Criteria Recording Studios — Miami, Florida

Criteria Recording Studios at 1755 NE 149th Street in Miami was one of the premier recording facilities in American music from the 1960s through the 1980s, producing a catalogue of recordings remarkable for both its commercial reach and its artistic quality. Founded by Mack Emerman in 1958, the studio attracted artists who valued its warm acoustics, its skilled engineering staff, and Miami's relaxed, pleasure-seeking atmosphere. The Eagles recorded "Hotel California" here in 1976-77; Derek and the Dominos recorded the entire "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" album here in 1970, including the immortal title track with Duane Allman.

The Bee Gees used Criteria as their home studio through much of the 1970s, recording Saturday Night Fever material and their run of disco-era hits in its rooms. James Brown, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, and dozens of other major acts recorded here. The studio's house engineer Tom Dowd — who engineered sessions at Atlantic Records in New York for Ray Charles, Ornette Coleman, and John Coltrane before moving to Criteria — was one of the most accomplished and influential production figures of the era, and his presence attracted talent from across the industry.

The studio has changed ownership and names several times since its peak years but continues to operate as a recording facility under the name The Hit Factory Criteria. The original Studio C room where "Layla" was recorded has been preserved. Miami's warm, palm-fringed recording environment produced a surprising volume of canonical rock and soul recordings, and Criteria was its centre.