A Record Collector's Guide

This page details the entire series of the first Sub Pop Singles Club, which covered 61 titles (63 records) from November 1988 to December 1993.  These singles are all also covered within my even more extensive Sub Pop Singles By Catalogue Number pages (see menu).

SP23 Nirvana

Love Buzz b/w Big Cheese

Sub Pop SP23, released November 1988

Sub Pop Singles Club #1

Nirvana's legendary first single.  1000 hand-numbered copies, 200 additional copies with red marker across the number space on the sleeve.  All are on transparent black vinyl.  The value fluctuates wildly on this record.  Even if you catch it in a downswing, however, it will cost you an awful lot of money.  Check out sliver.it for the full details.  I cannot do a better job than that.  However, the basic ways to recognize a real one are: 1. The names Alice Wheeler and Susan Sasic on the back of the sleeve are legible.  2. The side A trail-off wax reads: Why don't you trade those guitars for shovels? L-31540 SP-23-A kdisc; side B reads: L-31540X SP-23-B kdisc.

Note that there are MANY bootlegs out there (also see sliver.it for details).  They are not terribly difficult to spot once you know what to look for.  Remarkably, the bootlegs also sell for a considerable amount of money...at one point in 2008, the fakes were going for over $300.  Asinine.

Test Pressing

SP26 Sonic Youth/Mudhoney Split 7"

Touch Me I'm Sick b/w Halloween

Sub Pop SP26, released December 1988

Sub Pop Singles Club #2

Glitterhouse GR0056 - Split 12" (Germany)

500 on clear vinyl and 2500 on translucent black (some may be on solid black).  Sonic Youth and Mudhoney cover each other.  A classic.

Test Pressing

SP28 Flaming Lips

Drug Machine b/w Strychnine/(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding

Sub Pop SP28, released January 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #3

Glitterhouse GR0043 (Germany)

1500 copies, all on black vinyl.  Many of these are on solid black vinyl, but some are out there on translucent black.  Based on the number of these I have seen, I would guess it is about 2:1 solid/translucent.

Test Pressing

SP29 Les Thugs

Chess and Crimes b/w Sunday Time

Sub Pop SP29, released February 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #4

1500 copies, all on black vinyl.

Test Pressing

SP30 Helios Creed

Nothing Wrong b/w The Sky

Sub Pop SP30, released March 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #5

1500 copies, all on black vinyl.

SP32 The Afghan Whigs

I Am the Sticks b/w White Trash Party 7"

Sub Pop SP32, released April 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #6

Limited to 1500 copies, all on black vinyl.  The version of "White Trash Party" on this single is a different version from the one that was released on the Up in It album.  After many years, I came across a copy that contained an early loose Singles Club insert.  This one appears to have been designed specifically for this release.

Loose Insert

Test Pressing

SP35 Mad Daddys

Take Me Back to Woodstock b/w Alligator Wine

Sub Pop SP35, released May 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #7

Limited to 1500 copies, all on black vinyl.  The labels are misnumbered; they say it is SP31...it isn't.

SP37 Tad/Pussy Galore Split 7"

Damaged I b/w Damaged II

Sub Pop SP37, released June 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #8

Limited to 2500 copies, all on black vinyl.  Both bands cover Black Flag songs.  This was the first real appearance of the Singles Club enrollment form insert.  The inserts started showing up with every Sub Pop single for a year or two in this photocopied cutout format, before eventually giving way to the attached printed insert.

Loose Insert

SP39 Das Damen

Sad Mile b/w Making Time

Sub Pop SP39, released July 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #9

Limited to 1500 copies, all on black vinyl.

Loose Insert

SP40 Rapeman

Inki's Butt Crack b/w Song Number One

Sub Pop SP40, released August 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #10

Limited to 2500 copies, 1000 on clear vinyl and 1500 on black vinyl.  After a steady run of consistent value, the price of the clear vinyl version has been rising.

Loose Insert

Test Pressing

SP43 Lazy Cowgirls

Loretta b/w Hybrid Moments

Sub Pop SP43, released September 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club single #11

Limited to 2000 copies, 1000 on clear vinyl and 1000 on black vinyl.  I always thought there were 1200 clear, but Sub Pop says it was 1000, so...well, I am believing that at the moment.

Loose Insert

Test Pressing

SP46 Lonely Moans

Shoot the Cool b/w Texas Love Goat

Sub Pop SP46, released October 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club single #12

Limited to 2000 copies, 1200 on red vinyl and 800 on black vinyl.  The test pressing of this record was on purple vinyl.

