Pick a Day

Music History Events: Record Deals

January 1, 1962 The Beatles and The Tremeloes both audition for Decca Records, with The Beatles performing 15 songs at the label's studio in London. Decca signs The Tremeloes but passes on The Beatles, reasoning that "guitar groups are on the way out."

October 26, 1961 Bob Dylan signs with Columbia Records, his first recording contract.

July 20, 1961 The Beatles, known as The Beat Brothers, get some press in the British paper Mersey Beat, which announces their first record deal.

May 2, 1960 Ben E. King leaves The Drifters and signs a solo contract with Atco Records.

February 17, 1960 After a string of hits on Cadence Records, The Everly Brothers sign a 10-year contract with Warner Bros. Records which is reported at $1 million, a number likely inflated for publicity purposes.

January 22, 1960 Sam Cooke leaves the tiny Keen label to sign with RCA Records.

November 9, 1959 Sam Cooke is guaranteed $100,000 by RCA if he chooses to leave his current home, Keen Records.

November 1, 1959 Ray Charles leaves his old label, Atlantic, for a better deal at ABC-Paramount Records.

December 1, 1958 Neil Sedaka signs with RCA Records as a solo artist.

August 1, 1958 His contract up at Sun Records, Johnny Cash leaves Memphis, moves to Los Angeles, and signs with Columbia Records.

February 19, 1958 Carl Perkins leaves Sun Records to sign with the Columbia label as their first rockabilly artist. The second is Johnny Cash.

March 1, 1957 The Everly Brothers sign with Cadence Records and record "Bye Bye Love," establishing their signature sound: acoustic guitars and Appalachian harmonies over a rock beat.

September 8, 1956 Eddie Cochran signs a contract with Liberty Records.

June 1, 1956 Doris Day signs a five-year recording contract with Columbia Records worth $1 million.

April 27, 1956 Capitol Records signs Gene Vincent, intending to market him as the next Elvis.

April 14, 1956 Bobby Helms auditions for, and signs with, Decca Records.

February 2, 1956 The Coasters sign with Atlantic Records.

May 1, 1955 A St. Louis guitarist named Chuck Berry is signed to Chess Records in Chicago after bluesman Muddy Waters recommends him to the label.

September 30, 1954 Patsy Cline signs a contract with Four Star Music Sales.

September 17, 1952 Frank Sinatra does his last recording session for Columbia Records. His next musical move is signing to Capitol Records, where he teams up with arranger Nelson Riddle and revives his career with swinging hits like "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Witchcraft."

September 1, 1952 Ray Charles signs to Atlantic after leaving Swingtime Records; the label takes him in a harder R&B direction than the crooner-style pop and West Coast blues he had been recording.

November 11, 1944 Frank Sinatra, boy singer for the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey big bands, signs with Columbia as a solo recording artist.

June 17, 1943 After planning to return to his hometown and resume his career as a barber, Perry Como is signed to RCA Records.

January 13, 2011 Ed Sheeran announces he has been signed to Atlantic Records.

October 29, 2007 Bon Iver signs to Jagjaguwar Records.

September 5, 2007 Influential blogger Perez Hilton declares himself "obsessed" with the unsigned artist Eric Hutchinson, earning the singer 3,000 new MySpace friends and serious industry buzz, leading to a deal with Warner Bros. Records.

August 10, 2007 Jon Foreman, frontman of Switchfoot, announces the band have left Columbia Records. Switchfoot goes on to create their own record label, lowercase people records.

July 11, 1995 George Michael signs a two-album deal split among two labels: Virgin in the UK and Dreamworks SKG in America. As part of the deal, Sony Records is paid $40 million to release Michael from his contract; after releasing his 1990 album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, he refused to record for the label and filed a lawsuit seeking release from his contract, which he lost.

October 31, 1993 Atlantic Records signs Hootie & the Blowfish, which have already released two independent EPs and grown a following in South Carolina. It's a good signing: the band's debut, Cracked Rear View, becomes the best-selling album in the label's history.

June 25, 1993 Weezer sign with DGC Records.