Not just reissued... reimagined. Legacy Recordings, the Grammy Award-winning division at Sony BMG Music Entertainment founded in 1990, is charged with the task of revisiting, restoring, reintroducing and enhancing one of the world's greatest music catalogs (over 100 years deep!). The
RCA and
Columbia labels are both over 100 years old and represent some of the worlds finest artists. Legacy has become an industry leader, and critical and fan favorite, by taking that rich and diverse music to never-before imagined or attained levels of listening pleasure. It has also been hugely successful and each year generates millions of dollars in net income.
The foundation and pride of any serious music lover's collection, our vast catalog of all-time classic albums, as well as our extensive catalog of rare and fabled music compilations represent a history of music in America that is second to none. From Robert Johnson to
Frank Sinatra,
Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen,
Hall and Oates,
Miles Davis,
John Denver,
Johnny Cash ,
Earth Wind & Fire,
Harry Nilsson,
Bessie Smith,
Louis Armstrong,
AC / DC,
Journey,
Kenny G, Willie Nelson, Jefferson Airplane and
The Clash, Legacy is home to all the best in classic and rare pop, hip -hop, rock, jazz, blues, folk, rhythm and blues, gospel, country, Broadway musicals, movie soundtracks, ethnic, world music, comedy and more.
The Music Each and every gem you'll find proudly bearing the Legacy name has been mined from the massive archive of recordings housed in the
Columbia,
RCA,
Epic,
Arista,
Jive and associated labels' vaults, including Philadelphia International, OKeh, ARC, Vocalion, and Brunswick, as well as such acquired imprints Ode, Budda and more.
We at Legacy take great pride in every title we release. Each selection, from a reissue of a classic album to an extensive career retrospective, is given the high quality treatment worthy of the Legacy name. We are privileged to work with award-winning and critically-acclaimed producers and musicologists who work tirelessly to discover previously unreleased music, insuring as complete and compelling a package as possible. By combining state-of-the-art remastering technology with comprehensive liner notes, track information and rare and historic photos, the Legacy name and moniker have become synonymous with musical excellence. Our work is recognized by critics and fans alike as top notch.
Timeline Columbia Enters the Pop Music Business (1889)
The American Graphophone Company starts a company to distribute its talking machines in the Washington, D.C. area, and names it the Columbia Graphophone Company. Columbia takes an office product — dictating machines using wax cylinders — and creates a new entertainment medium, as well as the “software” side of the music business.
The Victor Talking Machine Company is formed (1901)
Victor is born from the Berliner Gramophone Company, creator of the flat disc record.
Columbia Begins Producing Disc Records (1902)
Columbia and Victor soon standardize 7-inch and 10-inch discs, as cylinder era ends.
Victor Signs Caruso (1902)
To compete with Columbia, newcomer the Victor Talking Machine Company (Victor) signs opera “superstar” Enrico Caruso, who ignites a craze for opera records and establishes Victor as the opera/classical leader for decades to come.
First Jazz Recordings (1917)
The Original Dixieland Jazz Band from New Orleans records the first jazz songs for both Columbia and Victor, effectively ushering in the “Jazz Age.”
King Oliver Records Dippermouth Blues (1923)
King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band becomes the first black jazz band to commercially record. Their record, Dippermouth Blues, is released on OKeh records and introduces Louis Armstrong.
Columbia Acquires OKeh (1926)
Columbia acquires OKeh Records (the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation), whose catalog includes Mamie Smith, Clarence Williams, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Lonnie Johnson, Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, Eddie Lang and Bennie Moten. Muskrat Ramble by Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five (Okeh) establishes him as a jazz band leader.
Victor “Discovers” Country Music (1927)
Victor talent scout Ralph Peer (formerly a Columbia scout) holds recording auditions in Bristol, VA,
which bring in Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. “Hillbilly” music takes off.
RCA buys Victor (1929)
The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) buys Victor.
RCA Introduces Bluebird (1933)
Coinciding with the inauguration of President Roosevelt and the New Deal, RCA Victor launches its Bluebird label in January 1933 as a budget subsidiary for popular, blues, and country material. Timeless music and a classic label design make Bluebird a legend.
Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall (1938)
Clarinetist/band leader Benny Goodman (who recorded for both Columbia and RCA) gives a swing
concert with an integrated band that defines the Swing era.
