Roadrunner Records

infobox record label


parent = Warner Music Group
founded = 1980
founder = Cees Wessels
distributor = Atlantic Records Group (In the US)
WEA (Ouside US)
genre = Heavy metal
country = NL
url = http://roadrunnerrecords.com/

Roadrunner Records (Roadrunner Music Group B.V.) is a record label that concentrates on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

History

The label was launched in the Netherlands in 1980 and was originally called "Roadracer Records". Roadrunner's initial business was importing North American metal-band recordings into Europe. In 1986 Roadrunner opened its US headquarters in New York City and later opened offices in England, Germany, France, Japan, Australia,Denmark and the latest in Canada.Early successes included albums from King Diamond (the first Roadrunner artist to enter the Billboard Top 200 albums chart) and Annihilator. The label also handled early Metallica releases in the Scandinavian region. The end of the 1980s saw the release of two albums that are now considered classics of their respective genres: Obituary's "Slowly We Rot" and Sepultura's "Beneath the Remains".

The 1990s saw the arrival of acts such as Life of Agony, Machine Head, Suffocation and Type O Negative. As the 1990s wore on, several of Roadrunner's bands managed to make an impact on the mainstream, most notably Sepultura and Type O Negative. Sepultura's 1993 album, "Chaos A.D.", became the first Roadrunner band to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard album chart. Type O Negative became the first Roadrunner band to receive a certification from the RIAA; this was a Gold award (and later Platinum award) for the 1993 album "Bloody Kisses", which was certified in 1995. The band also became the first Roadrunner band to receive radio play. In 2000, Slipknot became the first Roadrunner band to go Platinum. Beginning in 2001, Roadrunner was distributed by the Universal Music Group through a share of the label owned by The Island Def Jam Music Group. This deal has now expired.

On December 18, 2006, Warner Strategic Marketing signed an agreement to purchase a majority in shares (73.5%) of Roadrunner Records' parent company, Roadrunner Music Group B.V.cite web | url=http://www.wmg.com/news/article/?id=8a0af8120f88d9f4010f956206405504 | title=Warner Music Group to Acquire Majority Stake in Roadrunner Music Group | accessdate=2007-02-12 | author=Warner Music Group | publisher=Warner Music Group | date= 2006-12-18] This deal became finalized on January 29, 2007 after receiving regulatory approval in Germany. [cite web | url=http://www.wmg.com/news/article/?id=8a0af81210571b6e01106f1d6da60923 | title=Warner Music Group Completes Acquisition of Roadrunner Music Group | accessdate=2007-02-12 | author=Warner Music Group | publisher=Warner Music Group | date= 2007-01-29]

On June 11, 2008, Roadrunner Records was voted as the "Best Metal Label" by Metal Hammer at their Golden Gods Awards, [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=74753 Metal Hammer awards] ] an award that it has won the past Four years in a row.

Discography

*The Heart of Roadrunner Records
*"Roadrunner United - The All-Stars Sessions" (Album)
*"The End" (Single)
* "Two from the Vault" album series no
* "Forged in Steel" (2007)
* "Annual Assault 2008" (2008)

Signed bands and previous artists

Notes and references

ee also

* List of record labels
* Roadrunner Records artists

External links

* [http://roadrunnerworld.com/ Main site gives you links to other international sites.]
* [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/ Official USA site]
* [http://www.roadrun.com/ Alternative link]
* [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.ca/ Official Canadian site]