Roots Rock
Roots rock is a rock subgenre which is conceptually oriented around American roots music? and its influence, drawing on key early influences on rock & roll like blues?, rhythm & blues?, country?, and various regional musics of the United States?. The term "roots rock" rose to prominence in the 1980s?, but can be understood as a continuum stretching back to the mid-1960s period of experimentation within rock qua rock beyond its pop rock format and instrumentation. As a result, it can be understood as a cybernetic process of rock's roots and earlier roots rock continually being readapted into the roots rock tradition.
Prior to the 1980s, roots rock was generally recognised as a number of separate traditions (with some not generally considered to be fully under the roots rock umbrella):
In the 1980s, following the explosion of punk? and New Wave?, many alternative groups looked back towards 1960s and even 1950s styles for inspiration, leading to the movement that was termed "roots rock", and often associated with the "cowpunk?" term.