Virgin Records Ltd

The entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper and Nik Powell, and the musician Tom Newman established Virgin Records Ltd in 1972. The label grew out of Branson and Powell’s record shop in Notting Hill, London, which was called Virgin Records and Tapes.

The label’s first release in 1973 was Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. The roster was initially made up of krautrock and progressive rock acts. The signing of the Sex Pistols in 1977 introduced new wave as a music genre to the label.

Branson sold Virgin Records to Thorn EMI in 1992 to help fund his airline Virgin Atlantic. Universal Music Group bought EMI in 2012 and created Virgin EMI Records in 2013. Virgin EMI Records is Universal Music Group’s main label imprint in the UK.