London Records, am I right?! Founded in 1947, London Records was an avenue for British Decca records distribution in North America. Decca’s ownership had been split between the UK and the US, and since “Decca” was only exclusive to the original UK market, London Records was born. Ahhhhhhh! Same releases from over the pond (for the most part), but under a different name. Today, Universal Music Group (Boo!) owns British Decca, and subsequently London Records after they purchased Polygram in 1998. Polygram had purchased them in 1979 (RIP Polygram ownership 1979 – 1998), and the rest is money-hungry, hand-changing history. Confused? You won’t be after the next episode of The Prudent Groove.