Category: Music

Year: 1930
Record label: Paramount
Worth Today: $37,100*

Who doesn’t love a rare blues record? Tommy Johnson released Alcohol and Jake Blues in 1930 after landing a distribution deal with Paramount. Even back then, that was a huge deal. The master tapes to the record no longer exist, making every single copy (and there are few) invaluable.

Tommy Johnson | Wikipedia.org

Johnson was one of the most influential American Delta blues musicians to record during the late twenties, and his style influenced the styles of other artists (whose vinyls are likely worth a pretty penny nowadays) like Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Nighthawk, and Canned Heat, a band that got its name from Johnson’s song, “Big Road Blues.”

In 2013, buyer John Tefteller shelled out $37,100 to become the proud new owner of one copy. He already had one, but according to him, this version was in much better condition. The purchase made sense to him as the vinyl is just so rare it would be stupid not to buy it!

Year: 1966
Record label: Capitol Records
Worth Today: $125,000*

Sometimes, it’s not just the record itself that draws attention, but the artwork. 1966’s Yesterday & Today by The Beatles proved to be famous for more than just John and Paul’s lyrical talents. The compilation album originally had the band on the cover covered in meat. The record label wasn’t too thrilled so decided to swap it out for something more palatable.

article-image-old-vinyl-that-could-be-worth-thousands-the-beatles-yesterday-today-2

Yesterday and Today was the Beatles’ ninth album on Capitol Records, and it actually contained songs that Capitol refused to release from the band’s EMI albums. It also had songs that the Beatles released elsewhere in non-album form. The idea was to drive up fan purchasing, and Capitol ended up being very successful in that.

There are a select few versions of the album with the original cover still circulating. In February 2013, one such copy sold for $125,000. That’s a lot of money to spend on one circular piece of plastic, but it’s gold dust to collectors.

Year: 1984
Record Label: Festival Records
Worth Today: $9,000*

Irish superstars U2 have made an absolute fortune from their body of work. Back in the ‘80s, they were busy recording “Pride (In The Name of Love).” While usual copies of the record are everywhere, it’s the Australian presses that are incredibly rare and noteworthy.

U2 @Julie Kay / Pinterest.com | Pride (In The Name Of Love) (1984) @zarank_fuppa / Twitter.com

The lead single of the album, “Pride,” was written about civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. At the time, it received mixed critical reviews, but it has gone on to be one of the band’s most well-known, popular songs. “Pride” has been on countless compilations since the band’s early days.

There are said to be only 50 copies of the translucent vinyl ever made, but a large portion of those no longer exist. We can’t be sure exactly how many copies remain, but when they do surface they can sell for around $9,000. Bono won’t be buying it though – he’s not a massive fan of the song.

Year: 1973
Record Label: Columbia
Worth Today: $5,000*

Many people might assume that Bruce Springsteen found instant success when he released Born to Run, but he had been hard at the grind for some time prior. His first single was 1973’s “Spirit in the Night.” At the time of its release it largely went unnoticed, but when The Boss hit the bigtime the single became increasingly sought after.

Bruce Springsteen @Gail Mihalkanin / Pinterest.com | Spirit in the Night (1973) / Wikipedia.org

Only a limited amount were pressed, so if you have a promotional copy lurking in your record collection it could fetch hundreds. The originals come at a much heftier cost, usually setting lucky buyers back around $5,000.

The backstory behind “Spirit in the Night” is interesting. Clive Davis, upon receiving Springsteen’s debut album, became concerned about commercial appeal after he received the record. He refused to release it without more singles, and that led to Springsteen writing “Spirit in the Night,” as well as “Blinded by the Light.”

Year: 1968
Record label: London
Worth Today: $17,000*

In 1968, could pre-fame Rolling Stones have realized just how lasting their legacy would last? Probably not. The band was too busy dating gorgeous women and living the jetset life of rock ‘n’ roll stars to think about hardly anything other than music.

The Rolling Stones – Street Fighting Man (1968) ©GAB Archive/Getty Images | @StonesData / Twitter.com

Never ones to shy away from controversy, the band originally featured a harsh black and white image of a policeman standing over injured protesters on the sleeve for “Street Fighting Man.” The record label decided this wasn’t a good idea for the time and destroyed all the copies of the original. Only 18 of the records made it out alive. In 2011, one of these rarities sold for $17,000.

