25 Most Expensive Vinyl Records Ever Sold and the Stories Behind Them

Murder signatures, court seizures, and destroyed masters turned these records into million-dollar collectibles.

Vinyl collectors know that some records are rare. But how rare is rare enough to cost millions?

The records on this list weren’t just hard to find. They came with backstories, signatures, test pressings, and even court cases.

These are the vinyl sales that stand out not just for their sound, but for the staggering numbers behind them.

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

Sale price: $4,000,000

This album holds the record as one of the most expensive ever sold, largely because it exists as a single physical copy.

Wu-Tang Clan made only one physical copy of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, locking it in a silver box decorated with jewels and pairing it with leather-bound liner notes. All this was done as a statement against how easily music is copied and streamed today.

In 2015, a controversial pharma executive, Martin Shkreli, bought it for $2 million. The contract included a strict 88-year clause that blocks any commercial release of the music until 2103, though private playbacks are allowed.

After Shkreli’s conviction for securities fraud, the U.S. Department of Justice seized the album. It was later sold in 2021 to the digital art collective PleasrDAO for $4 million. In 2024, the album was played publicly for the first time at the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania.

Basically, its value comes from its complete exclusivity. No other copies have been made, and none ever will be.

2. Bob Dylan – “Blowin’ in the Wind” (Ionic Original) (2022)

Sale price: $1,769,508

This version of Blowin’ in the Wind was recorded by Bob Dylan in 2021 for the first time in 60 years. It was produced by T Bone Burnett using a new analog format called the Ionic Original, which is built to last longer and sound better than standard acetates.

The recording involved a hybrid production process: Dylan recorded his vocals in Los Angeles, while the backing musicians were recorded in Nashville. Then, the performance was cut directly to a single Ionic acetate disc.

And, since the format is part of an effort to create ultra-rare, high-quality physical editions for collectors, only potential buyers and a few media outlets were allowed to hear it before it went up for auction.

It was sold for nearly $1.77 million at Christie’s in London in July 2022.

3. John Lennon & Yoko Ono – “Double Fantasy” (1980)

Sale price: $900,000 (estimated over $1 million)

This signed copy of Double Fantasy holds historical significance as the album John Lennon autographed for Mark David Chapman just five hours before Chapman shot and killed him outside the Dakota building in New York. Lennon’s signature appears on the cover along with the date “1980,” written across Yoko Ono’s neck.

This copy of Double Fantasy carries tragic weight. John Lennon signed it for Mark David Chapman, placing the signature on the cover along with the date “1980” written across Yoko Ono’s neck. Five hours later, Chapman killed him outside the Dakota building in New York.

It was later auctioned with a starting bid of $400,000 and an estimated value exceeding $1 million. The value comes from its direct connection to Lennon’s final hours and a major turning point in music history.

4. The Beatles – “The White Album” No. 0000001 (1968)

Sale price: $790,000

Ringo Starr’s personal copy of The White Album came with a special detail: serial number 0000001. It’s the lowest-numbered pressing known to exist. And, while some collectors argue that this doesn’t necessarily mean it was the very first pressed, it’s still the most iconic.

He held onto the album for decades before selling it through Julien’s Auctions in December 2015. The record had been expected to fetch up to $60,000, but it blew past that and sold for $790,000.

To add to its value, Starr noted before the sale that his fingerprints were still on it before the sale.

5. The Quarrymen – “That’ll Be The Day/In Spite of All the Danger” (1958)

Sale price: $423,000

This 78 RPM acetate is the only known copy of the first recording ever made by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, back when they were still called The Quarrymen.

They recorded it in a small home studio in Liverpool. But, the tape was erased right after, and only one disc was made.

Over time, each band member held onto it, and pianist Duff Lowe eventually kept it for 25 years. In 1981, he sold it privately to Paul McCartney, reportedly for around $423,000.

McCartney then had the recording restored and pressed 25 copies, which he gave to friends and family. But the original acetate, now in McCartney’s hands, remains one of the most important pieces of Beatles history.

6. Elvis Presley – “My Happiness” (1953)

Sale price: $300,000

This acetate holds Elvis Presley’s first known recording, made when he was 18 years old. He paid $4 to record My Happiness and That’s When Your Heartaches Begin at Sun Records in Memphis, reportedly as a gift for his mother.

Graceland Auctions sold it in January 2015 for $300,000. Jack White of The White Stripes was the buyer. His label later reissued the songs, but the original acetate remains a rare and valuable piece of music history.

7. The Beatles – “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967)

Sale price: $290,500

This first-pressing UK mono LP of Sgt. Pepper’s is signed by all four Beatles, making it one of the most sought-after copies of the album. The mono version, with the original black Parlophone label, is much rarer than the stereo release and is considered by many to be the definitive mix.

