2008 Universal Studios fire
On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles that were being applied to a facade.[1][2][3] He left before checking that all spots had cooled, and a three-alarm fire broke out. Nine firefighters and a Los Angeles County sheriffs' deputy sustained minor injuries. The fire was completely extinguished after 24 hours.[4]
![]() The Courthouse facade is visible to the left of the smoke plume from the 2008 fire. | |
Date | June 1, 2008 |
---|---|
Location | Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
Cause | Heated asphalt shingle |
Outcome | Destruction of three acres of Universal backlot, King Kong Encounter, original master tapes for popular music, and digital TV and film backups |
Deaths | 0 |
Non-fatal injuries | 17 |
Universal Pictures claimed that the fire destroyed a three-acre (1.2 ha) portion of the Universal backlot, including the attraction King Kong Encounter[5][6] and 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies.
A 2019 New York Times Magazine exposé asserted that the fire also destroyed 118,000 to 175,000 audio master tapes belonging to Universal Music Group (UMG). This included original recordings belonging to some of the best-selling artists worldwide. UMG initially disputed the story, but CEO Lucian Grainge later confirmed that there had been a significant loss of musical archives.[7]
Fire
On June 1, 2008, a three-alarm fire broke out on Universal Studios Lot, the backlot of Universal Studios.[4] The fire started when a worker was using a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles being applied to a facade.[1][2] The Los Angeles County Fire Department reported that Brownstone Street, New York Street, New England Street, the King Kong attraction, some structures that make up Courthouse Square, and the Video Vault, which contained duplicates of Universal's film library, had burned down. Aerial news footage captured the Courthouse building surviving its third fire, with only the west side slightly charred.
Over 516 firefighters responded,[2] as well as two helicopters dropping water. Nine firefighters and a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy sustained minor injuries. The fire took at least 12 hours to extinguish,[8] in part because of the low water pressure due to the low capacity of Universal's pipes; firefighters had to tap streams and lakes.[5]
Universal executives initially claimed the fire destroyed 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies of Universal movies and TV shows, some almost a century old, and including the films Knocked Up and Atonement, the NBC series Law & Order, The Office, and Miami Vice, and the CBS series I Love Lucy.[9][10][11] Universal president Ron Meyer told the media that "nothing irreplaceable was lost" and that the company had duplicates of everything destroyed.[12]
Several days after the fire, it was reported that the King Kong attraction would be replaced by a new attraction.[6] However, Universal reverted to its original plan, basing the new attraction, King Kong: 360 3-D, on the 2005 King Kong film.[13]
2019 New York Times report
In 2019, The New York Times Magazine published an investigative article by music journalist Jody Rosen which disclosed that the damage was far more serious than the studio had claimed.
The fire destroyed Building 6197, a warehouse adjoining the King Kong attraction. In addition to more videos, it housed a huge archive of analog audio master tapes belonging to Universal Music Group (UMG).[4] The collection included the master tape catalogues of many labels acquired by UMG, including Chess, Decca, MCA, Geffen, Interscope, A&M, Impulse!, and their subsidiary labels.[4] Estimates of the individual items lost range from 118,000 to 175,000 album and 45 rpm single master tapes, phonograph master discs, lacquers and acetates, as well as all the documentation contained in the tape boxes.[4] Many tapes contained unreleased recordings such as outtakes, alternative versions of released material, and instrumental "submaster" multitracks created for dubbing and mixdown. Randy Aronson, manager of the vault at the time, estimates that the masters of as many as 500,000 individual tracks were lost.[4]
Among the possible losses were the entire AVI Records catalog, all of Decca's masters from the 1930s to the 1950s, most of the original Chess masters which included artists such as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, as well as most of John Coltrane's master tapes from his later career on Impulse! Records. On Twitter, Rosen stated that the Coltrane masters were among the most checked-out Impulse! items in the vault, and a source had told him that the masters for A Love Supreme were likely elsewhere during the fire.[14]