Later, in 1995, Mick Jagger would be interviewed in Rolling Stone by Jann Wenner, and he didn’t hold back. Jagger said that he thought that the seventies’ unrest was “a very good thing.” Jagger, according to his bandmates, was even part of the Grosvenor Square demonstrations and was arrested and charged by police.

Year: 1958
Record label: Kensington
Worth Today: $3,500*

Before Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon found Ringo Starr and became The Beatles, they were busy trying to make a name for themselves as The Quarrymen. In a bid to take their first steps to success, the group recorded a cover of Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be The Day.”

The Quarrymen | That’ll Be The Day ©ebay | @ebaycouk/Pinterest

The single was never properly released, with Paul only pressing around 50 copies to give to family and friends as a gift. The original copy might be worth an extraordinary amount of money, but reprints still come with a price tag of over $3,500.

In 1997, the Quarrymen had a joyous reunion when the four original, surviving members joined up to play a concert together. They were performing at the fortieth anniversary of McCartney and Lennon meeting (they met at a garden fete). Today, three original members still perform under the Quarrymen band name.

Year: 1972
Record label: ABC Records 
Worth Today: $1450.00*

Recorded in 1972 in Los Angeles’ The Village Recorder, Can’t Buy A Thrill was Steely Dan’s debut album. It was released in November of 1972, and it marked the beginning of a successful career for the American rock band. The classic rock album kicked off with “Do It Again” and ended with “Turn That Heartbeat Over Again.”

Steely Dan – Can’t Buy A Thrill ©Steely Dan / Pinterest.com | ©discogs / Pinterest.com

The artwork on Can’t Buy a Thrill was done by Robert Lockhart and features a scene from Rouen, France (it was banned in Spain). The album’s cover art was later called the seventies “most hideous album cover” by Steely Dans own members, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.

Year: 1956
Record label: RCA Victor 
Worth Today: $1530.00*

Rock N Roll by Elvis Presley was the UK version of the rock star’s debut album. In America, Presley’s debut was eponymous. Rock N Roll, at the time of its release, was still very novel for certain major labels. The genre itself was uncharted waters for major labels, but Rock N Roll proved the success of the genre.

Elvis Presley – Rock ‘N’ Roll ©ChrisJericho / Facebook.com | @djjoeterra0566/Pinterest

The album would sell over one million units, making RCA, the record label on which it was recorded, its first million-dollar album. William Robertson took the photo that is on the album cover. Rock N Roll’s album cover made Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Album Covers” list in 1991.

Year: 1997
Record label: Parlophone, Hollywood 
Worth Today: $1413.00*

Queen Rocks is unique for Queen. It is a compilation album, but it doesn’t really follow the usual “Greatest Hits” format. Instead, it focuses on deep tracks (though there are a few hits). Other tracks on Queen Rocks include songs that weren’t released as singles, including “Sheer Heart Attack,” “Tear It Up,” and “Put Out the Fire.”

Queen – Queen Rocks @aqueenofmagic / Twitter.com @THEDREAMASTER / Youtube.com

This unique album was manufactured by EMI. In Europe, it was released on Parlophone, but in America, the label credited is Hollywood. Queen Rocks also featured songs without Freddie Mercury on them, yet another reason that this record is a dark horse among the Queen discography.

Year: 1968
Record label: Apple Records
Worth Today: $790,000*

The Beatles are so huge it’s only natural that they’ve got several special vinyls to their name. Their self-titled double album from 1968 became affectionately known as The White Album. While it sold an astronomical amount of copies, Ringo Starr held on to the very first copy ever pressed.

The Beatles @Melanie Dacus / Pinterest.com | The Beatles (White Album) @vvangopher / Twitter.com

The drummer held on to the record with the serial number ‘000001’ right up until 2015 when he decided to let it go to auction. Julien’s in the U.S. found a buyer for Ringo’s prized possession, collecting $790,000. Incidentally, Starr’s drum kit also sold the same day for an astonishing $2.2 million.

