Pop

Buying pop records: from Prince to chanson

In short: The Vinyl Room currently has 955 pop records – across seven decades: vocal albums of the fifties and sixties, eighties synth-pop and soul-pop, French chanson and current albums up to The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey. One clear focus is Prince – currently 72 records across the shop, one of the artists we have the most of.

What counts as pop here?

Pop is the widest term in the shop. It covers the great voices of the fifties and sixties such as Eydie Gormé, the synth-pop of the Pet Shop Boys, the soul and funk pop of Prince, Madonna and Janet Jackson, chanson from Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, and indie pop from Lykke Li and Björk. Many records therefore also appear under soul & funk, electronic or rock – depending on how the edition is classified.

Why collect pop on vinyl?

Because pop albums are still conceived as a whole, with cover, inner sleeve and lyrics – and because many editions came out in small runs. With eighties classics the country of pressing matters: a European, US or Japanese edition can differ in cover and inserts. An example from our Plattenparty stream: Starship’s “Knee Deep in the Hoopla” with “We Built This City” as a European first pressing – called in the stream (translated) “commercially the strongest Starship record”. ▶ Plattenparty video at 2:31:51

Prince on vinyl

Prince’s early albums came out on Warner Bros. From 1985 his own label Paisley Park was added (via Warner Bros.), from the mid-nineties NPG Records. Collectors look for the early US originals, the 12-inch singles with long versions, and the late albums that only came out on vinyl in small runs. All records: Prince at The Vinyl Room.

From our stock

Prince

Synth-pop

Chanson

Vocal & ballads

Browse by style: Synth-pop · Chanson · Indie pop · Vocal · Ballad · Europop

FAQ

Why is a record listed under pop and under soul or rock? Because many albums combine several styles. We classify by the details of each edition – so you can find it either way.

Which labels did Prince release on? Mainly Warner Bros. until the mid-nineties, including his own Paisley Park label from 1985, and then NPG Records.

Do you have new pop records? Yes, some are new and still sealed. You’ll find them in the filter under “Mint / Sealed”.

What is chanson? French song with the focus on lyrics and voice – here for example Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin.

→ Grading explained · How to spot a first pressing · The Collector’s Room · Plattenparty on YouTube