A term applied to various subgenres of country music. In the broadest sense, it can be used for any type of country music that is different to the prevailing trend. However, it is usually used to refer specifically to a disparate group of musicians and singers operating since the 1990s outside the traditions and industry of mainstream country music. These musicians generally rejected the high production values and pop outlook of the Nashville-dominated industry, to produce music with a lo-fi sound, frequently informed with a strong punk and rock aesthetic, bending the traditional rules of country music.

Lyrics are often bleak, gothic or socially aware. Otherwise, the musical styles of artists that fall within this genre often have little in common, ranging from traditional American folk tunes and bluegrass, through rockabilly and honky-tonk, to music that is indistinguishable from mainstream rock or country. Indeed many alternative country artists come from punk and rock backgrounds. This already broad labelling has been further confused by alternative country artists disavowing the movement, mainstream artists declaring they are part of it, and the retroactive claiming of past or veteran musicians as alternative country.

Despite this confusion, it is generally agreed that alternative country resulted from two opposing influences. The first is traditional American country music, the music of working people, preserved and celebrated by artists such as Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams and the Carter Family. The second is country rock, the result of fusing country music with an aggressive rock sound.

These two styles merged in Uncle Tupelo's 1990 album No Depression, and this album is widely credited with being the first alt-country album. The band Whiskeytown continued in this tradition and lead singer Ryan Adams continues to shape the genre to this day in his solo career. Neil Young has embodied both the rock and folk/country influences for many years, and could be considered the 'godfather' of alt-country.