American Currents: State of the Music 2021

Presented annually, American Currents: State of the Music represents the ongoing research and analysis among curators and museum staff to determine the most significant developments in country music over the previous year

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will offer perspective on country music’s latest chapter with the opening of American Currents: State of the Music, on Friday, March 12, 2021. The exhibit runs through Feb. 22, 2022.

Those featured in American Currents: State of the Music are artists, musicians and songwriters who have shaped the broadly defined genre of country music. Those recognized in this year’s exhibition through artifacts on display are: Gabby Barrett, Casey Beathard, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Rissi Palmer, John Prine, Sister Sadie, Billy Strings and Eddie Stubbs.
                                                                                                                                     
The exhibit’s Unbroken Circle illustrates the connection between country music’s past and present by pairing artists with those who have influenced them or share musical perspectives. Those represented through artifacts are Jimmie Allen and Darius Rucker; Ingrid Andress and Faith Hill; Charley Crockett and Freddy Fender; and Dierks Bentley’s Hot Country Knights and the Statler Brothers’ Lester “Roadhog” Moran & the Cadillac Cowboys.

American Currents: State of the Music also features a video compilation of important country music moments from 2020, including clips of The Chicks, Maren Morris and Country Music Hall of Fame member Dolly Parton.

Within this exhibition, the museum also reports the past year’s chart-topping country albums, singles and highest-grossing tours as reported by Billboard and Pollstar by listing the names of those artists who were at the top of the charts. Included in this list for calendar year 2020 are Barrett (#1 single), Combs (#1 and #2 albums), Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber (#3 single), Lambert (#3 in ticket sales), Morris (#2 single), Country Music Hall of Fame member George Strait (#1 in ticket sales), Blake Shelton (#2 in ticket sales) and Morgan Wallen (#3 album).

Source: Country Music Hall of Fame