On June 25, Rosen wrote a follow-up article, listing at least 700 additional artists named in internal UMG documents as possibly affected. Rosen wrote that it was impossible to determine which recordings had been destroyed, or how much of an artist's discography had been affected.[15] For example, Rosen said it was difficult to confirm whether the Neil Young recordings listed in the documents were the original master tapes of the albums he recorded for Geffen Records in the 1980s, or session outtakes from those records.[15] Rosen tweeted that the documents also listed several Broadway cast recordings among the tapes destroyed.[16] Additionally, several non-musical audio recordings were reported as destroyed, including the original recording of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 "Remaining Awake During a Great Revolution" sermon delivered at the Washington National Cathedral.[17]
Artists' responses
Bryan Adams, Semisonic drummer Jacob Slichter, and Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz said they had been told that UMG had misplaced their tapes.[15] Richard Carpenter told the Times he had been informed about the destruction of his tapes by a UMG employee while he was working on a reissue, and only after Carpenter had made multiple, persistent inquiries.[15] Following the publication of Rosen's articles, several affected musicians posted reactions on social media, with some noting specific tapes that may have been lost.[18][19] For instance, singer-songwriter Jill Sobule said she had lost two masters in the fire, including tapes for an unreleased album produced by Joe Jackson.[20]
On June 21, 2019, five plaintiffs—singer-songwriter Steve Earle, the estates of the late Tupac Shakur and Tom Petty, and the bands Hole and Soundgarden—filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against UMG.[21] In their complaint, the plaintiffs claim UMG never told artists about the effects of the fire and had breached their contracts by failing to properly secure its master tape collection.[21] They further allege that UMG did not share insurance or legal payouts received as a result of the fire.[21]
The lawsuit also alleges that Universal had compiled a master inventory list of master tapes that had been destroyed.[22] The plaintiffs seek to recover half of any insurance payments UMG received from the fire, and half of any losses that were not covered by those settlements.[23] An uninvolved industry attorney told Billboard that the case concerned property rights, as in whether UMG or the artists owned the master tapes.[24]
On July 17, Universal moved to dismiss the class action lawsuit.[25] On August 16, 2019, Hole dropped out of the class action lawsuit after UMG assured them that the band's masters were not affected by the fire.[26] Slightly over a month later, UMG also claimed that Shakur, Earle, and Petty did not lose their masters in the fire, and that an investigation with Soundgarden was still ongoing.[27]
Five days later, Universal demanded Soundgarden drop the suit, which the label had also moved to dismiss, citing documentary proof that the label had informed the band about the lost masters in 2015 and accusing their lawyer of "[failing] to conduct pre-suit diligence in your rush to be the first to file."[28] The surviving band members declined. "Their arbitrary deadlines have zero force or effect," Howard King, their attorney, told Rolling Stone. "Until UMG reveals what it collected for their litigation claims to extensive damage to master recordings, we cannot accept their belated claim that no damages were actually suffered."[29] Universal's dismissal motion also publicly confirmed that master tapes for Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger album had been destroyed in the fire, and that members of the group had been made aware of the destruction in 2015 while they were working on a remaster of the album that was eventually completed with a backup safety copy.[29] In December 2019, district court judge John Kronstadt ruled that Universal must hand over discovery evidence, and denied the label's request to postpone the delivery.[30] In March 2020, Soundgarden and the Shakur estate dropped out of the class action against UMG.[31] On March 23, Steve Earle also dropped out, leaving Tom Petty's widow as the only remaining plaintiff.[32] The lawsuit was dismissed by Kronstadt on April 6, 2020.[33]
UMG response
