Slash Records was an American

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

originally specializing in local

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

bands, active from 1978 to 2000. It was notable as one of the first and most successful

independent record labels An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

alternative music Alternative music may refer to the following types of music: *Independent music *Alternative rock *Alternative pop *Alternative R&B *Neo soul, sometimes known as alternative soul *Alternative reggaeton *Alternative hip hop *Alternative dance *Alter ...

, before its eventual acquisition by

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "Record label#M ...

History

The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from the Germs in 1978. A full album from that band was released the next year, and X's ''

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

'' followed in 1980. The label was distributed through Jem until 1981 when that company went bankrupt. Slash then entered into a distribution deal with Warner Bros., a move that was among the first collaborations between a self-started indie and a major label. During the time of this arrangement, the label released albums by prominent Los Angeles punk and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

bands, including

Fear Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perception, perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the ...

The Blasters The Blasters are an American rock music, rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman (drummer), Bill Bateman. Their s ...

, L7 and Los Lobos, as well as comparable punk and

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

bands such as Austin's Rank and File and Boston's Del Fuegos. The label flourished even after the magazine stopped in 1980. A subsidiary, Ruby Records, was started in 1981; Ruby released albums by Misfits, Dream Syndicate, and The Gun Club. By the mid-1980s, Slash had branched out beyond Southern California, releasing albums by

Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the ...

and Burning Spear. From 1982 until 1996, releases from Slash Records were distributed in North America by Warner Bros. Records and Reprise Records, and elsewhere by PolyGram. The label was sold to London Records in 1996.

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

(the owner of American Decca) was formed through the merger of the MCA and PolyGram Records families, the latter of which owned London Records, in 2000 and closed Slash as an active label. When London Records president Roger Ames moved to

, he retained the rights to London and Slash, and the back catalogue of Slash was acquired by Warner (excluding Rammstein and Harvey Danger). In 2003, Ames relicensed the use of the name Slash back to Bob Biggs, who then relaunched the label. The revived label only released one album, the eponymous debut album by Shiner Massive, before it was closed again due to "high losses". As of 2018, Slash solely exists as a reissue label. Between 2016 and 2017, Warner Music, the parent company of Slash, sold off the rights to several former Slash artists; this included the sale of Violent Femmes to Concord Music,

Failure Failure is the social concept of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and is usually viewed as the opposite of success. The criteria for failure depends on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. On ...

PIAS Recordings PIAS Recordings (formerly Play It Again Sam) is a Belgian record label founded in 1982 by Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot, In September 2024, the company was acquired by Universal Music Group. Play It Again Sam expanded along with other European i ...

, Soul Coughing to Swedish indie Woah Dad!, and Grant Lee Buffalo to Chrysalis Records. Biggs died in October 2020.

Notable artists

* Asian Dub Foundation *

BoDeans BoDeans is an American rock band formed in Waukesha, Wisconsin who came to prominence in the 1980s. The band's sound encompasses multiple rock genres, including roots rock, heartland rock, and alternative rock. The band's biggest hit to dat ...

* Bonnie Hayes with the Wild Combo * Burning Spear * The Del Fuegos * Dream Syndicate *

* Faith No More *

* The Flesh Eaters * Germs * Grant Lee Buffalo * Green on Red * The Gun Club * Harvey Danger * Imperial Teen * The Knitters * L7 * Los Lobos * Misfits * The Chills * The Plugz * Rammstein * Rank and File *

* Sons of Freedom * Soul Coughing * Steel Pole Bath Tub *

Tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

* Violent Femmes * The Wild Flowers * X

References

External links

Complete Slash discography
{{Authority control American record labels Record labels established in 1978 Record labels disestablished in 2000 Record labels established in 2003 Re-established companies Punk record labels Alternative rock record labels London Records