Columbia Phonograph is formed in Washington, D.C.
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the American Graphophone Company, the successor to the Volta Graphophone Company. Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in the recorded sound business, and the second major company to produce records. From 1961 to 1991, its recordings were released outside North America under the name CBS Records to avoid confusion with EMI's Columbia Graphophone Company. Columbia is one of Sony Music's four flagship record labels, alongside former longtime rival RCA Records, as well as Arista Records and Epic Records.
Artists who have recorded for Columbia Records include AC/DC, Adele, Aerosmith, Louis Armstrong, Gene Autry, Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Leonard Bernstein, Beyoncé, Blue Öyster Cult, the Byrds, Mariah Carey, Johnny Cash, Cheap Trick, Chicago, The Clash, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis, Doris Day, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Earth, Wind & Fire, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Billy Joel, Janis Joplin, Journey, Johnny Mathis, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Pink Floyd, Iggy Pop, Santana, Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, and numerous others.