Polydor Records

Polydor Records has carried a wide-ranging British catalogue since its establishment in London in 1954 as a subsidiary of Germany's Deutsche Grammophon/Schallplatte Grammophon GmbH. Now part of Universal Music Group UK's Polydor Label Group, the label connects major rock, pop, soul and dance records across several generations.

Its earlier roster included the Who, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, the Moody Blues, John Mayall, James Brown, Gloria Gaynor, the Shadows and Bee Gees. Polydor also released work by the Jam and the Style Council, while the Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees brought post-punk and alternative music into its history. Artists such as Rainbow, Golden Earring, Focus, Level 42, Lynsey de Paul, James Last and Fishmans further reflect the label's international reach and varied musical interests.

In later years, Polydor's roster has included Lana Del Rey, Florence and the Machine, Ellie Goulding, Raye, Girls Aloud, Cheryl, S Club, Jesy Nelson and Sam Fender. Its current releases also include artists such as Elmiene, Confidence Man, Jax Jones, Becky Hill, Good Neighbours and Au/Ra, spanning contemporary pop, dance music, singer-songwriter material and guitar-led songwriting.

The company was renamed Polydor Ltd. in 1972. Before 2024, Polydor worked closely with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records: Interscope distributed Polydor releases in the United States through the A&M Records imprint, while Polydor distributed Interscope releases in the United Kingdom.