What are the Rarest Records in the World? Some records are a dime a dozen and they are commonly found in almost every record store around the world. However, there are some records that so incredibly rare that finding them would be like discovering a buried treasure. Some of these rare records are worth hundreds of thousands and they are sought after by collectors all over the world. So what are some of the world’s rarest records? Let’s take a look at a few examples:
The Quarrymen “That’ll Be the Day/In Spite of All the Danger”
This album is a rare gem, as the Quarrymen were a British skiffle rock group that were formed in Liverpool in 1956 by none other than John Lennon. The group originally consisted of Lennon and some of his school friends. Paul McCartney joined the band in 1957 and George Harrison joined in 1958. It was the early origin of what would become the Beatles. The group made an amateur recording of themselves in 1958, covering “That’ll Be the Day” by Buddy Holly and “In Spite of All the Danger” which was a song written by Harrison and McCartney. At the time the group consisted of Lennon, Harrison and McCartney as well as pianist John Duff Lowe and drummer Colin Hanton. It is a humble album, recorded at a
local electrical shop, but if you could get your hands on an original 1958 copy it would be worth an estimated $155,000.
The Sex Pistols “God Save the Queen/No Feelings”
This is another very rare rock and roll album, especially since it was withdrawn from sale after it was released in 1977 and there are only thought to be around 300 copies in existence. If you can find a copy with the brown envelope and press release they were sold with, this album will be worth approximately $12,300. Without the envelope and press release the album is still worth around $11,500.
D. A. Hunt – “Lonesome Old Jail/Greyhound Blues”
This album was recently purchased by records dealer and collector John Tefteller for just over $10,000. It was produced by the Sun label back in 1953 and t might be a one of a kind record, featuring an acoustic performance by the Blues singer D. A. Hunt from Alabama. The first record for the singer, it sold very few copies when it was first released and it was not previously known to exist on 45 rpm. The 78 rpm version is already one of the most popular records on the Sun label and it has been sold several times in excess of $10,000. John Tefteller is a passionate collector who lives in Grants Pass, Oregon and has been collecting records for 35 years. He has a personal collection that contains thousands of Blues 78 rpm records as well as many one of a kind records by Blues singers.
Elvis Presley – “Good Luck Charm”
This is a very valuable single, because it was one of the last monaural recordings that was left in stores when stereo recordings started to take over and become more popular. The song “Good Luck Charm” was a hit when it was released in 1962, it hit the top of the Billboard singles chart and it was there for two weeks. This is a compact 33-rpm single with the song “Anything That’s Part of You” on the flip side, as well as a picture sleeve. This very rare album is valued at $24,000.
The Beatles – “The Beatles”
This 1968 two LP set is considered the rarest LP in the UK. What makes it so special? The sleeve designer Richard Hamilton decided to brand each copy of the album with a unique number, so every edition is limited. The lower numbers are the most popular for Beatles fanatics. For example, in November of 2009 a mono 0000005 copy sold for £19,201 in the UK.
Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody/I’m In Love With my Car”
In 1978 EMI received a Queen’s Award for Industry. At the celebratory dinner at Selfridges in London, a special limited edition of this well-known Queen recording on blue vinyl was given away to executives, guests and the band. There were only 200 copes made and along with the record guests were also given boxes of matches, menu cards, a goblet and a handkerchief. A package including everything was sold for £5,000 in the UK.
The Five Sharps – “Stormy Weather”
Jubilee Records produced this 78 rpm single in 1952 as a limited release, the first and only record for the band. This rare record was made famous when Irv Rose had a copy of it in his New York City record stores in 1961. He borrowed it to play on his radio program and broke it, then offered a reward for its replacement to his listeners. This sparked a nationwide search that made it one of the most prized doowop records. Many people searched for the next 15 years, yet only three copies showed up. One was chipped, one was cracked and one of them was in very good condition. The one that was in good condition was valued at approximately $25,000.
The Velvet Underground and Nico – Acetate LP
Only one known copy exists of this acetate LP and it was purchased by a man named Warren Hill at a stoop sale in New York City with two other records for 75 cents. Hill knew what he was doing, as he sold the record in 2006 for $25,200.It is a very early version of the debut album by the Velvet Underground. Andy Warhol was acting as the group’s agent and he assembled the acetate to show around to record labels. It is slightly different than the final version of the debut album – the tracks are in a different order and the song “European Son” has a more blues-like feeling to it. These are just a few of the rarest and most valuable records in the world – considered a precious treasure for record collectors and music enthusiasts.