The Stiff Records record label was created at the height of the punk boom. Stiff billed themselves as The World's Most Flexible Record Label. The label had a lot of attitude. Other slogans were "We came. We saw. We left." and "If it ain't Stiff it ain't worth a f*ck."
Barney Bubbles was responsible for the graphic art associated with Stiff Records.
Although Stiff had the punk reputation, it hosted a wide variety of players. Stiff Records artists include:
- Elvis Costello, angry young rocker
- Ian Dury and the Blockheads, blend of jazz and pub rock, creators of rock and roll anthem "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll"
- Wreckless Eric, wry pub rocker
- Kirsty McColl
- Madness, ska and more
- Tracey Ullman, over the top pop
- Larry Wallis, on his own and with the Pink Fairies and the first version of Motorhead.
- Richard Hell and The Damned, punk to be sure
- Nick Lowe, "Looking for love in the heart of the city"
- Sean Tyla and the Tyla Gang, early power pop
- Plasmatics
- Lena Lovich
