800 18th Avenue South

Situated southwest of downtown, Music Row is home to several businesses and attractions related to the city’s musical heritage. Developed in the 1950s and considered the heart of Nashville’s entertainment industry, the Music Row area is centered on 16th and 17th Avenues South, which are known as Music Square East and West respectively. Points of interest in the district include the historic RCA Studio B, Columbia’s Historic Quonset Hut, the first recording studio on Music Row, and Owen Bradley Park as well as numerous shops and upscale eateries. “Musica,” a large bronze statue designed by Alan LeQuire, is the centerpiece of the Music Row Roundabout.

The neighborhood first attracted music industry firms after WSM announcer David Cobb referred to Nashville as “Music City, USA” during a broadcast in 1950. As the moniker became widely accepted, the city rapidly grew into one of the nation’s top centers for music recording and publishing. With the signing of Elvis Presley, RCA Victor realized the need for a branch office in the southeast. They chose Nashville and built the historic RCA Studio B, which has played a role in the careers of numerous legendary performers.

Along with radio stations and networks, the neighborhood is the setting for recording studios, publishing houses, music licensing firms and other organizations like video production houses that serve the music industry. As a result, Music Row is synonymous with the country music industry. The area was once the home of the Country Music Hall of Fame as well as several other smaller museums dedicated to individual stars of the musical genre. After the Hall of Fame moved to its current location in 2001, the museums were replaced with upscale shops, clubs and restaurants.