Country Pop/Cosmopolitan

Many Country artists have tried to expand their audience by catering to the mainstream. The Nashville Sound of the 1950s and '60s succeeded at this. In the '70s, artists such as Ronnie Milsap and Kenny Rogers perfected the formula, selling millions of records thanks to smooth-edged songs like "Daytime Friends," "The Gambler," and "You Decorated My Life." Nashville was enamored with this new sound that strived for worldwide accessibility, and pop artists began cropping up on country radio stations and winning country music awards. Dolly Parton jumped on the bandwagon too, leaving her traditional country sound behind for a pepped-up and far glitzier persona. Country pop's influence is apparent in many contemporary country artists.