CBS Enters Record Business (1938)
CBS enters the record business, acquiring the American Record Corporation. Artists associated with
the company, whose name is changed to the Columbia Recording Corporation, include Duke
Ellington, Harry James and Fred Astaire.
Sinatra Goes Solo (1943)
Frank Sinatra leaves the Tommy Dorsey Band (RCA) and signs with Columbia, marking the decline of swing bands and the rise of pop vocalists.
Introduction of The Long Playing Record (1948)
CBS introduces the 33 1/3 rpm long playing record, expanding the amount of music per record. RCA soon introduces its own innovation, the 45 rpm single.
Epic Records is Founded (1953)
CBS launches a new label, Epic Records, whose bright yellow and black “Radial Sound” logo becomes a familiar trademark on its early slate of jazz and classical releases. The latter includes such notables as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Juilliard String Quartet, Antal Dorati conducting the Hague Philharmonic, and George Szell conducting the Cleveland Philharmonic.
RCA Signs Elvis (1955)
Rock and roll—and teenage culture—are born with the breakout success of Elvis Presley, who
became RCA’s defining artist of the post-war period.
Glenn Gould Plays Bach (1955)
Glenn Gould records his revelatory performance of The Goldberg Variations for Columbia Records. The landmark recording, which becomes one of the jewels of the company’s classical catalog, remains continuously in print for over half a century, and highlights the blossoming of “American” classical music on the label.
Columbia’s “My Fair Lady” highlights the Golden Age of Broadway (1956)
Columbia Records co-produces the show “My Fair Lady,” which revolutionizes Broadway. The Original Cast album on Columbia is number one for 15 weeks.
Defining Moments For SONY & BMG
Chet Atkins “Invents” Modern Country (1957)
After taking over RCA’s A&R operation in Nashville, producer/guitarist Chet Atkins marries “country & western” and pop music with the introduction of artists such as Jim Reeves and Don Gibson.
Miles Davis Records “Kind of Blue” for Columbia (1959)
Columbia releases Kind of Blue, an early Miles Davis masterpiece and one of the iconic landmarks in jazz development in the 20th century. The album stars Davis’ first great quintet, with John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley on alto saxophone, Bill Evans on piano (with Wynton Kelly on one track), bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb.
RCA Signs Sam Cooke (1960)
Sam Cooke signs with RCA Records. Considered to be the very first modern soul singer, Cooke recorded a string of hits for RCA before his untimely death in 1964.
Columbia Signs Bob Dylan (1961)
The folk singer from Minnesota first galvanizes the protest music scene, and then abruptly shifts gears to a “personal” music style that gives birth to generations of singer-songwriters, and much of rock.
The Summer of Love (1967)
During the Summer of Love Columbia signs Janis Joplin, just as RCA is breaking through with Jefferson Airplane.
CBS Signs Deal With Sony Corporation (1968)
CBS Records Group forms a joint venture with Sony Corporation, known as CBS/Sony, for the purpose of marketing CBS product alongside Japanese recordings in Japan, Macao and Hong Kong.
John Denver Defines “Adult Contemporary” (1971)
RCA artist John Denver helps to launch a new pop musical style with “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which first makes “Top 40” radio sound more adult and less rock, setting the stage for the successful “Adult Contemporary” format.
Arista Records is Created (1974)
Arista Records is formed, and the next year earns its first Gold records with the soundtrack for Funny Lady, and such releases as Tony Orlando and Dawn’s Greatest Hits, Barry Manilow’s Tryin’ to Get the Feeling, and The Bay City Rollers.
Bruce Springsteen On Covers of Time and Newsweek (1975)
Bruce Springsteen takes center stage with the debut of his third album, Born To Run, generating massive publicity and establishing the artist as a true rock and roll icon.
Hall & Oates Break Through (1975)
Call it blue-eyed soul or soft rock, but Daryl Hall and John Oates’ commercial breakout after moving to the RCA label creates one of the most successful duos in the history of pop music, with a string of hits that lasts well into the ’80s.
Majors Go Punk (1975-77)
The first “indie rock” scene, which emanated from New York club CBGB, goes national and then international with the signing of poet/rocker Patti Smith to Arista in 1975, and culminates in the signing of British punk disciples the Clash by CBS U.K. in 1977.
