Label Guide: Decca

Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. The name "Decca" dates back to a portable gramophone called the "Decca Dulcephone" patented in 1914 by musical instrument makers Barnett Samuel and Sons. Within years, Decca Records Ltd. was the second largest record label in the world, calling itself "The Supreme Record Company".

In late 1934, a U.S. branch of Decca was launched, which became a major player in the depressed American record market thanks to its roster of popular artists, particularly Bing Crosby, and the decision to price Decca at 35 cents. In 1942, American Decca released the first recording of "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, which remains the best-selling single worldwide of all time until today.

After World War II the ties between British and American Decca were broken for several decades. American Decca bought Universal-International in 1952, and eventually merged with MCA in 1962, becoming a subsidiary company under MCA. The Decca name was dropped by MCA in America in 1973 in favour of the MCA Records label.

Dissatisfied with American Decca's promotion of British Decca recordings and because American Decca held the rights to the name Decca in the US and Canada, British Decca sold its records in the United States and Canada under the label London Records beginning in 1947. They retained a non-reciprocal right to license and issue American Decca recordings in the UK on their Brunswick and Coral labels. This arrangement continued through 1967 when a UK branch of MCA was established utilising the MCA Records label, with distribution fluctuating between British Decca and other English companies over time.

PolyGram acquired the remains of Decca UK within days of Sir Edward Lewis's death in January 1980. British Decca's pop catalogue was taken over by Polydor Records. After Universal Studios acquired PolyGram in 1998, the worldwide Decca label became part of Universal Music Group, which still owns and operates Decca Records today.