Independent Record Labels of the Early Rock Era

By Area of the Country

East Coast:

• 1942
       o
       o  Savoy (Herman Lubinsky) Newark
       o
       o  Beacon (Joe Davis) New York
• 1943
       o
       o  Apollo (Ike & Bess Berman) New York
• 1944
       o
       o  National (Al Greene) New York
       o
       o  DeLuxe (Jules Braun) New York
• 1945
       o  Majestic (Jimmy Walker et al) New York
       o 
       o  Manor (Irving Berman) Newark, New Jersey
• 1946
       o
       o  Sterling  (Al Middleman) New York
       o
       o   Harlem (J. Mayo Williams) New York
• 1947
       o 
       o  Atlantic (Ahmet Ertegun & Herb Abramson) New York
• 1948
       o 
       o  Jubilee (Jerry Blaine) New York
• 1949
       o
       o   Regal (Dave and Jules Braun) Linden, New Jersey
• 1951
       o
       o  Red Robin (Bobby Robinson) New York >
• 1952
       o
       o  Herald/Ember (Al Silver) New York
• 1953
       o
       o  Rama (George Goldner) New York
       o
       o  Cadence (Archie Bleyer) New York

Mid-America;

• 1944
       o
       o    King (Syd Nathan) Cincinnati   
• 1946
       o
       o  Mercury* (Irving Green) Chicago
       o
       o   Fortune (Jack and DeVora Brown) Detroit, Michigan
• 1947
      o
      o  Aristocrat-Chess (Leonard & Phil Chess) Chicago
• 1952
      o
      o  Vee-Jay (James & Vivian Bracken) Chicago

  ---

Southern;

• 1944
      o
      o  Gulf-Gold Star (Bill Quinn) Houston
  1946
       o
       o  Bullet (Jim Bulliet) Nashville
• 1949
       o
       o  Freedom (Saul Kaul) Houston
       o
       o  Macy's (Macy Lela Wood) Houston
       o
       o  Peacock (Don Robey) Houston
• 1950
       o
       o  Tennessee (Alan and Reynolds Bubis) Nashville, Tennessee
       o
       o  Trumpet (Willard & Lillian McMurry) Jackson, Miss
• 1951
       o
       o  Dot (Randy Wood & Gene Nobles) Gallatin, Tenn
       o
       o  Nashboro-Ernie Y (Ernie Young) Nashville
• 1952
       o  Meteor (Lester Bihari) Memphis, Tennessee
       o
       o  Duke (James Mattias) Memphis
       o
       o  Sun (Sam Phillips) Memphis
• 1953
       o
       o  Starday (Pappy Daily/Jack Starnes) Beaumont, Texas. Moved to Nashville 1957
       o
       o  Excello (Ernie Young) Nashville, Tenn
• 1955
       o
       o  Ace (Johnny Vincent) Jackson, Miss
• 1956
      O
      O Black Beat

West Coast:

• 1942
       o
       o   Excelsior (Leon & Otis Rene) Los Angeles (Exclusive in 1941)
• 1943
       o
       o  Premier (Robert Sherman) Los Angeles (Atlas, 1945)
• 1944
       o
       o  Gilt-Edge (Richard Nelson) Los Angeles
• 1945
       o
       o  Melodisc (Daniel O'Brien) Los Angeles,California
       o
       o  Modern (Jules, Joe & Saul Bihari) Los Angeles
       o
       o  Philo-Aladdin (Ed & Leo Mesner) Los Angeles
       o
       o  Bronze (Leroy Hurte) Los Angeles
       o
       o  Four Star (Richard Nelson) Los Angeles (replaced Gilt-Edge)
       o
       o  Super Disc (Irving Feld & Viola Marsham) Los Angeles
• 1946
       o
       o   Juke Box (Art Rupe) Los Angeles, California
       o 
       o  Swing Time/Down Beat (Jack Lauderdale) Los Angeles
       o
       o  Specialty (Art Rupe) Los Angeles
• 1949
       o
       o  Imperial (Lew Chudd) Los Angeles
• 1952
       o  Liberty (Al Bennett) Hollywood
       o
       o  Meteor (Lester Bihari) Memphis, Tennessee
       o
       o  Liberty (Al Bennett) Hollywood

*By 1950s Mercury was considered a major