Organizing Country Music:

A New Approach

Travis Souther

Introduction

When one is asked about the best practices on how to organize a physical collection of

country music, multiple elements come to mind. There are multiple types of this genre of music

that are recognized. In the All Music Guide to Country Music, a total of some thirty-six different

varieties of country music are mentioned (Bogadanov, Woodstra, & Erlewine, pp. vii-xi). While

not all varieties are widely known, they are nonetheless listed as being part of this industry.

Within these thirty-six varieties, there are some artists and versions of the same recording that

could even be considered as applying to more than one version such as Rockabilly and

Instrumental. The organization of these items presents an interesting problem as one must also

deal with the concept that there are also multiple formats that country music may be recorded in

any number of varying formats from vinyl record to mp3s that one can download off of

Amazon.com. To make matters even more confusing is that notion that country music can also

be organized by its chronology or simply by an alphabetized listing of all the artists who have

made recordings in this genre.

As it can be readily seen here, there are a number of organizational schemes to which one

may attempt to place this genre of music. However, should one organize their music collection

solely by genre, there would little to no chronographic relation. Should one attempt to organize

solely by chronology, there may be little organization according to format or type. Taken

together, there must be a firstly a changing of perspective in the minds of selector of these

materials as to appropriate organizational scheme. Numerous classification schemes have been

devised in the past which will be covered shortly. Secondarily, there must be amalgamation of

these ways of organization and then their application into a coherent structure for those users

who may wish to peruse the collection. I posit that a country music collection should be based in

a combination of four very distinct, but very broad categories.

Library of Congress

Perhaps the one of the most widely known and used scheme for music collection is the

scheme used by the Library of Congress. “The scheme clearly is designed to give wide latitude

to the materials of Western art music as it was understood at the beginning of the twentieth

century.” (Smiraglia, p. 99) Originally designed more for musical scores and associated literature,

the Library of Congress classification scheme nonetheless can be applied to musical recordings

as well (Smiraglia, p. 99). Perhaps the most important element of the Library of Congress

classification system is that using this system, the “arrangement of many recordings within broad

general classes with subarrangement by performer” (Smiraglia, p. 99). Using this scheme,

musical works are classified according to the medium of performance of any certain work and

are dependent on two main distinctions: physical form and collection notation and originality

(Smiraglia, p. 101). As the Library of Congress uses the Anglo American Cataloging Rules

Version 2, it would be wise to note that “According to AACR2 the permanent labels are used for

cataloging sound recordings.  The labels, jacket, and accompanying material are examined for a

common or collective title and in that order.” (Holzberlein and Jones, p. 3). Additionally,

AACR2 rules state that in a musical recording there should be several designated fields including

Title; Material Designation; Statement of Responsibility, Place, Publisher, and Date, Physical

description, and Notes (Holzberlein and Jones, pp. 3-7).

Obviously enough, the Library of Congress classification system uses the letter “M,” to

differentiate the music collection. Like all great classification schemes, the Library of Congress,

does contain what might now be referred to as a finding aid. Smiraglia even refers to this

“index” as “an internal locating device” (Smiraglia, p.101).

There are however, a number of problems when using the Library of Congress

classification scheme for music collections. There is the potential for a single album, anthology,

or individual song recording to potentially be placed in multiple categories at the same time. For

instance, a song by John Denver may fit into multiple sub-categories of country music. Per the

Library of Congress scheme there is no mention of or possibility of this cross-connection

between categories. Furthermore, another issue becomes present when one considers how

closely to keep related, but distinctly separate recordings. For example, if a member of the

country group Alabama decided to record his own version of the song without the rest of the

group, his work would be grouped close by, but there would be no direct reference made to his

affiliation with the group of which he is a part. On a positive note, using this classification

scheme does bring out the originality of the work, but fails to make any relevant connections

other than physical proximity. This is in no way to say that the Library of Congress

classification system should be totally rejected; only that it has its flaws. Indeed as Smiraglia

writes that within “the United States, most academic music libraries have chosen LCC:M for the

arrangement of music materials” (Smiraglia, p. 111). This was verified by conversations with an

archivist and Music Librarian at Appalachian State University (Harbeson, Cyndi. Personal

communication, September 29, 2013), (Boye, Gary. Personal communication, September 30,

2013). Per interviews with the Music Librarian at Appalachian State University, musical

recordings are given a new accession number as they are acquired and added into that particular

library’s holdings (Boye, Gary. Personal communication, September 30, 2013).

