A Brief History of EMI
1970-1979
EMI had always been a very international company with offices all over the world, but it had mostly been the company's classical records that had sold overseas. The huge explosion in pop music led by The Beatles and the other British (mostly EMI-signed) bands who followed in their wake changed all that and gave the company an unprecedented global outlook.
In the late 1960s, a new kind of music began to emerge - 'progressive' rock. EMI established 'Harvest', a dedicated label to cater specifically for this more left field style of music. By the early 1970s their roster included Deep Purple and The Pink Floyd. The year before Pink Floyd's seminal Dark Side of the Moon, EMI signed their first deal with Queen. With their intricately written songs and Mercury's outrageous flamboyance, Queen sold millions of records and firmly established a reputation as one of the best live acts in the world.
On the business side, the 1970s saw EMI acquire the cream of UK music publishing. The company already had a small publishing operation called Ardmore and Beechwood which began expanding with the acquisition of the Keith Prowse and Central Songs catalogues in 1969 and the Affiliated Music Publishers group in 1973. Renamed EMI Music Publishing in 1974, the division expanded further in 1976 with the purchase of the Screen Gems and Colgems libraries from Hollywood studio Columbia Pictures, giving EMI a major presence in film music.
In 1979, US record label Liberty/United Artists was acquired by EMI. The company included the storied Blue Note Records. From its unrivalled roster to its photography and design, Blue Note is a musical icon. Established in 1939, the Blue Note catalogue includes jazz greats such as Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk.