The invention uses an adhesion layer of an amorphous alloy of aluminum. A first aluminum titanium embodiment of the amorphous adhesion layer preferably contains approximately equal amounts of aluminum and titanium (+/-5 at. %). A second embodiment of the amorphous adhesion layer preferably contains approximately equal amounts of aluminum and titanium (+/-5 at. %) and up to 10 at. % Zr with 5 at. % Zr being preferred. A third embodiment is aluminum tantalum preferably including from 15 to 25 at. % tantalum with 20 at. % being preferred. The most preferred compositions are Al.sub.50Ti.sub.50, Al.sub.47.5Ti.sub.47.5Zr.sub.5 or Al.sub.80 Ta.sub.20. The adhesion layer is deposited onto the substrate. The substrate can be glass or a metal such as NiP-plated AlMg. The preferred embodiment of media according to the invention is for perpendicular recording and includes a magnetically soft underlayer deposited above the adhesion layer.