| 1 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/columbia_records_logo_5082.png]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:300:The company logo, nicknamed "The Walking Eye".[[note]]No, not ''[[WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers that]]'' Walking Eye -- it's actually supposed to represent a stylus on a record, but the similarity to the Creator/{{CBS}} Eye was too good to pass up.[[/note]]]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | 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 Platform/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. The CD would also become the dominant format for physical music releases until the advent of (legal) digital music distribution in the 2000s and the vinyl revival starting later in that decade. |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Columbia's been owned by various companies, most notably Creator/{{CBS}} (1938-88) and Creator/SonyMusicEntertainment (1988-present); despite the name, it had no connection with Creator/ColumbiaPictures until Sony's acquisitions of both companies brought them under common ownership in 1989 (until then, the film studio had to use other names for record labels they owned, such as Creator/AristaRecords, now also owned by SME). [[note]]It's actually named for UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC, where the company started.[[/note]] |
| 7 | |
| 8 | As you might expect from such a long-lived company, Columbia has signed a ''lot'' of major acts in just about every genre. Legends such as Music/JohnnyCash, Music/MilesDavis, Music/BobDylan, Music/EarthWindAndFire, Music/JohnnyMathis, Music/SimonAndGarfunkel, Music/BruceSpringsteen and Music/BarbraStreisand have had long, successful relationships with the label. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | '''Note:''' This article is about the American Columbia Records, not the European and Japanese divisions that split off into separate but 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? |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Also see Columbia's sublabels Creator/{{Epic|Records}} and Creator/{{Okeh|Records}}. |
| 13 | ---- |
| 14 | !!Columbia Records performers, past and present, with Website/TVTropes pages: |
| 15 | [[index]] |
| 16 | * Music/ThirdBass |
| 17 | * Music/TwentyFourKGoldn |
| 18 | * Music/{{ACDC}}** |
| 19 | * Music/AdamAndTheAnts* |
| 20 | * Music/{{Adele}} |
| 21 | * Music/{{Aerosmith}} |
| 22 | * Music/TheAfghanWhigs |
| 23 | * Music/AirSupply |
| 24 | * Creator/SteveAllen |
| 25 | * Music/AliceInChains |
| 26 | * Music/{{Amerie}} |
| 27 | * Music/LouisArmstrong |
| 28 | * Music/JamesArthur |
| 29 | * Music/AdamAnt |
| 30 | * Music/MarcAnthony |
| 31 | * Music/ArcadeFire |
| 32 | * [[Series/ILoveLucy Desi Arnaz]] [[note]]He released a single in 1953 which included a [[ForgottenThemeTuneLyrics vocal version]] of the ''I Love Lucy'' theme.[[/note]] |
| 33 | * Creator/FredAstaire |
| 34 | * Music/GeneAutry |
| 35 | * Music/BurtBacharach |
| 36 | * Music/TheBangles |
| 37 | * Music/TravisBarker |
| 38 | * Creator/DrakeBell |
