What Is The Rarest Vinyl Record? Ten of the Rarest Records in Music History

Deciding on the rarest record comes down to various factors, including sales figures and how many were manufactured.  The most well-known and regularly sought-after rare record is the black and gold label version of Please Please Me by The Beatles. 

In the world of music collecting, rarity often translates into value. Whether it's due to limited pressings, historical significance, or quirky circumstances, some records have become the holy grail for collectors. Here, we present ten of the rarest and most sought-after records in music history.

There are many ways you could write a blog post like this, such as listing the records that have sold for the highest numbers or the records that were produced in the smallest quantities. Our list takes into consideration the popularity and recognition of the releases amongst collectors and music fans.

The Beatles' debut album, "Please Please Me," holds a special place in music history. What makes it incredibly rare is the first pressing with a black and gold Parlophone label. For avid collectors, this version is the ultimate treasure.

Before he became the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis recorded a heartfelt acetate disc of "My Happiness" as a gift for his mother. Only a handful of these precious discs exist today, making them one of the rarest finds for Elvis fans - one sold in 2015 for $300,000!

Long before they became the Fab Four, The Beatles started as The Quarrymen. Their 1958 78 RPM acetate record featuring "That'll Be the Day" and "In Spite of All the Danger" is exceedingly rare, with only one original copy known to exist - it belongs to Paul McCartney.

This Northern Soul single by Frank Wilson is legendary not just for its soulful sound but also for its rarity. Most copies were destroyed by Motown Records, and the surviving few are hot commodities for collectors.

The Velvet Underground's debut album featuring the iconic Andy Warhol banana cover is a gem for collectors. In its original state, it's considered rare and valuable.

The original A&M Records pressing of the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" single is highly sought after. It was released in limited quantities before the band was dropped from the label.

"The Beatles' Yesterday and Today" album originally had a cover that featured the Beatles dressed in butcher smocks with raw meat and dismembered baby dolls. This cover, known as the "Butcher Cover," was considered highly controversial and was quickly withdrawn by the record label. Subsequent pressings had a different cover pasted over the original.

Before they conquered the music world, The White Stripes released the "Lafayette Blues" single in 1998 in a very limited quantity. Today, it's a coveted collector's item. There are only 15 copies of the version shown above, and the covers were hand painted by Jack White.

Punk rock aficionados treasure the original pressing of The Misfits' "Horror Business" single. Its rarity and historical significance in punk music make it highly collectable.

The earliest pressings of this Bob Dylan album had a different tracklist, which included songs like "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues" and "Let Me Die in My Footsteps." These original tracklist pressings are rare and valuable collector's items, having sold for as much as $150,000.