Nashville sound

E96568

The Nashville sound is a smooth, pop-influenced style of country music that emerged in the late 1950s and 1960s, characterized by lush string arrangements and polished production aimed at mainstream audiences.

Aliases (1)


Statements (71)

Predicate Object
instanceOf country music subgenre
music genre
aimedAt adult contemporary listeners
mainstream audiences
pop radio
alternativeName Nashville sound
surface form: "Nashville Sound"

countrypolitan
associatedWith Bob Ferguson
Brenda Lee
Chet Atkins
Decca Records
surface form: "Decca Records Nashville"

Eddy Arnold
Jim Reeves
Owen Bradley
Patsy Cline NERFINISHED
RCA Studio B
Skeeter Davis NERFINISHED
The Anita Kerr Singers
The Jordanaires
characteristic background vocal choruses
crossover appeal to pop audiences
downplayed fiddles and steel guitars
lush string arrangements
polished studio production
pop-influenced arrangements
smooth lead vocals
smooth production
use of orchestral instruments
contrastedWith Bakersfield sound
outlaw country
country United States of America
surface form: "United States"
culturalOrigin Nashville, Tennessee NERFINISHED
United States NERFINISHED
developedIn 1960s
late 1950s
followedBy outlaw country
urban cowboy sound
hasCrossoverHits "Crazy" by Patsy Cline
"He'll Have to Go" by Jim Reeves
"Make the World Go Away" by Eddy Arnold
historicalPeriod post–World War II American music
industryResponseTo competition from rock and roll
decline in country record sales in early 1950s
influenced country pop
countrypolitan
modern mainstream country
influencedBy Hollywood film scores
big band music
crooner vocal style
easy listening
location Nashville, Tennessee NERFINISHED
lyricalTheme adult emotional concerns
romantic relationships
notableLabel Columbia Records
surface form: "Columbia Records Nashville"

Decca Records
RCA Victor
notableRecordingStudio RCA Studio B
peakPopularity 1960s
precededBy honky-tonk
productionCenter Music Row
stylisticOrigin Tin Pan Alley era
surface form: "Tin Pan Alley pop"

country music
crooner pop
honky-tonk
pop music
traditional country
typicalInstrumentation background vocal choirs
light percussion
muted electric guitar
piano
string sections

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Nashville sound alternativeName Nashville sound
this entity surface form: "Nashville Sound"
Dottie West genre Nashville sound
Jolene musicStyle Nashville sound
Here Comes My Baby musicalStyle Nashville sound