Editing MCA Records (section)

=== Universal Music Group ===
In 1995, drinks conglomerate [[Seagram Company Ltd.]] acquired 80% of MCA.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2003/05/22/mca-is-history-long-lived-record-label-to-be-merged-into-geffen/|title=MCA IS HISTORY – LONG-LIVED RECORD LABEL TO BE MERGED INTO GEFFEN|last=Arango|first=Tim|date=May 22, 2003|website=New York Post|access-date=September 8, 2017}}</ref>  In November of that year, Teller was fired and replaced by former [[Warner Music Group]] head [[Doug Morris]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-11-17-fi-4210-story.html | newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] | first=Chuck | last=Philips | date=November 17, 1995 | access-date=May 12, 2010 | title=Company Town : SHAKE-UP AT TIME WARNER : A Very Bizarre Year at Time Warner : Chronology: Industry waits to see if established and new artists defect to rivals in wake of executive turnover at music giant}}</ref> Palmese left MCA a week later.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/21/business/the-media-business-mca-fills-a-powerful-position-head-of-motion-picture-group.html?pagewanted=1 | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS;MCA Fills a Powerful Position, Head of Motion Picture Group | first=Bernard | last=Weinraub | date=November 21, 1995 | access-date=May 12, 2010}}</ref> Afterwards, [[Jay Boberg]] was named as the new president of MCA.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |author=Billboard Staff |date=January 16, 2003 |title=Jay Boberg Resigns As MCA President |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/jay-boberg-resigns-as-mca-president-72656/ |access-date=January 16, 2023 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> On December 9, 1996, the new owners dropped the MCA name; the company became Universal Studios, Inc. and its music division, MCA Music Entertainment Group, was renamed [[Universal Music Group]] (UMG), headed by Morris.

In 1997, MCA Records adopted a new logo that featured the parent company's former full name, Music Corporation of America. That many younger people had been unaware of what MCA had stood for in the past inspired the new logo. In conjunction with the new logo, the first MCA Records website was launched. In 1998, MCA released the sophomore album [[Feeling Strangely Fine]] by [[Semisonic]], which had the number one hit single and video, "[[Closing Time (Semisonic song)|Closing Time]]", about the use of alcohol in local night clubs and taverns.

On May 21, 1998, Seagram acquired [[PolyGram]] (owner of British Decca) from [[Philips]] and merged it with Universal Music Group. Unlike several labels under PolyGram and UMG, who faced closure and job cuts of employees, MCA was the only label that was not affected by the merger.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=January 22, 1999 |title=Hundreds of Jobs Lost in Universal Mega-Merger |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hundreds-of-jobs-lost-in-universal-mega-merger-114582/ |access-date=January 16, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> When Seagram's drinks business was bought by [[France]]-based [[Pernod Ricard]], its media holdings (including Universal) were sold to [[Vivendi]] which became Vivendi Universal which was later renamed back to Vivendi SA after selling most of the entertainment division (which included [[Universal Pictures]]) to [[General Electric]]. Morris continued to head the combined company, still called Universal Music Group.