This guide looks at the key recordings in ten major areas of country music, selecting a main library of 100 discs. In addition, over 300 supplementary albums are listed and described, enhancing the coverage of each style. Crossover artists are discussed (who adapted their styles to the vast pop audience) as are many of the other musicians who can make this large and relatively uncharted area of music confusing for the first-time buyer and aficionado alike. The guide aims to alleviate confusion and chart a clear course through the mass of releases that form the country catalogue, past and present.