| 39 | * Music/TonyBennett |
| 40 | * Creator/PollyBergen |
| 41 | * Music/LeonardBernstein |
| 42 | * Music/BigTimeRush |
| 43 | * Music/TheBlackCrowes |
| 44 | * Music/Blink182 |
| 45 | * Music/BlueOysterCult |
| 46 | * Radio/BobAndRay |
| 47 | * Music/{{Chairlift}} |
| 48 | * Music/MichaelBolton |
| 49 | * Music/TheBooRadleys+ |
| 50 | * Music/DavidBowie[[note]]Material from the TurnOfTheMillennium and TheNewTens; also gained ownership of ''Music/{{Outside}}'', ''Music/{{Earthling}}'', and ''[[Music/HoursDavidBowieAlbum 'hours...']]'' until his death.[[/note]] |
| 51 | * Music/{{BTS}}+ |
| 52 | * Music/JeffBuckley |
| 53 | * Creator/CarolBurnett |
| 54 | * Creator/KandiBurruss |
| 55 | * Music/KateBush+ |
| 56 | * Music/TheByrds |
| 57 | * Music/JohnCale |
| 58 | * Creator/DoveCameron |
| 59 | * Music/MariahCarey |
| 60 | * Music/WendyCarlos |
| 61 | * Creator/DiahannCarroll |
| 62 | * Music/TheCarters |
| 63 | * Music/JohnnyCash |
| 64 | * Creator/JackCassidy |
| 65 | * Music/TheChainsmokers |
| 66 | * Music/RayCharles |
| 67 | * Music/LouisChedid |
| 68 | * Music/{{Cher}} |
| 69 | * Music/KennyChesney |
| 70 | * Music/MarkChesnutt |
| 71 | * Music/{{Chicago}} |
| 72 | * Music/TheChicks |
| 73 | * Music/TheCivilWars |
| 74 | * Music/TheClash* |
| 75 | * Cassius Clay (released the spoken word album ''I Am the Greatest'' on Columbia before changing his name to UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli) |
| 76 | * Music/DavidAllanCoe |
| 77 | * Music/CoheedAndCambria |
| 78 | * Music/LeonardCohen |
| 79 | * Music/JCole |
| 80 | * Music/OrnetteColeman |
| 81 | * Music/LukeCombs |
| 82 | * Creator/HarryConnickJr |
| 83 | * Music/ImaniCoppola |
| 84 | * Creator/MirandaCosgrove |
| 85 | * Music/ElvisCostello+ |
| 86 | * Music/BingCrosby |
| 87 | * Music/NoahCyrus |
| 88 | * Music/DaftPunk |
| 89 | * Music/MilesDavis |
| 90 | * Creator/DorisDay |
| 91 | * Music/DepecheMode |
| 92 | * Music/DestinysChild |
| 93 | ** Music/{{Beyonce}} |
| 94 | ** Music/KellyRowland |
| 95 | ** Music/MichelleWilliams |
| 96 | * Music/NeilDiamond |
| 97 | * Creator/MarleneDietrich |
| 98 | * Music/CelineDion |
| 99 | * Music/TheDoobieBrothers |
| 100 | * Music/BobDylan |
| 101 | * Music/EarthWindAndFire |
| 102 | * Music/ElectricLightOrchestra** |
| 103 | * Music/DukeEllington |
| 104 | * Music/{{Evanescence}} |
| 105 | * Music/GeorgeEzra |
| 106 | * Music/FictionFactory |
| 107 | * Creator/TheFiresignTheatre |
| 108 | * Music/FosterThePeople |
| 109 | ** Music/{{Best Friend|2014}} |
| 110 | * Music/ArethaFranklin |
| 111 | * Music/TheFugees |
| 112 | * Creator/JudyGarland |
| 113 | * Music/MarvinGaye |
| 114 | * Music/GentleGiant+ |
| 115 | * Creator/RobertGoulet |
| 116 | * Creator/JoelGrey |
| 117 | * Creator/MervGriffin |
| 118 | * Music/{{Grimes}} [[note]] very briefly, from 2021-2022, currently independent [[/note]] |
| 119 | * Music/GuanoApes |
| 120 | * Music/NinaHagen |
| 121 | * Music/TomTHall |
| 122 | * Music/HerbieHancock |
| 123 | * Music/{{Haim}}+ (and Mexico) |
| 124 | * Music/{{Halsey}} |
| 125 | * Music/CalvinHarris |
| 126 | * Music/CoreyHart |
