History Creator / ColumbiaRecords

** Music/BestFriend

Columbia Records is not only one of the leading names in the music industry, it's also the UrExample of a record label--it's existed since ''[[LongRunners 1887]]''.[[note]]If you want to get technical, it began life as a record label in 1889, one year after the founding of Edison Records; however, the establishment that ''became'' Columbia started in 1887, and while Edison Records went bankrupt within 40 years, Columbia is still trucking on today.[[/note]] It was the first company to switch from wax cylinders to shellac discs. Later, its technicians created long-playing records, also known as [=LPs=]; that is, the album as a 10" or 12" disc rather than a literal album, with a bunch of 78s all in one package. After a format war with its main rival Creator/RCARecords in the late 1940s and its 7-inch 45 rpm format, the LP remained the dominant format for music albums until the 1980s, when it was supplanted by the cassette and UsefulNotes/CompactDisc. In turn, Columbia would open the first CD pressing plant in the world, CSR Compact Disc, to manufacture discs for the format's launch in 1982 as part of a partnership in Japan with co-inventor Creator/{{Sony}} that stretched back to 1968; all 50 titles in the launch lineup were by artists signed to Columbia and the Creator/EpicRecords sublabel.

* Music/RogerWaters+

* Music/DavidBowie[[note]]Material from the TurnOfTheMillennium and TheNewTens; also gained ownership of ''Music/{{Outside}}'', ''Music/{{Earthling}}'', and ''Music/{{Hours|DavidBowieAlbum}}'' until his death.[[/note]]

** Music/{{Wings}}+

* Creator/HirokazuTanaka[[note]]CBS/Sony and Sony Records distributed the soundtracks for ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' and ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'', respectively, in Japan[[/note]]

Columbia Records is not only one of the leading names in the music industry, it's also the UrExample of a record label--it's existed since ''[[LongRunners 1887]]''.[[note]]If you want to get technical, it began life as a record label in 1889, one year after the founding of Edison Records; however, the establishment that ''became'' Columbia started in 1887, and while Edison Records went bankrupt within 40 years, Columbia is still trucking on today.[[/note]] It was the first company to switch from wax cylinders to shellac discs. Later, its technicians created long-playing records, also known as [=LPs=]; that is, the album as a 10" or 12" disc rather than a literal album, with a bunch of 78s all in one package. After a format war with its main rival Creator/RCARecords in the late 1940s and its 7-inch 45 rpm format, the LP remained the dominant format for music albums until the 1980s, when it was supplanted by the cassette and UsefulNotes/CompactDisc. In turn, Columbia would open the first CD pressing plant in the world, CSR Compact Disc, to manufacture discs for the format's launch in 1982 as part of a partnership with co-inventor Creator/{{Sony}}; all 50 titles in the launch lineup were by artists signed to Columbia and the Creator/EpicRecords sublabel.

* Music/{{Blink 182}}

* Music/RebeccaFerguson

* Music/TeddyGeiger

* Music/LoFidelityAllStars+

* Music/MarkRonson

* Music/AndyWilliams

Columbia's been owned by various companies, most notably Creator/{{CBS}} (1938-88) and Creator/SonyMusicEntertainment (1988-present); despite [[NamesTheSame the name]], it had no connection with Creator/ColumbiaPictures until the Sony deal brought both companies under common ownership. [[note]]It's actually named for UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC, where the company started.[[/note]]

'''Note:''' This article is about the American Columbia Records, not the European and Japanese divisions that split off into separate but [[NamesTheSame identically-named]] companies. (The European division, [[Creator/EMIColumbiaRecords the Columbia Graphophone Company]], became part of Creator/{{EMI}}; its catalogue is now owned by Creator/WarnerMusicGroup through Creator/ParlophoneRecords.) Because of this, the label was called CBS Records overseas until the Sony buyout. The Japanese company still uses the Columbia name (at least in Japan; they use their original name Nipponophone internationally), so the label is called Sony Music there. Meanwhile, the CBS TV network launched a new version of CBS Records in 2006, which is distributed by Sony via RED Distribution. Confused yet?

* Music/HarryConnickJr

* Music/DavidBowie[[note]]Material from the TurnOfTheMillennium and TheNewTens; also gained ownership of ''Music/{{Outside}}'', ''Music/{{Earthling}}'', and ''Music/{{Hours}}'' until his death.[[/note]]

Columbia Records is not only one of the leading names in the music industry, it's also the UrExample of a record label--it's existed since ''[[LongRunners 1887]]''.[[note]]If you want to get technical, it began life as a record label in 1889, one year after the founding of Edison Records; however, the establishment that ''became'' Columbia started in 1887, and while Edison Records went bankrupt within 40 years, Columbia is still trucking on today.[[/note]] It was the first company to switch from wax cylinders to shellac discs. Later, its technicians created long-playing records, also known as [=LPs=]; that is, the album as a 10" or 12" disc rather than a literal album, with a bunch of 78s all in one package. After a format war with its main rival Creator/RCARecords in the late 1940s and its 7-inch 45 rpm format, the LP remained the dominant format for music albums until the 1980s, when it was supplanted by the cassette and UsefulNotes/CompactDisc.

Also see Columbia's sublabels [[Creator/EpicRecords Epic]] and [[Creator/OkehRecords Okeh]].

!!Columbia Records performers, past and present, with Wiki/TVTropes pages:

** 1994 - Music/{{Illmatic}}

* Music/{{Journey}}