Introduction

"I'm a rolling stone, all alone and lost," - Lost Highway, Hank Williams Senior, 1949

The Great Depression didn't just reshape the American economy - it fundamentally rebuilt the music industry from the ground up. When traditional revenue streams…

The Origins With Warner Bros. Records (1958)

The Warner Bros. Records era (1958-1967) was the reluctant beginning or the "why are we even doing this?" phase for Warner in the music business. This was when Warner Bros. was primarily known…

The Origins With CBS/Sony Records (1968)

The CBS/Sony Records era (1968-1987) was the apprenticeship period or the learning phase for Sony in the music business. This was when Sony was primarily known as an electronics and technology company (think Walkman,…

The Foundation of the Modern Music Industry: 1900-1940 (End of the Great Depression)

Introduction

In this essay, we will be examining what drove the music industry from 1900 through the Great Depression (which officially ended 1939-1940, though some sources cite…

By: Rachel Tucker Trout aka @cachecrashmusic / https://cachecrashmusic.com
© 2025 Rachel Tucker Trout. All rights reserved.
Reuse with permission only. NOT FOR DATASET TRAINING.
Oct, 28, 2025

Introduction

Before 1991, the music industry tracked sales through Before SoundScan, the music…

Introduction

Music marketing has changed repeatedly and rapidly over the years. Most recently, the shift from radio listening into on-demand-audio streaming as the primary form of music consumption for most audiences has created new opportunities as well as struggles for…

Comparing Certified Sales vs. Equivalent Album Sales Methodologies

Introduction

I was tasked on this assignment with researching “The top 25 highest selling music artists in the world.” As of October 2025, when the assignment was given. However, I discovered that…

And 8 Core Rules for Independent Record Labels to Live By

Our essay will encompass an analysis of two legendary household name record labels, Motown Records and A&M Records, and then delve into three lesser known but still legendary record…