Stiff Records
A British independent record label that helped define the punk and new wave era through adventurous artists, irreverent marketing, and inventive package tours.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London in 1976 by music managers Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Created at the beginning of the punk-rock boom, it became one of the most influential independent labels of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Its early roster connected pub rock, punk, new wave, rock, and singer-songwriter traditions, and included Nick Lowe, the Damned, Wreckless Eric, Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, Lene Lovich, Larry Wallis, Motörhead, and Devo. The label’s identity was built as much through presentation and promotion as through its recordings: striking catalogue numbers, witty slogans, eccentric advertisements, unusual releases, and mixed-artist tours made Stiff appear fast-moving, irreverent, and artistically unpredictable. The label’s first release was Nick Lowe’s single “So It Goes” backed with “Heart of the City,” issued on 14 August 1976 as catalogue number BUY 1. The record sold about 10,000 copies, giving the new company an early foothold. Stiff then financed the Damned’s “New Rose,” released in October 1976 and widely regarded as the first British punk single. During 1977, the label expanded its roster and profile by signing or releasing work by Wreckless Eric, Ian Dury, and Elvis Costello. Distribution and licensing arrangements with larger companies enabled selected Stiff releases to reach wider British and American audiences while the label retained a distinctive independent identity. The partnership between Robinson and Riviera ended after disputes, and Riviera departed in early 1978 to establish Radar Records, taking several important artists with him as part of the settlement. Stiff nevertheless remained commercially viable, particularly because of Ian Dury’s success with New Boots & Panties!! and subsequent singles. In 1979, Robinson signed Madness, whose releases helped propel Stiff into a commercially successful phase. The label achieved numerous chart placements, including its first United Kingdom number-one single, Ian Dury’s “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick.” Later successes involved Madness, the Pogues, Tracey Ullman, the Belle Stars, Kirsty MacColl, Furniture, and other acts. Stiff also became known for releasing deliberately eccentric or non-commercial material alongside commercially promising records. Its promotional culture used slogans such as “The World’s Most Flexible Record Label” and treated label activity as a form of performance. Graphic designer Barney Bubbles contributed substantially to the visual language of the early releases. Package tours, including Live Stiffs, Be Stiff, and Son of Stiff, presented several label acts in coordinated events and generated associated recordings and film material. The company’s corporate structure became more complicated in the mid-1980s. Island Records acquired a 50 percent stake at the end of 1983, but the arrangement did not produce a durable solution to Stiff’s financial and organizational pressures. Robinson regained control in 1985, and the label was sold to ZTT in 1987. Stiff was reactivated in 2007 by ZTT and its parent SPZ Group, issuing new work by legacy artists and signing newer independent acts. Universal Music Group acquired Stiff and ZTT in December 2017. British catalogue rights were subsequently managed through BMG Rights Management and Union Square Music until Universal relaunched the Stiff and ZTT labels in 2022; American catalogue rights have been associated with Razor & Tie, a Concord Music Group division. Stiff therefore remains an active catalogue and label brand whose historical importance rests on its role in British independent music, artist development, graphic design, and unconventional music marketing.
