In the 1940s its management was joined by Francis Wolff, a childhood friend of Lion's, a young photographer who was the mastermind behind the label's sleeves, which featured a highly distinctive typography and moody photography. It has set down on vinyl (and beyond) most of jazz's inspirational characters, from Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis (below) to John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock. The quintessential jazz label, Blue Note was founded in 1939 in New York by a German immigrant called Alfred Lion, and went on to become one of the most prolific labels in music history. Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
In 2006, Virgin merged with Capitol Records to create Capitol Music Group. Success continued with Massive Attack, Blur and the Spice Girls – but not with Mariah Carey, who signed an $80m deal in 2001 but was given the elbow after appalling album sales.
In 1992, Branson sold the label to Thorn EMI for a reported £1bn, with a clause preventing him from setting up another record company for five years. Culture Club, the Human League, Simple Minds and Genesis joined soon after. Soon afterwards, their shop was raided by police, who objected to a window display of the album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. In 1977, Virgin signed the Sex Pistols (above), who'd been shown the door by EMI and A&M. Operating out of cramped offices (and using a phone box for calls, if you believe the stories), the label's first year had a big success: Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. Although Branson had already had some business success at the age of 15, publishing a magazine, Virgin Records was his first major venture, and propelled him on his journey to billionairedom. Despite having no experience in the record business other than working in a shop called Virgin Records and Tapes, Branson (inset) set up his own label with his chums Simon Draper and Nik Powell. But 22-year-old student Richard Branson's confidence was even bigger. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Ernest Lough – "O For The Wings of a Dove" (1926) (by The Gramophone Company on the HMV label)
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