ELEKTRA: In just five years, Elektra has...

ELEKTRA: In just five years, Elektra has gone from the outhouse to the penthouse. With four multi-platinum albums (more than any industry rival), the label has become the envy of the record business. Elektra’s top-seller was its hit-laden “Cocktail” sound track. But the best news is that its three double-platinum successes were all by highly-regarded arrivals--Tracy Chapman, Keith Sweat and Anita Baker--who are likely to be major players for years. (Though Sweat has received little pop attention, he’s the first artist in the ‘80s to have both the No. 1 black album and single of the year--a feat that eluded even the Gloved One). The label even resurrected the Beach Boys, who had their first No. 1 hit in 22 years. And for critics left cold by “Kokomo,” the label has offered an Icelandic delight: the Sugarcubes.