Budget album

Drugstore records or budget records were cheap LP albums records often sold in metal racks similar to the racks used by paperback books in drugstores or dime stores in the 1960s for prices from half to a quarter of regular LP albums.

Cheap music that looked good but didn't sound too good

Drugstore records mostly comprised popular music played or sung by unknown orchestras or singers, or conversely, once famous singers or orchestras playing music or songs that were relatively unknown. In most cases the record album would have only one cover version of a famous song or tune but exciting album cover artwork and the low price would attract customers. Sometimes the "orchestras" comprised very few musicians or were recorded outside the United States.

Brands

Labels of American Drugstore records include Crown, Custom, and Diplomat that were of no relation to other record companies of that name.

Based on the impressive sales of these cheap items, some major labels brought out their own budget records, for example RCA Records came out with RCA Camden Records, Cameo-Parkway created Wyncote Records, MGM Records released Metro Records, Liberty Records budget label was Sunset Records, and United Artists Records produced Unart Records. These mainstream offshoots often were older albums once released by the main company but due to the length of the album (on a cheaper and more brittle plastic than more expensive LP's) could only include 5 tracks on each side rather than 6.