| 127 | * Music/IsaacHayes |
| 128 | * Music/JohnnyHorton |
| 129 | * Music/HaruomiHosono |
| 130 | * Music/{{Hozier}}+ (and Australia) |
| 131 | * [[Music/TheStooges Iggy and the Stooges]] |
| 132 | * Creator/BurlIves |
| 133 | * Music/{{Jamiroquai}} |
| 134 | * Music/JanAndDean |
| 135 | * Music/AntonioCarlosJobim |
| 136 | * Music/BillyJoel |
| 137 | * Music/RobertJohnson |
| 138 | * Music/TheJonasBrothers |
| 139 | * Creator/ShirleyJones |
| 140 | * Music/JanisJoplin |
| 141 | * Music/{{Journey|Band}} |
| 142 | * Music/JudasPriest |
| 143 | * Music/VictoriaJustice |
| 144 | * Music/{{Kalush}} |
| 145 | * Creator/DannyKaye |
| 146 | * Music/TheKidLaroi |
| 147 | * Music/TheKinks |
| 148 | * Creator/KrisKristofferson** |
| 149 | * Music/MirandaLambert |
| 150 | * Music/JohnLegend |
| 151 | * Music/{{Liberace}} |
| 152 | * Music/LilJon |
| 153 | * Music/LilNasX |
| 154 | * Music/LilPeep (posthumously) |
| 155 | * Music/LittleComets |
| 156 | * Music/LittleMix |
| 157 | * Music/LLCoolJ (Columbia was the original distributor for Creator/DefJamRecordings) |
| 158 | * Music/KennyLoggins |
| 159 | * Music/{{Lostprophets}} |
| 160 | * Music/{{Loverboy|Band}} |
| 161 | * Music/NickLowe+ |
| 162 | * Music/ManicStreetPreachers |
| 163 | * Music/RickyMartin |
| 164 | * Music/JohnnyMathis |
| 165 | * Music/JohnMayer |
| 166 | * Music/PaulMcCartney+ |
| 167 | ** Music/{{Wings|Band}}+ |
| 168 | * Music/TimMcGraw |
| 169 | * Music/DeclanMcKenna |
| 170 | * Music/JohnMcLaughlin |
| 171 | * Music/JohnMellencamp |
| 172 | * Music/MenAtWork |
| 173 | * Music/FreddieMercury |
| 174 | * Creator/LeaMichele |
| 175 | * Creator/BetteMidler |
| 176 | * Music/MidnightOil |
| 177 | * Music/TheloniousMonk |
| 178 | * Music/MontgomeryGentry |
| 179 | * Music/MarenMorris |
| 180 | * Music/MottTheHoople |
| 181 | * Creator/EddieMurphy |
| 182 | * Creator/JimNabors |
| 183 | * Music/{{Nas}} |
| 184 | * Music/TheNeighbourhood |
| 185 | * Music/WillieNelson |
| 186 | * Music/NewKidsOnTheBlock |
| 187 | * Music/NineInchNails+ (US only) |
| 188 | ** Music/HowToDestroyAngels |
| 189 | * Music/TheNuttySquirrels |
| 190 | * Music/LauraNyro |
| 191 | * Music/TheOakRidgeBoys |
| 192 | * Music/TheOffspring[[note]]rights now owned by Round Hill Music[[/note]] |
| 193 | * Music/OneDirection |
| 194 | ** Music/HarryStyles |
| 195 | *** 2019 - ''Music/FineLine'' |
| 196 | *** 2022 - ''Music/HarrysHouse'' |
| 197 | * Music/RitaOra |
| 198 | * Music/TheOutfield |
| 199 | * Music/DollyParton |
| 200 | * Music/PaulRevereAndTheRaiders |
| 201 | * Music/PinkFloyd+ |
| 202 | * Creator/JoePiscopo |
| 203 | * Music/RachelPlatten |
| 204 | * Music/{{ppcocaine}} |
| 205 | * Music/ThePresidentsOfTheUnitedStatesOfAmerica |
| 206 | * Music/PrimalScream* |
| 207 | * Music/ThePsychedelicFurs |
| 208 | * Music/RagNBoneMan |
| 209 | * Music/TheRaveonettes |
| 210 | * Music/RidersInTheSky |
| 211 | * Creator/NayaRivera |
| 212 | * Music/MartyRobbins |
