Wu-Tang Clan – Once Upon a Time in Shaolin – $2 million
Wu-Tang Clan’s 2014 album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin isn’t just the most expensive CD in history, it’s the most expensive piece of music ever sold. Recorded in secret, only one copy was ever made, and in 2015 it was purchased by American businessman and convicted felon Martin Shkreli, who paid $2 million for the CD.
Eminem – Slim Shady EP – $10,000
Released in 1997, Eminem’s Slim Shady EP is notable for two reasons. Firstly, it marked the first time the rapper adopted his now-iconic alter ego, and secondly, it was the record that attracted the attention of Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine. Only 500 copies were ever manufactured, and they can sell for up to $10,000.
David Bowie – Sound + Vision – $5,000
While it might be expensive, David Bowie’s 1989 album Sound + Vision is still good value for money, considering it boasts 49 tracks. Only 350 copies of the album were made, and if you happen to be in possession of one you can sell it online for up to $5,000, although why you’d ever want to get rid of it is up for debate.
Runner – Falling Hearts – $3,000
When it comes to collectables, being niche often translates to high value. It doesn’t get much more niche than Korean heavy metal, which explains why a rare copy of Runner’s album Falling Hearts – widely considered one of the best metal albums out of South Korea – recently sold in a private sale for $3,000.
Coil – Live Box – $3,226
Coil were a British experimental band founded by John Balance in 1982. In 2003 – two years before disbanding – Coil recorded a live album, titled Live Box. While the normal editions were widely sold, 23 limited editions with unique art were also produced, and in 2014 one sold for $3,226 on Discogs.
Elvis Presley – The Complete Elvis Presley Masters – $2,400
Released in 2010 by RCA Records and Legacy Recordings, The Complete Elvis Presley Masters includes all 711 studio recordings released across the singer’s lifetime. Unsurprisingly, this was an irresistible proposition to fans of the King of Rock and Roll, and copies of the boxset sell for upwards of $2,400.
Bob Dylan – The 50th Anniversary Collection – $2,025
What do you get when you combine one of the most iconic musicians of all time with a four-disc, limited-edition commemorative release? One of the most expensive CDs ever made, of course! In 2013, a copy of Bob Dylan’s The 50th Anniversary Collection sold for $2,025.
Heather Nova – South – $2,025
The fourth studio album recorded by Heather Nova, South was released in two editions: the regular version, and a limited edition featuring an extra track. Unsurprisingly, this limited edition version is incredibly desirable to fans of Nova, and it’s previously been sold for $2,025 in a private sale.
Toru Takemitsu – Complete Takemitsu Edition – $1,990
Toru Takemitsu was a Japanese composer and music theorist, renowned for his innovative approach to manipulating timbre. In 2019, a 58-CD box set of Takemitsu’s entire orchestral works sold on Discogs for $1,990, setting a new record for the composer and making one superfan very happy.
Various – Lonely Is An Eyesore – $1,629
Released in 1987 by the record label 4AD, this limited edition compilation contains tracks from a number of experimental pop musicians including Colourbox, Dead Can Dance and The Wolfgang Press. In addition to CDs, the boxset also comes with a couple of VHS tapes, and it’s previously commanded a price of $1,629 on Discogs.
Michael Jackson – Smile – $1,500
Standard editions of Michael Jackson’s 1997 album Smile aren’t rare in the slightest. The Austrian edition, on the other hand, was cancelled before it could be released, and all copies were supposed to have been destroyed. A few survived, and they’re now incredibly desirable to Jackson’s most dedicated fans, who will pay around $1,500 for a copy.
The Grateful Dead – 30 Trips Around the Sun – $1,879
The Grateful Dead are known to have incredibly dedicated fans – often referred to as “Dead Heads” – so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a limited edition compilation of the band’s live shows is worth some serious cash. Released in 2015, 30 Trips Around the Sun features 30 entire concerts, and it’s previously sold on Discogs for $1,879.
Pet Shop Boys – Pop Art: The Hits – 5 Songs From Our History – $2,309
In 2003, the Pet Shop Boys released an album titled Pop Art: The Hits – 5 Songs From Our History. Only 25 copies were released, and all of them were sold in Japan. In 2017, a copy of the album sold for $2,309, so if you’ve got one in your collection you could be in for a big payday.