Heritage Auctions sold the record in March 2013. Collectors place high value on original mono pressings because that’s where the band and producers focused most of their studio work.

8. The Beatles – “Yesterday and Today” Butcher Cover (1966)

Sale price: $234,400 (£180,000)

John Lennon’s personal copy of Yesterday and Today featuring the original “butcher” cover sold for £180,000 at Julien’s Auctions in May 2019. The album cover, which showed the band with raw meat and dismembered dolls, was quickly recalled by Capitol Records after negative public reaction.

This copy is signed by Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, making it the only known butcher cover with three Beatles autographs. The back of the album also includes a sketch by Lennon showing a man with a shovel and a dog.

9. Frank Wilson – “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” (1965)

Sale price: $130,000 (£100,000)

Only two known original copies of this Motown single exist. Frank Wilson recorded the track as his debut on the Soul label, but Motown founder Berry Gordy asked him to choose between being an artist or a producer. Wilson chose the latter, and the release was canceled.

Even reissues are in high demand, but the original mono pressing remains one of the rarest and most prized records in Motown history.

10. Rammellzee & K-Rob – “Beat Bop” (1983)

Sale price: $126,000

This ultra-rare early hip-hop single gains its value from an unexpected source: artist Jean-Michel Basquiat produced it and created the cover art. Only a handful of original pressings were made.

A copy sold at Sotheby’s in 2020 for $126,000, reflecting its unique position at the intersection of hip-hop history and fine art. The single’s value comes from Basquiat’s involvement (as both producer and visual artist), the song’s iconic status in hip-hop, and its extreme scarcity.

11. The Beatles – “Till There Was You/Hello Little Girl” (1963)

Sale price: $108,500 (£77,500)

This is one of the rarest Beatles records ever made. It’s a two-track demo acetate, featuring the songs Till There Was You and Hello Little Girl. Both tracks were early Lennon–McCartney originals.

What makes this record special is that it has manager Brian Epstein’s handwriting on the label. He used it (along with other demos) to shop the band around to record labels. It eventually helped the group land their deal with Parlophone.

Only one copy is known to exist. This sold at auction in 2016 for about $108,500, which isn’t that surprising considering that, for Beatles collectors, this demo represents a major step in the band’s rise to fame.

12. Nirvana – Rare Private-Press

Sale price: $99,999

This ultra-rare Nirvana pressing appeared on a private listing in 2021. Details about this release remain scarce, but its near-six-figure asking price suggests it’s an extremely limited or unique pressing from the band’s catalog.

Even with little information, the price shows how much demand there still is for anything tied to Nirvana, especially rare vinyl from the grunge era.

13. The Beatles – “Love Me Do” Acetate (1962)

Sale price: $80,500

This one-sided acetate of Love Me Do includes something most people have never heard—Ringo Starr’s count-in before the song starts. That part was cut from the final version, so this acetate gives a raw look at how The Beatles sounded before they became huge.

It’s the only known copy like it.

Pressed on an EMI demo disc, it sold for $80,500. Collectors love it because of the early recording, the unedited version, and the peek into the band’s early studio work.

14. Johnny Cash – “The Meaning of Life” EP (1956)

Sale price: $50,000

This rare Johnny Cash EP came out in 1956, back when he was still with Sun Records. Only about 5,000 copies were made, and almost none of the promo versions have survived.

One of those rare copies sold for $50,000 in 2014.

It’s a standout among Cash’s early records and one of the most valuable country music collectibles. Sun Records helped launch not just Cash, but rock and roll itself, so these kinds of releases have deep roots in music history.

15. Aphex Twin – “Caustic Window” (1994)

Sale price: $46,300

This album was never officially released. Caustic Window was a test pressing by Aphex Twin that never made it past the prototype stage. So, only a few copies were known to exist.

In 2014, fans crowdfunded a campaign to buy one of the test pressings, which had been listed for $13,500. Once purchased, the copy was auctioned off on eBay, where it sold for $46,300 to Markus “Notch” Persson, the creator of Minecraft.

16. Scaramanga Silk – “Choose Your Weapon” (2008)

Sale price: $41,095

This self-released electronic dance album by UK DJ Scaramanga Silk was limited to just 20 numbered copies. A mint copy sold on Discogs in 2019 for $41,095, setting a record for that marketplace.

The value comes purely from scarcity—with such a tiny pressing run, collectors pay top dollar to complete their collections. The album’s high-quality production and its story as a “lost” underground gem add to its desirability.

