Island Records

Island Records

Artist

Island Records is a Jamaican multinational record label that was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica. It was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island Records and A&M Records, another label recently acquired by PolyGram, were both at the time the largest independent record labels in history, with Island having exerted a major influence on the progressive music scene in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. The recording roster of Island Records, both past and present, has been and continues to be diverse. Island Records is now owned by Universal Music Group.

Some key points about Island Records include:

  • Artistic Integrity and Innovation: Island Records has become a byword for artistic integrity and innovation.

  • Diverse Roster: The recording roster of Island Records, both past and present, has been and continues to be diverse.

  • Championing New Music: Island Records continues to champion new music.

  • Influential Artists: Island Records has launched some of the biggest and most influential artists across the musical spectrum, including Bob Marley, U2, Grace Jones, Cat Stevens, and more recently Amy Winehouse and Mumford & Sons.

  • Subsidiaries and Labels: Island Records has had several subsidiaries and labels over the years, including Al’s Records, Antilles Records, and Trojan Records, among others.

Island Records has spent the past 60 years at the forefront of all the musical moments that mattered. Today, Island is home to a varied roster across the US and UK, including Shawn Mendes, Jessie Reyez, Skip Marley, Demi Lovato, Bon Jovi, Sabrina Carpenter, Nick Jonas, The Killers, and more.