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Vinyl Records Guide: Pick-Your-Own Rock, Pop, Country, and Thriller LP Choices

Compare four vinyl records choices, from pick-your-own used rock and pop LPs to a new Michael Jackson Thriller gatefold LP, with roles for different collectors.

Last updated Jul 8

Choosing vinyl records often comes down to a simple question: do you want one specific album, or do you want to browse a pick-your-own pool of used LPs by genre, artist, and grade? The four choices here split neatly between flexible used-record assortments and one defined new album, so the best pick depends on how much certainty you want before the record arrives.

Quick take

  • Best for browsing 70s and 80s names: *You pick - 70's & 80's Rock/Pop Vinyl Records LP - Many Titles - Cars, Police* brings together artists such as Culture Club, Duran Duran, Foreigner, John Mellencamp, Michael Jackson, Rick James, The Cars, and The Police.
  • Lowest listed price: *ALL $5.99 Vinyl Records No Limit You Pick & Choose Rock+ LP A-F Flat $6 Shipping* is the least expensive option in the group and focuses on used rock LPs.
  • Most specific album choice: *Michael Jackson - Thriller [New Vinyl LP] Gatefold LP Jacket* is the clear pick if you want Thriller rather than a rotating assortment-style choice.
  • Best rock-plus-country angle: *ALL $9.99 Vinyl Records You Pick & Choose Rock, Country+ LP Flat $6 Shipping* adds a country rock direction while still staying in a used pick-and-choose LP format.

Listed price comparison

The spread runs from $5.99 to $23.47, with the lowest listed price sitting 74% below the highest. The main divide is not just cost: the lower-priced choices are used pick-your-own records, while the top-priced choice is a new, named Michael Jackson LP.

Vinyl records choiceListed pricePrice bar
ALL $5.99 Vinyl Records No Limit You Pick & Choose Rock+ LP A-F Flat $6 ShippingUSD 5.99
ALL $9.99 Vinyl Records You Pick & Choose Rock, Country+ LP Flat $6 ShippingUSD 9.99
You pick - 70's & 80's Rock/Pop Vinyl Records LP - Many Titles - Cars, PoliceUSD 15.00
Michael Jackson - Thriller [New Vinyl LP] Gatefold LP JacketUSD 23.47

Decision matrix

If you care most about...Start with...Why it fits
A broad 70s and 80s rock/pop poolYou pick - 70's & 80's Rock/Pop Vinyl Records LPThe artist list includes The Cars, The Police, Duran Duran, Foreigner, and Michael Jackson, with pop and rock named as genres.
A low entry point for used rock LPsALL $5.99 Vinyl Records No Limit You Pick & Choose Rock+ LP A-FIt is the lowest-priced pick and is built around miscellaneous used rock records.
A new copy of one famous albumMichael Jackson - Thriller [New Vinyl LP] Gatefold LP JacketThe title, artist, format, condition, and gatefold jacket feature all point to one specific LP.
A used LP pool with country rock includedALL $9.99 Vinyl Records You Pick & Choose Rock, Country+ LPThe attributes name rock as the genre and country rock as the style, with various artists.

Concise product notes

You pick - 70's & 80's Rock/Pop Vinyl Records LP

You pick - 70's & 80's Rock/Pop Vinyl Records LP - Many Titles - Cars, Police

This is the most appealing route if you like choosing among familiar 70s and 80s rock/pop names rather than locking onto a single album from the start. The artist list spans Culture Club, Duran Duran, Foreigner, John Mellencamp, Michael Jackson, Rick James, The Cars, and The Police, which gives it a broader pop-and-rock feel than the more genre-specific rock pools. The format is a 12-inch, 33 RPM vinyl record in a cardboard sleeve. The tradeoff is that it is used, and the description makes grading central to the choice: the disc and cover grades matter, and covers below NM are described as showing wear.

ALL $5.99 Vinyl Records No Limit You Pick & Choose Rock+ LP A-F

ALL $5.99 Vinyl Records No Limit You Pick & Choose Rock+ LP A-F Flat $6 Shipping

For shoppers trying to keep the first selection modest, this N_u_0208SLa pick is the lowest-priced choice in the comparison. It is a used LP format built around miscellaneous artists, with rock named as the genre and an example selection line that includes Chicago. The description frames many copies as VG or better, with many described as VG+ at the time of writing, and emphasizes "player copies." The limitation is built into that same used-record framing: light marks and some surface noise are described as possible, so this is better for listening-oriented buyers than for anyone seeking a pristine collectible presentation.

Michael Jackson - Thriller [New Vinyl LP] Gatefold LP Jacket

Michael Jackson - Thriller New Vinyl LP Gatefold LP Jacket

This is the cleanest decision if your goal is not browsing but owning *Thriller* on vinyl. The title names Michael Jackson, the release title is Thriller, the condition is new, and the feature callout is a gatefold LP jacket. The genre is Soul/R & B, and the track list includes well-known album cuts such as "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," "Thriller," "Beat It," "Billie Jean," "Human Nature," and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)." Its limitation is the opposite of the pick-and-choose lots: it is not a multi-title browsing option, and it sits at the high end of the listed price range among these four records choices.

ALL $9.99 Vinyl Records You Pick & Choose Rock, Country+ LP

ALL $9.99 Vinyl Records You Pick & Choose Rock, Country+ LP Flat $6 Shipping

Also from N_u_0208SLa, this option is a good middle ground for someone who likes the pick-your-own format but wants the title's rock and country mix rather than only a rock A-F pool. The attributes name various artists, 12-inch vinyl, rock as the genre, and country rock as the style; the example line includes The Cars' *Candy-O* with vinyl/jacket grading shown. The description also references visual grading and solid player copies. The limitation is that it remains a used-record assortment, so the exact appeal depends on which album title and grade combination you select within that format.

How to choose among them

If you already know the album you want, the *Michael Jackson - Thriller [New Vinyl LP] Gatefold LP Jacket* choice is the most direct. It avoids the uncertainty of browsing multiple used titles because the artist and release title are fixed. The higher listed price is easier to justify when the goal is that exact album in new condition with the gatefold jacket feature.

If you prefer digging through used vinyl records, the decision becomes about genre scope and tolerance for condition variation. The 70s and 80s rock/pop pick has the broadest named artist mix, and it is especially suited to shoppers drawn to The Cars, The Police, Duran Duran, Foreigner, Culture Club, or John Mellencamp. Because the description stresses album and cover grades, it fits buyers who are comfortable weighing media and jacket condition before choosing.

The two N_u_0208SLa options are closer to each other. The lower-priced rock A-F pool is the better starting point when the main goal is an inexpensive used LP player copy. The rock/country option is the better match when country rock belongs in the search alongside rock. Both are used pick-and-choose formats, so their strength is selection flexibility rather than the certainty of a single named album.

Final recommendation

For a single, specific record, choose Michael Jackson - Thriller [New Vinyl LP] Gatefold LP Jacket because the title, new condition, Thriller release title, and gatefold LP jacket feature all align around one clear album. For browsing used vinyl records, start with You pick - 70's & 80's Rock/Pop Vinyl Records LP if the artist mix is the draw, or choose ALL $5.99 Vinyl Records No Limit You Pick & Choose Rock+ LP A-F if the lowest listed price matters most. Pick ALL $9.99 Vinyl Records You Pick & Choose Rock, Country+ LP when the rock-plus-country direction is more useful than the A-F rock pool.

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