| 1 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/island_records_logo_1969.jpg]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:350:Island's 1969-77 logo.]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/island_records_logo_1977.jpg]] |
| 5 | [[caption-width-right:350:Island's 1977-89 logo.]] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/island_records_logo_1989.jpg]] |
| 8 | [[caption-width-right:350:Island's current logo, first used from 1989-2014 before being revived in 2019.]] |
| 9 | |
| 10 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/island_records_logo_2014.png]] |
| 11 | [[caption-width-right:350:Island's 2014-2019 logo.]] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | ->''"If you want to look at world music, music of the last fifty years that changed the world, you need look no further than Island Records."'' |
| 14 | -->--'''Melissa Etheridge''', commemorating the label's [[MilestoneCelebration 50th anniversary]] in 2009 |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Island Records is one of the major success stories of the music industry. Within a decade, it grew from humble origins into ''the'' independent British record label, one that gave the majors a run for their money until it became a major itself. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | In 1959, Chris Blackwell was a young English businessman working in UsefulNotes/{{Jamaica}}. He fell in love with the local music and culture, and co-founded the Island label to record {{Ska}}, {{Reggae}} and {{Jazz}} artists. In 1962, Island began marketing its releases in UsefulNotes/{{Britain}}, where they attracted a small but loyal following comprised of both West Indian immigrants and white [[ScooterRidingMod Mods]] who wanted to hear the latest in black music. Whenever Blackwell signed a performer with mainstream potential, such as teenage ska songstress Millie Small ("My Boy Lollipop") or R&B-influenced [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion British Invasion]] band The Spencer Davis Group ("Gimme Some Lovin'"), he licensed the act to Creator/FontanaRecords, a major label that had the marketing muscle to get the records on the charts. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | This started to change in 1967, as RockAndRoll began to evolve into GenreMotif/{{Rock}}. Steve Winwood, lead singer of Spencer Davis Group, left to form a PsychedelicRock band called Music/{{Traffic|Band}}; Island decided to release Traffic's records themselves, so they reaped the rewards when the group became popular with the hippie counterculture. While Island continued with reggae, in the late 60s and early 70s its focus shifted to the new generation of British "underground" artists who played styles such as ProgressiveRock, HardRock and FolkRock. This paid off in a big way, as the label assembled an insanely impressive roster of talent, including Music/FreeBand, Music/FairportConvention, Music/JethroTull, Music/KingCrimson, Music/MottTheHoople, Music/NickDrake, Music/RoxyMusic, Music/CatStevens, Music/JohnMartyn, and Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer. Island's success led to several rivals aiming at the same audience, including indies such as [[Creator/ChrysalisRecords Chrysalis]] (which started as an Island offshoot) and [[Creator/CharismaRecords Charisma]], as well as major label imprints like [[Creator/HarvestRecords Harvest]] and [[Creator/VertigoRecords Vertigo]]. In the US, Island's acts were licensed to other companies (usually [[Creator/AAndMRecords A&M]] and [[Creator/AtlanticRecords Atlantic]]) until it established an American presence.