History
Stiff Records emerged from London’s pub-rock and management scene at the start of the British punk era. Dave Robinson had worked in music management, including with Brinsley Schwarz, whose bassist and songwriter Nick Lowe became an important early Stiff artist. Jake Riviera had managed Dr. Feelgood. The label was initially supported by a £400 loan from Dr. Feelgood singer Lee Brilleaux. Robinson and Riviera considered the name Demon before adopting Stiff, a title that matched the label’s deliberately provocative image. Stiff’s first release was Lowe’s “So It Goes,” issued on 14 August 1976 with the catalogue number BUY 1. It sold approximately 10,000 copies. Although the next release, by Pink Fairies, sold less, the company continued to finance distinctive records and soon made a major mark with the Damned’s “New Rose,” released on 22 October 1976. The single is widely treated as the first British punk single. During 1977 Stiff signed or developed Wreckless Eric, Ian Dury, and Elvis Costello. It arranged distribution and licensing relationships with larger record companies, including Island, EMI, Arista, CBS, Columbia, and Epic, allowing selected releases to circulate internationally. The Robinson–Riviera partnership deteriorated, and Riviera left in early 1978 to form Radar Records. Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and Yachts were among the artists associated with the settlement. Stiff’s position was protected by the success of Ian Dury, especially New Boots & Panties!!, and by the label’s ability to combine commercial releases with unusual and marginal projects. The Live Stiffs Tour of 1977 gave the label a highly visible live identity and featured Costello, Dury, Wreckless Eric, Lowe, and Larry Wallis. It also produced Live Stiffs Live. A second package, the Be Stiff or Be Stiff Route 78 tour, followed in 1978, while the Son of Stiff Tour took place in 1980. Robinson signed Madness in 1979, beginning a commercially strong period. Stiff achieved repeated Top 20 singles and albums, with Ian Dury’s “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick” becoming the label’s first UK number-one single. Madness released through Stiff from 1979 to 1984, while later successes included the Pogues, Tracey Ullman, the Belle Stars, Kirsty MacColl, and Furniture. At the same time, the company maintained a taste for novelty and conceptual marketing, issuing material such as the silent parody album The Wit & Wisdom of Ronald Reagan. Advertising slogans, unusual catalogue concepts, and Barney Bubbles’s graphic work made the label unusually recognizable. At the end of 1983 Island Records bought half of Stiff. Robinson operated both companies, but the arrangement became financially difficult. Stiff regained independence in 1985. Although releases by the Pogues and Furniture extended its life, the label was sold to ZTT in 1987. ZTT and its parent SPZ Group reactivated Stiff in 2007. The revived label released work by returning Stiff-associated artists including Wreckless Eric, Henry Priestman, Any Trouble, and Chris Difford, while also signing acts such as The Tranzmitors and Eskimo Disco. Union Square Music issued The Big Stiff Box Set in 2008. Universal Music Group acquired Stiff and ZTT in December 2017. Rights administration subsequently differed by territory: Razor & Tie, part of Concord Music Group, held American rights to the Stiff catalogue, while British rights were managed through BMG Rights Management under Union Square Music until 2022. Universal then relaunched Stiff and ZTT, preserving Stiff as an active brand and catalogue associated with British independent music history.
- 2022
Universal relaunches Stiff and ZTT
[1]Universal relaunches the two labels after changes in British catalogue administration.
- 2017
Universal Music Group acquires Stiff and ZTT
[1]The historic label brands are acquired by Universal Music Group.
- 2008
The Big Stiff Box Set is released
[1]Union Square Music issues a substantial retrospective collection of the label's catalogue.
- 2007
Stiff is reactivated
[1]ZTT and SPZ Group revive the brand with legacy and new artists.
- 1987
Stiff is sold to ZTT
[1]The label passes into ZTT ownership after the failure of the Island arrangement.
- 1983
Island acquires half of Stiff
[1]The investment changes the label's corporate structure but does not become a lasting partnership.
- 1980
Son of Stiff Tour
[1]The label mounts a European package tour and issues a related 12-inch EP.
- 1979
Madness joins Stiff
[1]The signing begins a commercially successful period for the label.
- 1978
Be Stiff Route 78 tour
[1]A second package tour features Wreckless Eric, Lene Lovich, Jona Lewie, Mickey Jupp, and Rachel Sweet.
- 1977
Live Stiffs Tour
[1]Five Stiff-associated acts tour the United Kingdom, generating the Live Stiffs Live album and related video.
Products and positioning
An artist-led British independent label positioned around punk, new wave, pub rock, roots rock, and commercially accessible alternative music, distinguished by provocative humor, strong visual design, experimental releases, and unconventional promotional campaigns.
