Imperial Records has been the name of at least three different record labels of the 20th century.

The earliest Imperial Records was a short-lived United States based company of the first decade of the 1900s, producing single-sided lateral cut gramophone records. Issues included ragtime banjo music, operatic solos, and Hebrew songs.

The second Imperial Records was a United Kingdom based label which went into business in 1920. Imperial was owned by The Crystalate Gramophone Record Manufacturing Company Ltd. of Tonbridge, Kent, England. The company's main recording studio was in London. Most Imperial issues were recorded by the company, but some issues from masters leased from other companies in Continental Europe and from the USA's Banner Records also appeared on Imperial. Most Imperial recordings were of popular songs, music hall tunes, and dance music of the time. The label went out of business in February of 1934.

The third Imperial Records was a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd. It was famous for recordings of rhythm & blues and early rock & roll like Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson. Imperial was licensed to London Records in the UK. In 1960 Lew Chudd bought Aladdin Records and Minit Records. In 1963, after Imperial lost Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson to rival labels, Chudd sold the label to Liberty Records. Under Liberty's management, the label enjoyed success from such artists as holdover Irma Thomas as well as Johnny Rivers, Jackie DeShannon, Classics IV and Cher. During the British Invasion years, Liberty (whose recordings were distributed by EMI in the UK) licensed artists including The Hollies, Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas and The Swinging Blue Jeans from EMI for release on the Imperial label. By 1969 the label was phased out with the artists transferred to the parent Liberty label. EMI now owns the Imperial Records catalogue.

In June of 2006, EMI re-activated the Imperial Records imprint and announced that it will be the full-service Urban Music division of Caroline Distribution.

The first signing to the imprint is Raptivism Records.

See also

• List of record labels

Imperial (skivmärke)