Editing Dot Records (section)

{{short description|American record label}}
{{Other uses|Dot (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Dot Records
| image       = [[File:Dot_Records_logo.png|180px|class=skin-invert]]
| image_size  = 180px
| parent      = Independent (1950–57)<br />[[Paramount Pictures]] (1957–72)<br />[[Gulf+Western]] (1966–74)<br />[[Famous Music]] Group (1972–74)<br />[[ABC Records]] (1974–78)<br />[[MCA Records]] (1985–86)<br />[[Universal Music Group]] (2014–17)
| founded     = {{start date and age|1950}} (original)<br />{{start date and age|2014}} (revival)
| defunct     = {{end date and age|1978}} (original)<br />{{end date and age|2017}} (revival)
| status      = Defunct
| founder     = [[Randy Wood (producer)|Randy Wood]]<br>[[Gene Nobles]]
| distributor = Self-distributed (1950–68)<br />Famous Music Group (1968–74)<br />ABC Records (1974–78)<br />MCA Records (1985–86)<br />[[Big Machine Label Group]] (2014–17)
| genre       = Various (early)<br />[[Country music|Country]] (later)
| country     = U.S.
| location    = [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
| url         =
}}

'''Dot Records''' was an American record label founded by [[Randy Wood (record producer)|Randy Wood]] and [[Gene Nobles]] that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in [[Gallatin, Tennessee]]. In its early years, Dot specialized in artists from Tennessee. Then it branched out to include musicians from across the U.S. It recorded [[country music]], [[rhythm and blues]], [[polkas]], [[waltzes]], [[Gospel music|gospel]], [[rockabilly]], [[pop music|pop]], and early [[rock and roll]].

After moving to Hollywood in 1956, Dot Records bought many recordings by small local independent labels and issued them nationally. In 1957, Wood sold the label to [[Paramount Pictures]], but remained in charge until 1967, when he departed to join [[Lawrence Welk]] in the formation of [[Ranwood Records]].

In 1968, the label was acquired as part of the acquisition of Paramount by [[Gulf and Western Industries|Gulf+Western]], which transitioned it to recording exclusively [[country music]] and placed it under the management of [[Famous Music]] in 1971. Gulf+Western sold its labels to [[ABC Records|ABC]] in 1974. Dot was renamed to ABC-Dot Records before closing in 1978.

The label was reactivated in 2014 through a joint venture between [[Big Machine Label Group]] and the [[Republic Records]] unit of [[Universal Music Group]] (which owns the original Dot Records catalog). Based in [[Nashville, Tennessee]], the label was retired in 2017.