If it ain't Stiff

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Stiff Records is an independent music label from London, England that was established in 1976 by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera.  Initially started to promote bands from the English "pub rock" scene, Stiff Records quickly moved on sign musicians from the burgeoning punk rock and new wave movements.  The label was known for its humorous and provocative marketing and advertising, often calling itself "The World's Most Flexible Record Label."  The label is also famous for releasing what some consider the first punk rock single, "New Rose", by the Damned.

In 1978, Stiff Records entered into a short-lived partnership with CBS Records, and a two-year long distribution deal with Island Records in 1984.  By 1987, facing financial difficulties, Stiff Records went into liquidation and its catalog was ultimately purchased by ZTT Records.  In 2007, ZTT reactivated the label.