Island

Island Records began in Jamaica in 1959, founded by Chris Blackwell, Leslie Kong and Graeme Goodall. From the start, reggae was central to its identity, and the label grew into one of the key routes by which Jamaican music travelled outward.

Its catalogue later stretched widely without losing that sense of character, taking in artists as different as Bob Marley, U2, Nick Drake, PJ Harvey and Amy Winehouse. That range is part of what makes Island distinct: a label with deep roots in Jamaican music that also helped shape British and international pop, rock and alternative music over decades.