For those who may not know, the Beatles founded Apple Records in 1968. It was originally their creative outlet, and, as time went on, other artists appeared on the record, including Badfinger, Billy Preston, Mary Hopkin, and James Taylor. When the Beatles went solo, Apple Records was home to their mid-seventies solo releases.

Year: 1986-1987
Record label: Warner Records
Worth Today: $42,300*

In 1987, Prince released The Black Album. The promo edition of this vinyl was somewhat obscure. There was no printed title, credits, photograph, or artist’s name. It was simply a black-sleeved disc. Only one emblem was present on the vinyl: a number “25677” on the disc itself.

Prince ©Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com | The Black Album (aka “The Funk Bible”) @RACCOONFM1 / Twitter.com

The commercial version of this vinyl had the same number, just in pink. The Black Album was Prince’s response to criticism that he’d become too pop-oriented. The album had heavy subject matter. Prince ordered TBA to be withdrawn shortly after its release, as he was convinced it was “evil.” He replaced it with Lovesexy.

Year: 1998
Record label: Italy Records
Worth Today: $12,700*

The White Stripes haven’t been around for a while, but there’s no denying that they left an impact that can’t be underestimated. Their 1998 single “Lafayette Blues” featured a hand-painted cover by Dave Buick, the founder of Italy Records.

The White Stripes @thewhitestripes / Facebook.com | Lafayette Blues @WildBrunchRadio / Twitter.com

The White Stripes’, classified as a “garage rock band,” named “LaFayette Blues” after streets around their hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Detroit has many streets with French names. Live Stripes performances of the single have many different arrangements of the names. The B-side of the vinyl contains “Sugar Never Tasted So Good.”

Only a few copies of the single were made to be sold at one of their gigs, meaning they’re worth a sizable sum today. Interestingly, they went for just $6 back then. Now, if you find yourself in the market for a rare record, they’re going for $12,700. That’s more than just pocket change, that’s for sure.

Year: 1967
Record label: Parlophone
Worth Today: $290,000*

When something has been signed by all four Beatles, you know it is going to be worth a lot of money. The Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band studio album is worth nearly $300K in that condition. The Beatles released this album on May 26, 1967 in the UK, while the US had to wait a few more days for a June 2, 1967 release.

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band @bracketgeo / Twitter.com | ©neftali/Shutterstock.com

The Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band did extremely well in both countries (as did pretty much all The Beatles’ albums). It was on the top of the UK Albums Chart for 27 weeks. In the US, it topped the charts for 15 weeks.

Year: 2015
Record label: RZA
Worth Today: $2 million*

The Wu-Tang Clan certainly know how to pull something spectacular out of the bag. The hip hop collective recorded Once Upon a Time in Shaolin in secret over the course of six years. Instead of leading up to a big release, there was only one copy ever made. It sold for a huge $2 million dollars.

Wu-Tang Clan – Once Upon a Time in Shaolin @XXL/@OnThinlce/Twitter.com

Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was recorded secretly, and the recording took a total of six years. While it was awaiting auction and sale through Paddle8, a music auction house, it was stored in a secure vault in Marrakech, Morocco at the Royal Mansour Hotel. The album was inspired by Cilvaringz’ research into the Renaissance period of history.

Interestingly, the band put in a clause: “The seller may legally plan and attempt to execute one heist or caper to steal back (the album), which, if successful, would return all ownership rights to the seller. Said heist or caper can only be undertaken by currently active members of the Wu-Tang Clan and/or actor Bill Murray, with no legal repercussions.”

Year: 1977
Record label: Virgin/A&M
Worth Today: $17,000*

As anyone who has ever heard the lyrics to “God Save the Queen” can guess, this B-side vinyl single was really controversial. “No Feeling” was the A-side. Both singles would be included on Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. “God Save the Queen” released in 1977, during the Silver Jubilee, which was the twenty-fifth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II taking the throne.

Sex Pistols ©Koen Suyk / Wikipedia.org | God Save the Queen”/”No Feeling / @Anarka Akaza / Youtube.com

The Sex Pistols denied that the single was released because of the event, instead claiming that the timing was coincidental. This vinyl would be banned by the BBC, as well as the Independent Broadcasting Authority. It is still banned to this day.

