History Creator / SireRecords

* [[Music/{{Blondie}} Deborah Harry]]

* Music/{{Belly}}*

* Music/{{Madness}}*

Founded in 1966 by Seymour Stein (who ran the company until 2018) and RecordProducer Richard Gottehrer, Sire's specialty during its first decade was signing British and European PsychedelicRock and ProgressiveRock bands who'd been passed over by other American record companies. The most prominent groups from this era include Music/{{Renaissance}}, Focus (who gave the label its first Top 10 hit with "Hocus Pocus") and Climax Blues Band. The company also became noted for its reissue series, "The Vintage Years" and "The Immediate Story".

However, Sire's focus started to change when they signed the Music/{{Ramones}} in 1976. By 1977, when Sire got a distribution deal with Creator/WarnerBrosRecords (Warner would purchase the label outright a year later), they'd switched their emphasis to PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock. Their roster came to include Music/TalkingHeads, Music/ThePretenders, Music/TheSmiths, Music/TheReplacements and Music/{{Ministry}}; also, a licensing deal with Creator/MuteRecords gave them rights to AlternativeDance stars Music/DepecheMode, Music/{{Yazoo}} and Music/{{Erasure}} (all three of whom were co-founded by songwriter Vince Clarke) in the US and Canada. However, this didn't stop them from signing non-punkers like rapper Music/IceT -- or Music/{{Madonna}}, who soon became Sire's most successful act.

* Music/ThePretenders*

However, Sire's focus started to change when they signed Music/TheRamones in 1976. By 1977, when Sire got a distribution deal with Creator/WarnerBrosRecords (Warner would purchase the label outright a year later), they'd switched their emphasis to PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock. Their roster came to include Music/TalkingHeads, Music/ThePretenders, Music/TheSmiths, Music/TheReplacements and Music/{{Ministry}}; also, a licensing deal with Creator/MuteRecords gave them rights to AlternativeDance stars Music/DepecheMode, Music/{{Yazoo}} and Music/{{Erasure}} (all three of whom were co-founded by songwriter Vince Clarke) in the US and Canada. However, this didn't stop them from signing non-punkers like rapper Music/IceT -- or Music/{{Madonna}}, who soon became Sire's most successful act.

* Music/TheRamones

!!Sire Records performers, past and present, with Wiki/TVTropes pages:

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Founded in 1966 by Seymour Stein (who ran the company until 2018) and RecordProducer Richard Gottehrer, Sire's specialty during its first decade was signing British and European PsychedelicRock and ProgressiveRock bands who'd been passed over by other American record companies. The most prominent groups from this era include Music/{{Renaissance}}, Focus (who gave the label its first Top 10 hit with "Hocus Pocus") and Climax Blues Band. The company also became noted for its reissue series, "The Vintage Years".

* Music/TheCure*

* Music/{{Underworld}}

Performers that Sire reissued as part of The Vintage Years series:

* Music/FleetwoodMac*[[note]]As part of The Vintage Years[[/note]]

* Music/ThePrettyThings*[[note]]Also as part of The Vintage Years[[/note]]

However, Sire's focus started to change when they signed Music/TheRamones in 1976. By 1977,when Sire got a distribution deal with Creator/WarnerBrosRecords (Warner would purchase the label outright a year later), they'd switched their emphasis to PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock. Their roster came to include Music/TalkingHeads, Music/ThePretenders, Music/TheSmiths, Music/TheReplacements and Music/{{Ministry}}; also, a licensing deal with Creator/MuteRecords gave them rights to AlternativeDance stars Music/DepecheMode, Music/{{Yazoo}} and Music/{{Erasure}} (all three of whom were co-founded by songwriter Vince Clarke) in the US and Canada. However, this didn't stop them from signing non-punkers like rapper Music/IceT -- or Music/{{Madonna}}, who soon became Sire's most successful act.

However, Sire's focus started to change when they signed Music/TheRamones in 1976. By that time, Sire got a distribution deal with Creator/WarnerBrosRecords in 1977 with Warner purchasing the label outright a year later, they'd switched their emphasis to PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock. Their roster came to include Music/TalkingHeads, Music/ThePretenders, Music/TheSmiths, Music/TheReplacements and Music/{{Ministry}}; also, a licensing deal with Creator/MuteRecords gave them rights to AlternativeDance stars Music/DepecheMode, Music/{{Yazoo}} and Music/{{Erasure}} (all three of whom were co-founded by songwriter Vince Clarke) in the US and Canada. However, this didn't stop them from signing non-punkers like rapper Music/IceT -- or Music/{{Madonna}}, who soon became Sire's most successful act.

However, Sire's focus started to change when they signed Music/TheRamones in 1976. By the time Sire got a distribution deal with Creator/WarnerBrosRecords in 1977 with Warner purchasing the label outright a year later, they'd switched their emphasis to PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock. Their roster came to include Music/TalkingHeads, Music/ThePretenders, Music/TheSmiths, Music/TheReplacements and Music/{{Ministry}}; also, a licensing deal with Creator/MuteRecords gave them rights to AlternativeDance stars Music/DepecheMode, Music/{{Yazoo}} and Music/{{Erasure}} (all three of whom were co-founded by songwriter Vince Clarke) in the US and Canada. However, this didn't stop them from signing non-punkers like rapper Music/IceT -- or Music/{{Madonna}}, who soon became Sire's most successful act.

* Music/VelvetUnderground

Founded in 1966 by Seymour Stein (who still runs the company) and RecordProducer Richard Gottehrer, Sire's specialty during its first decade was signing British and European PsychedelicRock and ProgressiveRock bands who'd been passed over by other American record companies. The most prominent groups from this era include Music/{{Renaissance}}, Focus (who gave the label its first Top 10 hit with "Hocus Pocus") and Climax Blues Band. The company also became noted for its reissue series, "The Vintage Years".

* Music/TalkingHeads*[[note]]International distribution of their first five albums and initial live album was handled by Sire themselves, but the band shifted over to Creator/{{EMI}} in 1984; EMI would distribute the band's later material and the 2005 remasters outside of the US and Canada until their dissolution in 2012, after which the band's catalog would shift back to Sire for international territories.[[/note]]

* Music/DavidByrne[[note]]In partnership with Luaka Bop from 1988 to 1994.[[/note]]

* Music/DavidByrne