After a spectacular re-debut of 3” records for Record Store Day all we know is that Record Store Day (the organization) has promised that there would be additional titles, and possibly additional non-limited Crosley turntables released to help increase demand for the medium.
When the original 8-ban record series were released they came out in five themed series, including anime theme songs, songs from a popular children’s variety show, songs from pop groups from the 1980s, and a series of oldies from Western artists.
The three inch records released for RSD 2019 were all label-based, which was a great way to kick off a special re-release, but we thought it may be fun to pick up titles in multiple series that fit a theme. Since all of the 8-ban record series from Bandai contained 16 titles each we’re limiting our lists to only 16 titles, but if 3” records are to have any kind of sustainability (and it’s not assured that they will at this point) then having more titles in the format would be desirable for everyone who shelled-out $70 for a new turntable that can only play a few records.
This list is essentially three inch record fanfic, but while we wait for any official announcements of upcoming titles it’s fun to dream of what could be (assuming legal rights to these titles are possible to procure - these lists don’t have to worry about practicality).
Best of Saturday Morning Cartoon Theme Songs
The 1980s were the golden age of Saturday Morning Cartoons, and people of a certain age, like say, people who would be willing to buy a turntable for 3” records, may want to buy some nostalgia and hear theme songs from their lost youths.
- Transformers
- G.I. Joe
- Gummi Bears
- Thundercats
- Inspector Gadget
- Duck Tales
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Muppet Babies
- Jem and the Holograms
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
- She-Ra Princess of Power
- Care Bears
- Star Blazers
- Tiny Toon Adventures
- The Smurfs
- Batman the Animated Series
Motown Sound Part 1
Short Motown songs would be amazing on the 3” format. Here are sixteen defining tracks for the label that founded a genre of music that inspired and influenced so many artists that followed.
- Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong
- I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
- My Girl - The Temptations
- Where Did Our Love Go? - The Supremes
- I Want You Back - Jackson 5
- (Love Is Like a) Heatwave - Martha & The Vandellas
- The Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
- Baby I Need Your Lovin’ - Four Tops
- This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You) - Isley Brothers
- My Guy - Mary Wells
- Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
- Super Freak - Rick James
- War - Edwin Starr
- Superstition - Stevie Wonder
- What Becomes of the Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin
- I Just Want to Celebrate - Rare Earth
TV Theme Songs
My criteria for these is really just “great songs” that I’d love to buy on 3”. There could arguably be TV theme song series from the 1950s, 60s, 90s, etc, but these themes from the 1970s and 80s hold the biggest affection in my heart.
- Happy Days
- Laverne & Shirley
- Charles in Charge
- Fame
- The Facts of Life
- Cheers
- Family Ties
- Growing Pains
- Miami Vice
- The A-Team
- The Dukes of Hazzard
- The Love Boat
- Greatest American Hero
- The Jeffersons
- Diff’rent Strokes
- The Golden Girls
At the Movies - 1980s
Continuing with our nostalgia-fest, “At the Movies” celebrates themes and hit songs from some of the most beloved films of the 1980s…
- Ghostbusters - Ray Parker, Jr.
- Danger Zone (Top Gun) - Kenny Loggins
- 9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
- The Power of Love (Back to the Future) - Huey Lewis and the News
- The Heat is On (Beverly Hills Cop) - Glenn Frey
- Into the Groove (Desparately Seeing Susan) - Madonna
- Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) - Phil Collins
- Don’t You (Forget About Me) (The Breakfast Club) - Simple Minds
- The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough - Cyndi Lauper
- A View to a Kill - Duran Duran
- Eye of the Tiger (Rocky III) - Survivor
- Oh Yeah (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) - Yello
- Kokomo (Cocktail) - The Beach Boys
- Glory of Love (The Karate Kid Part II) - Peter Cetera
- Flashdance… What a Feeling - Irene Cara
- (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life (Dirty Dancing) - Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
At the Movies - 1990s
… and ’90s!
- I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (Armageddon) - Aerosmith
- Gangsta’s Paradise (Dangerous Minds) - Coolio
- Kiss from a Rose (Batman Forever) - Seal
- Regulate (Above the Rim) - Warren G
- Supermodel (Clueless) - Jill Sobule
- I Believe I Can Fly (Space Jam) - R. Kelly
- Lovefool (Romeo + Juliet) - The Cardigans
- A Girl Like You (Empire Records) - Edwyn Collins
- My Heart Will Go On (Titanic) - Celine Dion
- Stay (Reality Bites) - Lisa Loeb
- I Will Always Love You (The Bodyguard) - Whitney Houston
- Can You Feel the Love Tonight (The Lion King) - Elton John
- Streets of Philadelphia (Philadelphia) - Bruce Springsteen
- Wise Up (Magnolia) - Aimee Mann
- Would? (Singles) - Alice in Chains
- Miserlou (Pulp Fiction) - Dick Dale and his Del-Tones
Go Punk Yourself
Since we just got four releases from Epitaph records, why not add to that with some classic punk rock short songs.
- I Like Short Songs - Dead Kennedys
- Blitzkreig Bop - The Ramones
- London Calling - The Clash
- Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols
- Search and Destroy - The Stooges
- Repeater - Fugazi
- Institutionalized - Suicidal Tendencies
- Last Caress - Misfits
- Holiday in Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
- Complete Control - The Clash
- Kick Out the Jams - MC5
- Nervous Breakdown - Black Flag
- 21st Century Digital Boy - Bad Religion
- Blank Generation - Richard Hell and the Voidoids
- Sonic Reducer - Dead Boys
- Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
Meet the Beatles
3” records aren’t the first pocketable vinyl format. In the late 60s Philco released a series of 4” flexidiscs called “Hip Pocket Records.” They were terrible sounding and wore-out after as few as a dozen plays, but what killed them even faster was a competing format (one may say, a rip-off format) called “Pocket Disc” by Americom. Pocket Discs were also 4” flexi discs, but they were sold in vending machines and were slightly cheaper. Their biggest coup, though, was that Pocket Disc had an exclusive on some Beatles releases, and Hip Pocket Records did not.
Both formats only lasted a few years but while Hip Pocket Records regularly sell for just a few dollars on the aftermarket, Pocket Disc Beatles records routinely sell for several hundred dollars.
While they’re no longer a hot young band, they’re still The Beatles, and I can’t think of a better series that would make the 3” format skyrocket in immediate popularity than the Fab Four.
- Please Please Me
- Twist and Shout
- All My Loving
- I Saw Her Standing There
- Ticket to Ride
- A Hard Day’s Night
- Help!
- She Loves You
- I’ve Just Seen a Face
- Can’t Buy Me Love
- I Want to Hold Your Hand
- Yellow Submarine
- Penny Lane
- Tomorrow Never Knows
- Strawberry Fields Forever
- Yesterday