Five amazing records you can score for under $5
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August 12 is National Vinyl Records Day. While our society is largely obsessed with the latest technology, there is still a huge population of audiophiles who swear that vinyl is the only acceptable way of listening to music. Forbes reported in January that 2017 record sales are projected to sell 40 million units this year, inching toward a billion dollars.
While vinyl records are sold just about everywhere, many new pressings of classic albums are made from the CD recording, because they no longer have the original tapes. In most cases, these reissues also cost much more than the just picking up copy from the used bin at your local record store.
Many older collectors still have all of the albums they’ve bought over the years, but record collecting is a great way for young people to be introduced to some of the greatest albums ever recorded. Don’t shell out $30 for that album at a big-box retailer. Hit up a thrift store’s used bin or a garage sale.
There are so many albums that everyone owned back in the '60s, '70s and '80s. These super popular records probably spent years collecting dust until someone decided to toss them. Here are five records for under $5 that you can definitely find the next time you come across a dusty record bin.
'Rumours' – Fleetwood Mac
Maybe it’s the fact that Stevie Nicks’ witchy, ethereal aesthetic is increasing in popularity amongst young women, or the fact that Rumours has just about every hit of 1977 on it, but it seems that this album is just as popular now as it was back then. It won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 1978, and singles like “Go Your Own Way” and “Dreams” are still played on every classic radio station. Even though it was Fleetwood Mac’s 11th studio album, it’s the band's most successful, having sold over 40 million copies to date. In fact, it’s such a popular album that collectors suggest checking out the price of Rumours before purchasing at a record store to ensure you aren’t being overcharged.
Image: Discogs
'Saturday Night Fever:' The Original Movie Soundtrack – Various Artists
It’s been said that no movie exemplified disco culture better than Saturday Night Fever, so it makes sense that no album would exemplify it like the movie’s soundtrack, loaded with the Bee Gees and countless other disco artists who were on top of the world at the time. Released in the U.S. about a month before the film hit theaters, it stayed on the album charts for 24 weeks, and Billboard charts for 120 weeks. A good chunk of the 40 million copies of this record have ended up at garage sales so keep an eye out! Sure, it might be a little dated, but it’s still one of the most fun albums ever recorded.
Image: Discogs
'Around the World in a Day' – Prince and the Revolution
It’s a little puzzling that the mid-‘80s Prince and the Revolution record that you seem to see everywhere used vinyl is sold would be Around the World in a Day instead of Purple Rain. But that could be because owners of Purple Rain tend to take it to the grave with them. However, this album, a little funkier than its predecessor, is home to hits like “Raspberry Beret” and “Paisley Park” and was the second record by Prince and the Revolution to hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200.
Image: Discogs
'Thriller' – Michael Jackson
Not only is the album’s title track one of the most popular music videos of all time but within a year of its release, Thriller became the best-selling album of all-time and still hasn’t been surpassed. To date, it’s estimated that a whopping 65 million copies have been sold. With MTV’s just a year prior, Thriller had the unique opportunity to be one of the first albums to rely on music videos as a promotional tool. With hits like “Thriller,” “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and “P.Y.T.,” it’s no surprise that this record is just as popular now as it was then. Since there were so many pressings of the album, the price you’ll pay for a used copy definitely doesn’t reflect the quality of the album you’re getting!
Image: Discogs
'Led Zeppelin IV' – Led Zeppelin
Though this record is technically untitled, the album with the mysterious cover image of a weathered old man carrying a bundle of sticks is typically referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, since it was the band’s fourth album. It falls into the top 10 best-selling albums of all-time, the highest ranking of all of Zeppelin’s albums, with 37 million sales. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, guitarist Jimmy Page said, “The cover wasn’t meant to antagonize the record company. It was designed as our response to the music critics who maintained that the success of our first three albums was driven by hype and not talent. So, we stripped everything away, and let the music do the talking.”
Image: Discogs