Roger Waters – The Wall – $1,833
Not to be confused with the Pink Floyd documentary of the same name, The Wall is a live recording of the band’s 1979 rock opera, which was written by the band’s bassist turned lead singer Roger Waters. In 2018, a copy of the album sold for $1,833, making it one of the most expensive CDs ever.
Wings – Wings 1971-73 – $1,796
Released in 2018 as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, Wings 1971-73 contains reissues of two Wings albums, as well as two live albums. The inclusion of a previously unreleased recorded concert from the Wings Over Europe tour makes this boxset incredibly valuable, and it’s previously fetched $1,796.
Nightwish – Sleepwalker – $1,165
While many of the CDs on this list boast massive track lists, this one comes with just two tracks, and they’re both different versions of the same song. That song is Nightwish’s record Sleepwalker, which the singer performed at the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest. The moment is considered a highlight in the competition’s history, and the CD is worth over $1,000.
Björk – Biophilia – $1,111
For the release of their 2011 album Biophilia – widely considered one of their greatest works – Björk created 200 limited edition box sets that included tuning forks tuned to the key of each track. These boxsets are predictably valuable, with one selling on Discogs for $1,111 in January of 2017.
Ferry Corsten Presents Gouryella – From the Heavens – $1,100
Released in 2016 under dance music icon Ferry Corsten’s Gouryella alias, From the Heavens is considered a high-point in trance. While the standard edition of the album can be snapped up on CD for $9.99, a rare, limited edition boxset version has previously commanded a price of $1,100 online.
Manish Mike – Forever Living Manish – $1,100
Manish Mike’s 1997 album Forever Living Manish is regarded as a deep-cut hip-hop masterpiece, featuring verses from some of the most respected MCs of the 90s underground scene. While the album is now considered legendary, only a few copies were ever made, explaining why it commands such a high price online.
Michael Jackson – The Medleys – $1,100
The reasons for the high price tag attached to Michael Jackson’s album The Medleys are easy to understand: the record contains some hard-to-find tracks, and hardly any copies were ever made. A copy of The Medleys has previously sold for $1,100, but there’s one currently listed for sale on Discogs for twice that much.
Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion – $1,096
Depeche Mode’s eighth studio album, Songs of Faith and Devotion, saw the band explore notably darker terrain. While the record isn’t hard to get hold of, a rare, early promo version which came in a limited edition boxset with unique art has previously sold online for $1,096, and would likely be worth much more if it went on sale today.
Coldplay – Safety E.P. – $1,086
Debut releases from iconic bands are always going to be worth a lot, especially if there were only a limited number of copies made. Released in 1998, Coldplay’s Safety E.P. marks the group’s first official release, and – since there are only a few copies still around – it can sell for over $1,000 online.
Motorpsycho / Lars Ramslie – A Boxful of Demons – $1,080
This one’s cheating a bit, since the A Boxful of Demons box set comes with vinyl records as well as CDs. Released in 2018 as a collaboration between Norwegian metal band Motorpsycho and novelist Lars Ramslie, the limited edition set is highly desirable to collectors, and it sold for $1,080 not long after its release.
DJ Q-Bert – Extraterrestria – $1,071
As with many of the other CDs on this list, the standard version of DJ Q-Bert’s 2017 album Extraterrestria is a common find worth only a few dollars. The multi-disc limited edition boxset, on the other hand, is very difficult to find, and collectors will pay in excess of $1,000 for it.
Damn Nero – Starhead – $1,066
Although Starhead isn’t the first release from German hard rock band Damn Nero, it’s one of the hardest records in the group’s discography to find. Released in 1998, the album has previously been sold for $1,066 on Discogs, although there are currently a few copies for sale on the website listed for under $1,000.
Madonna – Celebration – $1,052
Madonna’s third album of greatest hits, Celebration was released in 2009 to commemorate the singer’s global tour of the same name. A limited edition boxset version was also released, which included live recordings of concerts from the tour, and in 2012 a copy sold online for $1,052.
Toto – All In 1978 – 2018 – $1,050
A 13-CD boxset spanning 40 years of Toto’s musical history, Toto – All in 1978 – 2018 is one of the most expensive CDs ever sold on Discogs. As well as 13 CDs, the box also comes with vinyl and Blu-rays containing footage of the band playing live, and its resale price currently sits at $1,050.
