Epic

Epic Records began in 1953 as a CBS label devoted chiefly to jazz and classical music. Its yellow-and-black design became closely associated with releases by major ensembles and performers including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Juilliard String Quartet, conductor Antal Dorati with the Hague Philharmonic, and George Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra. By the early 1960s, Epic had begun extending beyond its original remit, scoring gold records and building a roster across pop, rock, R&B and country.

That expansion brought a run of widely known acts to the label, among them Bobby Vinton, Sly and the Family Stone, the Dave Clark Five and Donovan. In the 1970s, Epic released work by the Hollies, Edgar Winter, ABBA and Tammy Wynette, reflecting its reach from British pop and American rock to country music. The following two decades included multi-platinum releases from Meat Loaf, the Jacksons, Sade, Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper. Epic's history therefore moves from orchestral and jazz recordings into mainstream popular music without abandoning the breadth implied by its early catalogue.

Now owned by Sony Music Entertainment, Epic operates within Sony Music Group, itself part of Sony Group Corporation. Its present roster spans commercial pop, rap, R&B, rock, metal and gospel: Travis Scott, Future and 21 Savage sit alongside Tyla, Meghan Trainor, André 3000, Tori Kelly and will.i.am; established names such as Sade, Judas Priest, Lamb of God, Fiona Apple and Yolanda Adams share the label with artists including Giveon, Headie One, Mariah the Scientist, Coi Leray and DDG. The Epic name is also associated with Germany in this context, while the label's wider identity remains that of a longstanding American Sony imprint with an international catalogue and artist base.