Music Corporation of America (MCA) was founded in Chicago in 1924 as a talent agency and began to produce TV shows in the late 1940s.

MCA acquired Decca Records (US) in 1962. The recordings were marketed in Britain on the Brunswick and Coral labels until 1967 when it began using the MCA Records label. These labels were all folded into into MCA Records in 1973.

Over the next 15-20 years, MCA purchased several other record companies, including ABC Dunhill Records (ABC Records, Dunhill Records, Paramount Records, Impulse Records, Dot Records) in 1979, Chess Records (1985), Motown Records (1988) and Geffen Records (1990).

In 1995, Seagram acquired 80% of MCA and the name MCA was dropped in 1996, with the MCA Music Entertainment Group renamed as Universal Music Group. In 2004, MCA Records was dissolved and merged into Geffen Records. Its country music label, MCA Nashville Records is still in operation.