Epic

Epic on vinyl: from Sly Stone to “Thriller”

In short: Epic was founded by Columbia in 1953, first for jazz and classical music. The label grew big with soul and pop: Sly & The Family Stone, The Jacksons and Michael Jackson, whose “Thriller” came out on Epic, plus Luther Vandross and Sade. The Vinyl Room currently has 97 Epic records, above all soul, funk and disco from the seventies and eighties.

From our stock

Epic first pressings

Soul, funk & disco

Jazz on Epic

New in

→ Columbia · Soul & funk on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

What makes Epic special?

Epic started as Columbia’s little sister, with jazz and classical music and the striking yellow, black and blue label of the fifties and sixties. From that era we have two records by drummer Dave Bailey: “One Foot In The Gutter” and “Gettin’ Into Somethin’”.

From the late sixties Epic became the address for soul and pop. Sly & The Family Stone mixed funk, soul and rock like hardly anyone before. From 1976 The Jacksons recorded for Epic, and Michael Jackson released “Off the Wall”, “Thriller” and “Bad” here. In the eighties Luther Vandross and Sade followed – and “99 Red Balloons”, the English version of Nena’s hit, or records by Culture Club also exist with the Epic label.

Our stock reflects that: soul, funk and disco from Mtume to Babyface, Michael Jackson maxi singles, but also hip-hop, synth-pop and soundtracks – and with Gasolin’ even a Danish rock band.

FAQ

Which company does Epic belong to? Epic was founded by Columbia in 1953. Since 1988 it has belonged, together with Columbia, to Sony.

Did Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” come out on Epic? Yes, “Thriller” came out on Epic in 1982, as did “Off the Wall” (1979) and “Bad” (1987).

Was there jazz on Epic too? Yes, especially in the fifties and early sixties. In our stock, for example, by the Dave Bailey Sextet.

What music do you have on Epic? Mostly soul, funk and disco, plus rock, pop, electronic, jazz and hip-hop – 97 records in all.