100 Greatest Record Labels (revision version)

[Ryan]

New list idea. I don't think we've ever thought of this one before. There's a greatest jazz labels list on the site, but not one of these.

Criteria will be something like:
1. Importance on the history of popular music
2. Quality/acclaim of its output and roster
3. Popularity both as a label and its' artists and releases

To a lesser extent this one
1. Unique identity in terms of presentation and roster

This list will include sub-labels, vanity labels, and imprints associated with larger labels, on a case by case basis (for instance, DGC's legacy is separate from Geffen Records because DGC had Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Beck. But Tamla is indistinct from Motown, it's the same label, and its legacy is included in the Motown listing, which might even be Motown/Tamla). Country/jazz/international divisions of labels without their own identity (i.e. RCA Nashville or EMI Music Japan) are rolled into the listing for their parent label.

I am thinking, Atlantic at #1, Motown #2, Capitol #3, Columbia #4, RCA #5.

These should be in the top 20-30
A&M
Atlantic
Blue Note
Capitol
Chess (+Checker and Cadet)
Columbia
Decca
Def Jam
Geffen
EMI
Elektra
Epic
Island
Motown-Tamla
Parlophone
Reprise
RCA (possibly RCA Victor together?)
Sony
Stax-Volt
Sun
Warner Bros.
Verve
Victor
Virgin


Definitely in the top 100
4AD
ABKCO
Aftermath
American Recordings
Apple
Arista
Astralwerk
Asylum
Atco
Bad Boy
Beggars Banquet
Bluebird
BMG
Brunswick
Cadence
Cameo-Parkway
CBS
Chrysalis
Commodore
Creation
Death Row
Dischord
DGC (listed separately from Geffen)
Epitaph
Factory
Fania
Fueled by Ramen
Imperial
Impulse!
Interscope
IRS
Jive
King
London
Maverick
Matador
MCA
Mercury
Merge
MGM
Monument
Mute
Nonesuch
Okeh
Paramount (although there's a couple of these)
Philadelphia International
Philips
Philles
Phonogram
Polydor
Polygram
Prestige
Pye
Republic
Rhino
Rough Trade
RSO
Ruthless
Salsoul
Sire
Smithsonian Folkways
Specialty
Stiff
Sub Pop
SST
Sugar Hill (hip hop)
Trojan
Vocalion
Warp
Wind Up
XL


Maybe in the top 100, probably in a top 200
550
4th & B'way
ABC
Argo (also 2 labels)
Asch
Barsuk
Bella Union
Capricorn
Caroline
Carpark
Cash Money
Charisma
Curb
Domino
Def Jux
DFA
ECM
Elephant 6
Enigma
Fantasy
Fat Wreck Chords
Federal
Fiction
Flying Nun
Grand Royal
Guild
Harvest
Jagjaguwar
Jubilee
K
King
Kill Rock Stars
Lava
Loud
Luaka Bop
Metal Blade
Myhrr
No Limit
Odeon
Olivia
One Little Indpedent
Polyvinyl
Postcard
R&S
Rykodisc
Roc a Fella
Saddle Creek
Sarah
Savoy
Scepter
Slash
Stones Throw
Sugar Hill (bluegrass)
Thrill Jockey
Tommy Boy
Top Dawg
Track
Tresor
United Artists
Windham Hill
Word
Vee Jay
Vertigo
Victory
Zomba

This is a very rough draft where I mostly thought of the labels that came to mind + top RYM singles and best selling albums.

What am I missing? What other labels should be in here? Does anyone else have input on the top 20 or so?

[ManPerson]

I think Cash Money and Roc a Fella could be somewhere in there.

[Fido]

Always great to see original ideas for lists! The top five you listed looks good, and i agree with Man that those two labels should be listed somewhere.

[Zach]

No Limit
Defected
R&S
Tresor

[Brian]

I would put RCA and Victor together. They merged in 1929, so they've been together for almost the entire period of significant recording activity.

[Ryan]

Thanks for those suggestions, I added them in there.

