During the 1950s, the music scene in Nashville, Tennessee established itself as heavily influential on the course of popular music and more specifically, country music. Earning itself the title of Nashville sound, this subgenre developed as a reaction to the decline of traditional country music in the face of the increasingly popular rockabilly and rock and roll styles. Many record producers began to infuse the country sound with softer elements. This involved replacing harsher sounds such as steel guitars, with softer sounds such smooth vocals and backing vocals, and string sections. The term ‘Nashville sound’ was first coined in an article in 1958 describing the music of Jim Reeves who had various hits in the 50s and 60s.