ATCO

ATCO Records was established in 1955 as a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, providing an outlet for Atlantic co-founder Herb Abramson and for artists whose music did not fit neatly into Atlantic’s growing focus on blues, jazz, rhythm & blues, and soul. The name ATCO was derived from “ATlantic COrporation.”

The label found early success with The Coasters and, most notably, Bobby Darin, whose 1958 hit “Splish Splash” helped establish ATCO as a successful pop label. Darin went on to record a series of major hits for the label, including “Queen of the Hop,” “Dream Lover,” and “Mack the Knife.”

During the 1960s, ATCO expanded into rock music, releasing recordings by artists including Sonny & Cher, Buffalo Springfield, Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, Cream, and the Bee Gees. The label also issued the Beatles’ 1964 U.S. single “Ain’t She Sweet,” recorded during the Beatles’ early years in Hamburg.

In the 1970s and 1980s, ATCO became increasingly associated with hard rock and British and European artists, including AC/DC, while also releasing music by artists such as Pete Townshend and Gary Numan. The label was eventually folded into EastWest Records America in the early 1990s and became largely dormant.

ATCO was revived periodically, including a revival with Rhino in the 2000s, before being relaunched under Atlantic Records in 2020. Today, the label is part of Warner Music Group and operates as an Atlantic imprint.

ATCO Discography