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Island Records is celebrating its 50th anniversary and a quick look at its history reveals that it has a lot to celebrate. Not only has it given us some of rock music’s best selling records, but it’s also nurtured some of the planet’s most well respected musicians in a variety of genres.

1959-1966

Founded in Jamaica in 1959 by Brits Chris Blackwell and Graeme Goodall, the label mostly released 7″ singles during its first three years in existence. With a move to England in 1962, Island started churning out bucket loads of Jamaican ska and rocksteady, calypso and American R&B, including early sides by soon-to-be legends such as Jimmy Cliff (”Hurricane Hatty” /”Dearest Beverley”, 1962), Desmond Dekker (”Honour Your Mother And Father”, 1963) and an 18-year-old upstart from the small village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish, billed under the name Robert Marley (”Judge Not” / “Do You Still Love Me”, 1963). Although during this period some impressive American artists were featured on Island Records’ subsidiary, Sue, including Ike and Tina Turner, Elmore James, and Inez Foxx, the first 8 years are most notable for its role in shaping what would soon become reggae. This amalgam of African and Caribbean music and American rhythm and blues was descended from the ska and rocksteady genres that were the young Island Records’ forte. Indeed, Chris Blackwell is with out a doubt one of the most important figures in Jamaican music, without whom reggae’s lasting popularity might never have materialized.

1967-1969

Starting in 1967, Island Records began diversifying its catalog by turning its eye towards rock and roll, most notably of the British folk-rock ilk. While it never abandoned the Jamaican music for which it made its name, the label successfully branched out to become a highly respected judge of budding talent. Early releases during this period included debuts by Traffic (Mr. Fantasy, 1967), John Martyn (London Conversation, 1967), Jethro Tull (This Was, 1968), Mott the Hoople (Mott the Hoople, 1969) and Nick Drake (Five Leaves Left, 1969), as well as classic records by Fairport Convention (Liege and Lief, 1969) and King Crimson (In the Court of the Crimson King, 1969).

For my money, these three years were seminal in terms of the nurturing the growing popularity of British folk-rock, a sort of micro-genre that’s had a resurgence of sorts during the past decade. The influence of Nick Drake, John Martyn, and Fairport Convention can be clearly heard in the music of Alexi Murdoch, Belle and Sebastian, Jose Gonzales, and Iron & Wine. Likewise, Island bands such as Traffic, King Crimson, Spooky Tooth and Jethro Tull led the charge of the progressive rock phenomenon that would take root for most of the 1970s.

Essential albums:
Traffic Mr. Fantasy (1967)
Fairport Convention Liege and Lief (1969)
Spooky Tooth Spooky Two (1969)
Mott the Hoople Mott the Hoople (1969)

1970-1979

Already a formidable presence during its first decade as a label, Island Records really hit its stride in the 1970s. The Steve Winwood-led jazz rock supergroup, Traffic, released three near-perfect records with John Barleycorn Must Die (1970), The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971), and Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory (1973). Nick Drake rounded out his much too brief career with Bryter Layter (1970) and the oft-imitated acoustic masterpiece, Pink Moon (1972). Artists who first surfaced during this fertile period included freak folk progenitors, The Incredible String Band, glam superstars, Roxy Music, and blue-eyed soul singer, Robert Palmer, whose debut, Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley (1974) remains a vastly overlooked gem. Two other records of note, both of which belong in any discerning music fan’s collection, is the Sparks Kimono My House (1974) and Marianne Faithfull’s Broken English (1979).

Of course, during this decade, Island continued to release some great reggae music, including Jimmy Cliff’s hugely influential soundtrack to The Harder They Come and the bulk of Bob Marley’s output, both as a solo artist and with the Wailers.

Essential albums:
Nick Drake Pink Moon (1972)
Bob Marley & the Wailers Catch a Fire (1973)
Sparks Kimono My House (1974)
Marianne Faithfull Broken English (1979)

1980-1989

With the dawn of the 1980s came New Wave, and Island Records continued to thrive as they signed a slew of artists who pushed the boundaries of the genre. One of the lasting records from this period is Nightclubbing by Grace Jones, a unique post-disco New Wave gem that featured songs written by Iggy Pop (”Nightclubbing”), Sting (”Demolition Man”), and Bill Withers (”Use Me”). It also boasted a reggae-infused version of the sublime Ástor Piazzolla tango “I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango),” replete with lyrics partly sung in French.

Perhaps the greatest signing during the “me” decade was a fiery quartet from Dublin named U2. Island hit pay dirt by nurturing the immense talent of the band from its raw debut, Boy (1980), through its worldwide smash, The Joshua Tree (1987). You can safely argue that the quality of U2’s early catalog is rivaled by few others in history. Add to that cutting-edge offerings from Tom Waits (swordfishtrombones and Rain Dogs), and Black Uhuru (Anthem) and you’ve got quite an impressive output from Island in the ’80s.

The little label from Jamaica was growing by leaps and bounds, boasting multi-platinum albums by Steve Winwood (Back in High Life), Robert Palmer (Riptide), and Bob Marley (Legend). It also branched out into speed and thrash metal with Anthrax’s unforgettable Among the Living and hip-hop with Eric B. and Rakim’s legendary Paid in Full.

Essential albums:
Grace Jones Nightclubbing (1981)
Tom Waits Rain Dogs (1985)
U2 The Joshua Tree (1987)
Eric B. and Rakim Paid in Full (1987)

1990-Present

As the grunge movement took the world by storm in the early 1990s, Island’s roster boasted an impressive array of so-called “alternative” bands. In addition to the career-shifting, groundbreaking Acthung Baby by U2, the label also released albums by young artists such as The Cranberries (Everyone Else is Doing it So Why Can’t We and No Need to Argue), PJ Harvey (Rid of Me and To Bring You My Love) and Tricky (Maxinquaye). The ’90s also saw a string of critical and commercial successes from Melissa Etheridge (Yes I Am and Your Little Secret).

As the millennium faded into memory, Island Records, now a part of Universal Music Group, continued to push a diverse array of artists in a variety of genres ranging from R&B (Mariah Carey) to alt-rock (The Killers) to classic rock (Bon Jovi).

Essential albums:
U2 Achtung Baby (1991)
The Cranberries No Need to Argue (1994)
PJ Harvey To Bring You My Love (1995)
The Killers Hot Fuss (2004)

Island has come a long way since its humble beginnings when founder Chris Blackwell used to sell records from the back of his van to Jamaican immigrants in London. But its legacy speaks for itself and its 50 years of amazing music will no doubt continue to inspire for generations to come.

Editor’s Note: Help celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Island Records . Enter to win a 50-CD set of the Top 50 Island Records releases or an Island Prize Package with CDs, vinyl albums, t-shirts, and other goodies by (1) playing the Island or Bob Marley editions of the “Scrumbler” puzzle game, (2) and creating top-5 music lists tied to Island and Bob Marley’s catalog. Join the fun!

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