Founded in 1972 by Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and Tom Newman, Virgin Records began as an audacious independent label that redefined the sound and business of popular music. Emerging from Branson’s original London record shop, Virgin quickly became synonymous with artistic risk-taking, technical innovation, and a refusal to follow the industry’s conventional rules.

The label’s first release, Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells (1973), was both a creative and commercial triumph an instrumental masterpiece that not only launched the label but also became one of the defining albums of the decade. From that moment, Virgin attracted artists who pushed boundaries across genres: Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd, Human League, Culture Club, Simple Minds, XTC, and later Massive Attack, Lenny Kravitz, and Daft Punk, among many others.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Virgin Records cultivated an identity that balanced avant-garde experimentation with mainstream success. It championed punk rebellion, new wave innovation, and electronic exploration while building a global infrastructure that rivaled major labels. Virgin became both a cultural movement and a commercial powerhouse a rare combination that helped shape the sound of modern pop and rock.

In 1992, Virgin Records was acquired by EMI, and later integrated into the Universal Music Group, yet its spirit of independence and discovery endures. Even within the corporate structure, the Virgin name continues to symbolize creative freedom, bold vision, and the idea that great music often comes from taking risks.

Today, Virgin’s legacy lives on as a hallmark of innovation a label that not only captured the sound of its time but also expanded the possibilities of what a record company could be.