Top 20 Rare & Collectable Records

From the affordable, through to the eye-wateringly expensive and the virtually unattainable, we present our Top 20 Rare & Collectable records…
Words by Barry Page

While streaming may have had a substantial impact on the sales of physical product, collecting old vinyl, CDs, music memorabilia and paraphernalia remains as popular as ever.  Aside from the potential financial rewards, the fun, the thrill of the chase and the hope of finding that elusive item are the reasons that we continue to be drawn to auction sites, record fairs, charity shops, car boot sales, and even our grandmothers’ attics. We’ve picked out 20 of our favourite rarities and collectables, listing them in order of their approximate value. The question is, how many do you have  in your collection?

20 GARY NUMAN – THE RADIAL PAIR (1994)

Originally available via Gary Numan’s fan club 30 years ago, this CD mini-album served as the soundtrack for a 50-minute VHS that included footage of him performing daring aerobatic stunts in his 1943 Harvard plane alongside aviation enthusiast Norman Lees, who tragically died in a Spitfire crash in 2000. Of its eight instrumentals, Mission was familiar to Numanoids as the intro music to 1993 live shows, while other tracks were reworked for his 1994 album, Sacrifice. Expect to pay over £70.

19 SIMON LE BON – GREY LADY OF THE SEA (1988)

While reports that Duran Duran’s frontman had cheated death during The Wild Boys’ video shoot had been somewhat sensationalised, the threat to his life during a boating race in 1985 was very real when he and five crew members became trapped in the air pocket of his capsized yacht. His seafaring antics were documented in a book and VHS video, whose rare solo outing in Grey Lady Of The Sea appeared on a Japanese 3″ CD, and a promo one-track UK CD that sells for between £50 and £100.

18 BLANCMANGE – IRENE & MAVIS (1980)

Adopting the aliases of Irene and Mavis, conceptualised as old ladies experimenting with tape loops, Stephen Luscombe and Neil Arthur embraced punk’s DIY ethos on their first release as Blancmange, recording this challenging six-track EP using unconventional instrumentation (kitchen utensils, Tupperware etc.), alongside equipment that they had begged and borrowed. The songs were remastered and reissued on 10″ in 2013, but it’s the original 7″ that commands the big bucks, with copies changing hands for over £100.

17 THE ASSOCIATES – BOYS KEEP SWINGING (1979)

Three years prior to their chart breakthrough with Party Fears Two, The Associates audaciously released this unauthorised cover of David Bowie’s Boys Keep Swinging as their debut single, as the original was beginning its chart descent. This provocative stunt irked the Thin White Duke’s team, but his publishers saw enough potential in the Scottish band to sign them, which led to a contract with Fiction Records. Just 500 of this self-financed oddity were pressed, hence a hefty price tag of around £200.

16 THOMPSON TWINS – ROLL OVER (1985)

Following the success in 1984 of Into The Gap and its attendant singles, Thompson Twins almost immediately started work on their next album, with Tom Bailey assuming knob-twiddling duties after the departure of producer Alex Sadkin. The extra workload would take its toll when the frontman suffered a nervous breakdown on the eve of the release of their single, Roll Over. The LP was consequently delayed, while the single was withdrawn. You can now expect to pay around £200 for a 12″ or £550 for any 7″ that survived the cull.

15 SOFT CELL – MUTANT MOMENTS EP (1980)

Limited to just 2,000 copies, this debut EP from Marc Almond and Dave Ball was self-funded and issued on their own Big Frock label. It attracted the attention of eccentric Some Bizzare founder Stevo, who gave the duo a big career leg-up. Recently, the tracks have been remastered and reformatted as a clear vinyl 10″ (in 2020) and an orange 10″ (for 2024’s Record Store Day), but it’s the original that collectors crave. Dependent on the inclusion of a postcard, its average auction price is around £200.

