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Former stockbroker Edward Lewis formed Decca Records Ltd in the United Kingdom in 1929. Within years, it was the second largest record label in the world, calling itself "The Supreme Record Company". The term "Decca" was never determined to signify a specific meaning or name, but some theories cite the opening musical notes of a Beethoven symphony.("D-E-C-C-A") A cameo of Beethoven graced the British Decca label for many years.

Decca bought out the bankrupt U.K. branch of Brunswick Records in 1932, which added such stars as Bing Crosby and Al Jolson to the roster. Decca also bought out the Melotone and Edison Bell record companies. By 1939, Decca was the only record company in UK aside from EMI.

In 1934 a US branch of Decca was launched, which quickly became a major player in the depressed United States record market thanks to its roster of popular artists, particularly Bing Crosby, and the shrewd management of former U. S. Brunswick General Manager Jack Kapp .

Artists signed to Decca in the 1930s and 1940s included Louis Armstrong, the Andrews Sisters, Ted LewisTheodore Leopold Friedman better known as Ted Lewis ( June 6, 1890- August 25, 1971), was an American entertainer, bandleader, singer, and musician. He led a band presenting a combination of jazz, hokey comedy, and schmaltzy sentimentality that was a hit, The Mills BrothersThe Mills Brothers were an American jazz and pop vocal group of the 20th century. The group was originally composed of four brothers from Piqua, Ohio: John, Herbert, Harry and Donald. They began performing together in the 1920s, and first became commercia, Billy CottonWilliam E. Cotton ( May 6, 1899 March 25, 1969), better known as Billy Cotton was a British band leader and entertainer, one of the few whose orchestra survived the dance band era. Today, he is mainly remembered as a 1950s and 60s radio and television per, Guy LombardoGaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo ( June 19, 1902 November 5, 1977) was a Canadian bandleader and violinist. With his brothers Carmen and Lebert and other musicians from his hometown of London, Ontario he formed the jazz band The Royal Canadians in 1924., Chick WebbWilliam Henry Webb usually known as Chick Webb ( 10 February, 1909 16 June, 1939) was a jazz and swing music drummer and band leader. Webb was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He suffered from childhood tuberculosis, leaving him with short height and a badly, Bob CrosbyBob Crosby ( August 23, 1913 March 9, 1993) was the younger sibling of famous singer and actor, Bing Crosby. He was also a signer, and a bandleader. He led his first band in 1935, and his most famous band was the Bobcats, who were a Dixieland jazz group., Jimmy DorseyJames "Jimmy" Dorsey ( February 29, 1904 June 12, 1957) was a prominent jazz clarinetist, saxophonist and big band leader. Jimmy Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the son of a music teacher and older brother of Tommy Dorsey who also became a pr, Connee Boswell and Jack HyltonJack Hylton ( July 2, 1892 January 29, 1965) was a band leader and impresario in the North-West of England. He was born in Great Lever, Lancashire and died in London. The people he worked with included: Arthur Askey Shirley Bassey Maurice Chevalier The Cr.

In 1942, Decca released " White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, which became the best-selling single of all time.

The American RCA broke from EMI to join with Decca in 1958 which allowed Decca to sell Elvis Presley's hits in the UK on the RCA label.

In the late 1950s, Patsy Cline was signed to the U. S. Decca label from Everest Records and had 3 albums and numberous singles while she was alive and several more albums and singles produced after her death in 1962.

In 1962 U. K. Decca executives turned down a chance to record a young group from Liverpool called the Beatles in favor of local beat combo Brian Poole and the Tremeloes; in retrospect this was an historic mistake.

Other artists released on British Decca or through one of its licensed or subsidiary labels; Pat Boone, Little Richard, Engelbert Humperdinck, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Bobby Darin, Ricky Nelson, Duane Eddy, the Drifters, Eddie Cochran, Del Shannon, Roy Orbison, the Crystals, the Ronettes, Ike and Tina Turner, The Bachelors , Anthony Newley, The Rolling Stones, The Zombies, Billy Fury, Bobby Vee, Brenda Lee, Tom Jones, and Glass Harp.

The 1970s were disastrous for Decca, The Rolling Stones left Decca in 1970, and other artists followed. Decca's deals with numerous record labels began to fall apart, RCA abandoned Decca to set up its own UK office in 1971. The Moody Blues were the only international rock act that remained on the label. Although Decca set up the 1st of the British "progressive" labels, Deram , in 1966, by the time the punk era set in in 1977, Decca had become known primarily as a classical label which had only sporadic pop success with such acts as John Miles and productions by longtime Decca associate Jonathan King. Decca sadly became a label of last resort, dependent on rerelease of its back catalog. Contemporary signings such as the pre-stardom Adam Ant and Slaughter & The Dogs were firmly second division and second rate when compared to likes of Polygram, CBS, EMI, and newcomer Virgin's rosters of hitmakers.

The United States of America branch of Decca functioned separately for many years as it was sold off during World War II, and eventually merged becoming MCA Records which later became Universal Music. Because it held the rights to the name Decca in the US, British Decca sold its records in the United States under the label London Records. Conversely, US Decca recordings were marketed in Britain on the Brunswick and Coral labels through 1967 when it began using the MCA label. The Decca label is currently in use by Universal Music worldwide which acquired PolyGram, British Decca's parent company in 1998 thus consolidating Decca trademark ownership.

Today, Decca is a leading label for both classical music and Broadway scores; its most recent hit was Wicked ( 2003), which reached #140 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.