Turn Up the Volume on This Country Music Quiz

Brenda Lee’s small stature — she stood at 4 feet, 9 inches — combined with her 1957 pop hit, “Dynamite,” earned her the nickname “Little Miss Dynamite.” Throughout her career, the country songstress sold more than 90 million records, more than any other female singer in history at the time.

From 1969 to 1990, Roy Clark hosted the country variety show “Hee Haw,” with Buck Owens as his co-host for the majority of those years. The show was originally supposed to be the summer replacement for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” but “Hee Haw” was such a success that CBS kept it on the schedule. The show became known for comedic skits such as “The Cornfield,” “Pickin’ and Grinnin’,” “Pfft You Was Gone,” and “Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me.”

Alabama began as Wildcountry in 1973, before changing its name in 1977. Composed of Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, Jeff Cook, and Mark Herndon, the band had 33 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart between 1980 and 1993, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

Conway Twitty, whose birth name was Harold Lloyd Jenkins, began as a rockabilly musician in the 1950s. In the ’60s, his career began to wane and the singer reinvented himself as a country musician. Twitty, along with his backing bands the Lonely Blue Boys and the Twitty Birds, had more than 50 No. 1 hits on the country charts, including “Tight Fittin’ Jeans” (1981).

Marty Robbins was a beloved country musician. However, for a brief period in the 1960s, Robbins was also a stock car driver. Inspired by the races near his home in Nashville, Robbins regularly competed at the Highland Rim Speedway in a 1934 Ford car named “Devil Woman.” In 1966, he participated in his first NASCAR Grand National stock car race.

Merle Haggard was known for popularizing a stripped-down, edgier style of country known as the “Bakersfield sound.” The sound originated in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and was heavily influenced by rock ’n’ roll. Musician Buck Owens, who was at the center of the movement, said he wanted music to “sound like a locomotive comin’ right through the front room.”

Country legend George Strait’s solo career began with his 1981 debut album, “Strait Country.” The album’s three singles were “Unwound,” “Down and Out,” and “If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home),” the latter of which reached No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Strait went on to win the CMA Entertainer of the Year award three times, in 1989, 1990, and 2013.

Kenny Rogers’ 1978 album, “The Gambler,” was one of his biggest hits, earning the musician a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.” In 1980, the album’s titular song was turned into a made-for-television movie starring Rogers. The success of the movie led to four sequels in the following years.

Country star Patsy Cline rose to prominence with her 1957 track “Walkin’ After Midnight.” Cline initially didn’t like the song, but ignored her gut and decided to record it. The result was a rousing success, as the tune reached No. 2 on the country chart and No. 12 on the pop chart, propelling Cline into the mainstream.

Country music legend Willie Nelson is known for playing a beat-up, autograph-covered Martin N-20 acoustic guitar that he nicknamed “Trigger.” Nelson got the guitar in 1969 and named it after fellow country singer Roy Rogers’ horse, as Nelson considers the guitar his trusty steed. The singer is so attached to the guitar that he once ran into a burning house to save it.

Jimmie Rodgers — also known as “America’s Blue Yodeler” or the “Singing Brakeman” — was the first artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame after it was established in 1967. Rodgers’ music was inspired by folk music, railroad work chants, and African American blues. Often cited by country stars as an inspiration, Rodgers’ magnetic personality and vocal power ensured his legendary status.

The Carter Family was a popular country group formed of family members A. P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter. They were instrumental in popularizing music from the Appalachian Mountains, recording over 300 songs in the genre for a variety of music labels. Some of their most famous hits included “Wildwood Flower” (1928) and “Worried Man Blues" (1930).

“The Grand Ole Opry” radio show made its debut in 1925, broadcasting live from Nashville, Tennessee. It was not the first country music radio show — that honor goes to Chicago’s National Barn Dance — but it soon became the most famous. The show broadcast on Saturday nights and created a new audience for country music, launching the careers of many beloved stars.

Outlaw country developed in the 1970s in reaction to the dominance of the Nashville sound. Artists eschewed the groomed, rhinestone-encrusted look of their mainstream counterparts and instead opted for long hair and leather jackets. Willie Nelson, who fought to secure his own recording rights to explore his unique country sound, typified the genre, along with Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. (Earl Scruggs popularized bluegrass’ "Scruggs style" banjo picking.)

Honky-tonk developed out of the music scene in the bars of Texas and Oklahoma, becoming one of the most recognizable country music sounds. Singer and songwriter Hank Williams was one of the foremost honky-tonk stars, with hits such as "Cold, Cold Heart" (1951) and "Your Cheatin' Heart" (1953). While country music was previously associated with rural areas, honky-tonk reflected the urban experience, and appealed to a wider audience.

Country music icon Dolly Parton notched her first country music No. 1 hit in 1971, with the bluegrass-inspired single “Joshua.” Parton’s career had taken off a few years earlier when she partnered with Porter Wagoner and became a regular fixture on his popular TV show. She went on to gain huge success as a solo artist, racking up 25 No. 1 singles, 11 Grammys, and a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Johnny Cash's breakthrough hit debuted on May 1, 1956, and climbed to the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country charts by mid-July, eventually reaching the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, too. It was recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, as a love letter to his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash. "Walk the Line" is also the title of the 2005 Oscar-winning drama about the singer's life, starring Joaquin Phoenix as Cash, and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, his second wife.

Gene Autry was the original “singing cowboy,” combining acting in film Westerns with a successful music career (during which he recorded more than 600 songs). On the big screen, he often appeared with his horse, Champion, and his sidekick, Smiley Burnette. One of Autry’s most famous movies was “South of the Border” (1939), and his signature song was “Back in the Saddle Again,” which was also the name of his autobiography.

Singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn is best known for her incredible storytelling, in songs including her 1970 hit “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Lynn notched numerous hits in her career, both as a solo artist and duetting with Ernest Tubb and Conway Twitty. In 1972, she became the first woman to be named the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year.

Nashville, Tennessee, is known as “Music City” due to its long-running link to the music industry, and country music in particular. In the 1920s recording artists flocked to the city due to its vibrant grass-roots music scene. This ensured many recording studios, record labels, and venues made their home in Nashville. One such famous venue is the Ryman, where the subgenre of bluegrass made its debut in 1945.