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This list presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single (mainly 7" 33 1/3 and 45, and 10" 78 rpm) records.

Contents 1 Capitol 2 Columbia (US) 3 Decca (UK) 4 Decca (US) 5 EMI 6 London 7 Mercury 8 MGM 9 RCA

Capitol Records began with number 100 when it started. About 1947, the series was temporarily ended and a new series, beginning with 15000, was begun. After about 400 numbers (in early 1949), the old series was resumed, a few numbers below 600. By 1950 the number series had reached the 700s, and crossed the 1000 mark in the latter part of that year. There was a separate series of 40000s for country 78s. This series continued to 5999 in late 1967, when it resumed with 2000. It then continued uninterrupted to somewhere in the 5600's (about 1987) when it was changed again to the 44000s. The 'Starline' series used the 6000s.

For Columbia in the UK, see EMI, which controlled the Columbia label there.

In the 1940s, Columbia 78s used 5-digit numbers in the 35000s. The series had reached 38600 around 1950 and continued into the 1950s, passing the number 40000 in the middle of the decade. In the late 1940s, Columbia introduced 7" 33 1/3 rpm singles, which were numbered in their own series, with a prefix 1- before a low number, not exceeding 3 digits. Columbia originally resisted issuing 45 rpm singles, as that was a speed originated by competitor RCA Victor Records. However, eventually Columbia began to issue 45s with numbers identical to the corresponding 7" 33 1/3 singles, except for the prefix 6- instead of 1-.

Early in the 1950s, the system was changed to give singles at all speeds the same numbers except that the 33 1/3 rpm records had a prefix, now 3-, and the 45 rpm records also a prefix, now 4-, added to the number of the 78.

Eventually the only speed issued was 45 rpm, and the 4- prefix was dropped. By 1960 the series reached 41000, by 1970 it reached 45000. In 1974, shortly after passing 46000, the numbering series changed, beginning again with 10000. By 1980 the numbers reached 11000.

UK Decca used a system of 4-digit numbers with an F prefix.

Decca 78s were originally given 4-digit numbers, reaching 3000 about 1940. The sequence grew quickly and passed 4000 in 1941. As late as 1944, 4-digit numbers were still used, but somewhat later the series was terminated.

The 1941 Decca Popular Record Catalog lists the following designations for its numbering series: Series 3500 and under, "Popular, Dance, Vocal, etc."; Series 5000, "Hill Billy"; Series 10000, "Mexican"; Series 12000, "Irish"; Series 14000, "Scotch"; Series 15000, "12-inch Popular"; Series 18000, "International Repertoire" - Album Sets; Series 20000, "Classical"; Series 23000, "Personality"; Series 25000, "Classical" (12-inch), and Series 29000, "Personality" (12-inch). There was also an 8000 Series, "Sepia", which is not listed in this catalog.

By the start of the 1950s, numbers were still in the 20000s, with 45s given corresponding numbers with the prefix 9-. The series reached 24700 around the beginning of 1950. Just before 1960 the numbers reached 30000; Decca's issues in the 1960s apparently came much more slowly, as by 1970 the numbers had only gone to about 32600.

Another series of Decca singles wes numbered in the 40000s, apparently mostly devoted to country records.

The subsidiary label Coral used numbers in the 60000s.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, EMI issued singles in the United Kingdom under the Columbia, HMV and Parlophone labels.

• Columbia singles generally had two letter prefixes such as DB, followed by 3- or 4-digit numbers. In the most common series, the DB series, numbers reached 4000 in 1957 and approached 5000 in 1963. At about that time, a jump in the sequence occurred to 7000-series numbers.
• HMV issued 78rpm singles with the prefix B and a 5-digit number in the early 1950s. HMV 45rpm singles in the popular genre generally had numbers with the prefix 7M and 3 digits until 1956, changing in that year to POP prefixes, starting at 239. The B 5-digit numbers and the 7M 3-digit numbers were unrelated.

For its European branches, EMI changed at the end of the sixties to a uniform numbering system using the pattern xx xxx-xxxxx.

• The first two digits represent the country (eg 1C is Germany, 2C is France, 3C is Italy, etc).
• The second three digits are mostly 006, but sometimes 004 or 008 was used for repressings, while 000 is used for jukebox pressing.
• The last five digits are the unique single reference for the single.

London began about 1950. This label was owned in the US by UK Decca, but was operated independently. Numbers began at number 500 on 78s and 30000 on 45s. There was no relationship between the two sets of numbers.

On Decca's British London label, which began in 1953, HL was at first used alone, but from 1957 there was usually a following letter denoting the original American label; thus Atlantic and Atco were HLE, changing in 1960 to HLK, Sun Records was HLS, Jamie (Duane Eddy's label) was HLW, and Big Top was HLX; while HLU was used for a number of labels including Phil Spector's Philles. Notably in 1957 two versions of Ain't That A Shame were released simultaneously, the original by Fats Domino (from Imperial, HLU 8173) and the cover by Pat Boone (from Dot, HLD 8172).

In all, the numbers ran from 8001 to 10582.

Mercury 78s were numbered with 4-digit numbers in the 5000s in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1952, 5-digit numbers in the 70000s were assigned.

A separate series in the 8900s, subsequently changed to the 89000s, was issued consisting of jazz singles. Some jazz singles were also issued with numbers in the 11000s.

45s were given the same numbers as the 78s, with a suffixed "x45" added.

MGM began with the number 10000 shortly before 1950.

By 1960 the numbers had reached just over 12800. It continued to over 14800, which is where it ended in the mid-1970s.

RCA Victor Records went in the mid-40s to a complex system, in which all records had a 2-digit prefix denoting the type of music and a 4-digit specific number. Most popular 78s had the prefix 20, but other prefixes existed.

When the 45 rpm record was originated in the late 1940s, a prefix was set up for each type of music, with 47- for the popular records whose 78 rpm version was given a 20- and 21- prefix. At first the numbers of the two versions were not similar, but in 1950 the system was changed to provide the same numbers after the hyphen for both speed versions of a single record.

As the 1950s proceeded, most prefixes other than 20- for 78s and 47- for 45s were eliminated, except for subsidiary labels. And of course, 78s themselves did not last long into the 1950s.

In 1969, a new prefix, 74- was introduced for stereo 45s, starting with 74-0100. Although it has been asserted that this series was primarily for rock acts, several of the earliest 74- issues are in fact by easy listening and country performers. RCA issued singles in both series until the 47- series became 48-1000 after issue 47-9999 in 1971. The 74- series continued into 1973 when it was replaced by an APB0- series, again with low four-digit numbers after the hyphen. This series was short-lived; in 1974 the prefix was changed to PB- (and sometimes GB-), with numbers starting at 10000. During the BMG era, the mid-1980s, various series were used - 5000-5100s (1984), 8600s (1988)- and 2500s (1990). The 62000 series began in 1991.