Capitol Records
| Capitol Records | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | EMI (1955–2012) Universal Music Group (2012–present; company & most of catalogs) Warner Music Group (2013–present; some recordings) |
| Founded | March 27, 1942 (as Liberty Records) April 8, 1942 (as Capitol Records) |
| Founder | Johnny Mercer Buddy DeSylva Glenn Wallichs |
| Distributor(s) |
|
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Official website | capitolrecords |
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note in the United States in 1942 by Johnny Mercer, Buddy DeSylva, and Glenn E. Wallichs. Capitol was acquired by British music conglomerate EMI as its North American subsidiary in 1955. EMI was acquired by Universal Music Group in 2012, and was merged with the company a year later, making Capitol and the Capitol Music Group both distributed by UMG. The label's circular headquarters building is a recognized landmark of Hollywood, California.
Both the label itself and its famous building are sometimes referred to as "The House That Nat Built." This refers to one of Capitol's most famous artists, Nat King Cole. Capitol is also known as the record label of the Beach Boys, and as the U.S. label of the Beatles (their native label being Parlophone), especially during the years of Beatlemania in the U.S. from 1964 to 1967.