Loose Insert

Test Pressing - Maroon

Test Pressing - Purple

SP51 Honeymoon Killers

Get It Hot b/w Gettin' Hot

Sub Pop SP51, November 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #13

2000 copies pressed, 1200 on red vinyl and 800 on black vinyl.

Loose Insert

SP52 Fugazi

Song # 1 b/w Joe# 1/Break-in

Sub Pop SP52, December 1989

Sub Pop Singles Club #14

This single has the distinction of being the only Fugazi record not on Dischord (so I'm told).  2000 copies pressed, 1200 on green vinyl and 800 on black vinyl.  It has a weird sleeve, pressed on velum and laid over a beige inner sleeve.

Loose Insert

Printed Inner Sleeve

SP58 L7

Shove b/w Packin' a Rod

Sub Pop SP58, released January 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #15

Sub Pop SP1/105 - Shove b/w Fast (Germany)

3000 copies pressed: 1200 on green and 1800 on black.

Loose Insert

Test Pressing

SP50 Dwarves

She's Dead b/w Fuckhead

Sub Pop SP50, released February 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #16

Limited to 3000 copies, 1500 on white vinyl and 1500 on black vinyl.  There are solid and translucent black versions, but the translucent black is MUCH more common.  Supposedly, there was a second pressing of this one of about 50 on purple vinyl.  I have never seen one of these.  I am not convinced they exist.

Loose Insert

SP53 Big Chief

Chrome Helmet b/w Blowout Kit

Sub Pop SP53, released March 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #17

3000 copies pressed, 1500 on white vinyl and 1500 on black vinyl.  Okay, the insert situation is a little screwy with this record.  Many just came with the normal loose paper insert (see A below).  I found one that clearly had not been touched since its release.  It contained a catalogue that had insert A incorporated into it (see B below), along with a credit card survey printed on dot matrix paper (C).  Then...I heard from somebody who received two band photographs along with their copy.

Loose Insert	Insert B - Side 1	Insert B - Side 2	Insert C
Photo Insert

SP65 Lubricated Goat

Meating My Head b/w 20th Century Rake

Sub Pop SP65, released April 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #18

3500 copies total: 2000 on gold (yellow), 1500 on black.

Loose Insert

Test Pressing

SP66 Babes in Toyland

House b/w Arriba

Sub Pop SP66, released May 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #19

Limited to 3500 copies, 2000 on gold (yellow) vinyl, 1500 on black vinyl.  When I was selling my last big set of records, someone emailed me to tell me of a red vinyl version of this one.  He said that there were a few made, but they didn't play correctly, so they were scrapped.  He also said that there was a version of the sleeve with an alternate picture on it.  I am skeptical.  I have never seen of heard of either of these things before or since.  It is a rumor, though, so I am including it.

Loose Insert

SP71 Thee Headcoats

Time Will Tell b/w Davey Crockett (Gabba-Hay!)

Sub Pop SP71, released June 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #20

Limited to 4000 copies, 2000 on blue vinyl and 2000 on black vinyl.

Attached Insert

SP72 Rollins Band

I Know You b/w Earache My Eye

Sub Pop SP72, released July 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #21

Limited to 4000 copies, 2000 on color vinyl (pink marble and red) and 2000 on black vinyl.  The red ones are by far the rarest.  I don't know precisely how many red copies were pressed, but I probably see one red for every 10-15 pink ones I come across.  There are also several variations of the pink version.  There is an in-between-colors version, which is a combination of the pink and black, which basically ends up basically being purple.  I consider it part of the pink set.  There are some normal pink ones that have bits of brown in them, and there are some darker pink marble copies.  I have included scans below.

Attached Insert

SP75 Sister Ray

The King b/w Push Me

Sub Pop SP75, released August 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #22

Limited to 4000 copies: 2500 on green marble vinyl and 1500 on black vinyl.  The test pressings were on green marble vinyl.

Attached Insert

Test Pressing

SP76 Unsane

Vandal-X b/w Streetsweeper

Sub Pop SP76, released September 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #23

This single was the source of some confusion at one point.  An early discography listed it as a 4000 copy pressing, with 2500 on green vinyl and 1500 on black.  The pressing plant must have been short on the green, because it ended up being 2500 yellow and 1500 black.  The yellow ones are mostly yellow marble, but there are also some clear yellow copies available.  They are much rarer.  It seems that whatever was included in the pressing that made it opaque and marbled with white ran out, leaving a handful of clear yellow copies.  Most have slight white marbling, and some have bits of black marbling (which happened as the pressing transitioned from yellow to black).  Check out the comparative pictures below.
To complicate matters, there were a handful of green marble copies that made it to the market.  They are by far the rarest variety.  A fellow collector got one from a former Sub Pop employee, who said that there were 50 of these made and given to the band.  I would believe this figure, as they are very tough to come by.
But wait, there's more!  In December, 2009, I happened upon an even rarer version of the green Unsane record (which I did not think was possible).  There is a mispressed version on green marble vinyl, on which the wrong plate was used for side A.  The A-side is the A-side from SP74 Beat Happening, and the B-side is from the Unsane record.  As soon as I realized this, I checked the other green copy I had, and that one is the correct Unsane record on both sides.  This one is Beat Happening on A, and Unsane on B, with Unsane sleeve and labels.  I cannot even begin to guess what this one is worth.