Recorded music · 1976
Singles
Stiff built its early reputation through compact, visually distinctive singles. Key examples include Nick Lowe's debut Stiff release "So It Goes," the Damned's "New Rose," and Ian Dury's "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick." The label used memorable catalogue numbers, sleeve design, slogans, and unconventional promotion to make individual releases stand out.
Recorded music · 1976
Studio albums
The label's album catalogue spans punk, new wave, pub rock, ska-influenced pop, roots rock, and alternative music. Important albums associated with Stiff include Ian Dury's New Boots & Panties!! and releases by Elvis Costello, Madness, Wreckless Eric, the Pogues, and other artists.
Live album · 1977
Live Stiffs Live
This live compilation documents the 1977 Live Stiffs Tour, a package event featuring Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Wreckless Eric, Nick Lowe's touring group, and Larry Wallis's Psychedelic Rowdies. It captures Stiff's strategy of presenting its roster as a shared musical community.
Box set · 2008
The Big Stiff Box Set
A retrospective collection issued by Union Square Music, assembling material from the Stiff catalogue and presenting the label's artists and history in archival form.
Marketing campaigns
- 1980Son of Stiff Tour
Europe
A European bus tour assembled Ten Pole Tudor, Any Trouble, Dirty Looks, Joe King Carrasco and the Crowns, and the Equators.
Outcome. The tour was not commercially successful but generated a 12-inch EP and a short film.
- 1978Be Stiff or Be Stiff Route 78
United Kingdom · United States
A multi-artist tour featuring Wreckless Eric, Lene Lovich, Jona Lewie, Mickey Jupp, and Rachel Sweet. It included unusual travel arrangements and a companion EP of covers of Devo's "Be Stiff."
Outcome. Extended Stiff's package-tour concept beyond its initial UK campaign.
- 1977Live Stiffs Tour
United Kingdom
Stiff organized a five-act package tour featuring emerging label artists. The rotating bill, collaborative performances, live album, and video turned roster promotion into a major part of the label's identity.
Outcome. Produced Live Stiffs Live and strengthened the label's public profile.
- 1976Provocative label branding
United Kingdom · International
Stiff used irreverent slogans, unusual catalogue concepts, attention-grabbing advertisements, and graphic design associated with Barney Bubbles. The approach positioned the label as a cultural brand rather than merely a distributor of recordings.
Outcome. Created a durable visual and marketing identity associated with British independent music.
Brand decisions
2022
Relaunch Stiff under Universal Music GroupStrategyBackground
Universal had acquired Stiff and ZTT in 2017, while British catalogue rights had previously been administered through BMG Rights Management and Union Square Music.
Action taken
Universal relaunched the Stiff and ZTT label brands.
Aftermath
Stiff continued as an active label and catalogue brand within Universal's recorded-music portfolio.
2007
Reactivate the Stiff brandStrategyBackground
ZTT and SPZ Group sought to restore activity around the historic catalogue and label identity.
Action taken
The companies relaunched Stiff with releases by legacy artists and signings of new independent acts.
Aftermath
The label resumed issuing new material and archival products, including The Big Stiff Box Set in 2008.
1983
Accept a 50 percent investment from Island RecordsM&ABackground
Stiff had expanded rapidly and required additional corporate and financial support.
Action taken
Island Records acquired half of Stiff, with Dave Robinson operating both businesses.
Aftermath
The arrangement proved unsustainable; Robinson regained control in 1985 and Stiff was eventually sold to ZTT in 1987.
1977
Adopt package touring as a label platformStrategyBackground
Stiff had several emerging acts but limited resources compared with major record companies.
Action taken
The label combined multiple artists into the Live Stiffs Tour and related recorded products.
Aftermath
The tour created a recognizable Stiff live identity and supported cross-promotion among artists.
1976
Finance and release an early British punk singleStrategyBackground
The new label needed a distinctive release to establish itself during the early punk boom.
Action taken
Robinson and Riviera used funds connected with their management business to finance the Damned's "New Rose."
Aftermath
The release became a landmark of British punk and significantly raised Stiff's profile.
Sources1 sources
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