14 OMD – ELECTRICITY (1979)

Having signed OMD to his Factory label, Tony Wilson teamed them up with maverick producer Martin Hannett to cut debut single Electricity. While the duo ultimately favoured their garage recording, the single led to a contract with Virgin imprint Dindisc, and their long-term association with Peter Saville. His postmodernist sleeve design resulted in problems producing the novel Braille effect during manufacture, meaning just 5,000 copies were pressed. While not the ultimate find for collectors, mint copies still sell for £200 plus.

13 THE STONE ROSES – SO YOUNG/TELL ME (1985)

Coincidentally released around the same time as Happy Mondays’ debut EP, this double A-sided 12″ from nascent post-punk outfit The Stone Roses proved something of a false start for a band whose psychedelic sonic metamorphosis was still a few years away. This low-key release did little to boost the band’s profile outside of Manchester, while an album helmed by Factory outcast Martin Hannett was junked. Ian Brown once said that he “wouldn’t pay 10p” for the single, but it now sells for over £200.

12 BUCKINGHAM NICKS – BUCKINGHAM NICKS (1973)

Although a flop upon its release, this album by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks inadvertently gave the struggling duo their big break after Mick Fleetwood – who was scouting recording facilities in L.A. – heard a playback of Frozen Love, and soon enlisted their services. Widely bootlegged since, the cult favourite is yet to be officially issued on CD or streaming platforms, despite enthusiastic support from the artists themselves. Sealed first pressings of the US gatefold go for £250 to £500.

11 BRIDGES – FAKKELTOG (1980)

Prior to the official formation of a-ha, Pål Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen were part of Oslo-based outfit Bridges, who released this self-funded debut LP in 1980. Notable for its proggy arrangements and heavy Doors influence, the album was limited to just 1,000 copies, some of which included a poster. Sadly, despite Pål owning a transfer of the multi-track, Magne has ruled out a reissue, so the only way to enjoy Fakkeltog is to listen to the vinyl rips on YouTube or pay around £500 for an original pressing.

10 THE SISTERS OF MERCY – THE DAMAGE DONE (1980)

True to the spirit of punk rock, musical ability was a secondary concern as Andrew Eldritch and Gary Marx cut their debut single using little more than a cheap guitar, a borrowed drum kit and a three-watt amp. They later disowned the primitive recordings, but did realise their ambition of receiving airplay from John Peel. Issued on their Merciful Release label, 1,000 copies were pressed (which sell for £1,000 upwards), although some were reportedly damaged in a cellar flood.

09 WHITNEY HOUSTON – JUST THE LONELY TALKING AGAIN (1988)

Originally appearing on a 1983 album by veteran vocal group The Manhattans, this obscurity was picked by manager Clive Davis for Whitney’s second studio album, and earmarked for single release. Mixes by Loose Ends producer Nick Martinelli – featuring exclusive vocal ad-libs – were commissioned, but the single was ultimately shelved, with Arista favouring the more radio-friendly Love Will Save The Day. A 12″ and a promo CD single are both highly desirable, with a copy of the latter selling for over £1,000 in 2021.

08 KATE BUSH – EAT THE MUSIC (1993)

This Madagascan-flavoured track was originally scheduled to be the lead single from The Red Shoes in the UK, but withdrawn at the eleventh hour in favour of Rubberband Girl. According to Record Collector, just 17 copies evaded the incinerator, so expect to pay big money for an item that rarely enters the marketplace (one copy sold on eBay for £1,240 in 2014). Far easier to purchase is one of the 10,000 copies of the 10″ picture disc, released to tie in with this year’s Record Store Day, in which Kate Bush was an event ambassador.

07 THE SMITHS – REEL AROUND THE FOUNTAIN (1983)

It’s estimated that around 25 test pressings exist for this unreleased single by The Smiths, originally scheduled as the follow-up to Hand In Glove. Ultimately the single was pulled in the wake of bad publicity from several of Morrissey’s lyrics, while their Troy Tate-produced debut album – heavily bootlegged over the years – was rejected by the band and their manager. With its murky yellow label, it may not be the most visually appealing collectable, but its value has risen exponentially, and unlikely to sell for less than £2,000 these days.

