Interesting that Country has been painted as that worst of all evils, Commercial, while Folk struggles along aloof to that accusation. Something tells me that if Garth Brooks writes a great song, its going to be classed as Country regardless. If Steve Earle writes a beauty, its going to be considered Folk, unless it gets adopted by the Nashville Set (when Hell freezes). I think Country started as roots music, but has gradually been pop-ified until it bears almost no resemblance to the music that Jimmie Rodgers,Patsy Cline, the Carters, Hank, Johnny and Merle pioneered. Like Pop Rock, and the Singer/Songwriter Pop bodies of music, it still has the potential of giving birth to songs that merit entry into the annals of our collective consciousness as true Folk Music, though.