History Creator / VertigoRecords

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

As TheSeventies became TheEighties, the music industry changed, with PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock becoming the hip new genres; Vertigo failed to keep pace, although signings like Music/ThinLizzy and Music/DireStraits kept them on the charts. (The label's Canadian arm did manage to snag hip alternative artists like the Music/CocteauTwins and Music/ThePixies through a licensing deal with Creator/FourADRecords and its corporate parent, Creator/{{Beggars Banquet|Records}}.) By the mid-80s, the label had become the European home for HeavyMetal and HairMetal bands like Music/DefLeppard, Music/{{KISS}}, Music/{{Scorpions}} and Music/BonJovi, with Music/{{Metallica}} as its most prominent act. Since the TurnOfTheMillennium, Vertigo (now a part of Creator/UniversalMusicGroup thanks to corporate mergers) has undergone a resurgence with new signings like Music/TheKillers, Music/{{Soundgarden}}, and Dirty Pretty Things; even Black Sabbath, which had left Vertigo in 1987, returned for the band's final albums. Vertigo is also still active in UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, having merged with Creator/CapitolRecords.

* Music/{{Scorpions}}

Another notable aspect of Vertigo is the emphasis that the label, which [[TagLine billed itself]] as "The Sight and Sound of Contemporary Music", put on eye-catching graphics and packaging. Vertigo's logo, designed by Philips art directors Linda Glover and Mike Stanford, has come to be known as the "Vertigo swirl"; it's a series of concentric black and white circles that originally took up the entirety of a record's A side label, creating [[SpectacularSpinning a hypnotic spinning effect]] as the record played. (All the credits and info appeared on the B side.) Most Vertigo albums from the classic late 60s/early 70s era have gatefold covers, with a few even sporting elaborate die-cut or poster-sized sleeves.

* Music/{{Genesis}} (South America only)

As TheSeventies became TheEighties, the music industry changed, with PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock becoming the hip new genres; Vertigo failed to keep pace, although signings like Music/ThinLizzy and Music/DireStraits kept them on the charts. (The label's Canadian arm did manage to snag hip alternative artists like the Music/CocteauTwins and Music/ThePixies through a licensing deal with Creator/FourADRecords and its corporate parent, Beggars Banquet.) By the mid-80s, the label had become the European home for HeavyMetal and HairMetal bands like Music/DefLeppard, Music/{{KISS}}, Music/{{Scorpions}} and Music/BonJovi, with Music/{{Metallica}} as its most prominent act. Since the TurnOfTheMillennium, Vertigo (now a part of Creator/UniversalMusicGroup thanks to corporate mergers) has undergone a resurgence with new signings like Music/TheKillers, Music/{{Soundgarden}}, and Dirty Pretty Things; even Black Sabbath, which had left Vertigo in 1987, returned for the band's final albums. Vertigo is also still active in UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, having merged with Creator/CapitolRecords.

As TheSeventies became TheEighties, the music industry changed, with PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock becoming the hip new genres; Vertigo failed to keep pace, although signings like Music/ThinLizzy and Music/DireStraits kept them on the charts. (The label's Canadian arm did manage to snag hip alternative artists like the Music/CocteauTwins and Music/ThePixies through a licensing deal with Creator/FourADRecords and its corporate parent, Beggars Banquet.) By the mid-80s, the label had become the European home for HeavyMetal and HairMetal bands like Music/DefLeppard, Music/{{KISS}}, Music/{{Scorpions}} and Music/BonJovi, with Music/{{Metallica}} as its most prominent act. Since the TurnOfTheMillennium, Vertigo (now a part of Creator/UniversalMusicGroup thanks to corporate mergers) has undergone a resurgence with new signings like Music/TheKillers, Music/{{Soundgarden}}, and Dirty Pretty Things; even Black Sabbath, who left Vertigo in 1987, returned for the band's final albums. Vertigo is also still active in UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, having merged with Creator/CapitolRecords.

It was the end of TheSixties. RockAndRoll had turned into {{Rock}}, and the British record industry responded with several new labels dedicated to the "underground" genres that the counterculture listened to, such as ProgressiveRock, HardRock and FolkRock. Some were independents like {{Creator/Island|Records}}, {{Creator/Charisma|Records}}, and {{Creator/Chrysalis|Records}}, while others were major label imprints like {{Creator/Decca|Records}}'s {{Creator/Deram|Records}} and Creator/{{EMI}}'s {{Creator/Harvest|Records}}. Olav Wyper of Creator/PhilipsRecords wanted his company to enter this lucrative market, so he spearheaded the formation of Philips' own "hippie label", Vertigo, which was launched in November 1969.

