Epic

A division of Sony BMG Music Entertainment [2004-2008]

A division of Sony Music Entertainment [2008-present]

Label Code: LC 0199 / LC 00199.

Epic Records is a record label initiated in 1953 by CBS. Its distinctive bright-yellow and black logo became a recognized trademark for many jazz and classical music releases. This included significant talents like the Berlin Philharmonic, the Juilliard String Quartet, Antal Dorati directing the Hague Philharmonic, and George Szell leading the Cleveland Orchestra. By the 1960s, Epic achieved its first gold records and evolved into a powerful hit-making entity in rock, R&B, and country genres. Its roster featured Bobby Vinton, Sly and the Family Stone, The Dave Clark Five, and Donovan. During the 1970s, Epic's success expanded to include The Hollies, Edgar Winter, ABBA, and Tammy Wynette. The 1980s and 1990s witnessed Epic releasing numerous multi-platinum albums from artists like Meat Loaf, The Jacksons, Sade, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and others.

In 1978, an independent branch of Epic Records was established in Japan as "Epic/Sony Inc." In 2001, this branch was incorporated as Epic Records Japan Inc. and continues to operate independently from the U.S. branch of Epic Records. In 1988, Sony acquired the music division of CBS Inc., including the Epic label. In 2005, Epic became part of Sony BMG Music Entertainment, except in Japan, where it remained managed by Epic Records Japan Inc. When Sony BMG dissolved in 2008, Epic once again became part of Sony Music Entertainment.

WARNING: Codes with the following prefixes should not be entered as catalogue numbers: XSS, ZSS, AL, BL. These are matrix numbers unique to each side of a vinyl release and should be listed in the Barcode and Other Identifiers section. The actual catalogue number is typically printed above these matrix numbers. European releases from the 1980s until the late 1990s often had supplementary or full catalogue numbers in this format: xx-xxxxxx-xx (e.g., 01-497424-10 in addition to the short catalogue number 497424). The prefix is believed to refer to the country of release, the main number is the short catalogue number, usually found elsewhere on the release, and the suffix directly pertains to the item's format. However, the "08" prefix specifically relates to releases manufactured at Sony/CBS, Haarlem and later briefly by Record Industry. These are not distribution codes or catalogue numbers and should only be noted as sequential numbers associated with the manufacturer of the release. For information on dating the various label design versions, refer to the VinylBeat link below.

For bootlegs/counterfeits, see Epic.