A 2008 fire on the Universal Studios backlot has done far more damage than originally divulged.

In statements made public for the first time, more than 100,000 master recordings owned by Universal Music Group were lost in the blaze, including works by Elton John, the Eagles, the Police, Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana and Tom Petty.

The new information comes courtesy of The New York Times Magazine, which cites internal company documents and interviews with UMG employees among their sources. One document, used in a 2009 company meeting, declares that “lost in the fire was, undoubtedly, a huge musical heritage.”

UMG is the world’s largest recording company, boasting a catalog that spans the history of recorded music. Over the course of the company’s existence, it has acquired a long list of labels, including Capitol, Decca, Chess, Interscope, Island, Def Jam and more.

When word of a fire on the Universal backlot originally broke in 2008, very little was said regarding damage to the archival warehouse. The structure was referred to as a “video vault,” while much of the focus was placed on the famous studio sound stages and filming facades that were scorched by the flames.

A 2008 Deadline report suggesting the fire had burned irreplaceable master tapes was rebuffed by UMG. Soon afterward, a Universal spokesperson denied claims that master tapes had been destroyed, telling Billboard that UMG “had no loss.” Now, it appears, those comments were inaccurate.

In a confidential report, issued in 2009, UMG estimated that “500K song titles” were lost. In a conversation with The New York Times Magazine, Randy Aronson, UMG’s former director of vault operations, admitted his employer tried to downplay the loss for fear of backlash from the public.

“The company knew that there would be shock and outrage if people found out the real story,” Aronson stated. “They did an outstanding job of keeping it quiet. It’s a secret I’m ashamed to have been a part of.”

While details on exactly which recordings were lost has not been revealed, master tapes from the following artists are believed to be among those destroyed:

Elton John

Eric Clapton

The Eagles

Aerosmith

Steely Dan

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

The Police

Guns N’ Roses

Nine Inch Nails

Nirvana

Soundgarden

Tupac Shakur

Beck

Louis Armstrong

Duke Ellington

Al Jolson

Bing Crosby

Ella Fitzgerald

Judy Garland

Billie Holiday

Chuck Berry

Aretha Franklin

John Coltrane

Count Basie

Ray Charles,

Sammy Davis Jr.

Les Paul

Fats Domino

Loretta Lynn

B.B. King

Quincy Jones

Burt Bacharach

Joan Baez

Neil Diamond

Sonny and Cher

The Mamas and the Papas

Joni Mitchell

Cat Stevens

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Jimmy Buffett

Don Henley

Iggy Pop

Barry White

Patti LaBelle

Yoko Ono

Sting

R.E.M.

Janet Jackson

Queen Latifah

Mary J. Blige

Sonic Youth

No Doubt

Snoop Dogg

Hole

Sheryl Crow

Eminem