101: The Rub (Beginnings – 1933)

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020 at 9 p.m.

See how what was first called “hillbilly music” reaches new audiences through phonographs and radio, and launches the careers of country music’s first big stars, the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.

102: Hard Times (1933 – 1945)

Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 at 9 p.m.

Watch as Nashville becomes the heart of the country music industry. The genre grows in popularity during the Great Depression and World War II as America falls in love with singing cowboys, Texas Swing, and the Grand Ole Opry’s Roy Acuff.

103:The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945 – 1953)

Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 at 9 p.m.

See how the bluegrass sound spreads in post-war America, and meet honky-tonk star Hank Williams, whose songs of surprising emotional depth are derived from his troubled and tragically short life.

104: I Can’t Stop Loving You (1953 – 1963)

Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020 at 9 p.m.

Travel to Memphis, where Sun Studios artists Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley usher in the era of rockabilly. Ray Charles crosses America’s racial divide by recording a country album. Patsy Cline shows off Music City’s smooth new Nashville Sound.

105:The Sons and Daughters of America (1964 -1968)

Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020 at 9 p.m.

See how country music reflects a changing America, with Loretta Lynn speaking to women everywhere, Merle Haggard becoming “The Poet of the Common Man” and audiences looking beyond race to embrace Charley Pride.

106: Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (1968 – 1972)

Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 at 9 p.m.

Learn how country music responds to a nation divided by the Vietnam War, as Army captain turned songwriter Kris Kirstofferson sets a new lyrical standard, and artists like Bob Dylan and the Byrds find a recording home in Nashville.

107: Are Your Sure Hank Done It This Way? (1973 – 1983)

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020 at 9 p.m.

Witness a vibrant era in country music, with Dolly Parton finding mainstream success; Hank Williams, Jr. and Rosanne Cash emerging from their famous fathers’ shadows; and Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings launching the “Outlaw” movement.

108:Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’ (1984 -1996)

Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 at 9 p.m.

Learn how “New Traditionalists” like George Strait, Randy Travis, and the Judds help country music stay true to its roots. Witness both the rise of superstar Garth Brooks and the return of an aging Johnny Cash to the industry he helped create.