Interscope Records facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Interscope Records Inc. |
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| Parent company | Universal Music Group |
| Founded | 1990 |
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| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
Interscope Records is a well-known American record label. It is based in Santa Monica, California. This company is owned by Universal Music Group. It started in late 1990. Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field were the founders.
Interscope Records was different from many other music companies. It let its music experts (called A&R staff) make important choices. It also gave artists and producers full creative freedom. This means musicians could make the music they wanted. Interscope quickly had many hit songs. By 1993, it was making a profit. Jimmy Iovine was the CEO until 2014. Then, John Janick took over.
In 1992, Interscope started working with Death Row Records. This was a label known for hip hop music. This partnership led to some public discussions in the mid-1990s. Some people were concerned about the lyrics in certain songs. Because of this, Time Warner, which owned part of Interscope, sold its share. In 1996, MCA Inc., which later became Universal Music Group, bought half of Interscope.
Interscope has worked with many famous artists. Some of these include Eminem, Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Imagine Dragons, Blackpink, and Kendrick Lamar.
Contents
History of Interscope Records
How Interscope Started (1990–1995)
In 1990, Ted Field decided to create Interscope Records. It was part of his film company. He hired John McClain and Tom Whalley to help run it. Around the same time, Jimmy Iovine, a famous music producer, wanted to start his own label. He had worked with big stars like U2 and Bruce Springsteen.
Iovine and Field met and decided to work together. In 1990, Interscope Records officially began. It was a joint project with Atlantic Records. The music world was changing a lot then. New types of music were becoming popular. Interscope was able to sign new artists quickly. This helped them succeed.
The company was based in Los Angeles, California. It was run by people who truly understood music. This was a new approach for the music industry. A main rule for Interscope was that artists would have full control over their music.
Interscope's first song was "Rico Suave" by Gerardo in December 1990. It became a hit song. Other early successes included Primus and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Their song "Good Vibrations" became number one. In August 1991, Interscope signed Tupac Shakur. They released his first album, 2Pacalypse Now, in November.
In 1992, Interscope became strong in alternative rock music. They released albums by No Doubt, Helmet, and 4 Non Blondes. They also worked with Nine Inch Nails. However, some of Tupac Shakur's lyrics caused controversy. Some people believed the music encouraged violence.
Also in 1992, Interscope made a deal with Dr. Dre and Marion "Suge" Knight. They helped fund and distribute their label, Death Row Records. Dr. Dre's album, The Chronic, was released in December 1992. It sold millions of copies. By 1993, Interscope was making good money.
In 1994, Interscope continued to grow in rock music. They worked with Trauma Records and had success with Bush. The Nine Inch Nails album The Downward Spiral was also very popular.
Changes and Growth (1995–2000)
In 1995, the discussions about music lyrics became more intense. Some political leaders criticized Interscope. They said some music promoted violence. Because of this, Time Warner sold its share of Interscope. In February 1996, MCA Records bought 50% of Interscope. MCA later became Universal Music Group. Even with the new owner, Interscope kept creative control over its music.
Dr. Dre left Death Row Records in 1996. He started a new label called Aftermath Entertainment with Interscope. In November 1996, Interscope had four albums in the top four spots on the Billboard charts. This included music from Bush, Snoop Dogg, No Doubt, and Tupac Shakur.
In 1998, Universal Music Group bought PolyGram Records. Then, Geffen Records and A&M Records joined Interscope. By 1999, Interscope Records was part of Interscope Geffen A&M Records.
In 1997, Jimmy Iovine's assistant found Eminem. Iovine shared Eminem's music with Dr. Dre. In February 1999, Interscope and Aftermath released Eminem's album The Slim Shady LP. It was a huge success and won two Grammy Awards. Later, Eminem started his own label, Shady Records.
In 1999, Interscope also released Limp Bizkit's album Significant Other. It sold millions of copies worldwide. By the end of the 1990s, Interscope was a very important part of the music industry.
New Artists and Ventures (2000–2010)
In May 2000, Interscope released Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP. It became the fastest-selling rap album ever. Limp Bizkit's album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water also sold very quickly. Interscope also started working with the famous band U2.