UMG disputed the New York Times article, saying it contained "numerous inaccuracies" and "fundamental misunderstandings of the scope of the incident and affected assets". UMG said it was unable to disclose details due to "constraints".[34]
In a Billboard interview, UMG archivist Patrick Kraus said that several masters belonging to John Coltrane, Muddy Waters, Ahmad Jamal, Nashboro Records, Chess Records and Impulse! Records survived the fire and were still in Universal's archive.[35] Rosen responded in his June 25 piece, noting that some of the masters that Kraus had mentioned may have survived the fire because they were being used for remastering projects at the time, or were not the primary source master.[15] Aronson also confirmed to Rosen that the vast majority of items in the vault at the time of the fire were original, primary source master recordings.[15]
In an email to staff following the publication of Rosen's story, Lucian Grainge confirmed that UMG had suffered a serious loss of archival material.[7] Grainge wrote, "While I've been somewhat relieved by early reports from our team that many of the assertions and subsequent speculation are not accurate, one thing is clear: the loss of even a single piece of archived material is heartbreaking."[7] He wrote that it was "completely unacceptable" that their artists did not know the details and pledged to deliver "answers".[7] On June 26, Kraus issued a memo to staff which detailed UMG's plan to determine which assets had been affected.[36]
A month after the story broke, Kraus issued an internal note to Universal staff, which claimed that only 22 original master recordings by five artists were lost in the fire, and backup copies had been found for each lost master. He added that UMG has been fielding requests from over 200 artists and their representatives.[37] Kraus said his team had reviewed over 26,000 assets by 30 artists. From that sample, 424 assets (including 349 audio recordings) might have been lost due to the fire.[38] On November 4, 2019, a lawyer representing Universal claimed the artists would receive no compensation.[39]
A February 2020 court filing by UMG confirmed that master tapes from at least 19 artists had been damaged or destroyed in the fire.[40] The artists whom UMG confirmed as affected are Bryan Adams, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, David Baerwald, Beck, Sheryl Crow, Peter Frampton, Jimmy Eat World, Elton John, Michael McDonald, Nirvana, Les Paul, R.E.M., Slayer, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, the Surfaris, Suzanne Vega, White Zombie, and Y&T.[40]
List of artists affected, according to The New York Times
According to The New York Times Magazine, artists whose original master recordings were destroyed in whole or part in the 2008 fire include:[15]
- 38 Special
- 50 Cent
- Aaron Hall
- Aaron Neville
- Adam Ant
- Aerosmith
- Ahmad Jamal
- Al Green
- Al Hibbler
- Al Jolson
- Albert Ayler
- Alice Coltrane
- Alvin Cash
- Ames Brothers
- Amy Grant
- Andy Kim
- Andy Summers
- Archie Bell & the Drells
- Archie Shepp
- Aretha Franklin
- Art Blakey
- Art Farmer
- Art Neville
- Ashlee Simpson
- Asia
- Asleep at the Wheel
- Audioslave
- Average White Band
- B.B. King
- B.J. Thomas
- Baby Washington
- Baja Marimba Band
- Baker Knight
- Barbara Carr
- Barbara Cook
- Barbara Mandrell
- Barry Gibb
- Barry McGuire
- Barry White
- Beck
- Belinda Carlisle
- Bell Biv DeVoe
- Ben Sidran
- Ben Webster
- Benny Carter
- Benny Goodman
- Berlin
- Bernadette Peters
- Bert Kaempfert
- Betty Carter
- Betty Everett
- Big Bill Broonzy
- Big Mama Thornton
- Big Walter Horton
- Bill Anderson
- Bill Cosby
- Bill Haley & His Comets
- Bill Monroe
- Bill Wyman
- Billie Holiday
- Billy Davis Jr.
- Billy Preston
- Billy Stewart
- Billy Taylor
- Billy Vaughan
- Bing Crosby
- Blackstreet
- Blink-182
- Blues Traveler
- Bo Diddley
- Bob Braun
- Bob Crosby
- Bob Hope
- Bob Kames
- Bobby "Blue" Bland
- Bobby Brown
- Bobby Charles
- Bobby Darin
- Bobby Helms
- Bobby Vinton
- Bobby Womack
- Booker T. Jones
- Boris Karloff
- Boston
- Brenda Lee
- Brenda Russell
- Brian Hyland
- Brothers Johnson
- Bryan Adams
- Buddy Greco
- Buddy Guy
- Buddy Hackett
- Buddy Holly
- Buddy Montgomery
- Buddy Rich
- Buffy Sainte-Marie
- Burl Ives
- Burt Bacharach
- Busta Rhymes
- C. L. Franklin
- Cab Calloway
- Captain & Tennille
- Captain Beefheart
- Captain Sensible
- Carl Carlton
- Carmen McRae
- Carol Burnett
- Carter Family
- Cass Elliot
- Cat Stevens
- CeCe Peniston
- Chaka Khan
- Charles Mingus
- Charlie Haden
- Charlie Sexton
- Charlie Teagarden
- Checkmates, Ltd.
