Epic

Epic Records is an American record label founded in 1953 by Columbia Records. It began with a strong presence in jazz and classical releases, before growing into a much broader pop catalogue as the decades went on.

By the 1960s and 1970s, Epic had become a serious force across rock, R&B and country, with artists including Donovan, Sly and the Family Stone, The Dave Clark Five, Tammy Wynette and ABBA. Its later history is closely tied to major pop releases by artists such as Michael Jackson, Sade, Cyndi Lauper and Meat Loaf. That span, from orchestral recordings to era-defining chart records, is a good sense of what makes Epic distinct: a long-running label with a wide reach and a knack for adapting to changing pop worlds.