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Coffee Break: Sire songs for Seymour Stein -

Coffee Break: Sire songs for Seymour Stein

Seymour Stein's autobiography 'Siren Song.'
Seymour Stein's autobiography 'Siren Song.'Jay Gabler/MPR

by Jill Riley and Rachel Frances

April 03, 2023

Seymour Stein, co-founder of Sire Records died Sunday at the age of 80. After getting his start at Billboard and King Records, Stein co-founded his own label, Sire, in 1966. He helped birth the careers of many iconic artists in popular music and was a key figure in the punk rock and new wave scene. Some of the acts Stein signed to Sire include Madonna, Ramones, Talking Heads, Replacements, the Pretenders, the Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, and more. He was also part of the group of industry professionals who started the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Let’s honor the life and legacy of a record industry great with the music he helped bring to the world. For today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear from artists signed to Sire Records?


Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played:
The English Beat – Mirror In The Bathroom
Madonna – Into the Groove
The Replacements – Can’t Hardly Wait
Richard Hell and The Voidoids – Blank Generation
Spacehog – In the Meantime
Morcheeba – Let Me See
Ministry – Jesus Built My Hotrod
Talking Heads – Crosseyed And Painless (Bonus!)