- Cheech & Chong
- Cher
- Chet Baker
- Chico Hamilton
- Chico O'Farrill
- Chris de Burgh
- Chris Knight
- Chris Rock
- Chris Stamey
- Chubby Checker
- Chuck Berry
- Chuck Mangione
- Clara Ward
- Clarence "Frogman" Henry
- Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
- Clark Terry
- Clifford Coulter
- Clyde McPhatter
- Coleman Hawkins
- Colonel Abrams
- Colosseum
- Common
- Connee Boswell
- Conway Twitty
- Cookie and his Cupcakes
- Count Basie
- Counting Crows
- Coverdale•Page
- Crosby & Nash
- Curtis Fuller
- Dale Hawkins
- Dan Hartman
- Dan Hicks
- Danni Leigh
- Dannie Richmond
- Danny & The Juniors
- Danny Elfman
- Dave "Baby" Cortez
- Dave Brubeck
- Dave Grusin
- Dave Mackay
- Dave Mason
- David & David
- David Benoit
- David Crosby
- Dawn Sears
- Deanna Durbin
- Debbie Reynolds
- Deborah Cox
- Delbert McClinton
- Della Reese
- Denise LaSalle
- Dennis DeYoung
- Dewey Redman
- Dexter Gordon
- Difford & Tilbrook
- Dillard & Clark
- Dinah Shore
- Dizzy Gillespie
- DJ Shadow
- Dobie Gray
- Doc Pomus
- Doctor Ross
- Dolly Parton
- Don Cherry
- Don Costa
- Don Everly
- Don Henley
- Don Williams
- Donna Fargo
- Duff McKagan
- Duke Ellington
- Eagles
- Earl Grant
- Earl Hines
- Eartha Kitt
- Eddie Bo
- Eddie Boyd
- Eddie Holman
- Eddie South
- Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
- El Chicano
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Elmer Bernstein
- Elmore James
- Elton John
- Elvin Jones
- Emil Richards
- Eminem
- Emitt Rhodes
- Engelbert Humperdinck
- Ennio Morricone
- Enoch Light
- Eric B. & Rakim
- Eric Carmen
- Eric Clapton
- Ernest Tubb
- Erroll Garner
- Ethel Merman
- Etta James
- Extreme
- Eydie Gormé
- Faron Young
- Fats Domino
- Ferrante & Teicher
- Fever Tree
- Florence Ballard
- Fontella Bass
- Four Tops
- Franke and the Knockouts
- Frankie Laine
- Frazier River
- Freda Payne
- Freddie Hart
- Freddie Hubbard
- Freddy Fender
- Crazy Otto
- Gábor Szabó
- Garland Jeffreys
- Gary Allan
- Gary McFarland
- Gato Barbieri
- Gene Ammons
- Gene Clark
- Gene Kelly
- Gene Loves Jezebel
- George Benson
- George Hamilton IV
- George Jones
- George Strait
- George Wein
- Georgia Gibbs
- Georgie Shaw
- Gerry Mulligan
- Gerry Rafferty
- Gil Evans
- Gin Blossoms
- Gino Vannelli
- Gladys Knight & the Pips
- Glass Harp
- Glen Campbell
- Glenn Frey
- Gloria Coleman
- Golden Earring
- Gordon Jenkins
- Beverly Jenkins
- Grady Tate
- Grand Funk Railroad
- Groucho Marx
- Guns N' Roses
- Guy Lombardo
- Gwen Stefani
- Hal Blaine
- Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
- Hank Ballard
- Hank Garland
- Hank Jones
- Hank Thompson
- Harold Faltermeyer
- Harvey Fuqua
- Hazel O'Connor
- Head East
- Heavy D
- Helen Darling
- Hoagy Carmichael
- Hole
- Howard Roberts
- Howlin' Wolf
- Hoyt Axton
- Hugh Masekela
- Humble Pie
- Matthews Southern Comfort
- Iggy Pop
- Ike Turner
- Irene Cara
- Irma Thomas
- Iron Butterfly
- J. J. Johnson
