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Roadrunner Records (Roadrunner Music Group B.V.) is a record label
Record label

In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of recorded sound and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the Record producer, manufacturing, distribution , marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protec...
 that concentrates on heavy metal
Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States. With roots in blues-rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified Distortion , extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall...
 bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group is the third-largest of the big four music industry, the others being Sony Music Entertainment, EMI, and Universal Music Group....
.

label was launched in the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 in 1980
1980 in music

Events...
 and was originally called "Roadracer Records". Roadrunner's initial business was importing North American metal-band recordings into Europe. In 1986 Roadrunner opened its US headquarters in New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 and later opened offices in England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
 and the latest in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
.






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Roadrunner Records (Roadrunner Music Group B.V.) is a record label
Record label

In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of recorded sound and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the Record producer, manufacturing, distribution , marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protec...
 that concentrates on heavy metal
Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States. With roots in blues-rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified Distortion , extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall...
 bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group is the third-largest of the big four music industry, the others being Sony Music Entertainment, EMI, and Universal Music Group....
.

History

The label was launched in the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 in 1980
1980 in music

Events...
 and was originally called "Roadracer Records". Roadrunner's initial business was importing North American metal-band recordings into Europe. In 1986 Roadrunner opened its US headquarters in New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 and later opened offices in England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
 and the latest in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
. Early successes included albums from King Diamond
King Diamond (band)

King Diamond is the Heavy metal music band that King Diamond formed after the split up of his Black metal band Mercyful Fate. Also following the departure of Hank Shermann....
 (the first Roadrunner artist to enter the Billboard Top 200 albums chart) and Annihilator
Annihilator (band)

Annihilator is a Canadian thrash metal band formed in 1984. They debuted with the critically-acclaimed album, Alice in Hell in 1989....
. The label also handled early Metallica
Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal music band that formed in 1981 in Los Angeles. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, while going through a number of bassists....
 releases in the Scandinavia
Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a historical and geographical subregion in northern Europe that includes the Scandinavian Peninsula. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark; some authorities also include Finland and some might even include Iceland....
n region. The end of the 1980s saw the release of two albums that are now considered classics of their respective genres: Obituary
Obituary (band)

Sorry, no overview for this topic
's Slowly We Rot
Slowly We Rot

Slowly We Rot is a 1989 album by United States death metal band Obituary . It was their debut album and is considered by many to be their heaviest, fastest and most brutal in general....
 and Sepultura
Sepultura

Sepultura is a Brazilian Heavy metal music band from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal and thrash metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and their later experiments melding hardcore punk and industrial music with extreme metal provided a blueprint for the groove metal gen...
's Beneath the Remains
Beneath the Remains

Beneath the Remains is the third studio album by Brazilian thrash metal band Sepultura, released in 1989. It was their first release through Roadrunner Records....
.

The 1990s saw the arrival of acts such as Life of Agony
Life of Agony

Life of Agony or LoA is an alternative metal band from Brooklyn, New York....
, Machine Head
Machine Head (band)

Machine Head is an American heavy metal music band, formed in 1992 in Oakland, California, California. Founded by singer and guitarist Robert Flynn and bassist Adam Duce, and has only had 3 personnel changes since its inception 17 years ago....
, Suffocation
Suffocation (band)

Suffocation is an United States brutal death metal band. The band was formed in 1990 and has since released five studio albums....
 and Type O Negative
Type O Negative

Type O Negative is a Heavy metal music band from Brooklyn, New York City. Although commonly viewed as a gothic metal band, Type O has also incorporated elements of doom metal, thrash metal, blues, punk rock/hardcore punk, alternative rock and, progressive rock into their work, and often describe their sound as Black Sabbath-meets-The Beatles,...
. As the 1990s wore on, several of Roadrunner's bands managed to make an impact on the mainstream, most notably Sepultura
Sepultura

Sepultura is a Brazilian Heavy metal music band from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal and thrash metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and their later experiments melding hardcore punk and industrial music with extreme metal provided a blueprint for the groove metal gen...
 and Type O Negative
Type O Negative

