Elektra Records Celebrates 70 Years

• It was 70 years ago this month — October 10, 1950, to be exact — when 19-year-old college student Jac Holzman started a record label in his college dorm room. He decided to call it “Elektra” after a Greek demigoddess, and turned an “M” on its side to create the signature “E” for the label’s first logo.

And with that, one of the most pioneering, revered, and influential companies in music history was born, and became the home of such icons as Judy Collins, The Doors, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Love, Tim Buckley, Bread, The Stooges, Carly Simon, Harry Chapin, and Queen. Among the many groundbreaking artists who called Elektra/Asylum home from the mid-’70s to the mid-’00s: The Eagles, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Television, The Cars, Mötley Crüe, Teddy Pendergrass, Anita Baker, Metallica, Simply Red, 10,000 Maniacs, Tracy Chapman, Natalie Cole, Björk, Phish, The Cure, Missy Elliott, Jason Mraz, and many more.

To mark this impressive milestone, Elektra unveiled a special anniversary logo that embodies Holzman’s original design and will be used on all Elektra and Elektra/Rhino releases through the end of 2021. The label will be celebrating the anniversary throughout the coming year, including: limited edition Elektra70 merchandise; a special limited edition Record Store Day box set; playlists curated, created, and marketed by Topsify; and extensive coverage across press and social media.

Holzman, now 89 years young and a 2011 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, noted, “With the 1946 launch of the LP, I sensed an opening and opportunity for new, independent labels to meticulously record and offer music the majors were not likely to touch. Over the years, every Elektra label head has brought with them different tastes and capabilities, which have kept the company healthy and fueled with the best of music over seven decades.”

In 2009, after a five-year hiatus, Elektra was reborn, and two years ago, the Elektra Music Group was launched — combining Elektra, Fueled by Ramen, and Roadrunner, with a roster that includes Brandi Carlile, Tones and I, Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At The Disco, Slipknot, Korn and others. Elektra Co-Presidents Mike Easterlin and Gregg Nadel said, “As Elektra enters its eighth decade, we celebrate Jac and all the remarkable people who worked with him and came after him to make this label the special place that it remains today. With his impeccable taste, intelligence, and passion, Jac taught us to always follow the music and to serve and believe in our artists. We are honored and proud to carry on his incredible legacy.”