Cheap Thrills  by Big Brother & The Holding Company

Cheap Thrills is the second studio album by the American rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, which was released on August 12, 1968, by Columbia Records. It represents the most significant milestone in Janis Joplin's career, as it was her last album with the band before starting her solo career in December of the same year. The original title was Sex, Dope And Cheap Thrills, but it was rejected by Columbia Records as provocative.

Despite sounding like a live recording due to the added audience noise, only the track Ball And Chain was truly recorded live on stage (at Fillmore East). The other parts were recorded in the studio to convey the explosive energy of their concerts. It includes classic performances such as Summertime (a cover of George Gershwin) and Piece Of My Heart, which became a huge hit on the charts. It remained at No.1 on the Billboard for eight non-consecutive weeks in 1968 and is considered one of the most significant albums of psychedelic rock. The iconic comic-book cover was designed by underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. Each panel of the comic corresponds to a song or member of the band.

The album recorded sales of over 2,000,000 copies in the U.S. The immense success of the album and the attention given to Janis Joplin accelerated the dissolution of her collaboration with the band at the end of 1968.