American is an amalgam of American folk music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States, specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influences. Americana as a radio format developed during the 1990s as a reaction to the highly polished sound that defined the mainstream music of that decade. The AMA grew out of the format as an effort to bring all Americana music supporters, performers, and professionals together to expand the visibility and viability of the music. Bleetstein became the first Americana chart editor as Gavin magazine created the first Americana radio chart, which was published on