Year: 1954
Record label: Sun
Worth Today: $4,000*

Hip-shakin’, foot-stompin’ King of Rock Elvis Presley didn’t shy away from covering other people’s songs. While he was in the studio working on other material, Presley started messing around and singing Arthur Crudup’s “That’s All Right.” The producer thought it was incredible, so started to record it.

Elvis Presley ©Brookranger | That’s All Right (1954) | Wikimedia.org ©CRAVE_Guitars / Twitter.com

The rest is history. The track became Elvis’ debut single, making him one of the most famous people in the entire world. These days, mint condition copies of the original pressing go for around $4,000. It’s largely considered the first ever rock ‘n’ roll track ever to exist.

Rolling Stone agreed that Presley’s cover of the Arthur Crudup song was one of the best songs ever, including it on its 2010 list of music’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” “That’s All Right” ranked 113. Fifty years after its initial issue, the song released as an anniversary CD and topped the charts in several countries.

Year: 1968
Record label: Philips
Worth Today: $5,000*

Elton John is a prime example of a multi-talented artist. Not only can he play piano like no other, he can sing and craft songs that speak to the very heart of his audience. Frankly, he’s a genius. His first single “I’ve Been Loving You” was released in 1968.

Elton John @Listenary | I’ve Been Loving You (1968) @MusicTheDope / Twitter.com

Amazingly, the single is credited to Bernie Taupin as John was scared to admit that he wrote it himself. He came clean some time later. It’s not that he was scared of Taupin; instead, John wanted to give Taupin writing credits so that the songwriter (who wrote many other songs in their famous partnership) would get his first publishing royalties.

The royalties were short-lived, as “I’ve Been Lovin’ You” was withdrawn shortly after its release.    Copies of the single are unusually hard to find, with only one copy known to exist. It’s worth an estimated $5,000.

Year: 1969
Record label: RCA
Worth Today: $1,000*

Led Zeppelin is well known now as a force to be reckoned with in the rock world, but back in 1969 they were still trying to get noticed at all. Their self-titled debut album mixed new tracks with blues, but not everyone was thrilled. Rolling Stone thought it was trash, though they later changed their minds.

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin ©Chris Walter/Getty Images | ©George Hardie/Wikimedia Commons

Formed in London in 1968, Led Zeppelin would go on to be cited as one of the first artists to do heavy metal music. In 1969, they were hoping that Led Zeppelin would be their ticket to the top, but, unfortunately, that debut didn’t pan out that way. However, Zeppelin would bounce back handily.

There are millions of copies in circulation, but one with turquoise lettering is particularly valuable. If this is in mint condition, lucky owners could sell it for around $1,000. Of course, if it’s battered and bruised it might not fetch quite as much at auction.

Year: 1980
Record label: Jet/MCA
Worth Today: $9,100*

Olivia Newton-John may have found great success as Sandy in Grease, but not every movie she made afterwards was a hit. In fact, 1980’s Xanadu was a financial disaster. But while fans and critics alike panned the movie, the soundtrack did pretty well. The singer collaborated with ELO to release a single simply called “Xanadu.”

Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) @t2gunner | Xanadu (1980) @RMixoriginal / Twitter.com

When the single was originally released, Olivia reportedly disliked how she looked on the cover so much that she asked the record company to destroy them all and go in a new direction. They obliged, with only 20 to 30 copies escaping. These rare finds go for around $9,000.

“Xanadu” was the title song of the eighties’ movie, Xanadu. “Xanadu” reached the top of the charts in multiple counties, and it was the only UK number-one single from ELO. For Friends fans, you’ll recognize the song and music video, as it appeared in the episode, “The One Where Rachel and Ross…You Know.”

Year: 1964
Record label: Motown Records 
Worth Today: $100.00*

Meet the Supremes was the debut album of The Supremes, the all-female singing group comprised of Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Florence Ballard. The group was formed in Detroit, Michigan in the ’60s and went on to become Motown Record’s most commercially successful acts.

The Supremes ©latoyajacskon / Twitter.com | Meet The Suoremes ©picclick.com / Pinterest.com

The original album had 10 songs on it, with Diana Ross singing lead vocals on almost all of them. Eventually, Ross left the group in 1970 to pursue her own solo career. Today, you can find the original album sold on eBay for $100, and even a version signed by Mary Wilson for $2,500.

