Hollywood Records - History

History

Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of Disney Enterprises Inc. (then reduced to the release of the soundtracks of Walt Disney, Touchstone, and Hollywood Pictures films) and to develop and promote the careers of a wide variety of artists in various genres. However, the label struggled to launch a successful artist, and in 1991 the label had significant financial loss. The only major success was the agreement to be the catalog distributors of Queen, a fact affected by the death of vocalist Freddie Mercury. Label problems continued and even years after the acquisition of Mammoth Records in 1997 was seen as a sign of the search by Disney for a record label that would give success to the company. However, Mammoth Records was dissolved and integrated into the label in 2003, after little success.

In 1998, the company decided to integrate the operations of Walt Disney Records with Hollywood, Lyric Street, and Mammoth, with Walt Disney Music Publishing, creating Buena Vista Music Group, now Disney Music Group, and appointing Bob Cavallo as chairman of the group, and president of Hollywood Records. The newly formed group then set out to create a more traditional music industry management structure and involvement with Disney Enterprises Inc. was minimized. Cavallo retired in January 2012, and Ken Bunt was appointed to his position.

It was not until 2003, with the launch of Hilary Duff's musical career that the label would be a real success. Her debut album sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and was the beginning of a successful business model for the label. A partnership with ABC, SOAP Net, A&E Networks, Disney Channel, and Radio Disney was encouraged and brought its artists to have strong media exposure. Duff was the best-selling artist of the successive record label with 13 million albums sold, until Miley Cyrus debuted. Cyrus has sold over 20 million albums worldwide to date. Artists such as the Cheetah Girls, Raven-Symoné, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Bridgit Mendler, and the Jonas Brothers replicated this model of marketing. At the same time, the label continues to develop the careers of artists with a profile less commercial such as Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. The label also releases soundtracks from Marvel Studios, Touchstone, and Hollywood Pictures films and ABC television productions.

In 2010, Hollywood absorbed the country music label Lyric Street Records and subsequently inherited its roster of acts. In 2011, Queen's music was distributed by Universal worldwide for the first time, as outside the US, Queen left EMI for Universal-owned Island Records.

It was announced in early 2012 that Hollywood Records would sign the winner of the ABC talent competition "Duets" coming this summer.

In March 2012, Hollywood Records underwent a management overhaul with a new managing director appointed. The label is currently trying to pursue a new marketing strategy separate from its traditional Disney-based market. Many new artists were signed in recent months, and it appears that Hollywood Records is trying to ditch its image of being the Disney label.