TVT Records

TVT
Parent companyTVT (August 1984–2008)
Sony/The Orchard (2008–present, recordings)
Reservoir Media (2010–present, music publishing)
Concord/Bicycle (2010–present, recordings acquired from TVT by Prudential Financial in 2002)
FoundedAugust 1984 (August 1984)[1]
FounderSteve Gottlieb
StatusInactive
Distributor(s)self-distributed
GenreVarious
Country of originU.S.
LocationNew York City, New York, U.S.

TVT Records, originally Tee-Vee Toons, was an American record label founded by Steve Gottlieb in 1984. Initially created to release the Television's Greatest Hits series of classic TV theme tune compilations, the label would expand into rap, industrial rock, and electronic music amassing 25 Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum albums over the course of its 24-year history.[2]

After losing a legal battle with Slip-N-Slide Records, TVT Records filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and the company's assets were acquired by The Orchard and Reservoir Media. Content that had previously been transferred to Prudential Financial was acquired by Bicycle Music Company in 2010.

The label's roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, KMFDM, Gravity Kills, The KLF, The Baldwin Brothers, Sevendust, Nothingface, the Wellwater Conspiracy, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Holloways, The Cinematics, Buck-O-Nine, DJ Hurricane, Speech and Pitbull. The label had a triple platinum release with Nine Inch Nails's Pretty Hate Machine, two double platinum releases by Lil Jon, and platinum releases by Snoop Dogg and Tha Eastsidaz, Dashboard Confessional, Default and Ying Yang Twins, as well as gold releases by Sevendust, Gravity Kills, and The Black Crowes and Jimmy Page. Additionally, TVT achieved a gold release in Germany and Sweden with The Connells, and scored platinum and gold records in Canada with Default.

  1. ^ "Business Notes". Time. 20 January 1986. p. 2. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  2. ^ Van Buskirk, Eliot (February 8, 2008). "Qtrax Has Active Deal with TVT Records". Wired. Retrieved 6 May 2010.