The California Rock Band That Helped Invent An Entirely New Genre In The '60s

How many bands can be credited with inventing an entire musical genre? While the Byrds' album "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" may not have singularly created country rock, it's often hailed as the true granddaddy. It certainly helped pioneer the genre, allowing the Byrds, who formed in LA, California, in 1964, to branch out beyond the great folk albums and rock records they were known for in the '60s. 

The Byrds' change in style was largely due to Gram Parsons, who replaced David Crosby on piano and guitar ahead of "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." Parsons ultimately left the group before the album came out at the end of August 1968, but his influence is undeniable. As bassist Chris Hillman told Forbes, "His involvement helped propel it, it made it happen and I had an ally." Parsons would continue to successfully experiment with country music into the '70s.

With the exception of Parsons, the band members didn't write any original songs for "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." Bob Dylan — one of the artists the Byrds made famous — wrote a couple of tracks. They also put their spin on songs by Cindy Walker, Woody Guthrie, and Luke McDaniel. However, the Byrds immersed themselves in the Nashville music scene, tapping local session musicians to do what they did best. Of course, the Byrds experimented with country music before "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." Songs like 1967's "Time Between" prove that the genre was in their veins before they fully leaned into it. As such, the turn wasn't completely out of left field, but it was quite daring and impactful. 

Like many things that are new, it took a minute for people to fall for "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." It was a commercial flop that alienated the band's counter-culture audience and failed to appeal to country music purists. However, other musicians were inspired by this fusion of rock and country, and the album provided a foundation for others to build from.

"What Sweetheart accomplished, it laid out a great groundwork for all that," Chris Hillman told Forbes. "People became more aware of country music and how important it is to the whole landscape of pop music." The album has also been credited as an influence on artists like the Eagles — and Don Henley admitted that he was inspired by the Byrds when he inducted them into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Some albums have almost destroyed rock legends, but the Byrds bounced back from "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" just fine, and it's now regarded as a classic that inspired an entire movement. High record sales are great and all, but nothing beats being part of a legacy that continues to inform music to this day.