The Rocket Record Company
The Rocket Record Company is a record label founded by Elton John, along with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon, Steve Brown and others, in 1973. The company was named after the hit song "Rocket Man". The label was originally distributed in the UK by Island and in the US by MCA Records, both of which Elton John was also signed to (after 1976).
The Rocket Record Company
1973[2]
2007
US:
MCA Records (1973–1978)
RCA Records (1978–1982)
Geffen Records (1982–1989)
Island/Mercury (1989–present)
UK:
Island (1973–1978)
Phonogram Inc. (1978–1995)
Mercury Records (1995–1998)
Island/Mercury (1998–2013)
Virgin EMI (2013–2020)
EMI (2020–present)
Rock
Recent history[edit]
In 1999, The Rocket Record Company was absorbed by The Island Def Jam Music Group, and it operated under IDJ's Mercury Records division.[1] However, the logo was still used on all new Elton John releases until 2007. The name was also resurrected in 2006 for the eponymous Platinum Weird album. In 2011, John formed a company named Rocket Music Entertainment Group.[3]
The label still exists today, with just three artists signed to it, as John himself has not released a studio album on Rocket since 2004's Peachtree Road, although the 2010 one-off collaboration with Leon Russell, The Union has the Rocket logo from that time. Otherwise, Rocket is primarily a management company handling established artists such as Ed Sheeran and Squeeze's Chris Difford along with upcoming artists including Anne-Marie and Jake Issac.