Epic Records was started up in the US in 1953 by Benny Johnston. He had previously overseen the CBS unit of Columbia Records and was reportedly fired from his position there. You won’t be surprised to hear that Epic is now owned by Sony...
Unfortunately, details of Benny Johnston’s departure from CBS is unclear, but Epic was started as a label releasing jazz, classical and pop that didn’t quite fit in with what Columbia had been releasing. As times moved on into the 60s and 70s, Epic began to sign new and upcoming talent, and began to make a name for themselves with artists such as Jeff Beck and The Dave Clark Five. Into the 70s, they introduced artists such as ABBA, The Clash and The Jacksons to their roster.
The success of Epic can also be put down to their distribution deals with other (often smaller) labels. They had the production strength and contacts to provide a good product and market a lot of music, especially internationally. By the end of the 60s, Epic had been established as a formidable force in making musical hits. Epic didn't launch in England until 1971.
Epic's most successful period was during the 80s, where they experienced success with artists including Michael Jackson, Wham! and Adam Ant. After purchase by Sony in 1987, they continued with many successes under the Epic name, and retain their relative independence from Sony to this day. More recent successful Epic artists include Fiona Apple, Outkast and Mariah Carey.
In 1992, Epic launched a soundtrack branch called 'Epic Soundtrax.' It was central to their success in the 90s, with 11 releases selling over 40 million records over three years. The soundtrack releases include Forrest Gump, Honeymoon in Vegas and Judgment Night.
Did you know?
Epic has used a rotating selection of five logos throughout its time. Currently, they use this red script style logo, which was first used back in 1978 until 1991, and is probably the most recognisable of all of their logos.
Their second most used logo was also their first logo – in use from 1953 to 73, and briefly again in the early 2000s. This one is still used by Epic Records Japan.
Did you know?
Since 1978 there has been a division of Sony in Japan called Epic Records. Alongside music, they had a stint of producing late 80s and 90s video games such as RoboCop and Hook. These games were also released on ‘Famicom’, (family computer) a gaming system only released in Japan!