Attached Insert	Test Pressing

SP83 Soundgarden

Room a Thousand Years Wide b/w H.I.V. Baby

Sub Pop SP83, released September 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club Bonus

Limited to 5000 copies, 1500 on purple vinyl and 3500 on black vinyl.

Attached Insert

Test Pressing

SP88 Poster Children

Thinner, Stronger b/w Pointed Stick

Sub Pop SP88, released October 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #24

Limited to 4500 copies, 3000 on pinkish-red marble vinyl and 1500 on black vinyl.  Some will call the color vinyl version of this single pink, some will call it red.  It's the same thing in this case.

Attached Insert

Test Pressing

SP86 Poison Idea

Taken By Surprise b/w We Got the Beat

SP86, released November 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #25

Limited to 4500 copies, 3000 on mint green marble vinyl and 1500 on black vinyl.  Much like many of the other records listed here, the color vinyl version sells for more, even though there are twice as many in existence.  People like pretty colors...

Attached Insert

SP96 The Reverend Horton Heat

Psychobilly Freakout b/w Baby, You Know Who

Sub Pop SP96, released December 1990

Sub Pop Singles Club #26

Limited to 6500 copies.  Based on the pressing patterns of that time period, I always thought the breakdown was 3500 on blue marble vinyl and 3000 on black, but Sub Pop says there were 4000 on blue, which means the black one is much rarer.  It is usually cheaper, though.  Just to confuse us, Sub Pop released the Smoke 'Em if You Got 'Em album with the same catalogue number.  Take that, rationality.

Attached Insert

SP97 The Fluid/Nirvana Split 7"

Candy (live) b/w Molly's Lips (live)

Sub Pop SP97, released January 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #27

7500 total pressed - 4000 on green marble vinyl, 3500 on black.  The green marble ones have varying degrees of marbling.  There are even some that are solid green (see pic below).  Copies that are solid green or those that are mixed green and black vinyl command much more money.  The more the green and black are mixed, the more they fetch.  Some fakes have surfaced of the black version - see sliver.it for details.

Attached Insert	Test Pressing
	Green Marble	Solid Green	Green/Black Mix

SP102 Velvet Monkeys

Rock the Nation b/w Why Don't We Do It in the Road?

Sub Pop SP102, released February 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #28

Limited to 7000 copies, 4000 on clear vinyl and 3000 on black vinyl.  This one can be found at any record store in the world at any time.  I am convinced this is true.

Attached Insert

Test Pressing

SP103 Unrest

A Factory Record

Deaf/UFO b/w Sex Machine/When It All Comes Down

Sub Pop SP103, released March 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #29

Limited to 7000 copies, 4000 on lilac vinyl and 3000 on black.  Well...I thought it was that simple.  Many people call the lilac one pink.  That's a fair assessment.  Slightly misleading, though.  It's more of a lavender (and officially, it's lilac). I thought there was no pink one. Then I found a pink one.  Oops.  It looks like it is part of the lilac pressing, but that they ran out of the marbling colors.  The result: it's pink, and very rare.  See pics.  In real life, it is more pink than in the picture. It is a distinct difference.

Attached Insert	Test Pressing

SP108 Shonen Knife

Neon Zebra b/w Bear Up Bison

Sub Pop SP108, released April 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #30

Limited to 5000 grey copies.  This was one of the records that was pressed in Germany.

Attached Insert

SP109 Urge Overkill

Now That's the Barclords! b/w What's This Generation Coming To

Sub Pop SP109, released May 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #31

Limited to 5000 copies, all on neon yellow vinyl.  This was another in the brief German pressing era.

Attached Insert

SP121 V/A

Tribute to Alice Cooper 2 x 7" - Sonic Youth/Gumball/Laughing Hyenas/These Immortal Souls

Sub Pop SP121, released June 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #32/33

This was sent out as a double single, and so it counted and the June and July Singles Club singles.  Limited to 5500 copies, mostly on black vinyl, with a handful on blue-grey marble vinyl.  The blue set is really difficult to get.  I don't think it was really supposed to be pressed in blue.  The A-side label says "Limited Edition Black Vinyl," and the D-side label says, "they're all black, sucker."  I found a blue copy after a very long search, and I paid more than the price listed here to get it.  Be warned.

