A music industry mainstay Columbia Records is considered the oldest brand in prerecorded sound. (more) Columbia Records American company Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Columbia-Records Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Virginia Hunt Virginia Hunt is an Editorial Intern at Encyclopædia Britannica. She is a third year student at Northwestern University where she is majoring in journalism and biology with a minor in creative writing.... Virginia Hunt Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Aug 28, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " When was Columbia Records founded? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Columbia Records traces its origins to the American Graphophone Company in 1887 and the Columbia Phonograph Company in 1889. The two corporations later merged, leading to a disagreement about the official date of Columbia Recordsu2019 origin." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What are some key innovations by Columbia Records? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Columbia Records introduced the first long-playing record (LP) in 1948 and began manufacturing stereo LPs in 1958." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " Who acquired Columbia Records in 1988? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Sony acquired Columbia Records and the broader CBS Records organization in 1988." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What was the significance of Columbiau2019s u201Cwalking eyeu201D logo? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The now-famous u201Cwalking eyeu201D logo has sparked theories about its origin, with interpretations including a nod to the CBS eye logo or the needle on a record. Alternatively, some think the u201Clegsu201D make up the R of the combination CR monogram." } } ] } Top Questions When was Columbia Records founded? Columbia Records traces its origins to the American Graphophone Company in 1887 and the Columbia Phonograph Company in 1889. The two corporations later merged, leading to a disagreement about the official date of Columbia Records’ origin.

　　What are some key innovations by Columbia Records? Columbia Records introduced the first long-playing record (LP) in 1948 and began manufacturing stereo LPs in 1958.

　　Who acquired Columbia Records in 1988? Sony acquired Columbia Records and the broader CBS Records organization in 1988.

　　What was the significance of Columbia’s “walking eye” logo? The now-famous “walking eye” logo has sparked theories about its origin, with interpretations including a nod to the CBS eye logo or the needle on a record. Alternatively, some think the “legs” make up the R of the combination CR monogram.

　　Being a longtime tastemaker in anything, let alone a scene that fluctuates as much as the music industry, is difficult. But music label Columbia Records has survived and thrived since the late 1800s, working with artists from Bert Williams to Frank Sinatra to Adele along the way. Columbia, which is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, markets itself as “the oldest surviving brand name in prerecorded sound.” Columbia Records has had a complicated evolution, dating to the beginnings of the American Graphophone Company (AGC) in 1887—only a decade after the invention of the first sound recording device by Thomas Edison. ...(100 of 1770 words)

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