17. Tommy Johnson – “Alcohol and Jake Blues” (1927)

Sale price: $37,100

This Paramount Records blues 78 RPM became the most expensive 78rpm record ever sold when it fetched $37,100 on eBay in 2013. The record is thought to be one of only two copies still in existence.

All master recordings for these early blues records were destroyed in a fire, making surviving copies exceedingly scarce. Collector John Tefteller, who purchased it, already owned another copy but bought this one because of its better condition.

Tommy Johnson was one of the first blues recording artists, cutting only five records for Paramount between 1929 and 1930. The combination of age, extreme rarity, and historical importance drives these prices.

18. Bob Dylan – “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” (1963)

Sale price: $35,000

Here’s a pressing error that turned into a goldmine. Early copies of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan were released with four songs that were quickly pulled and replaced.

Only about 20–25 mono copies and 4 stereo versions with the original track list are known to exist. And, one of those rare stereo copies sold for $35,000.

The withdrawn tracks included Let Me Die in My Footsteps, Rocks and Gravel, Gamblin’ Willie’s Dead Man’s Hand, and Talking John Birch Society Blues. Because these early versions slipped out before the switch, they’re now some of the most collectible Dylan records on the market.

19. Jean-Michel Jarre – “Music for Supermarkets” (1983)

Sale price: $33,000

Jean-Michel Jarre made just one copy of this album. He recorded Music for Supermarkets as a protest against the commercialization of music. And after pressing one vinyl copy, he destroyed the master tapes.

The record was auctioned off in 1983 for 36,000 French francs (about $14,000 at the time), which would be closer to $33,000 today after inflation.

Now, the record is still in private hands. It was just made to be unreproducible, which is part of what makes it so valuable. But, before it vanished, the album was played once on French radio. That single broadcast was the only time the public ever heard it.

20. Pink Floyd – “King Bee/Lucy Leave” (1965)

Sale price: $30,000

This acetate holds some of the earliest Pink Floyd recordings ever made, before they were even called Pink Floyd. King Bee and Lucy Leave feature a very young Syd Barrett and the rest of the original lineup.

Only demo copies were created, and the songs were never officially released on vinyl at the time. No public auction sale has been confirmed, but collectors estimate its value at around $30,000.

21. The Beatles – “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1964)

Sale price: $30,000

A rare U.S. pressing of this Beatles hit single on Capitol Records with the original black-and-yellow Capitol label design sold for $30,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2015.

Collectors seek this variant for the unique label and picture sleeve. It’s more valuable than later repressings due to being an early, limited U.S. pressing of a Beatles #1 hit with the distinctive vintage label.

The price reflects the combination of the song’s popularity, the specific pressing variant, and the completeness of the package with its original sleeve.

22. Prince – “The Black Album” (1987)

Sale price: $27,500

Prince withdrew this album just before its planned release in late 1987, ordering the destruction of more than 500,000 copies. A Canadian-made vinyl copy sold on Discogs for $27,500 in 2018.

The seller claimed to have saved it from the garbage pile at a Toronto pressing plant. Only about eight other original copies have surfaced, all in the United States. Other sales have ranged from $15,000 to $42,298.

23. The Velvet Underground & Nico – Acetate (1966)

Sale price: $25,200

This test acetate was recorded at Scepter Studios in New York before the official release of the band’s debut album. It sold for $25,200 and is one of the few known pre-release versions of The Velvet Underground & Nico.

The acetate offers an early look at the album’s production and track sequencing. Few copies like this have survived, especially from such an influential release.

As a prototype of the Andy Warhol-produced album, it’s a valuable piece of 1960s rock history and a rare find for collectors.

24. Sex Pistols – “God Save the Queen” (UK Original) (1977)

Sale price: $18,000

An original UK A&M pressing of this infamous punk single featuring the controversial “defaced” Queen cover sold for about $18,000 in 2003. This version was largely destroyed when A&M dropped the band.

Its historical significance as punk’s national anthem and extreme rarity (most originals were destroyed) make it highly valuable to collectors of punk and rock music.

The combination of the controversial cover art, the single’s cultural impact, and the scarcity of surviving copies drives these high prices.

25. The Rolling Stones – “Street Fighting Man” (1968)

Sale price: $17,000

A first UK single pressing of this Stones track with the “toilet cover” artwork and specific label variation sold for $17,000 in 2011. This cover showed police brutality during protests. Because of this, the label pulled it quickly, and very few copies survived.

Another unique detail: the label lists the publisher as “Copyright Control” instead of “Gideon Music Inc.,” which makes it a true first pressing. One of these sold for $17,000 in 2011.

It’s one of the most affordable records on this list, but still rare enough to be a serious find for Stones collectors.