-->--'''Olav Wyper''' discusses the origin of Vertigo, from [[https://thevinylpress.com/a-conversation-with-olav-wyper-creator-of-the-vertigo-swirl-rerds/ this interview]]

It was the end of TheSixties. RockAndRoll had turned into {{Rock}}, and the British record industry responded with several new labels dedicated to the "underground" genres that the counterculture listened to, such as ProgressiveRock, HardRock and FolkRock. Some were independents like [[Creator/IslandRecords Island]], [[Creator/CharismaRecords Charisma]], and [[Creator/ChrysalisRecords Chrysalis]], while others were major label imprints like [[Creator/DeccaRecords Decca]]'s [[Creator/DeramRecords Deram]] and Creator/{{EMI}}'s [[Creator/HarvestRecords Harvest]]. Olav Wyper of Creator/PhilipsRecords wanted his company to enter this lucrative market, so he spearheaded the formation of Philips' own "hippie label", Vertigo, which was launched in November 1969.

Many Vertigo signings were cult heroes or commercial non-starters who are remembered only by collectors, but several of their performers did well, with some even gaining iconic status. Music/ManfredMann switched from pop music to {{Jazz}} and SpaceRock with his new band, Chapter Three. Music/GentleGiant gained a cult following for their complex prog rock. Music/RodStewart put out his first two solo albums on Vertigo before switching to its corporate stablemate Creator/MercuryRecords. The hard rock of Music/UriahHeep and Music/StatusQuo sold consistently. Music/{{Kraftwerk}} managed an unlikely American hit single with its synth-driven KrautRock on [[Music/{{Autobahn}} "Autobahn"]]. American SingerSongwriter Music/JimCroce licensed his recordings to Vertigo in Europe. However, Vertigo's most popular and influential act was Music/BlackSabbath, who helped forge the destiny of HeavyMetal for decades to come.

Many Vertigo signings were cult heroes or commercial non-starters who are remembered only by collectors, but several of their performers did well, with some even gaining iconic status. Music/ManfredMann switched from pop music to {{Jazz}} and SpaceRock with his new band, Chapter Three. Music/GentleGiant gained a cult following for their complex prog rock. Music/RodStewart put out his first two solo albums on Vertigo before switching to its corporate stablemate Creator/MercuryRecords. The hard rock of Music/UriahHeep and Music/StatusQuo sold consistently. Music/{{Kraftwerk}} managed an unlikely American hit single with its synth-driven KrautRock. American SingerSongwriter Music/JimCroce licensed his recordings to Vertgo in Europe. However, Vertigo's most popular and influential act was Music/BlackSabbath, who helped forge the destiny of HeavyMetal for decades to come.

Another notable aspect of Vertigo is the emphasis that the label, which [[TagLine billed itself]] as "The Sight and Sound of Contemporary Music", put on eye-catching graphics and packaging. Vertigo's logo, designed by Philips art director Linda Glover, has come to be known as the "Vertigo swirl"; it's a series of concentric black and white circles that originally took up the entirety of a record's A side label, creating [[SpectacularSpinning a hypnotic spinning effect]] as the record played. (All the credits and info appeared on the B side.) Most Vertigo albums from the classic late 60s/early 70s era have gatefold covers, with a few even sporting elaborate die-cut or poster-sized sleeves.

It was the end of TheSixties. RockAndRoll had turned into {{Rock}}, and the British record industry responded with several new labels dedicated to the "underground" genres that the counterculture listened to, such as ProgressiveRock, HardRock and FolkRock. Some were independents like [[Creator/IslandRecords Island]], Charisma, and [[Creator/ChrysalisRecords Chrysalis]], while others were major label imprints like [[Creator/DeccaRecords Decca]]'s [[Creator/DeramRecords Deram]] and Creator/{{EMI}}'s [[Creator/HarvestRecords Harvest]]. Olav Wyper of Creator/PhilipsRecords wanted his company to enter this lucrative market, so he spearheaded the formation of Philips' own "hippie label", Vertigo, which was launched in November 1969.