Test Pressing - Side A	Test Pressing - Side C

SP115 Come

Car b/w Last Mistake

Sub Pop SP115, released August 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #34

Sub Pop SP35/192 - Car 12"/CDS (Germany)

Limited to 4500 copies, all on white vinyl.  From this point on, most of the rest of the singles were predominantly released on one color of vinyl (with a few notable exceptions...keep reading...).

Test Pressing

SP119 Gorilla

Detox Man b/w Sober

Sub Pop SP119, released September 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #35

Limited to 4500 copies, all on grey marble vinyl.

Test Pressing

SP134 Gories

Give Me Some Money b/w You Don't Love Me

Sub Pop SP134, released October 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #36

Limited to 4500 copies, almost all on red vinyl.  This one is fun for so many reasons, not the least of which is the band covers Spinal Tap.  The Dirtbombs' popularity has caused the value of this single to rise.  An early discography cited this as "100 copies on red, 1500 copies on blue marble, 2900 copies on pink".  This is very, very wrong.  That may have been the original plan for the pressing of this single, but it did not work out that way.  Almost every copy is on red vinyl.  However...there are very few blue marble and pink copies out there.  I thought for a while that they were equally rare, but I have now seen 6 or 7 blue copies, and still only one pink one.  Regardless, they are both very rare.

SP135 Love Battery

Foot b/w Mr. Soul

Sub Pop SP135, released November 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #37

4000 copies released on green marble vinyl.  "Mr. Soul" is a Buffalo Springfield cover.

Test Pressing

SP136 Green Magnet School

Singed b/w Slipper

Sub Pop SP136, released December 1991

Sub Pop Singles Club #38

Limited to 4000 copies, all on gold (yellow) vinyl.

SP137 Tsunami/Velocity Girl

Left Behind b/w Warm/Crawl

Sub Pop SP137, released January 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #39

Limited to 4000 copies, all on pink vinyl.

SP140 V/A

Smells Like Smoked Sausages 2 x 7"

Tar - Deep Throw/Cows - My Girl/Helmet - Oven/Surgery - Our Demise/Vertigo - Dynamite Cigar/Helios Creed - Hideous Greed/Boss Hog - Fire of Love/God Bullies - Bullet

Sub Pop SP140, released February 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #40/41

As a double single, this counted as the February and March Singles Club installments.  Limited to 5000 copies, all on pink vinyl - the first record is on clear pink vinyl, and the second is on pink marble vinyl.  It also came with a two-sided pink insert correcting the completely mixed-up track listing on the sleeve.  It also advertised upcoming releases and merch.

Insert - Side 1	Insert - Side 2	Test Pressing - Side A	Test Pressing - Side C

SP149 Mecca Normal b/w Kreviss

You Heard It All/Broken Flowers b/w Going To Hell

Sub Pop SP149, released April 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #42

3500 copies, all on dark green marble vinyl...it's a really great color of vinyl, and I don't think it was ever used again for Sub Pop.

SP148 Pain Teens

Death Row Eyes b/w The Smell

Sub Pop SP148, released May 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #43

Limited to 3285 copies...no, really.  Those numbers actually came from Sub Pop.  There were 1841 blue marble copies, 1234 on white vinyl, and a mere 210 on aqua colored vinyl.  The aqua is a green color (some are more green than others).  Some confuse the blue with the aqua.  When you see them side by side, it is very easy to tell the difference.  It seems that there is quite the color range for the blue copies, from dark blue marble to light powder blue.  The powder blue ones are clearly a subset of the 1841 blue marble copies, but exactly how many are on powder blue vinyl, we will never know.  It is pretty rare.

SP154 Rocket from the Crypt

Normal Carpet Ride b/w Where are the Fuckers/Slumber Queen/Flip the Bird

Sub Pop SP154, released June 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #44

Limited to 2916 copies, all on blue vinyl.  The unconditional love of Rocket from the Crypt meets Sub Pop.  Fabulous single.

Test Pressing

SP155 Codeine

Realize b/w Broken-Hearted Wine

Sub Pop SP155, released July 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #45

Limited to 2933 copies, almost entirely on clear vinyl.  There are very few copies on white vinyl on the market.  It is not easy to find.  Despite its scarcity, it doesn't sell for that much.

