# Roadrunner Records

> US record label based in New York City, a division of Warner Music Group

**Wikidata**: [Q18628](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18628)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadrunner_Records)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/roadrunner-records

## Summary
Roadrunner Records is a US record label based in New York City that operates as a division of Warner Music Group. Founded in 1980, it is known for its catalog of heavy metal and hard rock artists, including prominent acts like Slipknot, Metallica (pre-1991), and Dream Theater.

## Key Facts
- Founded: 1980
- Headquarters: New York City, United States
- Parent organization: Warner Music Group (inception: 1958-04-06)
- Website: https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com
- Wikidata sitelink count: 31
- Wikipedia title: Roadrunner Records
- Wikidata description: US record label based in New York City, a division of Warner Music Group
- Associated record labels: Warner Music Group (multinational entertainment conglomerate)
- Related music genres: heavy metal, hard rock, alternative metal, traditional heavy metal

## FAQs
What record label group is Roadrunner Records part of?
Roadrunner Records is a division of Warner Music Group, an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate founded in 1958.

Where is Roadrunner Records headquartered?
Roadrunner Records is based in New York City, the most populous city in the United States.

When was Roadrunner Records established?
Roadrunner Records was founded in 1980.

What genres of music is Roadrunner Records known for?
Roadrunner Records has a catalog primarily focused on heavy metal and hard rock subgenres, including traditional heavy metal, alternative metal, and metalcore.

## Why It Matters
Roadrunner Records has played a significant role in the development and popularization of heavy metal music since its founding in 1980. As a division of Warner Music Group, it has provided a platform for many iconic metal bands to reach wider audiences, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s when the genre was gaining mainstream acceptance. The label has been instrumental in launching the careers of influential acts such as Metallica (prior to their move to Elektra), Slayer, and Megadeth, while also nurturing contemporary metalcore and alternative metal bands like Killswitch Engage and Slipknot. Its roster showcases the evolution of metal music over four decades, from thrash metal and death metal to progressive metal and industrial metal.

## Notable For
Roadrunner Records is notable for:
- Being one of the first independent metal record labels to gain significant commercial success
- Its diverse catalog spanning multiple metal subgenres
- Launching the careers of influential metal bands during the 1980s and 1990s
- Maintaining a roster of both established and emerging metal artists
- Its parent company being Warner Music Group, one of the "big three" major record labels
- Having a website presence at https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com

## Body
### History and Operations
Roadrunner Records is a US record label based in New York City and operates as a division of Warner Music Group. Founded in 1980, the label has been instrumental in the development of various metal and hard rock genres throughout its history. As a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, an American multinational entertainment conglomerate founded on April 6, 1958, Roadrunner benefits from the resources and distribution network of one of the world's largest music companies.

### Key Artists and Releases
Roadrunner Records has released numerous albums for a wide variety of artists spanning multiple metal and hard rock subgenres. The label's catalog includes notable albums such as:

For Slipknot:
- 1999: Slipknot
- 2001: Iowa
- 2004: Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
- 2008: All Hope Is Gone
- 2014: .5: The Gray Chapter
- 2019: We Are Not Your Kind

For Dream Theater:
- 2007: Systematic Chaos
- 2009: Black Clouds & Silver Linings
- 2013: Dream Theater
- 2016: The Astonishing

For Nickelback:
- 1998: The State
- 2001: Silver Side Up
- 2005: All the Right Reasons
- 2008: Dark Horse
- 2011: Here and Now

For Machine Head:
- 1994: Burn My Eyes
- 1997: The More Things Change...
- 2007: The Blackening
- 2011: Unto the Locust

For Fear Factory:
- 1995: Demanufacture
- 1998: Obsolete
- 2002: Concrete

For Sepultura:
- 1991: Beneath the Remains
- 1993: Chaos A.D.
- 1996: Roots

For Killswitch Engage:
- 2002: Alive or Just Breathing
- 2004: The End of Heartache
- 2009: Killswitch Engage
- 2013: Disarm the Descent

### Subgenres and Musical Diversity
Roadrunner Records has represented a diverse range of metal and hard rock subgenres:

Heavy Metal:
- Traditional heavy metal (founded circa 1970)
- Death metal (including bands like Deicide and Obituary)
- Thrash metal (including bands like Metallica, Slayer, and Sepultura)
- Black metal (including bands like Cradle of Filth)
- Doom metal (including bands like Type O Negative)

Hard Rock:
- Alternative metal (including bands like Ill Niño and Soulfly)
- Metalcore (including bands like Killswitch Engage and Trivium)
- Industrial metal (including bands like Fear Factory)
- Progressive metal (including bands like Dream Theater and Opeth)

### Notable Projects
Roadrunner United (founded 2005) was a special project by Roadrunner Records that brought together various artists from the label's roster to create collaborative tracks. The project resulted in the album "The All-Star Sessions," featuring contributions from notable metal musicians across different eras of the label's history.

### Label Collaborations and Partnerships
As a division of Warner Music Group, Roadrunner Records benefits from collaborations with other subsidiaries and labels within the conglomerate. The label has partnered with various artists and producers throughout its history to create unique music releases and special editions.

### Influence on Metal Music
Roadrunner Records has had a significant impact on the development and popularization of metal music since its inception. The label has been instrumental in launching the careers of numerous influential metal bands and has helped popularize various subgenres, including death metal, black metal, metalcore, and alternative metal.

### Legacy and Current Status
From its beginnings as an independent metal label to its current status as a division of Warner Music Group, Roadrunner Records has maintained a commitment to representing diverse metal and hard rock artists. The label continues to release music for both established and emerging artists across various metal subgenres, cementing its position as one of the most influential metal record labels in the music industry.

## References

1. MusicBrainz
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. AllMusic
4. Discogs
5. Google Knowledge Graph
6. Quora
7. Encyclopaedia Metallum
8. YouTube API
9. [Internet Domains Wikibase](https://domains.wikibase.cloud/entity/Q125351)