Many Vertigo signings were cult heroes or commercial non-starters who are remembered only by collectors, but several of their performers did well, with some even gaining iconic status. Music/ManfredMann switched from pop music to {{Jazz}} and SpaceRock with his new band, Chapter Three. Music/GentleGiant gained a cult following for their complex prog rock. Music/RodStewart put out his first two solo albums on Vertigo before switching to its corporate stablemate Creator/MercuryRecords. The hard rock of Music/UriahHeep and Music/StatusQuo sold consistently. Music/{{Kraftwerk}} managed an unlikely American hit single with its synth-driven KrautRock. However, Vertigo's most popular and influential act was Music/BlackSabbath, who helped forge the destiny of HeavyMetal for decades to come.

* Creator/RussellBrand (a one-off excursion into RecordedAndStandUpComedy)

As TheSeventies became TheEighties, the music industry changed, with PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock becoming the hip new genres; Vertigo failed to keep pace, although signings like Music/ThinLizzy and Music/DireStraits kept them on the charts. (The label's Canadian arm did manage to snag hip alternative artists like the Music/CocteauTwins and Music/ThePixies through a licensing deal with Creator/4ADRecords and its corporate parent, Beggars Banquet.) By the mid-80s, the label had become the European home for HeavyMetal and HairMetal bands like Music/DefLeppard, Music/{{KISS}}, Music/{{Scorpions}} and Music/BonJovi, with Music/{{Metallica}} as its most prominent act. Since the TurnOfTheMillennium, Vertigo (now a part of Creator/UniversalMusicGroup thanks to corporate mergers) has undergone a resurgence with new signings like Music/TheKillers, Music/{{Soundgarden}}, and Dirty Pretty Things; even Black Sabbath, who left Vertigo in 1987, returned for the band's final albums. Vertigo is also still active in UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, having merged with Creator/CapitolRecords.

As TheSeventies became TheEighties, the music industry changed, with PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock becoming the hip new genres; Vertigo failed to keep pace, although signings like Music/ThinLizzy and Music/DireStraits kept them on the charts. (The label's Canadian arm did manage to snag hip alternative artists like the Music/CocteauTwins and Music/ThePixiesthrought a licensing deal with Creator/4ADRecords and its corporate parent, Beggars Banquet.) By the mid-80s, the label had become the European home for HeavyMetal and HairMetal bands like Music/DefLeppard, Music/{{KISS}}, Music/{{Scorpions}} and Music/BonJovi, with Music/{{Metallica}} as its most prominent act. Since the TurnOfTheMillennium, Vertigo (now a part of Creator/UniversalMusicGroup thanks to corporate mergers) has undergone a resurgence with new signings like Music/TheKillers, Music/{{Soundgarden}}, and Dirty Pretty Things; even Black Sabbath, who left Vertigo in 1987, returned for the band's final albums. Vertigo is also still active in UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, having merged with Creator/CapitolRecords.

As TheSeventies became TheEighties, the music industry changed, with PunkRock, NewWaveMusic and later AlternativeRock becoming the hip new genres; Vertigo failed to keep pace, although signings like Music/ThinLizzy and Music/DireStraits kept them on the charts. The label's Canadian arm did manage to snag hip alternative artists like the Music/CocteauTwins and Music/ThePixies. By the mid-80s, the label had become the European home for HeavyMetal and HairMetal bands like Music/DefLeppard, Music/{{KISS}}, Music/{{Scorpions}} and Music/BonJovi, with Music/{{Metallica}} as its most prominent act. Since the TurnOfTheMillennium, Vertigo (now a part of Creator/UniversalMusicGroup thanks to corporate mergers) has undergone a resurgence with new signings like Music/TheKillers, Music/{{Soundgarden}}, and Dirty Pretty Things; even Black Sabbath, who left Vertigo in 1987, returned for the band's final albums. Vertigo is also still active in UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, having merged with Creator/CapitolRecords.

Compare Creator/HarvestRecords, a former Vertigo competitor which is also owned by UMG.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vertigo_records_ad_november_1969.jpg]] '

It was the end of TheSixties. RockAndRoll had turned into {{Rock}}, and the British record industry responded with several new labels dedicated to the "underground" genres that the counterculture listened to, such as ProgressiveRock, HardRock and FolkRock. Some were independents like [[Creator/IslandRecords Island]], Charisma, and [[Creator/ChrysalisRecords Chrysalis]], while others were major label imprints like [[Creator/DeccaRecords Decca]]'s Deram and Creator/{{EMI}}'s [[Creator/HarvestRecords Harvest]]. Olav Wyper of Creator/PhilipsRecords wanted his company to enter this lucrative market, so he spearheaded the formation of Philips' own "hippie label", Vertigo, which was launched in November 1969.