Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 17, 2026

Cat Records

Cat Records was a short-lived subsidiary of Atlantic Records, specializing in rhythm and blues music. The label was founded in April 1954 to cash in on the popularity of R&B records among white teenagers which were called "cat" records in the South, a word coined by Atlantic executive Jerry Wexler until the term rock and roll took hold, hence the name of the label. A total of 18 singles were released, on both 78 r.p.m. and 45 r.p.m. records, over nearly two years before the label was discontinued. Its biggest hit was "Sh-Boom" by The Chords. Other artists on the label included "Little" Sylvia Vanderpool and Mickey Baker, Floyd Dixon, Rose Marie McCoy, and Margie Day.

Last revised
Jul 17, 2026
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≈ 1 min
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Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Cat Records
TypeConglomerate
Industryrecord label
FoundedApril 1954
United States
HeadquartersUnited States

Cat Records was a short-lived subsidiary of Atlantic Records, specializing in rhythm and blues music.1 The label was founded in April 1954 to cash in on the popularity of R&B records among white teenagers which were called "cat" records in the South, a word coined by Atlantic executive Jerry Wexler until the term rock and roll took hold,2 hence the name of the label.1 A total of 18 singles were released, on both 78 r.p.m. and 45 r.p.m. records, over nearly two years before the label was discontinued.34 Its biggest hit was "Sh-Boom" by The Chords.5 Other artists on the label included "Little" Sylvia Vanderpool and Mickey Baker, Floyd Dixon, Rose Marie McCoy, and Margie Day.

References

References

  1. "Atlantic to Start New R&B Firm". Billboard. April 10, 1954. p. 22.
  2. "Playboys, The". Bear-family.com. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  3. "Cat 78 RPM - Label Discography - USA - 78 RPM". 45worlds.com. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  4. "Cat [Atlantic] (USA)". 45cat.com. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  5. Selvin, Joel (2014-04-15). Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues. Counterpoint. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-61902-378-9.
External links