Backstreet Records was an

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

subsidiary label founded in 1979 by Danny Bramson, who was executive director of MCA's Universal Amphitheatre. The name was derived from the Bruce Springsteen song "Backstreets". The label's first releases were

Robbie Patton Robbie Patton is an English singer-songwriter. His first major exposure came in 1979 when he was selected as the opening act for a Fleetwood Mac tour. Mac member Christine McVie went on to produce Patton's second and third albums, and played keybo ...

's ''Do You Wanna Tonight'' and the self-titled debut album by Tears in August 1979. The first major signing to the label was

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...

, ending a legal battle between Petty and MCA over his recording contract which was acquired when MCA purchased ABC Records. The label's roster of artists also included J.J. Cale, Keith Sykes,

Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a membe ...

Men Without Hats Men Without Hats are a Canadian new wave and synth-pop band, originally from Montreal, Quebec. Their music is characterized by the baritone voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk, as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers and electro ...

, and

Walter Egan Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

. The label's last release was in 1983, after which it was absorbed into MCA Records. Backstreet also released rock-oriented soundtrack albums to several films produced by its parent company

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

, including ''

Where the Buffalo Roam ''Where the Buffalo Roam'' is a 1980 American semi-biographical comedy film which loosely depicts author Hunter S. Thompson's rise to fame in the 1970s and his relationship with Chicano attorney and activist Oscar "Zeta" Acosta. The film was p ...

'', '' Nighthawks'', '' The Border'', '' Cat People'' and ''

Doctor Detroit ''Doctor Detroit'' is a 1983 American comedy film directed by Michael Pressman with writing by Bruce Jay Friedman, Carl Gottlieb, and Robert Boris. The film stars Dan Aykroyd, Howard Hesseman, Lynn Whitfield, Fran Drescher, and Donna Dixon, ...

''.

Partial discography

* 1979: ''Do You Wanna Tonight'' – Robbie Patton (MCA-3169) * 1979: ''Tears'' – Tears (MCA-3172) * 1979: ''Damn the Torpedoes'' – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (MCA-5105) * 1980: ''Where The Buffalo Roam'' soundtrack (MCA-5126) * 1981: ''Hard Promises'' – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (BSR-5160) * 1981: ''Nighthawks'' – Keith Emerson: ''Nighthawks'' soundtrack (BSR-5196) * 1981: ''Night Fades Away'' – Nils Lofgren (BSR-5251) * 1981: ''It Don't Hurt To Flirt''– Keith Sykes (BSR-5277) * 1982: ''Counting the Beat'' – The Swingers (BSR-5328) * 1982: ''Long After Dark'' – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (BSR-5360) * 1982: ''The Border'' – Ry Cooder (BSR-6105) * 1982: ''Cat People'' soundtrack – Giorgio Moroder (BSR-6107) * 1982: ''Rhythm of Youth'' – Men Without Hats (BSR-5436) * 1983: ''Wild Exhibitions'' – Walter Egan (BSR-5400) * 1983: ''Wonderland'' – Nils Lofgren (BSR-5421) * 1983: ''Doctor Detroit'' soundtrack (BSR-6120) * 1983: ''Hardchoir'' – Hardchoir (BSR-39009) {{Authority control American record labels Rock and roll record labels MCA Records Record labels based in California