Top 10 Rarest Records Atlas Records Sold In May 2026

Here's our rundown of the top 10 rarest records we sold in May 2026! This month features a first pressing punk classic, a sought-after indie/electronic double LP by UNKLE, and a debut album from one of rock's most beloved figures, recorded before global fame came calling.

Other highlights include a legendary reggae box set from Bob Marley, a mid-90s vinyl rarity that sold millions on CD but almost none on vinyl, and, topping the list, one of the most extraordinary objects in post-punk history - and the 8th rarest record we've ever sold.

You can read our other top tens and a guide to protecting your records by exploring the rest of our blog.

Read on to discover our rarest albums this month.

The second time this sleeve design has appeared in our top 10 rarest list in 2026. The first time was back in March, but was the 7" version. This 12" version features exactly the same design and is surprisingly, perhaps, not quite as rare as the 7". This sleeve was quickly pulled after release and replaced with a plain red version with black text. The change came amid concerns that the original artwork made it appear to be a live release.

At number 9 we have a first pressing of Teenage Kicks by The Undertones. Most copies of this original issue come with the white sleeve, like ours. However, some extremely rare copies come with yellow, green, pink or blue sleeves. 

War Stories is the third studio album from UNKLE, released in 2007 on James Lavelle's own small independent label, Surrender All. A sprawling, ambitious record featuring collaborations with Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Ian Astbury of The Cult, and 3D of Massive Attack.

The self-titled debut from Christine Perfect - better known as Christine McVie - released in 1970, just before she officially joined Fleetwood Mac. Rooted in blues and soulful rock, it features a stunning cover of I'd Rather Go Blind and captures a legendary artist right at the start of her journey to global fame. Original UK pressings on Blue Horizon are genuinely scarce, and this was the first copy we've ever had.

A copy of Led Zeppelin IV, or Untitled, as it's officially known, is a fairly regular sight at Atlas Records, but this particular example earns its place thanks to its fantastic condition. An EX/EX copy of this UK 'plum' label pressing, the 5th of 9 known variants, is a different proposition entirely from the well-worn copies that typically come through the door.

Yet another rare Vertigo swirl pressing, these are highly sought after by collectors. One Fine Morning is the fourth studio album from Canadian progressive rock and jazz fusion band, Lighthouse. This album features two different album artworks, depending on the location of release. In Germany, the UK and Italy, it was released in a gatefold cover with artwork by the artist Roger Dean - famous for his work painting many album artworks by Yes.

A major highlight on our social media in May! We'll let Chris tell you about this one...

Pressed in 1994, this is an incredibly hard to find copy of Carry On Up The Charts by The Beautiful South. Supposedly, one in seven British households owned a copy of this album, but almost entirely on CD, at a time when vinyl pressings were at their lowest. Copies are genuinely hard to come by as a result.

This record was listed as part of our Ultra-Rare Monthly Record Drop, where we list the very rarest LPs and 12" we've come across in the last month... Check out some of our latest additions below.

This was a special one. Also featured in our Ultra-Rare Drop, we see quite a few copies of this early/first UK pressing of Master of Reality by Black Sabbath. What set this one apart, however, is that it came with the original poster, which is incredibly hard to come by. 

The rarest record we sold in May, and the 8th rarest we've ever sold - The Return of the Durutti Column, released on Factory Records in 1980 in an industrial-grade sandpaper sleeve, deliberately designed to destroy the records stored next to it. An extraordinary piece of post-punk history, with around 2,000–3,600 sandpaper copies produced in total before Factory switched to a standard cardboard sleeve.

We hope you enjoyed discovering our top ten rarest records from May. If so, do go and have a look at our Ultra-Rare Monthly Record Drop too - on the 1st of every month, we drop the very rarest records we've come across that month.

If you'd like to see more of the rare and unusual records that pass through Atlas Records, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. We post daily, sharing our latest rare finds, behind-the-scenes glimpses of how we do things here at Atlas Records, and lesser-known stories and fascinating facts about some of the most iconic albums in music history.

If you own, or are looking to purchase rare records, they should be kept in the best environment to prevent them from being damaged by the elements. We recommend using HDPE inner sleeves, and polythene outer sleeves, to best protect your collection. You can add them to your next order below.