Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, its a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded in 1887, evolving from the American Graphophone Company, the successor to the Volta Graphophone Company. Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in the recorded sound business, and the second major company to produce records. From 1961 to 1990, Columbia recordings were released outside North America under the name CBS Records to avoid confusion with EMI's Columbia Graphophone Company. Columbia is one of Sony Music's four flagship record labels, alongside former longtime rival RCA Records, as well as Arista Records and Epic Recods.

Some of the label's best known artists; 

AC/DC, Adele, Aerosmith, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Beyoncé, Blind Willie Johnson, Blue Öyster Cult, Dave Brubeck, The Byrds, Johnny Cash, Mariah Carey, The Clash, Miles Davis, Rosemary Clooney, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Earth, Wind & Fire, Duke Ellington, 50 Cent, Erroll Garner, Benny Goodman, Adelaide Hall, Billy Joel, Janis Joplin, John Mayer, George Michael, Billy Murray, New York Philharmonic, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Santana, Frank Sinatra, Simon and Garfunkel, Bessie Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, System of a Down, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Whiteman, Andy Williams, Pharrell Williams, Paul McCartney and Wings, Bill Withers, and Joe Zawinul.