SP158 Crackerbash

Nov. 1 b/w Halloween Candy

Sub Pop SP158, released August 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #46

Limited to 2752 copies, all on lavender vinyl.

SP159 Mono Men

Skin and Bones b/w Comanche

Sub Pop SP159, released September 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #47

Limited to 2746 copies, all on blue marble vinyl.  The degree of marbling varies from one copy to another.  There are some out there that are basically solid blue.

Test Pressing

SP173 Big Damn Crazyweight

Might as Well b/w Off That Cow

Sub Pop SP173, released October 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #48

Limited to 2341 copies, all on yellow vinyl.  See how easy this is when there's only one color?  Where's the fun in that, though?

Test Pressing

SP174 Antiseen

We Got This Far (Without You) b/w (We Will Not) Remember You

Sub Pop SP174, released November 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #49

Limited to 2205 copies, all on "magenta" vinyl.  They call it magenta.  Yeah, it's red.  I suppose it has a slight pink tint to it...but really, it's red.  Come on, now, people.

Test Pressing

SP180 Jon Spencer

Big Yule Log Boogie b/w My Christmas Wish

Sub Pop SP180, released December 1992

Sub Pop Singles Club #50

Limited to 2218 copies, all on green vinyl...in theory...however, I came across a Wolverton Brothers single in 2007 on a clear-grey vinyl that I had never seen before.  Well, on Sub Pop's discography page, I noticed this:

"SP180 - JOHN SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION - BIG YULE LOG BOOGIE / MY CHRISTMAS WISH - GREEN VINYL (SOME FUCKUPS CLEAR LILAC VINYL W/WOLVERTON LABLES & SLEEVES)"

Well, I went back and checked, and sure enough...it's the Jon Spencer record.  It looks as though they mixed up the catalogue numbers of the two releases in the trail-off wax, and it led to this error pressing.  So there you go...there is a very rare version of the Jon Spencer Singles Club record on clear lilac vinyl, with Wolverton Brothers labels and sleeves.  Crazy.

Error Press

SP181 Wolverton Brothers

My Assassin b/w Max Gomez Love

Sub Pop SP181, released January 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #51

Limited to 2015 copies, all on white vinyl.  There is a mispress of the SP180 Jon Spencer record out there on clear lilac vinyl (see above) with Wolverton Brothers labels and sleeves.  It is very rare, but it is not actually the Wolverton Brothers record.

SP199 Bewitched

Hey White Homey b/w Troll Doll

Sub Pop SP199, released February 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #52

Limited to 2000 copies, all on yellow vinyl.

SP200 Dead Moon

Dirty Noise b/w Dark Deception

Sub Pop SP200, released March 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #53

Limited to 2125 copies, all on clear vinyl.  There has been renewed interest in this single since 2008.  It has been selling for a lot more money in auctions.

Test Pressing

SP203 Royal Trux

Steal Yr Face b/w Gett Off

Sub Pop SP203, released April 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #54

Limited to 2000 copies, all on dark purple marble vinyl.  This might be my favorite color of vinyl ever.

Test Pressing

SP204 The SF Seals

Nowherica b/w Being Cheated

Sub Pop SP204, released May 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #55

Limited to 2000 copies, all on pink vinyl.

SP213 Severin

Beagles! Beagles!

Waste of Time b/w Powerplay

Sub Pop SP213, released June 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #56

Limited to 2000 copies, all on green vinyl.

SP214 Ween

Skycruiser b/w Cruise Control

Sub Pop SP214, released July 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #57

Limited to 2000 copies, all on pink vinyl.  I don't know what it was about Ween that created an obsessive fan base, but they certainly did that.

SP219 Snow Bud and the Flower People

Killer Bud b/w Third Shelf

Sub Pop SP219, released August 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #58

Limited to 2000 copies, all on mint green marble vinyl.

SP236 Combustible Edison

Cry Me a River b/w Satan Says...

Sub Pop SP236, released September 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #59

Limited to 2070 copies, all on black vinyl.

SP240 Pigface

Empathy b/w Steamroller

Sub Pop SP240, released October 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #60

Limited to 1500 copies, all on clear vinyl.

SP241 Didjits

Dear Junkie b/w Skull Baby/Fire in the Hole

Sub Pop SP241, released November 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #61

Limited to 1500 copies, all on orange marble vinyl.

SP251 Lou Barlow

I Am Not Mocking You/Survival/Helpless Heartbreak b/w Dirty Mind/Forever Instant

Sub Pop SP251, released December 1993

Sub Pop Singles Club #62

Limited to 1500 copies, all on pink vinyl.  This was it...the end of the first run of the Singles Club.  There is also a hot pink marble variation of this one, which is much harder to find.