Editing Ariola

{{short description|German record label}}
{{about|the German record label|the anatomical structure|Areola}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Expand German|Ariola|topic=Record label|date=July 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2024}}
{{infobox record label
| name        = Ariola
| image       = Ariola-Logo.svg
| parent      = [[Sony Music|Sony Music Entertainment]] (since 2008)
| founded     = {{start date and age|1958}}
| founder     = 
| distributor = {{ubl|Self-distributed (1958–1987)|[[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]] (1987–2004)|[[Sony BMG]] (2004–2008)|Sony Music Entertainment (2008–present)|[[Legacy Recordings]] (Ariola America catalog)}}
| genre       = Various
| country     = Germany
| location    = [[Berlin]], Germany
| url         = {{URL|ariola.de}}
}}

'''Ariola''' (also known as '''Ariola Records''', '''Ariola Express''', '''Ariola-Eurodisc''' and '''BMG Ariola''') is a German [[record label]]. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the [[Bertelsmann Music Group]], which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerate [[Sony Music|Sony Music Entertainment]].

==Profile==
Ariola Eurodisc GmbH was founded in 1958 as a music outlet of [[Bertelsmann]]. It set up several foreign subsidiaries. Leveraging acquisitions by its parent company, Ariola positioned itself to become a strong contender in the German record industry in the mid-1960s.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--not stated--> |date=August 15, 1964|title=Ariola Sets Sight on Leading Phono Output in Common Market |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QUUEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Ariola+Eurodisc+GmbH&pg=PA6 |magazine=Billboard |page= 6 |access-date=}}</ref> Ariola America was founded in 1975 in Los Angeles, and achieved ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' magazine number one singles with [[Mary MacGregor]]'s "[[Torn Between Two Lovers (song)|Torn Between Two Lovers]]" (1976) and [[Amii Stewart]]'s cover version of the 1966 [[Eddie Floyd]] hit "[[Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd song)|Knock on Wood]]" (1979).  Other artists on the Ariola America roster during the late 1970s included [[Gene Cotton]], [[The Three Degrees]], Chanson, and the Canadian band [[Prism (band)|Prism]] among others.  After its pop success dried up, Ariola America found success in the Spanish language market including [[José José]] and [[Rocío Dúrcal]] from the late 1970s onward and Mexican artist [[Marisela]] starting in the 1990s.  Other subsidiaries include Ariola-Athena to release spoken word records; Ariola Benelux was founded in 1970 to cover the [[Benelux]] market; Ariola Eurodisc S.A. was a Spanish division of Ariola, founded in 1970; Ariola UK, the UK based subsidiary of Ariola, was founded in 1977; Baccarola; Türküola, a subsidiary for the Turkish market; [[Eurodisc]] to release classical records in Europe and Arabella to release disco records in France - most successfully with [[Amanda Lear]], [[Giorgio Moroder]] (house producer of Ariola); and Jupiter Records for German [[Schlager music]] and disco artists such as [[Dschinghis Khan]].

It acquired both [[Arista Records]] and German rival label [[Hansa Records]] in 1979. It sold 50% of Arista to [[RCA Records]] in 1983; after a brief joint venture between RCA and Ariola, RCA (including its record division) was acquired by [[General Electric]] who promptly sold RCA's stake in the venture back to Ariola. Ariola America also had a sister label called Ocean Records, which included on its roster actress/entertainer [[Ann-Margret]].  It was active 1979 through 1980. In the 1980s, there was a software development division called [[Ariolasoft]].

Today, Ariola is a unit of [[Sony Music Group]] and is still active in Germany under the Sony Group Corporation umbrella.

==References==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
*[[List of record labels]]
*[[Ariola Japan]], formerly called BMG Japan until its acquisition from [[Sony Music Entertainment Japan]]
*[[Ariolasoft]], German software company.

==External links==
*[http://www.ariola.de Official website] (in German)

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:German record labels]]
[[Category:Spoken word record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1958]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in West Germany]]
[[Category:Sony subsidiaries]]
[[Category:Sony Music]]
[[Category:Former Bertelsmann subsidiaries]]