Motown

American record label

Parent label: Republic Corps·Est. 1959

vinylbeat.combsnpubs.comclassic.motown.comen.wikipedia.orgdftmc.infomotownmuseum.orgcvinyl.commotownrecords.comjerryosborne.com

The legendary Motown label was founded on January 12, 1959 and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960 by Berry Gordy, Jr., who merged his two successful imprints, Tamla (whose first release was Marv Johnson's "Come to Me" on January 21, 1959) and Motown (first release was the Miracles' "Bad Girl" on September 6, 1959). It was one of the most successful independent record companies in history. Its stable of hit-making artists such as The Miracles, The Supremes, The Temptations and many, many others, along with a talented staff of musicians and songwriters, collectively created the "Motown Sound," a world famous hybrid of soul, doo-wop, rhythm & blues and pop. Its motto was "The Sound of Young America". For any counterfeit, bootleg, or unofficial releases of this label please use In July 1983 it was announced that Motown would begin distribution with MCA Distribution, with "the transferring of the Motown line from independent distribution expected to begin July 15". After a court case decided in their favor in mid-August, they began immediately distributing Motown product in the last week of August. Motown releases that list MCA Distribution are from 1983 through 1990. Motown remained independent until 1988, when MCA Records and private equity firm Boston Ventures teamed up to buy the label from Gordy for $61 million. It was bought again by PolyGram in 1993, becoming a part of the Universal Music Group after it purchased PolyGram in 1999. Within Universal, Motown was incorporated into various other subsidiaries, the first being the Universal Motown Records Group from 2000 to 2011, when it was moved to the Island Def Jam Music Group, until 2014 once UMG disbanded both label groups. Motown became a label in its own right again, transitioning under Universal's Capitol Music Group arm. In January 2023, Motown has been divested from the Capitol Music Group while remaining under the Universal Music Group, before returning to Capitol a year later in early 2024. That same year, Capitol and Motown became consolidated into the new Interscope Capitol Labels Group, which also consists of other UMG labels belonging to Interscope Records. A year later, Motown was again moved to Republic Corps, another label group also formed in 2024 by UMG, consisting of labels belonging to Republic Records. Over the course of its history, the Motown Corporation has owned or distributed more than 45 labels in varying genres. Label code: LC 0881 or LC 00881 45 RPM catalog number, date and label Identification: 1000 through 1010 (1960–1961): pink label. 1011 and higher (1961 forward): blue label.

Discography

5,473 albums
search
swap_vertexpand_more

A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

Pink Floyd · 1987

Studio Album

Music For The Masses

Depeche Mode · 1987

Studio Album

Abraxas

Santana · 1970

Studio Album

Toxicity

System Of A Down · 2001

Studio Album

Faith

George Michael · 1987

Studio Album

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder · 1976

Studio Album

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder · 1973

Studio Album

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder · 1972

Studio Album

Can't Slow Down

Lionel Richie · 1983

Studio Album

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye · 1971

Studio Album

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Stevie Wonder · 1974

Studio Album

Let's Get It On

Marvin Gaye · 1973

Studio Album

Get Ready

Rare Earth · 1969

Studio Album

Hotter Than July

Stevie Wonder · 1980

Studio Album

Diana

Diana Ross · 1980

Studio Album

Dancing On The Ceiling

Lionel Richie · 1986

Studio Album

Music Of My Mind

Stevie Wonder · 1972

Studio Album

Diana & Marvin

Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye · 1973

Studio Album

Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie · 1982

Studio Album

Masterpiece

The Temptations · 1973

Studio Album

I Want You

Marvin Gaye · 1976

Studio Album

Ben

Michael Jackson · 1972

Studio Album

In Square Circle

Stevie Wonder · 1985

Studio Album

Let's Stay Together

Al Green · 1972

Studio Album

Wild Frontier

Gary Moore · 1987

Studio Album

The Boss

Diana Ross · 1979

Studio Album

Dancing With Strangers

Chris Rea · 1987

Studio Album

All Directions

The Temptations · 1972

Studio Album

Cooleyhighharmony

Boyz II Men · 1991

Studio Album

Baduizm

Erykah Badu · 1997

Studio Album

Call Me

Al Green · 1973

Studio Album

Where Did Our Love Go?

The Supremes · 1964

Studio Album

Got To Be There

Michael Jackson · 1972

Studio Album

Let's Get Serious

Jermaine Jackson · 1980

Studio Album

Touch Me In The Morning

Diana Ross · 1973

Studio Album

Ma

Rare Earth · 1973

Studio Album

II

Boyz II Men · 1994

Studio Album

Forever Michael

Michael Jackson · 1975

Studio Album

I'm Still In Love With You

Al Green · 1972

Studio Album

Here, My Dear

Marvin Gaye · 1978

Studio Album

Diana Ross

Diana Ross · 1970

Studio Album

Cloud Nine

The Temptations · 1969

Studio Album

Nellyville

Nelly · 2002

Studio Album

Four Tops Reach Out

Four Tops · 1967

Studio Album

Mister Magic

Grover Washington, Jr. · 1975

Studio Album

I Hear A Symphony

The Supremes · 1966

Studio Album

Ecology

Rare Earth · 1970

Studio Album

Mama's Gun

Erykah Badu · 2000

Studio Album