Hilltop

Hilltop Records was a budget-priced record label and a subsidiary of Pickwick International, launched in 1964. The label's creation was part of Pickwick's strategy to expand its presence in various musical genres, with Hilltop specifically focused on country and western music. Like other Pickwick subsidiaries, Hilltop's catalog consisted primarily of reissues and compilations of previously released material, often from other labels.

A key aspect of Hilltop's business model was its reliance on licensing deals. The label famously reissued a number of albums from the Sun Records catalog, giving new life to recordings by artists like Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. These reissues were sold at Pickwick's low price points and distributed through non-traditional outlets, making classic country music accessible to a mass market. As Pickwick's quality improved and its branding became more streamlined, Hilltop Records was eventually phased out in the mid-1960s. Its material was either re-branded under the Pickwick/33 label or reissued on other Pickwick imprints.