Bertelsmann Enters U.S. Market (1979)
Bertelsmann AG expands into the U.S. market by acquiring Arista Records.
Arista Begins Distributing Jive Records (1981)
Jive Records, owned by the Zomba Label Group, opens for business and is distributed by Arista Records. Jive has big hits from the beginning with artists such as Billy Ocean, A Flock of Seagulls, and Samantha Fox. It soon becomes a leader in the hip-hop revolution with Whodini and DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.
Introduction of the Compact Disc (1982)
On October 1st, 1982 the first Compact Disc (CD) to be commercially manufactured — Billy Joel’s 52nd Street (Columbia) — rolls off an assembly line in Japan. Consumer Electronics giants Sony and Philips introduce CD Technology to Europe and Japan during the fall of that year, and in the spring of 1983 the two companies bring the CD to the U.S., launching a new era in recorded music.
Epic Records Releases Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982)
On December 1st, 1982 Thriller is released, instantly setting new standards of excellence in popular music. From groundbreaking short films stemming from the album to the introduction of the “Moonwalk,” Thriller represents a total entertainment experience that spans the worlds of music, film and live performance. Thriller goes on to become the biggest-selling album of all time.
Whitney Houston Launches the Age Of The Diva (1985)
Whitney Houston’s first album for Arista becomes the best-selling debut by a female artist. Her unique vocal style and presence set the stage for the “Age of Divas.” Several years later Columbia Records launches the career of another Diva — superstar Mariah Carey, while Epic Records weighs in by building the careers of Gloria Estefan and Celine Dion.
Bertelsmann Acquires RCA Records (1986)
Bertelsmann purchases RCA Records from General Electric. RCA brings with it a rich legacy of musical history and one of the largest repositories of American music, which includes works by Elvis Presley, Lou Reed, Harry Nilsson and John Denver. RCA’s holdings also include a retail distribution system; a music publishing company; and a special products division.
Bertelsmann Creates BMG (1987)
With numerous key acquisitions that solidify its position in the U.S. entertainment market, Bertelsmann forms the Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) with core labels RCA, Arista and Ariola.
The Creation of Sony Music Entertainment (1988)
Sony Corporation acquires CBS Records Group and forms Sony Music Entertainment.
Hip-Hop Revolution (1989 — 1994)
A series of new urban artists make street beats a compelling new popular music in America. Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” which is featured in the Spike Lee film “Do the Right Thing,” takes rap in a more hard core, political direction (Def Jam).
Wu Tang Clan, a Staten Island collective of 9 MCs reinvents the genre, delivering impressive recordings
both as a group and as solo artists (Loud).
André “André 3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton join forces as OutKast and take their
place at the forefront of the genre with their debut release, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, in 1994
(LaFace).
Renaming Bertelsmann Music Group (1994)
The Bertelsmann Music Group is renamed BMG Entertainment.
Teen Dreams (1995)
Beginning with the breakthrough of the Backstreet Boys, and following with such stars as *NSYNC and Britney Spears, the BMG-affiliated Jive/Zomba labels brought “Top 40” music back to its teenage roots, building on the earlier success of RCA’s Menudo and Columbia’s New Kids on the Block.
The Latin Boom (1999)
Ricky Martin’s break-through performance on the Grammy Awards sparks the “Latin Explosion,” paving the way for English-language releases by artists such as Marc Anthony and Shakira, and marking the first major music story of the new millennium.
J Records Is Created (2000)
J Records debuts, and its inaugural release is the multi-platinum debut of superstar Alicia Keys, Songs In A Minor. The album goes on to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide.
BMG Acquires Zomba (2002)
The business ties between Zomba and BMG date back to the mid-1980s, and in 2002, Zomba labels Jive, the Provident Music Group and Verity all join the BMG Entertainment family.
Creation of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (2004)
The combination of the two longest-established recorded music companies marks a turning point in the history of recorded sound.
The Vision Continues (2004 to the Present)
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT continues to shape the future of recorded music by focusing on the central business of identifying, developing and marketing the best artists in every genre.
With the ongoing expansion of the digital age, SONY BMG makes its vast libraries of songs, albums, master ringtones, and other content available without any of the limitations imposed by space, storage or location.
SONY BMG also continues to lead the industry in terms of developing new platforms for the delivery
of its vast catalog of new and archival recordings.
