45-SLEEVES - HOME
Revised 5/10/13

TOPS
US Labels and Company Sleeves 1954-1959

Labels
4 hits
Extended Play
Single
4 hits
240 - 1954
249 - 1954
270
294 - 1956
Tops Records was founded in 1947. They first did business by selling used jukebox singles in grocery and other stores.  With their enormous distribution facilities, Tops decided to start their own record label. It would be price oriented to compete with the Major record labels. Since they had no famous artists of their own, they would do "knock offs" of the big hits of the day. The Major companies would usually have a hit on one side and a B-side with a less desirable song, on the other. Tops took advantage of this, promoting their product as "two hits" on every record, and for only 39 cents to 49 cents, as opposed to the 79 cents for the Major labels.
The operation soon became completely vertical and Tops opened their own pressing plants.
President: Carl Doshay - Vice-President: Sam Dickerman
Parent Company: Precision Radiation Instruments Inc. 
Subsidiary labels: Mayfair, Campus, Zenith, 
11/1948: Tops Music Enterprises, 4418 S.Hoover St., Los Angeles, CA.
10/1949: Tops Music Enterprises, 4705 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA.
09/1959: Tops Records, 5810 S.Normandie Ave., Los Angeles, CA.
In 1960, Tops was bankrupt and was sold to Pickwick Records.
Extended Play
Single
Single
Single
269
to
302 - 1957
314
361 - 1959
378
to
385 - 1954
4 hits
Extended Play
263
to
404 - 1959
604
....
Sleeves
Range
Front
Back
Details
No 1
1954
to
.
America's lowest
priced record
 Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 2
.
to
.
Sleeve not available
for scan
America's lowest
priced record
   Cut notch  -  
No 3
.
to
.
Sleeve not available
for scan
"45 RPM" added (L+R)
America's greatest value
in records
   Cut notch  -  
No 4
.
to
.
"45 RPM" added (right)
"Reg. US Pat Office"
All-time Hit Series
New York 12, N.Y.
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right  
No 5
.
to
.
Sleevelope
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 6
.
to
.
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 7
.
to
.
All-time Hit Series
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 8 a
.
to
.
Tops Masterpiece Series
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 8 b
.
to
.
Tops Masterpiece Series
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 8 c
.
to
.
Tops Masterpiece Series
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 9
.
to
.
Tops Masterpiece Series
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 10 a
.
to
.
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 10 b
.
to
.
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 11
.
to
.
Standard 45 RPM
Lines behind text
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 12
.
to
.
Extended Play 45 RPM
Lines behind text
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 13
.
to
.
Extended Play 45 RPM
Lines behind text removed
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 14
.
to
.
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 15
.
to
.
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 16
.
to
.
   Curved top  Inside glued  
..
Contact for corrections
...
Thanks to Tony, NYC for scans in this section
...
Thanks to Jim Ronat, Highland, Illinois for scans in this section
...
Thanks to Middle-Earth Records for scans in this section
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Thanks to Gary L. Anderson, Albany, NY  for scans in this section
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Thanks to Franz Zeleny, Austria for info in this section
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