- J.B. Lenoir
- Jack DeJohnette
- Jack Greene
- Jack Jones
- Jack McDuff
- Jack McVea
- Jackie Brenston
- Jackie Paris
- Jackie Ross
- James Gang
- Jan Bradley
- Jan Hammer
- Jan Howard
- Jane Morgan
- Janet Jackson
- Jason & The Scorchers
- Jawbreaker
- Jazzbo Collins
- Jeannie Seely
- Jeffrey Osborne
- Jennifer Holliday
- Jerry Fuller
- Jerry Jeff Walker
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Jerry Lewis
- Jerry Mason
- Jessie Hill
- Jill Sobule
- Jimmy Buffett
- Jimmy Cliff
- Jimmy Donley
- Jimmy Dorsey
- Jimmy Durante
- Jimmy Eat World
- Jimmy Garrison
- Jimmy McCracklin
- Jimmy Nelson
- Jimmy Ponder
- Jimmy Rogers
- Jimmy Witherspoon
- Jo Stafford
- Joachim Kühn
- Joan Armatrading
- Joan Baez
- Jodeci
- Jody Watley
- Jody Williams
- Joe Cocker
- Joe Ely
- Joe Jackson
- Joe Sample
- Joe Stampley
- Joe Walsh
- John Anderson
- John Brim
- John Coltrane
- John Entwistle
- John Fogerty
- John Handy
- John Hiatt
- John Klemmer
- John Lee Hooker
- John Mayall
- John Mellencamp
- John Phillips
- John Williams
- Johnnie & Joe
- Johnny "Guitar" Watson
- Johnny Ace
- Johnny Burnette
- Johnny Hartman
- Johnny Nash
- Johnny Winter
- Joni Mitchell
- Judy Collins
- Judy Garland
- Junior Parker
- Jurassic 5
- Kai Winding
- Kalin Twins
- Kansas
- Karen Carpenter
- Kate Smith
- Kay Starr
- K-Ci & JoJo
- Keely Smith
- Keith Green
- Keith Jarrett
- Ken Nordine
- Kenny Dorham
- Kenny Rankin
- Kim Wilde
- King Floyd
- Kitty Kallen
- Kitty Wells
- Klymaxx
- Koko Taylor
- Krokus
- L.A. Dream Team
- L.T.D.
- Lafayette Leake
- Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
- Lamont Dozier
- Lani Hall
- Larry Gatlin
- Larry Williams
- Laura Lee
- Lawrence Brown
- Lawrence Welk
- Leapy Lee
- Lee Andrews & the Hearts
- Lee Ann Womack
- Lee Dorsey
- Lee Greenwood
- Lefty Frizzell
- Len Barry
- Lenny Dee
- Lenny Welch
- Lenny Williams
- Leo Parker
- Leon Russell
- Leona Williams
- Leonard Nimoy
- Leroy Pullins
- Leroy Van Dyke
- Les Brown
- Les McCann
- Les Paul
- Lesley Gore
- Liberace
- Lifehouse
- Limp Bizkit
- Lionel Hampton
- Lisa Loeb
- Little Milton
- Little River Band
- Little Walter
- Liza Minnelli
- Lloyd Price
- Lobo
- Lone Justice
- Lonnie Brooks
- Lord Tracy
- Loretta Lynn
- Lorez Alexandria
- Louie Bellson
- Louis Armstrong
- Louis Jordan
- Louis Prima
- Love
- Love Unlimited
- Lucky Thompson
- Lyle Lovett
- Lyle Mays
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Mac Davis
- Mae West
- Manny Albam
- Maria McKee
- The Trapp Family Singers
- Marian McPartland
- Marilyn McCoo
- Marion Brown
- Mark Chesnutt
- Mark-Almond
- Marlena Shaw
- Marshall Brown
- Marshall Crenshaw
- Martha Reeves
- Marti Jones
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Martin Mull
- Marty Roberts
- Marvin Hamlisch
- Mary J. Blige
- Max Roach
- McCoy Tyner
- McKendree Spring
- Meade Lux Lewis
- Meat Loaf
- Mel Brown
- Mel Tillis
- Mel Tormé
- Melissa Manchester