[Ryan]

So right now I have this for a top 25. I tried to get a lot of the big ones in this one

1. Atlantic
2. Capitol
3. Motown/Tamla
4. Columbia
5. RCA/Victor
6. Warner Bros.
7. EMI
8. A&M
9. Parlophone
10. Sun
11. Island
12. Elektra
13. Stax/Volt
14. Chess/Checker/Cadet
15. Epic
16. Decca
17. Reprise
18. Def Jam
19. Blue Note
20. Geffen
21. Interscope
22. Virgin
23. Vocalion
24. Okeh
25. Arista

With these for the next round:
Apple
Asylum
Bad Boy
Brunswick
Chrysalis
CBS
Death Row
Factory
Impulse!
IRS
MCA
Mercury
Sire
Sony
Sub Pop

Is there anything that should be higher or lower? Is there anything that should be in the top 25 but isn't?

Should we list significant artists/albums/singles released on these labels? Maybe that might explain certain rankings better.

[Tim]

I'd say add examples of artists for each label for sure.

[Ryan]

I thought a bit about where to go from here and this is the list through the top 40.

I'll add artists (from one of our lists? Rock Hall inductees?) eventually

1. Atlantic
2. Capitol
3. Motown/Tamla
4. Columbia
5. RCA/Victor
6. Warner Bros.
7. EMI
8. A&M
9. Parlophone
10. Sun
11. Island
12. Elektra
13. Stax/Volt
14. Chess/Checker/Cadet
15. Epic
16. Decca
17. Reprise
18. Def Jam
19. Blue Note
20. Geffen
21. Interscope
22. Virgin
23. Vocalion
24. Okeh
25. Arista
26. Sire
27. Verve
28. Mercury
29. Brunswick
30. MCA
31. Asylum
32. CBS
33. Cameo-Parkway
34. Apple
35. IRS
36. Bad Boy
37. Death Row
38. Impulse!
39. Atco
40. Sub Pop

These labels next:
Chrysalis
DGC
Dischord
Epitaph
Factory
Fania
Harvest
Jive
London
Maverick
Philadelphia International
Polygram
Polydor
Republic
Rhino
RSO
Smithsonian Folkways
Sony (is there a separate Sony label to pick here?)
Trojan

[Tim]

Ddd is obvi more credible than Rock Hall.

[Ryan]

Still thinking about this one, and where to go next with it.

I might have a list that specifies which albums or songs on our all-time lists were released on which labels.

[Tim]

I'd say add examples of artists for each label for sure.

Thoughts:

1. Atlantic (Ray Charles, Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin)
2. Capitol (Beatles, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra)
3. Motown/Tamla (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Supremes)
4. Columbia (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Miles Davis)
5. RCA/Victor (Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Sam Cooke)
6. Warner Bros. (Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park)
7. EMI (Taylor Swift, Queen, Elton John)
8. A&M (Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Police, Janet Jackson)
9. Parlophone (Beatles, Coldplay, Iron Maiden)
10. Sun (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis)
11. Island (Bob Marley, U2, Toots and the Maytals)
12. Elektra (Doors, Queen, Metallica)
13. Stax/Volt (Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T. & M.G.'s)
14. Chess/Checker/Cadet (Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf)
15. Epic (Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine)
16. Decca (Bing Crosby, Bill Haley & His Comets, Mills Brothers)
17. Reprise (Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Kinks)
18. Def Jam (Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West)
19. Blue Note (Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey)
20. Geffen (Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Aerosmith)
21. Interscope (Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Eminem)
22. Virgin (Sex Pistols, Mike Oldfield, Daft Punk)
23. Vocalion (Robert Johnson, Billie Holiday, Gene Autry)
24. Okeh (Louis Armstrong, Mamie Smith, Johnnie Ray)
25. Arista (Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Barry Manilow)
26. Sire (Ramones, Talking Heads, Madonna)
27. Verve (Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday)
28. Mercury (Platters, Dinah Washington, Rush)
29. Brunswick (Bing Crosby, Mills Brothers, Buddy Holly & the Crickets)
30. MCA (Elton John, Who, Roots)
31. Asylum (Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits)
32. CBS (Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel)
33. Cameo-Parkway (Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, ? & The Mysterians)
34. Apple (Beatles (incl. solo), Badfinger, Billy Preston)
35. IRS (REM, Go-Go's, Fine Young Cannibals)
36. Bad Boy (The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, Janelle Monáe)
37. Death Row (2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg)
38. Impulse! (John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ray Charles)
39. Atco (Cream, Otis Redding, The Allman Brothers Band)
40. Sub Pop (Nirvana, The Postal Service, Beach House)

These labels next:

