# What’s the difference between Rock & Roll and Country/Western music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [May 4, 2022, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925 "2022-05-04T08:19:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/61 "2022-05-10T09:45:58Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > In their song I Am Superman, I think that’s a country harmony during the I am…I am part. Plus, aren’t they from Georgia? Probably lots of country influences. > > @minor7flat5, what is the vocal harmony that seems to dominate today’s country music? I think it’s a suspended 2nd or suspended 4th, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/62 "2022-05-10T10:15:33Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > BTW, how did that twangy sound become to be associated with western/country music. A few notes played that way has me immediately thinking of cowboys and such. I think more than anything else it’s the [Teles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Telecaster) that bring that characteristic sound to country (though surely many different electric guitars are used in country music). I love the sound of a well-played Telecaster. Not in any modern pop-country crap, though, because that shit is irredeemable (like most “pop-anything”). In Austin they have some great bands featuring Teles. Sometimes I feel like on any given weekend there you can sample like 10 different areas of the continuum of blues/bluegrass/country/rock/ and more, all in one night. I bet Memphis and Nashville must be a bit like that too. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/63 "2022-05-10T11:33:12Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > I think more than anything else it’s the [Teles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Telecaster) that bring that characteristic sound to country (though surely many different electric guitars are used in country music). > > I love the sound of a well-played Telecaster. [Agreed!](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/Born_to_Run_%28Front_Cover%29.jpg). ;). (Tho, technically, I believe that is an Esquire.) And to go the other way, Rock Diva Dolly Parton recently nominated for the Rock Hall of Fame! And we haven’t even gotten to my favorites - cowpony and psychobilly! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/64 "2022-05-10T12:06:41Z")
Fun HOF fact: yes to Dolly, no to Chubby Checker. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/65 "2022-05-10T13:58:17Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > cowpony So it autocorrects cowpunk, but not psychobilly!? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/66 "2022-05-10T18:33:17Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > [Agreed!](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/Born_to_Run_%28Front_Cover%29.jpg). ;). (Tho, technically, I believe that is an Esquire.) So maybe one could answer the OP tersly with— Rock n roll – Stratocaster Country – Telecaster ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/67 "2022-05-10T18:37:08Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Country – Telecaster Don’t tell that to Jimi… ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/68 "2022-05-10T20:31:43Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Rock n roll – Stratocaster > Country – Telecaster If you looked at the image - Bruce Springsteen has consistently played Tele. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/69 "2022-05-10T20:35:06Z")
Rock & Roll has songs where the singer contemplates suicide. Country has songs where the singer can’t decide whether to kill themselves or go bowling. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/70 "2022-05-10T20:39:17Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Fun HOF fact: yes to Dolly, no to Chubby Checker. To be fair, Dolly kicks ass. And Chubby, well he’ll always have that cover of The Twist. And who could forget the follow up “Let’s Twist Again”. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/71 "2022-05-10T20:56:02Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Country has songs where the singer can’t decide whether to kill themselves or go bowling. I thought that was blues. > [@](#): > > I got the blues so bad, woo > Kinda wish I was dead > Maybe I’ll blow my brains out mama > Or maybe I’ll, yeah maybe I’ll just go bowlin’ instead -Weird Al Yankovic, “Generic Blues” ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/72 "2022-05-10T21:39:37Z")
Sure. of course. It was just a tongue in cheek oversimplification. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/73 "2022-05-10T22:04:52Z")
didn’t he play strats? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/74 "2022-05-10T22:05:25Z")
Isn’t it an esquire? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/75 "2022-05-10T22:13:04Z")
Yes - as I observed above. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/76 "2022-05-10T22:16:32Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Pretty easy to distinguish music at the extremes as country/not country. But in the middle, there is a ton of overlap. The same tune can be played in various styles and with various instrumentation, which would make it seem like country or not. Shania Twain’s album _Up!_ was released as a multiple CD package. Each CD had exactly the same songs in the same order, but in a different style. A red disc had the songs in pop style; a green disc had the same songs in country style. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/77 "2022-05-10T22:32:14Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > didn’t he play strats? At the beginning, yes, but he changed to the Tele sometimes in 1969 or so. Note that he played his famous “Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock on a Telecaster: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sjzZh6-h9fM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AGOA4AC4AGKAgwIABABGHIgYShDMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBxPjI5h-_3OrdWK8OMgjxecYfhBQ "Jimi Hendrix - The Star Spangled Banner [National Anthem] ( Live at Woodstock 1969 )") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjzZh6-h9fM) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/78 "2022-05-10T22:40:04Z")
That’s a strat ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/79 "2022-05-10T22:42:41Z")
Ok Yeah. An esquire looks like a tele but isn’t the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925/80 "2022-05-10T22:51:19Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > That’s a strat I was going from memory and somehow got the impression that Hendrix often played the telecaster in his later career, but I somehow think now that’s a false memory, so please ditch it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-difference-between-rock-roll-and-country-western-music/963925.md?page=5)