The Nashville Sounds Minor League Baseball team has played in Nashville, Tennessee, for 46 years since being established in 1978. As of the completion of the 2023 season, the club has played 6,422 regular-season games and compiled a win–loss record of 3,320–3,100–2 (.517). They have appeared in the postseason on 16 occasions in which they have a record of 49–44 (.527) in 93 games. Combining all 6,515 regular-season and postseason games, Nashville has an all-time record of 3,369–3,144–2 (.517).
Created as an expansion team of the Double-A Southern League (SL) in 1978, the Sounds played in this league through 1984. At the Double-A classification, Nashville was affiliated with Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds (1978–1979) and New York Yankees (1980–1984). The Sounds moved up to Triple-A in 1985 as members of the American Association (AA) before joining the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 1998. They were placed in the Triple-A East (AAAE) in 2021, but this became the International League (IL) in 2022. At this level, they have been affiliates of the Detroit Tigers (1985–1986), Cincinnati Reds (1987–1992), Chicago White Sox (1993–1997), Pittsburgh Pirates (1998–2004), Milwaukee Brewers (2005–2014), Oakland Athletics (2015–2018), and Texas Rangers (2019–2020). The Sounds reaffiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021.
Nashville reached the postseason in six of their seven years in the Southern League, all by means of winning the Second-Half Western Division title. They went on to win three Western Division titles and two Southern League championships during this period. Their first championship came in 1979 as the Double-A affiliate of the Reds and their second in 1982 as the Double-A affiliate of the Yankees. The Sounds' 13 years in the American Association were less successful. Though Nashville posted eight winning seasons and qualified for the playoffs three times, including twice by virtue of clinching the Eastern Division title, they failed to win an American Association championship. Over 23 years as members of the Pacific Coast League, the Sounds won five division titles, two conference titles, and one Pacific Coast League championship. Their lone PCL title came in 2005 as the Triple-A affiliate of the Brewers. Nashville has made one appearance in the International League playoffs by clinching the Western Division title but has not won an IL championship.
The team's best season record occurred in 1980 when they finished 97–46 (.678) as the Double-A Yankees. Their lowest season record was 57–87 (.396) in 2013 as the Triple-A Brewers. Of the eight Major League Baseball teams with which Nashville has been affiliated, the Sounds experienced their best record as the Double-A farm club of the Yankees from 1980 to 1984. They had a composite season record of 417–306 (.577) and reached the postseason in all five years, winning two Western Division titles and one Southern League championship. Including a postseason mark of 14–14 (.500), their overall record was 431–320 (.574). Conversely, the team's lowest record was as the Rangers' Triple-A club from 2019 to 2020. The Sounds incurred a 66–72 (.478) record and did not reach the postseason during the affiliation.