Type O Negative is a Heavy metal music band from Brooklyn, New York City. Although commonly viewed as a gothic metal band, Type O has also incorporated elements of doom metal, thrash metal, blues, punk rock/hardcore punk, alternative rock and, progressive rock into their work, and often describe their sound as Black Sabbath-meets-The Beatles,...
. Sepultura's 1993 album, Chaos A.D.
Chaos A.D. (album)

Chaos A.D. is the fifth studio album by Brazilian Heavy metal music band Sepultura, released in late 1993 through Roadrunner Records. This was the record that helped the group transcend their previous Death metal/Thrash metal style, deepening their forays into hardcore punk, industrial music and Brazilian-styled percussion....
, became the first Roadrunner band to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard album chart. Type O Negative became the first Roadrunner band to receive a certification from the RIAA; this was a Gold award (and later Platinum award) for the 1993 album Bloody Kisses
Bloody Kisses

Bloody Kisses is the third album by Brooklyn band Type O Negative. It marked significant stylistic growth for the band in terms of songwriting and production values, and it is also the last recording to feature Sal Abruscato on drums....
, which was certified in 1995. The band also became the first Roadrunner band to receive radio play. In 2000, Slipknot
Slipknot (band)

Slipknot is an American heavy metal music band from Des Moines, Iowa, formed in 1995. Slipknot consists of nine members, the current band members are Sid Wilson, Joey Jordison, Paul Gray , Chris Fehn, Jim Root, Craig Jones, Shawn Crahan, Mick Thomson, and Corey Taylor....
 became the first Roadrunner band to go Platinum. Nickelback
Nickelback

Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music band formed in Hanna, Alberta by Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Ryan Peake and then-drummer Brandon Kroeger ....
 were also very successful on the label (except they were on another label at home in Canada). Derek Shulman
Derek Shulman

Derek Shulman is a United Kingdom musician and singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record executive. From 1970 to 1980, he was lead vocalist for the band Gentle Giant....
 ran the label in the late '90s.

Beginning in 2001, Roadrunner was distributed by the Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the largest business group and family of record labels in the Record industry. With a 25.5% market share, it is one of the Music industry....
 through a share of the label owned by The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Island Def Jam Music Group

The Island Def Jam Music Group is a record label group formed in 1999 in music, when Universal Music Group merged together two of its daughter companies, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, to create a super label....
. This deal has now expired.

On December 18, 2006, Warner Strategic Marketing
Warner Strategic Marketing

Warner Strategic Marketing is a record label that is part of the Warner Music Group. It specializes in compilation albums, much like sister division Rhino Entertainment....
 signed an agreement to purchase a majority in shares (73.5%) of Roadrunner Records' parent company, Roadrunner Music Group B.V. This deal became finalized on January 29, 2007 after receiving regulatory approval in Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
.

On June 11, 2008, Roadrunner Records was voted as the "Best Metal Label" by Metal Hammer at their Golden Gods Awards, an award that it has won the past four years in a row. The award was accepted by Sharon Den Adel and Ruud Jolie of Within Temptation
Within Temptation

Within Temptation is a Netherlands heavy metal music band. The band was founded in 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt....
, one of Roadrunner's biggest acts.

Discography

  • The Heart of Roadrunner Records
  • Roadrunner United - The All-Stars Sessions
    Roadrunner United

    Roadrunner United was a project organized by the Heavy metal music record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It culminated in an album released worldwide on October 11, 2005, entitled The All-Star Sessions....
     (Album)
  • The End
    The End (Roadrunner United song)

    The End is a song recorded by Roadrunner United for their only album, The All-Star Sessions. It was released as a single and made with a video with the band playing in various "down town" locations....
    " (Single)
  • Two from the Vault
    Two from the Vault (series)

    Two from the Vault is the name of a series of double albums released on Roadrunner Records. Each release in the series consists of a reissue of two classic albums by one band....
     album series no
  • Forged in Steel (2007)
  • Annual Assault 2008 (2008)
  • Between Rock and a Hard Place (2008)
  • Roadrunner United: The Concert DVD (2008)


Signed bands and previous artists


See also

  • List of record labels
    List of record labels

    This is a list of notable record labels.Owing to the large number of entries, the list has been divided by the first letter of the label's name, with labels starting with a number added to this page:...
  • Roadrunner Records artists


External links