- Memphis Slim
- Merle Haggard
- Merry Clayton
- Michael Brown
- Michael Stanley
- Michael Utley
- Michael White
- Mighty Clouds of Joy
- Milt Herth
- Milt Jackson
- Milton Nascimento
- Miriam Makeba
- Mitch Ryder
- Mitty Collier
- Moms Mabley
- Monk Higgins
- Mos Def
- Muddy Waters
- Nanci Griffith
- Nat Adderley
- Nazareth
- Neil Diamond
- Neil Sedaka
- Neil Young
- Nelly Furtado
- Nelson
- New Edition
- New Riders of the Purple Sage
- Night Ranger
- Nils Lofgren
- Nine Inch Nails
- Nirvana
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- No Doubt
- Nuno Bettencourt
- O. V. Wright
- Oingo Boingo
- Oliver Nelson
- Olivia Newton-John
- One Flew South
- Orleans
- Ornette Coleman
- Oscar Brand
- Otis Rush
- Owen Bradley
- P.F. Sloan
- Pat Boone
- Pat Metheny
- Patsy Cline
- Patti Austin
- Patti LaBelle
- Patty Griffin
- Patty Loveless
- Patty Smyth
- Paul Anka
- Paul Evans
- Paul Gonsalves
- Paul Horn
- Paul Williams
- Peaches & Herb
- Pee Wee Russell
- Peggy Lee
- Percy Mayfield
- Peter Case
- Peter Frampton
- Petula Clark
- Pharoah Sanders
- Phil Ochs
- Phil Upchurch
- Phil Woods
- Pigmeat Markham
- Poco
- Porter Wagoner
- Primus
- Puddle of Mudd
- Quarterflash
- Queen Latifah
- Quincy Jones
- R.E.M.
- Ralph Tresvant
- Ramsey Lewis
- The Ray Charles Singers
- Ray Charles
- Ray Parker Jr.
- Razzy Bailey
- Reba McEntire
- Rebecca Lynn Howard
- Red Allen
- Red Foley
- Red Norvo
- Red Prysock
- Rhett Akins
- Ric Ocasek
- Richard Carpenter
- Richard Davis
- Richard Harris
- Richie Havens
- Rick Wakeman
- Rickie Lee Jones
- Ricky Nelson
- Riders in the Sky
- Rita Coolidge
- Rob Zombie
- Robert Greenidge
- Robert Lee McCollum
- Robert Maxwell
- Robin Thicke
- Rodney Crowell
- Rodney Dangerfield
- Roger Hodgson
- Roger Miller
- Roger Williams
- Roland Kirk
- Rolf Kühn
- Rosanne Cash
- Rosco Gordon
- Rose Royce
- Rosemary Clooney
- Roswell Rudd
- Rotary Connection
- Roy Clark
- Roy Drusky
- Roy Haynes
- Rufus
- Rufus Thomas
- Rufus Wainwright
- Russ Morgan
- Rusty York
- Sam Rivers
- Sammy Davis Jr.
- Sammy Kaye
- Sandy Denny
- Semisonic
- Sergio Mendes
- Shane Stockton
- Shel Silverstein
- Shelly Manne
- Sheryl Crow
- Shirley Horn
- Shirley Scott
- Sidney Bechet
- Silver Apples
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe
- Slappy White
- Slim Harpo
- Smash Mouth
- Snoop Dogg
- Soft Machine
- Sonic Youth
- Sonny & Cher
- Sonny Boy Williamson
- Sonny Rollins
- Sonny Stitt
- Soundgarden
- Southern Culture on the Skids
- Spinal Tap
- Spooner Oldham
- Squeeze
- Stan Ridgway
- Stanley Turrentine
- Stealers Wheel
- Steely Dan
- Stephanie Mills
- Stephen Bishop
- Steppenwolf
- Steve Allen
- Steve and Eydie
- Steve Earle
- Steve Kuhn
- Steve Lawrence
- Steve Marriott
- Stewart Copeland
- Sting
- Stix Hooper
- Strawberry Alarm Clock
- Strawbs
- Styx
- Sublime
- Sugar Pie DeSanto
- Sum 41
- Sun Ra
- Supertramp
- Suzanne Vega
- Sylvia Syms
- t.A.T.u.
