The EMI Group is a major record label, based in Hammersmith in London, in the United Kingdom. With operations in over 25 other countries, EMI Group is one of the Big Four record labels.

=History=

The Electric and Musical Industries Ltd formed in March 1931 from a merger of the UK Columbia Graphophone Company and the Gramophone Company. In 1955, to replace the loss of its long-established licensing arrangements with RCA Victor and Columbia Records, EMI entered the American market by acquiring 96% of the stock of Capitol Records.

The company established subsidiary operations in a number of other countries in the British Commonwealth, including India, Australia and New Zealand. EMI s Australian and New Zealand subsidiaries dominated the popular music industry in those countries from the 1920s until the 1960s, when other locally-owned labels (such as Festival Records) began to challenge EMI s market near monopoly in those regions.

Under the management of Sir Joseph Lockwood, during the late 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s the company enjoyed huge success in the popular music field. The groups and solo artists signed to EMI and its subsidary labels -- including Parlophone, HMV and Columbia Records (Australia) and Capitol Records -- made EMI the best-known and most successful recording company in the world at that time, with a roster that included scores major pop acts of the period including The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Hollies, Cilla Black and Pink Floyd.

In 1969, EMI established a new subsidiary label, Harvest Records, which signed groups in the emerging progressive rock genre, including Pink Floyd.

Electric & Musical Industries changed its name to EMI Ltd in 1971 and the subsidiary Gramophone Company became EMI Records Ltd in 1973. In February 1979, EMI Ltd. acquired United Artists Records.

In October 1979 THORN Electrical Industries Ltd. merged with EMI Ltd. to form Thorn EMI.

In 1989 Thorn EMI bought a 50% interest in Chrysalis Records, buying the outstanding 50% in 1991. In one of its highest-profile and most expensive acquisitions, Thorn EMI took over Richard Branson s Virgin Records in 1992.

On August 16, 1996, Thorn EMI shareholders voted in favour of demerger proposals. The resulting media company has since been known by the name EMI Group PLC.

Under the control of Sir Louis Sterling, EMI opened the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, England in November 1931.

=Labels under the EMI banner=

*Apple Records (distribution) *Astralwerks (owned by Virgin Records) *BEC Recordings *Blue Note Records *Capitol Records *The China Record Co. (China) *Chrysalis Records *DFA Records *Electrola (Germany) *EMI Christian Music Group *EMI Films *EMI Gospel *EMI Latin *Food Records (distributed by Parlophone) *Forefront Records *GramCo (India) *Harvest Records *Heavenly Records *HMV *Hut Records (owned by Virgin Records) *Mosaic Records (50% owned through Capitol Records) *Mute Records *Narada Productions *Odeon Records *Parlophone *Path Orient (China) *Pathé Records *Pomaton EMI *Positiva Records *RAK Records *Real World Records *Regal Zonophone Records *Reliquias (contains music from the old Odeón) *S-Curve Records (licensing and distribution) *SBK Songs *Siren Records (owned by Virgin Records) *Sparrow Records *Sixsteps Records *10 Records (owned by Virgin Records) *Toshiba-EMI (Japan) *Virgin Records *Worship Together

=Musicians signed, or previously signed, to EMI=

The musicians may have been signed under one of EMI s subsidiary labels. The subsidiary is noted next to the artist if this is the case.

==Pre-1960==

*Nat King Cole (Capitol) *Tennessee Ernie Ford *Wanda Jackson *The Kingston Trio *Dean Martin (Capitol) *Frank Sinatra (Capitol) *Gene Vincent

==1960s==

*The Animals *The Beach Boys (Capitol) *The Beatles (Parlophone) *Cilla Black *Joe Cocker *The Dave Clark Five *Gerry and the Pacemakers (Columbia) *Herman s Hermits *The Hollies *Billy J. Kramer *Manfred Mann *The Move *Peter and Gordon *Cliff Richard *Roger Whittaker *The Yardbirds (Columbia)

==1970s2000s==

*22-20s (Heavenly) *Alfie (band) (Regal) *The Arrows (RAK) *Athlete (band) (Regal) *Melissa Auf der Maur *Leif Ove Andsnes *Beastie Boys (Parlophone / Capitol) *The Beta Band (Regal) *Black Dice (DFA Records) *Blur (Food/Parlophone) *David Bowie (EMI America / Virgin) *Kate Bush *John Cale *Kim Carnes *The Chemical Brothers (Virgin Records) *Chingy (Parlophone / Capitol) *Chumbawamba *Marillion *Joe Cocker (Parlophone) *Coldplay (Parlophone) *The Concretes *Graham Coxon (Parlophone) *The Dandy Warhols (Parlophone / Capitol) *The Departure (Parlophone) *Dirty Vegas (Parlophone) *The Divine Comedy (band) (Parlophone) *Doves (Heavenly) *Dr. John (Parlophone) *The Duke Spirit (Heavenly) *Duran Duran *Sheena Easton *Erasure (Mute Records) *Faith Evans *Neil Finn (Parlophone) *Fischerspooner *Michael Franti (Parlophone) *David Gilmour *Gorillaz (Parlophone) *Adrian Gurvitz (RAK) *Ed Harcourt (Heavenly) *George Harrison (Parlophone) *Heart (band) (Capitol) *Hot Chocolate (band) (RAK) *Idlewild (band) (Parlophone) *Iron Maiden (band) *J. Geils Band *Jane s Addiction (Parlophone / Capitol) *Jay Sean (Relentless) *Norah Jones (Parlophone) *Junior Senior *Keren Ann *Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Real World) *King Biscuit Time (musician) (Regal) *The Knack *Beverly Knight (Parlophone) *Kraftwerk *LCD Soundsystem *The Magic Numbers (Heavenly) *Paul McCartney (Parlophone / Capitol) *George Michael *Kylie Minogue (Parlophone) *The Music (band) (Hut) *Pet Shop Boys (Parlophone) *Pink Floyd (Harvest) *Beth Orton (Heavenly) *Maxi Priest (Relentless) *Suzi Quatro (RAK) *Queen (band) (Parlophone) *Radiohead (Parlophone) *Red Hot Chili Peppers *Kenny Rogers (Liberty) *Roll Deep (Relentless) *The Rolling Stones (Virgin) *Bob Seger (Capitol) *Sigur Rós *Sparklehorse (Parlophone) *Starsailor (band) *Steriogram *Joss Stone (Relentless) *Supergrass (Parlophone) *Telepopmusik *KT Tunstall (Relentless) *Van Hunt *Vodka Collins (EMI-Toshiba) *Robbie Williams

Metal bands on EMI during the 1980s included:

*Great White *W.A.S.P. (Capitol) *Iron Maiden

The Sex Pistols were briefly signed to the label from October 8, 1976 to January 27, 1977 in a relationship that was fraught with controversy, and that had lasting repercussions for the history of the music industry. In a gesture of retaliation, the Sex Pistols added to their first album (released on Virgin Records), Never Mind the Bollocks, a song entitled EMI insulting the company. Virgin was acquired by EMI in 1992.

In 2001, pop diva Mariah Carey was signed to Virgin in a much hyped, multi-album deal reportedly worth a record-breaking $80-$100 million. After her first album in the deal, Glitter (Mariah Carey album), performed poorly, she was paid $28 million to leave the label. Along with the estimated $20 million advance she received, this is the highest amount a record label has ever paid an artist for a single album.

=See also=

=External links=