Dewey Decimal

While Mevil Dewey is world renown for his ideas on best practices for information

storage and retrieval as it relates to library science, Dewey’s thoughts on his system were very

limited in scope with the application towards a critical organization of music.

Unfortunately, Dewey’s system is “designed to include records of knowledge rather than

its artifacts” (Smiraglia, p. 108). Dewey’s system as it relates to music has systematic flaws in

its approach. Unlike the Library of Congress system, the fatal flaw of Dewey’s system is that it

makes no attempt to distinguish between printed scores, recorded music, and printed resources

about music (Smiraglia, p. 108). Furthermore, the number that is associated with Dewey

“expresses the medium of performance and physical form as an element of topic, rather than the

two elements as facets of musicality” (Smiraglia, p. 109). While this classification system could

potentially work well with a single format of a resource, most music collections are rarely in a

single format.

ANSCR

The Alpha Numeric System for Classification of Sound Recordings was initially devised

in 1969 and designed for bin arrangement of small circulating collections (Smiraglia p. 114). Of

note with ANSCR is the need for the “creation of unique class numbers for each recording.

ANSCR call numbers consists of four terms that define class numbers; a work mark to represent

different roles associated with the music such as performer, composer, or geographic

specifications; a serial number, and a letter associated with either the conductor or performer.

(Smiraglia, p. 116). The recordings are subdivided by class and then by performer with

additional digits from the serial number giving a unique identifier to each individual item

(Smiraglia, p.116).

This is a very simple and easy to manipulate system of classification. Unfortunately, it

does not take into account the fact that some artists, especially in the realm of country music,

may have musical recordings in multiple sub-genres thus meaning that a particular artist’s work

is spread out throughout the entirety of a collection rather than being concentrated according to

the artist.

A New Approach

I will posit a solution to the idea of organizing country music in a very broad

classification scheme. This new classification is focused on the actual physical recordings of

country music. As a whole this classification scheme is based off a combination of models

previously mentioned.

The entire realm of recordings will be listed with the letters MR for musical recordings.

As there are a great number of country music performers, the first step of organizing any set

collection is to give each performer or performing group a certain but unique value. In this

scheme, each individual artist would be named and assigned a specific numerical value as well

listing out the name in the full record. For instance, Garth Brooks would be given the number

one, Brooks and Dunn may be given the number two, and John Denver may be given number

three. Each new number signifies a new performing group or artist. Artists or groups could

initially be organized alphabetically, but as the collection of country music grows, this would not

necessarily hold true as it would require an extensive realignment and relocation of the entire

collection. Future additions would simply be given the next numeric value in the sequence

despite being out of alphabetic order. Compilations of different artists would have each artist

listed as an access point, but the compilation as a whole would be given a separate numeric value

rather than listing the assigned numbers of each individual artist or group. Thus a compilation

album of both Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton would necessarily be given a distinct identifiable

numeric value rather than have both the identifiers for the two artists.

The next field will be Title for the title that the musical item will be listed under. The

title would be listed in the catalog as a field, but not necessarily on the label as it would take up a

large amount of space that might be needed to include other alphanumeric symbols

differentiating the other categories listed below. Album titles need not be listed in alphabetical

order as a later field will make the delineation as to when the recording was acquired.