- Tab Smith
- Tamiko Jones
- Tanya Tucker
- T-Bone Burnett
- Teddy Grace
- Temple of the Dog
- Teresa Brewer
- Terri Gibbs
- Terri Nunn
- Terry Callier
- Tesla
- The 5th Dimension
- The Andrews Sisters
- The Banana Splits
- The Beat Farmers
- The Blind Boys of Alabama
- The Call
- The Carpenters
- The Chi-Lites
- The Corsairs
- The Crew-Cuts
- The Cuff Links
- The Damned
- The Dells
- The Del-Vikings
- The Desert Rose Band
- The Dixie Hummingbirds
- The Dramatics
- The Dream Syndicate
- The Dream Weavers
- The Falcons
- The Fixx
- The Flamingos
- The Flying Burrito Brothers
- The Four Aces
- The Free Movement
- The Grass Roots
- The Hollywood Flames
- The Impressions
- The Ink Spots
- The Jets
- The Joe Perry Project
- The Jordanaires
- The Kingsmen
- The Kingston Trio
- The Lennon Sisters
- The Lightning Seeds
- The Louvin Brothers
- The Mamas and the Papas
- The Mavericks
- The McGuire Sisters
- The Mills Brothers
- The Moody Blues
- The Moonglows
- The Neville Brothers
- The Oak Ridge Boys
- The O'Jays
- The Outfield
- The Peppermint Rainbow
- The Persuasions
- The Pointer Sisters
- The Police
- The Pussycat Dolls
- The Radiants
- The Ray-O-Vacs
- The Rays
- The Roches
- The Roots
- The Russian Jazz Quartet
- The Sandpipers
- The Simon Sisters
- The Simpsons
- The Soul Stirrers
- The Sparkletones
- The Spokesmen
- The Sundowners
- The Surfaris
- The Tams
- The Three Stooges
- The Tragically Hip
- The Tubes
- The Tune Weavers
- The Vibrations
- The Waikikis
- The Wallflowers
- The Watchmen
- The Weavers
- The Who
- Thelma Houston
- Three Dog Night
- Tiffany
- Tim Curry
- Toby Keith
- Tom Glazer
- Tom Jones
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Tom Scott
- Tommy & the Tom Toms
- Tommy Dorsey
- Tommy Roe
- Tommy Tucker
- Tompall Glaser
- Toni Arden
- Toots Thielemans
- Tupac Shakur
- Valaida Snow
- Van McCoy
- Van Zant
- Vaughn Monroe
- Veruca Salt
- Vicki Lawrence
- Vincent Bell
- Voivod
- Wade Marcus
- Walter Brennan
- Walter Winchell
- Wang Chung
- War
- Warner Mack
- Warren Covington
- Warrior Soul
- Was (Not Was)
- Washboard Sam
- Wayne Cochran
- We Five
- Webb Pierce
- Weezer
- Wes Montgomery
- White Zombie
- Whitesnake
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Whycliffe
- Willie Dixon
- Willie Mabon
- Willmer "Little Ax" Broadnax
- Wink Martindale
- Wishbone Ash
- Woody Herman
- Wrecks-N-Effect
- Xavier Cugat
- Y&T
- Yma Sumac
- Yoko Ono
- Young Black Teenagers
- Yusef Lateef
- Yvonne Elliman
- Zoot Sims
Subsequent legal documents filed by Universal Music Group in February 2020 cited four additional artists not included in the New York Times list:
See also
- 2008 in music
- 2008 in the United States
- List of building or structure fires
- 1937 Fox vault fire, destroyed many of the studio's pre-1932 silent films
- 1965 MGM vault fire, destroyed many of the studio's silent and early sound films
- Myspace, another company involved in a loss of music that also went unreported by the media until 2019
References
- "USH 2008 Fire". The Studio Tour. Archived from the original on August 3, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- "Universal Studios blaze burns sets, video vault". CNN. June 1, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
- "Investigators: Heating tools caused fire". ABC. June 3, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- Rosen, Jody (June 11, 2019). "The Day the Music Burned: It was the biggest disaster in the history of the music business — and almost nobody knew". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
- Uranga, Rachel; Orlov, Rick (June 2, 2008). "Studio workers using a blowtorch accidentally caused Universal fire". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
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