RPM Records
RPM Records was a Los Angeles blues and rhythm-and-blues label launched in 1950 as a subsidiary of Modern Records and part of the Bihari Brothers' record business.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
RPM Records was an American independent record label launched in Los Angeles in 1950. It operated as a subsidiary of Modern Records and belonged to the wider label network controlled by the Bihari Brothers, whose businesses became an important force in the postwar blues and rhythm-and-blues market. RPM should be distinguished from other labels using the RPM name, including later British and South African companies and the separate RPM imprint associated with Tony Bennett. The label's importance came from its role in documenting and commercially distributing blues, rhythm and blues, and related Black American popular music during a period when independent labels were especially important to artists who were not being adequately served by the major record companies. The Bihari operation used a network of scouts, producers, and affiliated labels to find performers, record them, and release their work. Ike Turner worked as a talent scout for the Bihari Brothers and helped bring a number of significant blues musicians into the group's recording orbit. Artists associated with RPM releases included Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, and Roscoe Gordon. B.B. King in particular achieved a series of successful singles through the RPM label, helping establish its historical reputation. RPM's catalog was primarily built around singles rather than a sustained album program. Its releases formed part of the Bihari group's broader strategy of using multiple labels, including Modern and Crown, to serve different parts of the market and different release formats. The label also had an early connection with pop music: Paul Anka issued his first single on RPM in 1956, before becoming a major mainstream recording artist. In 1957, the Bihari Brothers announced that they would stop releasing albums on Modern and RPM. Albums that had already been released or scheduled for those labels were to be issued through Crown Records instead. This decision reduced RPM's role as an album imprint and reflected the group's decision to consolidate album activity under another label while continuing to manage its recorded-music assets through the broader Bihari organization. RPM's original operating identity eventually disappeared, but its historical recordings continued to circulate through reissues and archival projects. In the 1990s, the label's catalog and master tapes were sold to Ace Records in the United Kingdom. That transaction transferred important RPM materials into the hands of a specialist reissue company, helping preserve and re-present recordings from the label's blues and rhythm-and-blues catalog. RPM is therefore best understood today as a defunct American historical label whose significance rests on its recordings, artist associations, and place within the Bihari Brothers' independent-label system rather than on an active contemporary brand.
History
RPM Records emerged in Los Angeles in 1950 as part of the independent record-label organization built by the Bihari Brothers. Rather than operating as an isolated company, it functioned as a subsidiary or imprint of Modern Records within the Bihari group's wider network. That network was active in the postwar American market for blues, rhythm and blues, and related forms of popular music, using several labels to release recordings and reach different audiences. The label's development was tied to the Biharis' efforts to identify promising performers and record commercially viable material outside the major-label system. Ike Turner served as a talent scout for the Bihari Brothers and helped arrange recording opportunities for several important blues musicians. Among the artists connected with RPM releases were Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, and Roscoe Gordon. B.B. King recorded a number of successful singles for RPM, making the label an important part of the early commercial history of one of the most influential blues musicians of the twentieth century. RPM was principally a singles label. Its releases reflected the strong demand for short-form blues and rhythm-and-blues records during the 1950s, when independent companies could build substantial audiences by specializing in regional styles and performers overlooked or underdeveloped by larger companies. The label also intersected with the emerging pop market. In 1956, Paul Anka released his first single on RPM, an early step in the career of an artist who later achieved broad mainstream success. The Bihari Brothers changed the label group's album strategy in 1957. They announced that albums would no longer be released on Modern or RPM. Albums that had already appeared, as well as those that had been scheduled, were to be issued on Crown Records. This move consolidated album activity under Crown and diminished RPM's visible role, particularly because its identity had been strongly associated with singles. The decision was a business and catalog-management change within the Bihari organization rather than evidence of a separate new direction for RPM. RPM's active release identity did not continue as a major contemporary label. Its recorded output nevertheless remained valuable to blues historians, collectors, and reissue specialists. In the 1990s, the label's catalog and master tapes were sold to Ace Records in the United Kingdom. Ace's specialization in historical popular music gave the materials a route into later archival releases and catalog exploitation. RPM's legacy consequently rests on the recordings preserved under its name, its contribution to the Bihari Brothers' label system, and its associations with artists such as B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Roscoe Gordon, and Paul Anka. It is unrelated to other record companies that have subsequently used the RPM name.
- 1990
Catalog and master tapes transfer to Ace Records
[1]RPM's catalog and master tapes are sold to Ace Records in the United Kingdom during the 1990s.
- 1957
Album releases are moved to Crown Records
[1]The Bihari Brothers announce that albums released or scheduled for Modern and RPM will instead be issued on Crown Records.
- 1956
Paul Anka releases his first single on RPM
[1]Paul Anka's first single is issued on RPM before his later rise as a mainstream pop recording artist.
- 1950
RPM Records is launched
[1]A Los Angeles-based RPM Records is established as a subsidiary of Modern Records within the Bihari Brothers' independent-label network.
Products and positioning
A mid-century independent American label focused primarily on blues and rhythm-and-blues singles, operating within the Bihari Brothers' network of genre-oriented record companies.
Music recordings · 1950
RPM blues and rhythm-and-blues singles
RPM's core output consisted of singles by blues and rhythm-and-blues performers. The label's catalog formed part of the Bihari Brothers' postwar independent-label strategy and included commercially successful releases by artists such as B.B. King, as well as recordings associated with Howlin' Wolf and Roscoe Gordon.
Albums
RPM album releases
RPM had a limited album role compared with its singles activity. In 1957, the Bihari Brothers announced that albums released or scheduled for Modern and RPM would be issued through Crown Records, ending the label's continuing album program under its own imprint.
Brand decisions
1990
Sale of RPM's catalog and master tapes to Ace RecordsM&ABackground
After RPM's active period, its recordings and physical master materials remained significant archival assets.
Action taken
The catalog and master tapes were sold to Ace Records in the United Kingdom during the 1990s.
Aftermath
The transfer placed RPM's recorded legacy with a specialist reissue company and supported the later preservation and circulation of its material.
1957
Consolidation of album releases under Crown RecordsStrategyBackground
The Bihari Brothers controlled multiple labels, including Modern, RPM, and Crown. In 1957 they announced that albums associated with Modern and RPM would no longer be issued under those labels.
Action taken
Previously released and scheduled albums for Modern and RPM were redirected to Crown Records, while RPM's principal role remained associated with singles.
Aftermath
The change reduced RPM's prominence as an album imprint and concentrated album activity within the Bihari group's Crown label.
Recent events
- 1990
RPM catalog and master tapes sold to Ace Records[1]
M&A
During the 1990s, RPM's catalog and master tapes were sold to the United Kingdom's Ace Records, supporting later preservation and reissue activity.
- 1957
Bihari Brothers halted album releases on Modern and RPM[1]
Other
The Bihari Brothers announced that albums already released or planned for Modern and RPM would be issued under Crown Records, effectively ending RPM's role as an album-release label.
- 1950
RPM Records launched in Los Angeles[1]
Other
The Bihari Brothers' record business launched RPM Records as a subsidiary of Modern Records, adding another imprint to its independent-label operations.
Sources3 sources
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