Year: 1963
Record label: Columbia
Worth Today: $35,000*

Imagine painstakingly compiling an album only for someone to mess it up by putting the wrong songs on it. That’s exactly what happened when 1963’s The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan was initially pressed.

Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan @retrospektshop / Pinterest.com | @barbarian47 / Pinterest.com

The mistake was caught before its release, but only after a few copies had already been made. Records with the serial number ending in “-1A” include several songs not originally pegged for release, including “Rocks and Gravel” and “Talkin’ John Birch Blues.”

The album, despite the mistakes in the beginning, is no doubt one of Dylan’s most relevant. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan took from news stories about the Civil Rights Movement. Though the album contained love songs and surreal humor, we got to see how Dylan really felt about all the turmoil in the sixties.

Year: 1967
Record label: Verve Records
Worth Today: $25,200*

It might be difficult to imagine now, but there was a time when The Velvet Underground was just another obscure band trying to hit the big time. In 1967 they released their debut album, The Velvet Underground and Nico. It displeased the media so greatly that it was largely banned from being played on radio stations.

The Velvet Underground / Wikipedia.org | The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) @Albums2Hear / Twitter.com

The content was reportedly “too controversial” for the media to play it. Magazines wouldn’t even advertise it. AllMusic’s Richie Unterberger stated that it was “too daring” for commercial radio to want a piece. The Velvet Underground & Nico also came about at a time when underground rock was just getting started.

Only 30,000 copies were sold, but those that were quick enough to grab one were smiling years later – and not because it was so good. Copies are known to go for up to $25,000. If you were into punk in the ‘60s then it may be time to revisit your collection.

Year: 1989
Record label: Sub Pop
Worth Today: $2,500*

Two years before they gained widespread notoriety after the release of Nevermind, Nirvana released their first album, Bleach. Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic were both on the record, but Dave Grohl had yet to join the band. Some tracks from the album including “About a Girl” would gain popularity some years later.

Nirvana @gunsngore | Bleach @forallthejoy / Twitter.com

Reportedly, Nirvana practiced nonstop for two to three weeks to prepare to record a full-length album. When the band arrived at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington, they were ready to create a masterpiece. Recoding took place from December 1988 until January 1989. Though it didn’t chart initially, critics really liked it.

Their debut album only had 1,000 copies pressed the first time around. These originals go for $2,500, while others can be bought for $1,100. The third pressing only contained 500 copies. Of course, prices went up following Kurt Cobain’s tragic death in 1994.

Year: 1963
Record label: Parlophone
Worth Today: $4,200*

The Beatles were in such hot demand in 1963 that their album Please Please Me had to be rushed through production at a great speed. There wasn’t time to be fussy as they needed seven songs to meet their deadline. The band toiled overnight to get the album finished in time, despite the fact that John Lennon had a terrible cold.

The Beatles @Millie Chandler-Norris / Pinterest.com | Please Please Me (1963) ©Lihat informasi pencipta/Wikimedia Commons

You’ll notice that the songwriter credits on the vinyl are credited to “McCartney-Lennon.” This was before the credits would read “Lennon-McCartney.” Rolling Stone would later cite this album was “early evidence” of the innovative idea of a “self-contained rock band” that played its own instruments and wrote its own hit songs.

The story behind the album helps rare copies sell for over $4,000. They have to be in good condition for buyers to take a keen interest, but even if they’re not mint they can still fetch a couple of thousand.

Year: 1973
Record label: Harvest Records 
Worth Today: $3,242.31*

While Dark Side of the Moon is one of the most popular and ubiquitous albums in the world, a first-pressing vinyl in mint condition can sell for thousands at auction. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon was recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios. It took Pink Floyd two sessions, completed in January of 1973.

Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon @Gilava / Pinterest.com | @Martin Amos / YouTube.com

Alan Parsons was the staff engineer, and Parsons had already worked with Floyd on Atom Heart Mother. He also was a recording engineer for Abbey Road and Let It Be, two of the Beatles’ most popular records. Dark Side of the Moon was recorded on the Harvest Records label.