In the hip-hop/rap realm Deathrow Records was the best! It had something to do with the spins called Deathrow: West, East, South East, and South. Which would later be known as murders in the U.S., even lyrically in the realm of hip hop/rap. Deathrow East was a.k.a. 9-11. Way before it happened, 2pac had once said in a street interview, which can be found on youtube, "You believe in God? [Then] believe in Deathrow East!" When MCs (or any music artists) have shown to have had esp to before something big unfolds, the off-center haters among us wont call a spade a spade, but the boss players among them will call a spade a spade. Deathrow West was a.k.a. 3-9 (known in the hip-hop/rap world as the day Biggie Smalls, a popular rap music artist, was murdered). The other Deathrows yet to be executed in the U.S. should be coming. Makes you go hmm in awe, huh? Now what record company do you say is or was the best? And why?
I used To Like The Immediate Label cos of these Guys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjHsiZxsKfw&feature=youtu.be
Sun was certainly one of the best. Artists such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Howlin Wolf, and Conway Twitty all got their start there.
Ktel bringing the music to the masses ....on a budget https://www.youtube.com/user/KtelClassics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy3CN0YUSIg
Fat Wreck Chords stands out in my mind if only for being independent. Regarding who is on the label, I don't know and don't really listen to that much punk, but I will say that NOFX is a pretty decent act. There's also the now defunct Moonshine Record label which was big into techno circa 1990s and early 2000s or thereabouts. Another techno label was Global Underground. They may actually still occasionally release material on this one, but for the most part they aren't that popular, at least not anymore.
Vanguard records, some of their artists: Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Lead Belly, Mississippi John Hurt, The Weavers, Joan Baez, Odetta, Sinead O'Conner, Blues Traveller, Linad Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Doc Watson, Big Mama Thornton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpNWm57Txg8&list=PLC2F6B5ACFE4D71E3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brbI5vCIxmk&index=2&list=PLah10LmY8HMLGOepRmfScYZIO_P0but8l https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9_MpNwduAA
my personal favorite is "kill rock stars" sure some of the others have big names but with enough cash anyone can get a good artist.