Nirvana – Pennyroyal Tea (Scott Litt Mix) – $1,120
Before Nirvana’s single Pennyroyal Tea was officially released, 100 test copies were sent from the pressing plant to the label. These were discovered to contain print errors (including the title, which was spelled ‘Penny Royal Tea’), and were sent back to the plant to be destroyed. A few copies evaded destruction, and they’re incredibly desirable to collectors today, fetching prices of up to $1,120.
Queen – Queen Mania – $1,123
A must-have for devoted fans of Queen, Queen Mania contains 16 digitally remastered CDs containing almost all of the band’s tracks, as well as previously unreleased live recordings. The CDs come in a premium red metal flight case, and the entire set has previously sold on Discogs for $1,123.
U2 – Zooropa – $1,138
The eighth studio album released by U2, Zooropa is widely seen as the band’s weirdest release. Revolving around themes of media oversaturation, the album was inspired by U2’s experiences during their 1991 Zoo TV Tour. There are a few early promo copies of the CD featuring unique artwork still around, and these have previously sold for up to $1,138.
Burzum – Burzum – $1,500
This self-titled album was released by Norwegian metal band Burzum in 1992. A few copies from the original pressing contain unique typewritten notes from the band’s members, as well as flyers and lyric sheets, and – in 2019 – one of these copies fetched the princely sum of $1,500 on Discogs.
Pixies – Minotaur – $1,500
Released in 2009, Minotaur is a limited edition boxset containing the first five Pixies albums, as well as previously unreleased footage of a concert at London’s Brixton Academy. The five CDs included in the set are plated in 24-karat gold, and are worth around $1,500.
Kylie Minogue – Live and Other Sides – $1,428
Originally released alongside Kylie Minogue’s 1998 album Impossible Princess, Live and Other Sides included a number of live recordings. The release was almost immediately pulled because Minogue wasn’t satisfied with the quality. However, a few copies still exist, and collectors have previously paid almost $1,500 for them.
Oasis – Vox Amplifier Boxset – $1,419
Released in 1996 and packaged in a special, limited edition box that looks like a guitar amplifier, the Vox Amplifier Boxset contains most of the tracks Oasis had released at that point, spread across ten CDs. In 2014, a dedicated Oasis fan paid $1,419 for a copy of the boxset in a sale facilitated by Discogs.
Dead Can Dance – DCD Europe 2005 – $1,364
Released in 2005, DCD Europe 2005 is a collection of live recordings handpicked by Dead Can Dance, which the band felt provided the strongest examples of their performances. Only a few copies of the album were released, and in 2018 one sold online for $1,364.
Ben Howard – Games in the Dark – $1,331
While not as famous as some of the names on this list, Ben Howard still has incredibly devoted fans, and they’re willing to pay top dollar for his harder-to-find works. The most desirable of these is Howard’s Games in the Dark EP, which was released in 2008. Only a handful of CD copies were made, and they’ve sold for up to $1,331.
Young Gangstas – Pre-Meditated Gangstarism – $1,300
When it comes to deep-cut hip-hop gems, it doesn’t get much deeper than Young Gangstas’ 1995 album Pre-Meditated Gangstarism. Hardly any copies were ever made, and they’re extremely hard to get hold of. If you’ve got one in your collection, you could be in for a payday of at least $1,300.
Paul Chain – Relative Tapes on CD – $1,218
Relative Tapes on CD is a seven-disc compilation of tracks recorded by experimental rocker Paul Chain. Many of the songs on the compilation can’t be found anywhere else, making it incredibly desirable to fans of Chain. In 2018, a copy of Relative Tapes on CD sold on Discogs for $1,218.
O.G. Cat Presents Bigg Riggaz – Mobfigures – $1,211
In 2018, a copy of Big Riggaz’s 1999 album Mobfigures sold on Discogs for $1,211. The general consensus in the hip-hop community, however, is that this was significantly less than the album is truly worth. Since only a few good-quality pressings exist, it’s been estimated that Mobfigures could sell for upwards of $10,000.
William S. Burroughs – Electronic Revolution – $1,200
Released in 1998, Electronic Revolution is, in essence, an incredibly expensive audiobook. A collection of essays written by American writer and artist William S. Burroughs, Electronic Revolution can be picked up in book form for under $100. If you want the pleasure of listening to a recording of the essays read out loud, however, you’d best be prepared to fork out at least $1,200.
