The Hit Factory
recording studio in New York City, U.S.
The Hit Factory is a recording studio in New York City owned and operated by Troy Germano.
History
In 1969, songwriter Jerry Ragavoy opened a recording studio in New York City and named it The Hit Factory. On March 6, 1975, Edward Germano, a singer, record producer, and one of the principal owners of the Record Plant Studios New York, purchased The Hit Factory (located at 353 West 48th Street) from Ragavoy. Germano incorporated The Hit Factory into a business, redesigned its studios, and created the logo it uses to this day. At that time, The Hit Factory consisted of 2 studios; Studio A2 and Studio A6. Eventually, a third was added, Studio A5. Notable albums from this location include Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder, One-Trick Pony by Paul Simon, Fear of Music by Talking Heads, Voices by Hall & Oates, Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf, Foreigner by Foreigner (band), I'm in You by Peter Frampton, Peter Gabriel ("Scratch") by Peter Gabriel, Emotional Rescue by the Rolling Stones, and Double Fantasy by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
In 1981, The Hit Factory moved to a new location at 237 West 54th Street, across the street from Studio 54. Dubbed The Hit Factory Broadway, the new location had five studios designed by Germano: A1, A2, A3, M1, and M4—the last of which was later transformed into the first mastering suite for Herb Powers Jr.
Albums that were recorded and/or mixed at this location include Graceland by Paul Simon, Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen, Undercover by the Rolling Stones, Under a Blood Red Sky by U2, The Rhythm of the Saints by Paul Simon, Live/1975–85 by Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band, True Colors by Cyndi Lauper, Whiplash Smile by Billy Idol, Steel Wheels by the Rolling Stones, Long After Dark by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Agent Provocateur by Foreigner, Tunnel of Love by Bruce Springsteen, Riptide by Robert Palmer, Up Your Alley by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Forever by Kool & the Gang, the Bodyguard soundtrack by Whitney Houston, Hell Freezes Over by Eagles, August by Eric Clapton, Talk Is Cheap by Keith Richards and Dangerous by Michael Jackson.
“The Hit Factory” enters the record as recording studio in New York City, U.S. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Factory, recording and studio can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“The Hit Factory” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Factory, recording and studio provides the most credible route into that argument.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6122634. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1969, 1975 and 1981.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “The Hit Factory”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow The Hit Factory primary sources, The Hit Factory archive and Factory research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “The Hit Factory” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.