Alternative country, also referred to as "Americana," "Cowpunk," "Y'alternative," "No Depression," and "Insurgent Country," is a catch-all term describing a diverse musical genre that combines forms of traditional country music, such as twang, swing, rockabilly, and bluegrass, with the ethos and sound of punk rock. While a definition of "alt.country" may be difficult to pin down, what it is not remains clear: it is not the "Hot Country" music of commercial Nashville, which is seen as homogenous and lacking a sense of tradition. Gram Parsons, generally considered the godfather of alt.country, noted in 1972 to Frank Murphy, "Yeah, my music is still country—but my feeling is there is no boundary between 'types' of music." His words forecast the diversity of a genre that would follow the trail he had blazed.

As with any genre, the exact origin of alt.country is open...