THE CATBIRD SEAT: The day the music died

Columbia House Records, the mail-order music club that became known for subscriptions offering albums for a penny, said it will cease operations on Sept. 15. The company had run a major distribution business from Terre Haute until 2015. The article frames the shutdown as the end of a significant era in music marketing, recalling how the program began in 1955 as the Columbia Record Club and peaked in the 1990s with 16 million members. The pitch required buyers to purchase ten records over two years, then choose 12 albums for one cent, with a monthly music magazine included. Missing a postcard return deadline could trigger billing at full retail value plus taxes, shipping and handling.