15 of the Most Expensive Vinyl Records Ever Sold

15 of the Most Expensive Vinyl Records Ever Sold

15 of the Most Expensive Vinyl Records Ever Sold

For collectors, some records transcend their musical value to become cultural artifacts worth staggering sums. Here are 15 of the most expensive vinyl records ever sold, based on verified auction sales and private transactions 

1. Wu-Tang Clan – Once Upon a Time in Shaolin (2015)

  • Price: $4 million (2021, PleasrDAO)

  • Why? A single-copy album sealed in a hand-carved box. Originally sold for $2M in 2015, then resold after being seized by the US government

2. The Beatles – The White Album (No. 0000001)

  • Price: $790,000 (2015)

  • Why? Ringo Starr’s personal copy, the first pressed, with his name misspelled on the label

3. Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind (Acetate, 1962)

  • Price: $1.8 million (2022)

  • Why? A one-off demo recording of Dylan’s classic, sold at auction

4. Elvis Presley – My Happiness (Acetate, 1953)

  • Price: $300,000 (2015)

  • Why? Elvis’s first-ever recording, bought by Jack White for his Third Man Records archive

5. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Signed, 1967)

  • Price: $290,500 (2013)

  • Why? Signed by all four Beatles shortly after release

6. John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Double Fantasy (Signed, 1980)

  • Price: $150,000 (1999)

  • Why? Signed by Lennon hours before his murder

7. The Beatles – Yesterday and Today ("Butcher Cover," 1966)

  • Price: $125,000 (2016)

  • Why? Original recalled cover featuring dismembered dolls and raw meat

8. The Quarrymen – That’ll Be the Day (Acetate, 1958)

  • Price: ÂŁ200,000 (est. value)

  • Why? The only surviving recording of Lennon/McCartney’s pre-Beatles band

9. Aphex Twin – Caustic Window (Test Pressing, 2014)

  • Price: $46,300

  • Why? One of two test pressings; bought by Minecraft creator Markus Persson

10. Frank Wilson – Do I Love You (1965)

  • Price: ÂŁ100,000+ (2020)

  • Why? Only 2 known copies of this Northern soul holy grail

11. The Beatles – Please Please Me (UK Stereo 1st Press, 1963)

  • Price: $6,690 (2025, Discogs)

  • Why? Ultra-rare second pressing with unique label credits

12. Prince – The Black Album (1987)

  • Price: $27,500 (2018)

  • Why? Withdrawn by Prince for being "evil"; few survived

13. Sex Pistols – God Save the Queen (1977)

  • Price: $20,000 (2003)

  • Why? Banned original sleeve with the Queen’s defaced image

14. Misfits – Cough/Cool (1977)

  • Price: $10,000+

  • Why? First-ever Misfits release; only 500 pressed

15. Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico ("Torso" Cover, 1967)

  • Price: $5,000–$25,000

  • Why? Alternate cover without the iconic banana

Key Trends Among Priciest Records:

  1. Rarity: One-of-a-kind acetates or recalled covers (Butcher Cover, Black Album) 25.

  2. Historical Significance: First recordings (Elvis, Dylan) or final autographs (Lennon) 6.

  3. Cultural Impact: Wu-Tang’s art experiment vs. Beatles’ ubiquity 26.

Note: Values fluctuate based on condition and provenance. For current listings, check Discogs or auction houses like Christie’s.

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