The next level into the detail of this system is the Type. This field represents the actual

physical type of the recording in the collection. This is perhaps the simplest of the descriptive

elements as there are currently only three main types of recordings: auditory, video, and print. In

this case, either the letters “A,” “V,” or “P” will differentiate between these options. Once again,

if another type of recording is created, it could easily be applied to this organization.

Under the type will be the Format of the item in the collection. A single musical

recording could be listed under many different formats. This field will have a controlled

vocabulary to select from. For example, there are multiple formats that a video could take

including Betamax, VHS, DVD, and Blu-Ray. Like the artist or performing group, each

individual format would receive its own numeric value. For instance, a Betamax cassette may

receive the number one, a VHS tape, number two, a DVD number three. Rather than create a

further sub-category for auditory formats, each individual format type will have a different

numeric designation. Thus, an LP 78 record might be designated number four instead of number

one under the audio type. This eliminates any confusion that might arise with the video format

designations. This allows for the growth of the collection through many different format types.

Incidentally, eight-track tapes are listed as number eight.

The next field is classified as the Sub-genre or Style description. Currently, there are

some thirty-six recognized sub-genres under the heading “Country Music,” in the All Music

Guide to Country, thus each sub-genre could potentially receive a number anywhere from one to

thirty-six (Bogadanov, Woodstra, and Erlewine, 2003). This field would also be restricted to a

controlled vocabulary, that being one of the thirty-six sub-genres. Each individual sub-genre

would also be given a unique number for the call number. For example, the sub-genre

“Rockabilly” with songs from the 1950s by such artists as Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins

would be given a specific number that correlates to that sub-genre. Should a new sub-genre be

created in the future, its addition in the scheme would be quite simple. From a listing of each

sub-genre, a cataloger could easily add the next numeric value for the new sub-genre. While this

is an innovative approach, there are several considerations that need to be brought up. First is

the idea of Bluegrass being a sub-genre of country music. In the All Music Guide to Country,

several varieties of Bluegrass are listed as being sub-genres of country music (Bogadanov,

Woodstra, and Erlewine, 2003). This may cause some level of consternation as some Bluegrass

musicians may view these musical areas as genres unto themselves. For the purposes of this

organization scheme, Bluegrass and Old Time are removed as it is felt that these musical sub-

genres are in fact distinct musical forms that are separate from country music. A second issue is

that performing groups or artists may have produced musical recordings that could potentially

apply to multiple sub-genres. Thus it is left up to the cataloger’s knowledge to determine which

sub-genre into which the musical recording would best be catalogued. In both instances, the

cataloger needs extensive experience and knowledge when selecting the most appropriate entry

from the controlled vocabulary.

In addition to the sub-genre field is the field that is referred to as the Album in Sequence.

Rather than representing a commercial serial number, this number represents the order in which

the item was acquired for the collection. For instance if the collection contained a set of compact

discs that highlighted the work of the country music group Alabama, the disc that was acquired

first would be listed as number one, the disc that was acquired second number two, and so forth.

This method also aids in knowing show how many items of the collection belong to a particular

artist or group. If multiple items in a collection form a series such as a multi-volume set, then

the volumes should be organized in sequence.

Next, this classification scheme includes fields for publisher and date of publication. In

the case of music recordings, the corporation that publishes the musical recording is often known

by its “Label” instead of by “Publisher”. The record company performs much the same function

as a publisher of books. Each individual Label or Publisher would also be assigned their own

numeric value allowing for many record companies to be searched. The collection may contain

items in print that need to have a direct publisher listed. The publication date helps to give a

sense of chronology and development to both the individual artist or groups and the collection as

a whole.

Finally, this classification system ends with an area that includes a section for notes in

which any relevant information could be stored. This might include the fact that a certain work

may currently be in a different location due to its particular format or that it is undergoing some

form of preservation.

The benefit of this system is that it allows for continual collection growth and development.