| 213 | * Creator/GeneRoddenberry[[note]]In 1976, Columbia released ''Inside Star Trek'', a spoken word album about ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' in which Roddenberry interviews Creator/WilliamShatner, Creator/DeForestKelley, Mark Lenard, and Creator/IsaacAsimov; CBS, then owners of the label, currently owns the franchise[[/note]] |
| 214 | * Music/KellyRowland |
| 215 | * Music/{{Santana}} |
| 216 | * Music/SavageGarden |
| 217 | * Music/{{Shakira}} |
| 218 | * Music/RaviShankar |
| 219 | * Music/{{Shenandoah}} |
| 220 | * Music/TheShins |
| 221 | * Creator/DinahShore |
| 222 | * Music/{{Sigala}} |
| 223 | * Music/SimonAndGarfunkel |
| 224 | ** Music/PaulSimon |
| 225 | * Music/CarlySimon |
| 226 | * Music/FrankSinatra |
| 227 | * Music/SixpenceNoneTheRicher |
| 228 | * Music/TheSlits |
| 229 | * Music/BessieSmith |
| 230 | * Music/PattiSmith |
| 231 | * Creator/WillSmith |
| 232 | * Music/SnoopDogg |
| 233 | * Music/SoulAsylum |
| 234 | * Music/SoftMachine |
| 235 | * Music/{{Solange}} |
| 236 | * Music/{{Sparks}} |
| 237 | * Music/RonnieSpector |
| 238 | * Music/BruceSpringsteen |
| 239 | * Music/TheStatlerBrothers |
| 240 | * Music/AlStewart*+ (some European reissues) |
| 241 | * Music/BarbraStreisand |
| 242 | * Music/{{Suede}}+ |
| 243 | * Music/SwedishHouseMafia |
| 244 | * Music/MatthewSweet |
| 245 | * Music/{{Switchfoot}} |
| 246 | * Music/SystemOfADown |
| 247 | * Music/HirokazuTanaka[[note]]CBS/Sony and Sony Records distributed the soundtracks for ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' and ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'', respectively, in Japan[[/note]] |
| 248 | * Music/MickTaylor |
| 249 | * Music/JamesTaylor |
| 250 | * Music/TeenageFanclub |
| 251 | * Music/TenaciousD** |
| 252 | * Music/ThreeSixMafia |
| 253 | * Music/{{TI}} |
| 254 | * Music/ToadTheWetSprocket |
| 255 | * Music/TommyTutone |
| 256 | * Music/{{Toto}} |
| 257 | * Music/{{Train}} |
| 258 | * Music/TravisTritt |
| 259 | * Music/TanyaTucker |
| 260 | * Music/BonnieTyler |
| 261 | * Music/TylerTheCreator |
| 262 | * Music/UriahHeep+ |
| 263 | * Music/TheVaccines |
| 264 | * Music/VampireWeekend |
| 265 | * Music/SarahVaughan |
| 266 | * Music/WalkOffTheEarth |
| 267 | * Music/TheWallflowers |
| 268 | * Music/{{Wardruna}} |
| 269 | * Music/{{Warrant}} |
| 270 | * Music/RogerWaters[[note]]Originally signed only in the US and Canada (carrying on from Music/PinkFloyd's contract with the label), later shifted to a worldwide deal in 1992.[[/note]] |
| 271 | * Music/{{Weather Report|Band}} |
| 272 | * Music/WendyAndLisa |
| 273 | * Music/{{WHAM}} |
| 274 | ** Music/GeorgeMichael |
| 275 | * Music/{{Wheatus}} |
| 276 | * Music/JackWhite+ |
| 277 | * Music/PharrellWilliams |
| 278 | * Creator/RobinWilliams |
| 279 | * Creator/JonathanWinters |
| 280 | * Music/SteveWinwood |
| 281 | * Music/WirSindHelden |
| 282 | * Music/WithinTemptation |
| 283 | * Music/TheWurzels |
| 284 | * Music/PeteYorn |
| 285 | * Music/{{Xscape|Group}} |
| 286 | [[/index]] |
| 287 | |
| 288 | [=*=] Signed to the Creator/EpicRecords subsidiary in America\ |
| 289 | [=**=] ''Formerly'' on Epic\ |
| 290 | [=+=] Signed in the US and Canada only |
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