Co/Pd and Co/Pt multilayered thin films for perpendicular magnetic recording media were fabricated by sput¬tering method and the effects of the sputtering pressure during the formation of Pd or Pt underlayers on the magnetization behavior and coercivity of the multilayers were investigated. It was found that the coercivity of Co/Pd multilayers was strongly dependent on the sputtering pressure of underlayer and could be enhanced to a large extent merely by increasing the sputtering pressure of underlayer, while in case of Co/Pt films, the degree of coercivity enhancement by controlling the sputtering pressure of underlayer was almost negligible. Coercivity variation of Co/Pd and Co/Pt multilayers with the underlayer material and deposition pressure of underlayer could be well explained in terms of the interface roughness of multilayer films induced by underlayer topology, which could also be correlated to the change of perpendicular anisotropy energy and magnetic reversal feature with the sputtering pressure of underlayer. Kerr rotation angle was hardly affected by the preparation conditions of underlayers.