Started as a roots rock-oriented label, signing artists like Buddy Guy and John Mayall plus, at one stage, rights to John Lee Hooker outside the US. It developed later into an alternative label as well, with the Stone Roses and similar artists.

Silvertone is now a sub-label of the Zomba Label Group, a distributor and head of a group of independent labels which also includes Zomba Records and Jive Records. In 2002, Zomba was acquired by BMG.