Chrysalis (Jethro Tull, Blondie, Gang Starr)
DGC (Nirvana, Weezer, Beck)
Dischord (Fugazi, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring)
Epitaph (Bad Religion, Descendents, Converge)
Factory (Joy Division, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
Fania (Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades)
Harvest (Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Wire)
Jive (Britney Spears, A Tribe Called Quest, Backstreet Boys)
London (Rolling Stones, Georg Solti, Luciano Pavarotti)
Maverick (Madonna, Alanis Morissette, Deftones)
Philadelphia International (The O'Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Lou Rawls)
Polygram (Dusty Springfield, Pixies, Rainbow)
Polydor (ABBA, Eric Clapton, Siouxsie and the Banshees)
Republic (The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Drake)
Rhino (Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Joni Mitchell)
RSO (Bee Gees, Eric Clapton, Andy Gibb)
Smithsonian Folkways (Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly)
Trojan (Bob Marley & The Wailers, Desmond Dekker, Toots & the Maytals)

[Ryan]

Thanks Tim. I'm going to say this is the top 50

1. Atlantic (Ray Charles, Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin)
2. Capitol (Beatles, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra)
3. Motown/Tamla (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Supremes)
4. Columbia (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Miles Davis)
5. RCA/Victor (Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Sam Cooke)
6. Warner Bros. (Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park)
7. EMI (Taylor Swift, Queen, Elton John)
8. A&M (Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Police, Janet Jackson)
9. Parlophone (Beatles, Coldplay, Iron Maiden)
10. Sun (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis)
11. Island (Bob Marley, U2, Toots and the Maytals)
12. Elektra (Doors, Queen, Metallica)
13. Stax/Volt (Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T. & M.G.'s)
14. Chess/Checker/Cadet (Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf)
15. Epic (Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine)
16. Decca (Bing Crosby, Bill Haley & His Comets, Mills Brothers)
17. Reprise (Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Kinks)
18. Def Jam (Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West)
19. Blue Note (Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey)
20. Geffen (Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Aerosmith)
21. Interscope (Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Eminem)
22. Virgin (Sex Pistols, Mike Oldfield, Daft Punk)
23. Vocalion (Robert Johnson, Billie Holiday, Gene Autry)
24. Okeh (Louis Armstrong, Mamie Smith, Johnnie Ray)
25. Arista (Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Barry Manilow)
26. Sire (Ramones, Talking Heads, Madonna)
27. Verve (Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday)
28. Mercury (Platters, Dinah Washington, Rush)
29. Brunswick (Bing Crosby, Mills Brothers, Buddy Holly & the Crickets)
30. MCA (Elton John, Who, Roots)
31. Asylum (Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits)
32. CBS (Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel)
33. Cameo-Parkway (Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, ? & The Mysterians)
34. Apple (Beatles (incl. solo), Badfinger, Billy Preston)
35. IRS (REM, Go-Go's, Fine Young Cannibals)
36. Bad Boy (The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, Janelle Monáe)
37. Death Row (2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg)
38. Impulse! (John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ray Charles)
39. Atco (Cream, Otis Redding, The Allman Brothers Band)
40. Sub Pop (Nirvana, The Postal Service, Beach House)
41. DGC (Nirvana, Weezer, Beck)
42. Philadelphia International (The O'Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Lou Rawls)
43. Chrysalis (Jethro Tull, Blondie, Gang Starr)
44. Trojan (Bob Marley & The Wailers, Desmond Dekker, Toots & the Maytals)
45. Harvest (Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Wire)
46. Polygram (Dusty Springfield, Pixies, Rainbow)
47. Republic (The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Drake)
48. Factory (Joy Division, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
49. Smithsonian Folkways (Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly)
50. Maverick (Madonna, Alanis Morissette, Deftones)


These labels next:
51. Fania (Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades)
52. RSO (Bee Gees, Eric Clapton, Andy Gibb)
53. Polydor (ABBA, Eric Clapton, Siouxsie and the Banshees)
54. Jive (Britney Spears, A Tribe Called Quest, Backstreet Boys)
55. London (Rolling Stones, Georg Solti, Luciano Pavarotti)
56. Dischord (Fugazi, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring)
57. Epitaph (Bad Religion, Descendents, Converge)
58. Rhino (Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Joni Mitchell)

Then these:
ABKCO
Aftermath
Bluebird
Cadence
Creation
Fantasy
Imperial
Matador
Merge
Monument
Mute
Nonesuch
Philles
Pye
Rough Trade
Ruthless
Rykodisc
Salsoul
Specialty
SST
Sugar Hill (hip hop)
Windham Hill