Bobsled Records was co-founded in 1997 by Bob Salerno and his friend Jeff Slay.[1] The first band to be signed to the label was Adventures in Stereo, which was followed by the Chicago-based band Chamber Strings and the French/German duo Stereo Total, among other bands. By 2000, there were five bands signed to the label: Adventures in Stereo, Chamber Strings, Stereo Total, the Waxwings, and Velvet Crush.[1]
The label's end began in 2002, when Salerno wrote a 1,700-word to the Waxwings, one of the label's signature artists. The email criticized the Waxwings for being unprepared and not acting like a "real" rock 'n' roll band at one of their record release parties.[2] The letter was later posted online, and the label folded after the Waxwings released their second album, Shadows Of The Waxwings, later in 2002.[3]