Disclosed is a perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising: (a) a non-magnetic substrate including a surface with a stack of thin-film layers formed thereon; and (b) a tilted perpendicular magnetic recording layer on the surface of an outermost layer of said layer stack, wherein the easy axis of magnetization of magnetic particles of said recording layer is tilted in a radial direction at a preselected, controllable angle up to about 45° from vertical. Also disclosed are a method and apparatus for forming perpendicular magnetic recording media with controllably tilted perpendicular magnetic recording layers.