sound; for example, the fiddle, which originated in Scottish tradition, eventually merged with instruments like the banjo, which were popular in African-American songs. Instruments like the mountain dulcimer, also known as the Appalachian dulcimer, and the mandolin became popular in the region soon after. Appalachian music began to take shape as a distinct musical genre after it was combined with traditional instruments such as the banjo.
Because religion had such a strong influence on the daily lives of Appalachian residents, religious themes and hymns are prominent in Appalachian music. Many Appalachian songs were simply popularized versions of traditional English, Welsh, or Scottish ballads. New World ballads, on the other hand, or ballads written in North America, became just as popular as Old World ballads. New World ballads were frequently written about current events or regional news. As workers fought for higher wages and better working and living conditions, protest music crept into the Appalachian style, and ballads about mine disasters and workers’ strikes began to appear.
When the first recordings were made in the 1920s, Appalachian music became more popular and well-known. Appalachian musicians who recorded had some success, but the start of the Great Depression pushed them back into obscurity. However, country music emerged not long after, influenced directly by the Appalachian style. The recordings from the mid- to late-twentieth century are frequently regarded as the beginnings of the country music genre. Bluegrass, which combined elements of traditional Appalachian music and emerging country music, became popular in the 1940s.