Record Label
US label, formerly [[label:Bell Records]]. Arista was launched in November 1974 by [[label:Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.]], who purchased and renamed Bell, appointing [[artist:Clive Davis]] as the label's president. According to Billboard Magazine, the label was named for the New York high school honor society. In 1979, the label's parent company, [[label:Arista Records, Inc.]] was acquired by [[label:Bertelsmann AG]] (parent of German label [[label:Ariola]]), and from 1983, was co-owned by [[label:RCA]]. The co-ownership continued until 1987, when Bertelsmann acquired full ownership once again. Through a series of mergers, the Arista label is now owned by [[label:Sony Music Entertainment]]. On September 26, 2011, the [[label:RCA Music Group]] was disbanded by [[label:Sony]], and on October 7, Arista, alongside its subsidiary [[label:LaFace Records]] and sister labels, [[label:Jive]] and [[label:J Records]], were all absorbed into [[label:RCA Records]], bringing all of its artists to the RCA family. On July 17, 2018, Arista revived under the Sony Music banner, making it one of the four flagship labels under SME. **Publishing: [[label:Arista Music]]** Label designs: Up to 1976, labels had a light blue background and an A logo in white or black, with no TM next to it. In 1976, the TM was added as well as “Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws." In ’1977, the design kept the same form but with a black background and blue A with TM. In 1978, the design changed with a gradient background coloring from bluish to goldish, a 3-D A logo floating among smaller flat A labels. In 1979, the Arista along the left of the 3D logo was changed to Arista's custom font.. In January 1984, The purple and black label appeared, which lasted through the 1990s.