Nashville 1950s overview

Rarely has a section of the pop market been as completely dominated by the major companies as country music was during the 1950s. Only five companies—RCA, Decca, Columbia, Capitol, and MGM—reached the top spot on the best-seller charts until independent Cadence claimed it for seven weeks at the end of 1957 with the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love.” Nashville, Tennessee, was the commercial centre of the mid-South, dominated by banks, insurance companies, and a handful...