In 2001, Ted Field left Interscope to start new projects. In 2002, Eminem continued his success with The Eminem Show and the 8 Mile movie soundtrack. Both sold over 11 million copies. In 2002, 50 Cent signed with Interscope. His album Get Rich or Die Tryin' was released in 2003. It was a big hit and sold many copies. 50 Cent also started his own label, G-Unit Records, with Interscope.
In 2003, Limp Bizkit released Results May Vary. In 2004, Universal Music Group bought DreamWorks Records. Its artists, like Blink-182 and Nelly Furtado, joined Interscope.
In 2005, Interscope launched Cherrytree Records. This label focused on artists from outside the United States. Many Interscope artists had top-selling albums in 2005. These included 50 Cent, Eminem, Gwen Stefani, and U2.
In 2006, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine created Beats Electronics. This company made "Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones." These headphones became very popular. Interscope artists like Gwen Stefani and Lady Gaga helped promote them.
Lady Gaga's first album, The Fame, came out in 2008. It was re-released as The Fame Monster in 2009. Her songs like "Poker Face" and "Just Dance" were huge hits.
Recent Years (2010–2020)
In 2010, Eminem's album Recovery reached number one. Lady Gaga's album Born This Way was released in 2011. It debuted at number one in 23 countries. It sold over one million copies in its first week in the US.
In 2011, Interscope signed Madonna and Van Halen. Both artists released their first albums with Interscope in 2012.
In 2012, John Janick became the president of Interscope Geffen A&M. He had a lot of success with artists like Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco. Jimmy Iovine was spending more time on Beats Electronics. In 2014, Apple bought Beats. Iovine then left Interscope, and John Janick became the new CEO.
In 2014, many Interscope albums were on the Billboard year-end charts. These included albums by Eminem, Lana Del Rey, Maroon 5, and OneRepublic. Selena Gomez also signed with Interscope in 2014.
In 2015, Imagine Dragons' album Smoke + Mirrors debuted at number one. Kendrick Lamar's album To P*** a Butterfly also reached number one. Lamar won five Grammy Awards in 2016. In 2018, YG Entertainment partnered with Interscope Records for the K-pop group Blackpink. Interscope helps Blackpink with their music outside of Asia.
In 2019, the band 5 Seconds of Summer signed with Interscope. Their album Calm was released in 2020. It was very successful and reached number one in Australia, the UK, and Scotland.
Associated Labels and Imprints
Interscope Records works with many other smaller record labels. These partnerships help new artists share their music. Some of these labels include:
- 222 Records (since 2014)
- A&M Records (since 1999)
- Aftermath Entertainment (since 1996)
- Amaru Entertainment (since 1997)
- AWGE (since 2016)
- Billion Dollar Baby (since 2018)
- Darkroom Records (since 2016)
- Dirty Hit (since 2013)
- Dreamville Records (since 2014)
- EarDrummers Entertainment (since 2013)
- Kidinakorner Records (since 2011)
- Konichiwa Records (since 2007)
- LoveRenaissance (since 2017)
- Mad Love Records (since 2014)
- PGLang (distribution for Kendrick Lamar releases) (since 2020)
- Shady Records (since 1999)
- Streamline Records (since 2007)
- The Black Label (distribution for Jeon Somi's Korean releases) (since 2020)
- Top Dawg Entertainment (distribution for Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q releases) (since 2012)
- YG Entertainment (distribution for Blackpink's Korean releases) (since 2018)
Formerly Associated Labels and Imprints
Interscope has also worked with these labels in the past:
- Atlantic Records (1990–1996)
- Cherrytree Records (2005–2016)
- Death Row Records (1992–1997)
- DreamWorks Records (1999–2004)
- G-Unit Records (2003–2014)
- Nothing Records (1992–2007)
- Ruff Ryders Entertainment (1999–2010)
Artists
- List of Interscope Records artists
See also
In Spanish: Interscope Records para niños
- Interscope Records discography
- List of record labels