There is no ending point for this scheme, as there could potentially be any number of country

music artists, sub-genres, albums, types, formats, and dates. In this organization, all of an artist’s

works are kept together by format allowing for easy maintenance and preservation. The only

limitation would be the physical storage space required to house a collection of country music.

This system also allows for the potential that some country music artists might have recordings

that cover many sub-genres. Furthermore, each musical recording will have a distinct and

separate identity in the catalog record, thus ensuring that no two recordings will be cataloged

exactly alike.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bogdanov, Vladimir, Woodstra, Chris, & Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (Eds.). (2003). All music

guide to country: The definitive guide to country music (2nd ed.). San Francisco:

Backbeat Books

Holzberlein, Deanne with Jones, Dolly (1988). Cataloging sound recordings: A manual with

examples. New York: Haworth Press.

Smiraglia, Richard P. (1989). Music cataloging: The Bibliographic control of printed and

recorded music in libraries. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.

APPENDIX I

A KEY TO THE PROPOSED CATALOG SCHEME

MR

A. Performer

In this section, the cataloger will list the name of the performer or the name of the performing group.

A. The performer or performing group will be listed by the name that they are most commonly associated with.

a. Each artist will be assigned a specific numeric value to associate all recordings with that artist. This number will be an identifier for the catalog record.

b. The artist’s last name will be preceded by the first name. In the case of a performing group, the group name will be listed.

B. Compilations of two or more artists will have all artists listed. Each compilation will have an individual number applied to them. This number will be an identifier for the catalog record.

1. Alabama2. Parton, Dolly3. Lewis, Jerry Lee4. Brooks, Garth5. Jackson, Alan6. Cline, Patsy7. Cash, Johnny8. Dixie Chicks9. Jones, George

B. Title of Album

In this section, the cataloger will list the title of the album or song using standard APA formatting. The title will not have a numeric value applied to it.

C. Type

In this field, the cataloger will delineate between the various types of physical recordings. This field has a small controlled vocabulary. The cataloger will choose between one of the three identifiers listed below to identify the physical type of recording. The letter given will be an identifier in the catalog record.

a. Letter will be listed on the catalog record as an uppercase letter

A. AudioV. VisualP. Print

D. Format

This field contains information on the actual format of the musical recording. This section has a controlled vocabulary from numerous formats. This number will be an identifier for the catalog record.

1. Betamax2. VHS3. DVD4. Blu-Ray5. LP 786. LP 457. Vinyl8. 8-Track9. Cassette10. Compact disc11. Mp3

E. Sub-genre

This field contains information as to the sub-genre or style of the physical music recording. This field also has a controlled vocabulary from which to select the most appropriate identifier. This number will be an identifier for the catalog record.

1. Alternative country2. Alternative country-rock3. Americana4. Appalachian folk5. Bakersfield Sound6. Close harmony7. Contemporary country8. Country boogie9. Country comedy10. Country gospel11. Country folk12. Country-pop13. Cowboy14. Honky tonk15. Instrumental country16. Jug band17. Nashville sound/countrypolitan18. Neo-traditionalist country

19. New traditionalist20. Outlaw country21. Progressive country22. Rockabilly23. Rodeo24. Square dance25. String bands26. Traditional country27. Truck driving country28. Urban cowboy29. Western swing30. Western swing revival31. Yodeling

F. Album in sequence

This field details the location of the item within the artist’s section of the collection. The location will be spelled out as a word. Material may be acquired in non-chronological order. Materials will be given a number that corresponds to their location within the section of the collection that is specified for each artist. This number will be an identifier for the catalog record.

G. Publisher/Label

This field details either the publisher of the material or the recording company with whom the artist recorded the song or album. The publisher will be an identifier in the catalog and will have a numeric value applied to it.

1. RCA2. RLG/Legacy3. Rhino4. Capitol/EMI Records5. Capitol6. Arista7. Hip-O Records8. Sundazed Music Inc.9. Sony

H. Year of Publication

This field specifies the year in which the recording was published in the format of the individual item. Each numeric value will be identifier as a part of the catalog record.

I. Notes

This field may specify additional pertinent information such as accessibility requirements or preservation information.

APPENDIX II

A SAMPLE COUNTRY MUSIC COLLECTION

Artist: Alabama (1)Album Title: “Alabama: greatest hits vol. 3”Type: Audio (A)Format: Compact disc (10)Sub-genre: Contemporary country (7)Album in sequence: First (1)Publisher/Label: RCA (1)Year: 1994Notes:

Catalog Record: MR 1.A.9.7.1.1.1994

Artist: Parton, Dolly (2)Album Title: “Jolene”Type: Audio (A)Format: Eight-track (8)Sub-genre: Country folk (11)Album in sequence: First (1)Publisher/Label: RCA (1)Year: 1973Notes:

Catalog Record: MR 2.A.8.11.1.1.1973

Artist: Parton, Dolly (2)Album Title: “Coat of many colors”Type: Audio (A)Format: MP3 (11)Sub-genre: Country folk (11)Album in sequence: Second (2)Publisher/Label: RLG/Legacy (2)Year: 2007Notes: Special Permissions Needed to Access MP3 from Music Library

Catalog Record: MR 2.A.11.11.2.2.2007

Artist: Lewis, Jerry Lee (3)Album Title: “18 Original sun greatest hits”Type: Audio (A)Format: Vinyl (7)Sub-genre: Rockabilly (22)Album in sequence: First (1)Publisher/Label: Rhino (3)Year: 1984Notes:

Catalog Record: MR 3.A.7.22.1.3.1984

Artist: Garth Brooks (4)Album Title: “Garth Brooks: the hits”Type: Audio (A)Format: Cassette (9)Sub-genre: New traditionalist (19)Album in sequence: First (1)Publisher/Label: Capitol/EMI Records (4)Year: 1994Notes:

Catalog Record: MR 4.A.9.19.1.5.1994

Artist: Garth Brooks (4)Album Title: “No fences”Type: Audio (A)Format: Cassette (9)Sub-genre: New traditionalist (19)Album in sequence: Second (2)Publisher/Label: Capitol (5)Year: 1990Notes:

Catalog Record: MR 4.A.9.19.2.6.1990

Artist: Jackson, Alan (5)Album Title: “A lot about livin’ (and a little ‘bout love)”Type: Audio (A)Format: Compact disc (10)Sub-genre: New traditionalist (19)Album in sequence: First (1)Publisher/Label: Arista (6)Year: 1992Notes:

Catalog Record: MR 5.A.10.19.1.6.1992

Artist: Cline, Patsy (6) Album Title: “Patsy Cline: the ultimate collection” Type: Audio (A)Format: Compact disc (10)Sub-genre: Nashville sound (17)Album in sequence: First (1)Publisher/Label: Hip-O Records (7)Year: 2000Notes:

Catalog Record: MR 6.A.10.17.1.7.2000

Artist: Cash, Johnny (7)Album Title: “At folsom prison”Type: Audio (A)Format: Vinyl (7)Sub-genre: Traditional country (26)Album in sequence: First (1)Publisher/Label: Sundazed Music Inc. (8)Year: 2010Notes:

Catalog Record: MR 7.A.7.26.1.8.2010

Artist: Dixie Chicks (8)Album Title: “Fly”Type: Audio (A)Format: Cassette (9)Sub-genre: Contemporary country (7)Album in sequence: First (1)Publisher/Label: Sony (9)Year: 1999Notes:

Catalog Record MR 8.A.9.7.1.9.1999

Artist: Jones, George (9)Album Title: “The best of George Jones, 1955-1967”Type: Audio (A)Format: Compact disc (10)Sub-genre: Honky tonk (14)Album in sequence: First (1)Publisher/Label: Rhino (3)Year: 1991Notes:

Catalog Record: MR 9.A.10.14.1.3.1991