"Columbia Records - One of the oldest and most respected record labels in the world, Columbia Records traces its origins back to the late 1880s. The Columbia Records roster has boasted such superstars as Marc Anthony, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Cypress Hill, Miles Davis, Destiny's Child, Dixie Chicks, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, the Fugees, Jagged Edge, Ricky Martin, John Mayer, Nas, Bruce Springsteen, Train, Pete Yorn, and many more.

Epic Records, which was launched in 1953, is one of the premiere music labels in the world, and is home to artists from virtually every musical genre, including such multi-platinum selling superstars as AC/DC; Tori Amos; Audioslave; B2K; Celine Dion; Gloria Estefan; Fuel; Good Charlotte; Macy Gray; Ginuwine; KorN; Jennifer Lopez; and Sade among many others.

Legacy Recordings, home to the finest in rare and collectible recordings by artists like Miles Davis, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Santana, Frank Sinatra, Uncle Tupelo and so many more in Jazz, Blues, Rock, Pop, Soul, Broadway musicals, Big Band, Classical music, Nostalgia, Folk, Gospel, Country, Reggae, Classical, movie soundtracks and Comedy. Legacy Recordings sets the standard for Boxed Sets, Expanded Editions, and Special Compilations."

excerpted from http://www.sonymusic.com/labels/index.html


Bertelsmann Music Group is the end result of a number of mergers, primarily the 1985 merger of BMG and RCA. Those two companies have roots deep in the past, with Bertelsmann emerging around 1835 as a printer and publisher and the Radio Corporation of America incorporated in 1919 by General Electric. Other notable labels have been incorporated into the group, including Arista in 1979 and Zomba / Jive in the late 90s.

For a detailed history of Sony Music, please click here.