06 MADONNA – EROTICA (1992)

“Will you let yourself go wild?/ Let my mouth go where it wants to?” enquired Madonna on the lead single and title track of Erotica, to which the answer was a resounding ‘No’ in the case of the recalled 12″ picture disc, whose colourised image of one of Naomi Campbell’s toes being sucked was deemed too risqué. Rumour has it that all but 138 copies were destroyed, but those who haven’t got a spare £2,000 to spend on one of these, a 30th anniversary reissue has a far more palatable price point of around £20.

05 PET SHOP BOYS – YES (2009)

A box with a tick that ticks plenty of boxes, this expansive vinyl version of Pet Shop Boys’ 10th studio album was limited to just 300 individually numbered copies, which promptly sold out. The lavish set housed 11 super-heavyweight vinyl records (each including an exclusive instrumental), and a signed giclée art print. Originally selling for £300, its value has since risen tenfold, but beware unscrupulous dealers seizing opportunities to make lots of money – one eBay chancer was offering a copy for over £13,000.

04 DEPECHE MODE- MUSIC FOR THE MASSES (1987)

Part of a proposed series of 90s mid-price vinyl reissues that never materialised, the story goes that 135 copies of Depeche Mode’s Music For The Masses, boasting the original artwork, were pressed but then destroyed, with 12 of them somehow surviving the cull. Record Collector originally quoted a guide price of £3,000, but the grabbing hands will now be grabbing all they can. Since former member Alan Wilder sold his copy for £3,500 during an auction of personal memorabilia in 2011, its value has risen dramatically, and one was bought on eBay last year for £7,500.

03 SEX PISTOLS – GOD SAVE THE QUEEN (1977)

Dropped by EMI Records after just one single, Sex Pistols were promptly snapped up by a rather naive A&M, who really shouldn’t have been surprised by the notorious outfit’s subsequent antics. Their contract was swiftly cancelled, but not before a reported 25,000 copies of God Save The Queen were pressed. Often considered the holy grail of punk artefacts, the few surviving copies now change hands for crazy amounts. As recently as 5 July at Wessex Auction Rooms, a copy was sold for a whopping £24,320 – now that’s what we call a great rock’n’roll swindle.

02 PRINCE – THE BLACK ALBUM (1987)

Originally scheduled as the quickfire follow-up to Sign O’ The Times, this now legendary album was pulled following a reported “spiritual epiphany”, in which the Purple One was convinced it was “evil”, mere days before a shipment of 500,000 copies was about to hit worldwide retail. Some survived the cull, however, leading to a surfeit of counterfeits flooding the market. Despite an official release in 1994, it’s the mystique of the original that still enchants collectors, one of whom paid a whopping $42,298 for a pristine copy in 2018.

01 JEAN-MICHEL JARRE – MUSIQUE POUR SUPERMARCHÉ (1983)

Having been commissioned to create background music for a supermarket-themed art exhibition staged in Paris, synth icon Jean-Michel Jarre decided the music itself would be a one-off piece of art, pressing one copy and auctioning it off for charity.

“A single copy for a single buyer, like a painting with a single owner,” he explained, much to the consternation of his label, Disques Dreyfus. Although the highest bidder remained anonymous at the time, it was later revealed to be a senior monsieur who’d reportedly woken from a coma to hear the synth wizard’s Souvenir De Chine on the radio. For this unique piece of musical history, he paid an eye-watering 69,000 francs (over £30,000 in today’s money).

After its well-publicised auction, the album was aired on Radio Luxembourg and Jarre’s declaration of “Piratez-moi!” led numerous opportunists to bootleg it, though the sound limitations of the AM signal ensured a reduction in audio quality. In a move the KLF may have approved of, the final master tape was publicly destroyed, but it’s evident the original multi-tracks remain intact, since some material was reworked on subsequent albums, while an excerpt was included on the deluxe version of the Planet Jarre retrospective in 2018. As for the original, it’s said to have changed hands twice since 1983, although its current location remains unknown. The rarest album of all time? C’est tout à fait possible.

Omega Auctions are the No. 1 auction house worldwide for vinyl. If you are looking to buy or sell any of these Top 20 rarities (or any others), our team would be delighted to speak to you. Click here

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