Independent record label distributed her label, Ode Records), Joe Cocker, Free, Cat Stevens, Procol Harum, Humble Pie, Peter Frampton, The Police and Sting (as a solo artist), Styx, Bryan Adams, Amy Grant, Suzanne Vega and Sheryl Crow. A&M was also the initial distributor of Windham Hill Records and George Harrison's Dark Horse Records. Alpert and Moss sold A&M Records to Polygram in 1989 with the caveat that Alpert and Moss would continue to manage the label. Polygram was bought by Universal Music Group in 1998, and A&M folded the following year. The punk rock movement was another turning point for independent labels, the
Murmur (record label) remaining act, released the final contractual album with Murmur. Murmur (record label) Murmur was a record label that started as an imprint of Sony Music Australia in mid-1994. Named after R.E.M.'s first album, Murmur signed a number of Australia's most successful rock bands, including Silverchair, Ammonia, Something for Kate and Jebediah. Notable alumni of Murmur include John O'Donnell, a former "Rolling Stone" journalist who became the head of EMI Australia, and John Watson, who runs a music management company and independent record label . While the label was initially operated independently, it was eventually merged with Sony's head office in