Mid-priced LPs

Mid-priced LPs were albums priced between budget and full price. These were used by major labels (EMI, CBS, Polydor, etc.) primarily for catalogue titles, older albums by established artists, reissues in simplified packaging and promotional price campaigns. These albums were cheaper than standard new releases, but still treated as “proper” albums but packaging was usually comparable to full‑price issues. The general price point in the 1970s was around £2.49–£2.99 and in the 1980s around £3.49–£4.99, which was usually 25–35% cheaper than full price.

Mid-priced albums consistently reaching high spots in the UK Albums Chart. In 1973 the British Market Research Bureau overturned the decision they made in 1971 to allow budget and mid-priced albums to chart alongside full-priced ones. This meant that anonymous cover albums, like the Top Of The Pops range from Hallmark, and compilations listed as 'various artists' albums were taken out of the chart, but those billed as 'official soundtracks' (to films such as A Clockwork Orange and Cabaret) were kept in. According to the Official Charts Company rules, to qualify, an album “must be the correct length and price” and “must not be classed as a budget album.” A budget album is defined as costing between £0.50 and £3.75. Therefore, mid-priced albums were usually included in the charts.

Mid‑price series began to expand in the late 1970s and by the mid-1980s they were becoming increasingly more mainstream.

In 1983, the full-priced Now That's What I Call Music series was launched by EMI/Virgin, followed by CBS/WEA's rival Hits Album series a year later and Chrysalis/MCA's Out Now! in 1985. From this point in the 1980s, every regular edition of Now That's What I Call Music topped the albums chart (apart from Now 4 which was kept of the number one spot by the first ever Hits Album), with these albums from the three major-label joint-ventures joined in the charts by many albums from all the regular compilation specialists like K-Tel, Telstar and Stylus. As the amount of compilations in the chart were keeping out artists from reaching number one or charting at all, it was decided that all the various artist albums would be removed from the Official Albums Chart Top 100. In January 1989, all the various artist compilation albums were removed from the Top 100 albums chart and given their own Top 20 chart.

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