[[note]]In the USA, Island was originally distributed by Creator/CapitolRecords, then became an independent label, then was distributed by two Creator/WarnerMusicGroup imprints -- Creator/WarnerBrosRecords, followed by the Atlantic sublabel Creator/AtcoRecords.[[/note]] |
| 21 | |
| 22 | In the midst of all this, Island hadn't forgotten its roots, as Blackwell searched for a reggae artist who had the potential to become the genre's first worldwide superstar. The label groomed Jimmy Cliff for this role, but found more lasting success with Music/BobMarley, whose appeal helped bring the genre into the international mainstream. Island went on to sign other successful reggae acts like Toots and the Maytals, Steel Pulse, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, and Third World. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | When the music world was upended by PunkRock, Island wasn't any more prepared than their competition, although they managed to sign Music/TheSlits, Music/{{Ultravox}}, Warsaw Pakt, and Eddie and the Hot Rods. They did better with NewWaveMusic, particularly an Irish quartet whom Blackwell confidently hyped as Island's "most important signing since King Crimson." Considering that the band was Music/{{U2}}, Blackwell's brashness turned out to be justified. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Blackwell sold Island to the [=PolyGram=] conglomerate in 1989, then left altogether in 1997, but the label (which became part of Creator/UniversalMusicGroup when UMG acquired [=PolyGram=] in 1998) has continued successfully. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | !!Island Records performers, past and present, with Website/TVTropes pages: |
| 29 | [[index]] |
| 30 | * Music/The77s |
| 31 | * Music/{{Afrojack}} |
| 32 | * Music/AnalogRebellion |
| 33 | * Music/{{Anthrax}} |
| 34 | * Music/{{Apocalyptica}} |
| 35 | * Music/{{Archive}} |
| 36 | * Music/ArtOfNoise[[note]]in conjunction with ZTT Records during the first phase of the group's careers[[/note]] |
| 37 | * Music/{{Avicii}} |
| 38 | ** 2013 - Music/{{True}} |
| 39 | ** 2015 - Music/{{Stories}} |
| 40 | ** 2019 - Music/{{Tim}} |
| 41 | * Music/IggyAzalea |
| 42 | * Music/TheB52s (EMEA and Asia) |
| 43 | * Music/BadCompany* |
| 44 | * Music/JustinBieber |
| 45 | * Music/BlackRebelMotorcycleClub |
| 46 | * Music/{{Blackbear}} |
| 47 | * Music/MaryJBlige* |
| 48 | * Music/BonJovi |
| 49 | * Music/ToniBraxton |
| 50 | * Music/HavanaBrown |
| 51 | * Music/JimmyBuffett |
| 52 | * Music/JakeBugg |
| 53 | * Music/TheBuggles |
| 54 | * Music/JohnCale |
| 55 | * Music/MariahCarey |
| 56 | * Creator/SabrinaCarpenter |
| 57 | * Music/CatfishAndTheBottlemen |
| 58 | * Music/{{CHVRCHES}} |
| 59 | * Music/{{Cimorelli}} |
| 60 | * Music/ElvisCostello |
| 61 | * Music/TheCranberries |
| 62 | * Music/DefLeppard |
| 63 | * Music/{{dEUS}} |
| 64 | * Music/{{Drake}}* |
| 65 | * Music/NickDrake |
| 66 | * Music/BobDylan*[[note]]Island got the British rights to Dylan's two Asylum Records albums in exchange for licensing Traffic's ''When the Eagle Flies'' to Asylum in the US[[/note]] |
| 67 | * Creator/AnselElgort |
| 68 | * Music/EmersonLakeAndPalmer* |
