Cosmic Country is a term popularly attributed to Gram Parsons in late 1960s southern California. It’s a musical genre that merges psychedelic and exploratory music with traditional American roots music. Cosmic Country came into the collective consciousness in the 1960s and continues to exist, evolve, and influence other styles of music. In addition to its intriguing history, the story of cosmic country music demonstrates how categorical genres can either create a movement or be exploited as a press stunt—neither of which needs to be exclusively portrayed as right or wrong. It also shows the lasting impact instrumental and songwriting experimentation can have on a genre (country music in this case) and how a niche music style can maintain a community around it for decades.

https://splice.com/blog/what-is-cosmic-country/