| 69 | * Music/BrianEno |
| 70 | * Music/FairportConvention |
| 71 | * Music/MarianneFaithfull |
| 72 | * Music/FallOutBoy |
| 73 | * Music/{{Fightstar}}* |
| 74 | * Music/FlorenceAndTheMachine* |
| 75 | * Music/FrankieGoesToHollywood (US and Canada only) |
| 76 | * Music/TheFratellis |
| 77 | * Music/TheGaslightAnthem |
| 78 | * Music/{{Gotye}}* |
| 79 | * Music/ArianaGrande* |
| 80 | * Music/ChristinaGrimmie |
| 81 | * Music/PJHarvey |
| 82 | * Music/BenHoward |
| 83 | * Music/{{Hozier}}* |
| 84 | * Music/TheIncredibleStringBand |
| 85 | * Music/{{Incubus}} |
| 86 | * Music/InsaneClownPosse |
| 87 | ** ''Music/TheGreatMilenko'' (1997) |
| 88 | ** ''Music/TheAmazingJeckelBrothers'' (1999) |
| 89 | ** ''Music/BizaarBizzar'' (2000) |
| 90 | * Music/JessieJ* |
| 91 | * Music/JethroTull* |
| 92 | * Music/EltonJohn |
| 93 | * Music/JackJohnson* |
| 94 | * Music/NickJonas |
| 95 | * Creator/GraceJones |
| 96 | * Music/TomJones |
| 97 | * Music/{{Keane}} |
| 98 | * Music/{{Kerli}} |
| 99 | * Music/KidCudi* |
| 100 | * Music/{{Kiesza}} |
| 101 | * Music/{{The Killers|Band}} (US only) |
| 102 | * Music/KingCrimson* |
| 103 | * Music/DemiLovato |
| 104 | * Music/BobMarley |
| 105 | * Music/JohnMartyn |
| 106 | * Music/JohnMellencamp |
| 107 | * Music/ShawnMendes |
| 108 | * Music/{{MIA}} |
| 109 | * Music/NickiMinaj* |
| 110 | * Music/{{Morrissey}}* |
| 111 | * Music/MottTheHoople* |
| 112 | * Music/MumfordAndSons* |
| 113 | * Music/WillieNelson |
| 114 | * Music/JohnNewman |
| 115 | * Music/{{Nico}} |
| 116 | * Music/NineInchNails* |
| 117 | * Music/OfMonstersAndMen* |
| 118 | * Creator/KekePalmer |
| 119 | * Music/CharliePeacock |
| 120 | * Music/PMDawn |
| 121 | * Music/ThePogues |
| 122 | * Music/{{Poppy}} |
| 123 | * Music/PostMalone* |
| 124 | * Music/ProcolHarum (Europe only) |
| 125 | * Music/PublicImageLtd (US and Canada only) |
| 126 | * Music/{{Pulp}} |
| 127 | * Music/{{Queen|Band}} |
| 128 | * Music/RedHousePainters |
| 129 | * Music/{{Renaissance}}* |
| 130 | * Music/ChappellRoan |
| 131 | * Music/RoxyMusic* |
| 132 | * Music/RyuichiSakamoto (UK only) |
| 133 | * Music/{{Saliva}} |
| 134 | * Music/TheSlits |
| 135 | * Music/{{Sparks}} |
| 136 | * Music/TheSpecials |
| 137 | * Creator/HaileeSteinfeld* |
| 138 | * Music/CatStevens |
| 139 | * Music/LindseyStirling |
| 140 | * Music/TheStreets |
| 141 | * Music/{{Sugababes}} |
| 142 | ** Music/MutyaBuena |
| 143 | * Music/Sum41 |
| 144 | * Music/{{Supergrass}} (US only) |
| 145 | * Music/TaylorSwift* |
| 146 | * Music/TheoryOfADeadman |
| 147 | * Music/RichardThompson* |
| 148 | * Music/{{Thrice}} |
| 149 | * Music/{{Thursday}} |
| 150 | * Music/TokioHotel |
| 151 | * Music/TomTomClub* |
| 152 | * Music/ToveLo |
| 153 | * Music/{{Traffic|Band}} |
| 154 | * Music/{{Tulisa}} |
| 155 | * Music/{{Twiztid}} |
| 156 | * Music/{{U2}} |
| 157 | * Music/{{Ultravox}} |
| 158 | * Music/UriahHeep* |
| 159 | * Music/HikaruUtada (English-speaking world only, as Utada) |
| 160 | * Music/AndrewWK |
| 161 | * Music/TomWaits |
| 162 | * Music/TheWanted |
| 163 | * Music/WarBand* |
| 164 | * Music/WasNotWas |
| 165 | * Music/TheWeeknd* |
| 166 | * Music/TheWildTchoupitoulas (through Mango Records) |
| 167 | * Music/RobbieWilliams |
| 168 | * Music/AmyWinehouse |
| 169 | * Music/SteveWinwood |
| 170 | [[/index]] |
| 171 | |
| 172 | [=*=]UK and Europe only |
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