Few bands like the Beatles have had an impact on popular culture. More than two dozen Beatles albums were issued between 1962 and 1970 in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Many albums in Beatles (both 45s and LPs), very popular, are worth $100 in almost mint condition. Prices are analyzed for some of the most frequently acquired records as at August 2009, based on auction performance averages.
Early Records
The Quarrymen: That’ll Be The Day/In Spite Of All The Danger – 1958 (No Cat. No) $170,000+
The world’s rarest record was also one of the cheapest to records and stresses. In 1955, the year in which “The $64,000 Issue” appeared first in the United States.
In that time, no one expected, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, John Lowe, and Colin Hanton went into the little studio in Liverpool’s front room to buy two songs from 17 shillings and 6 pence, — less than two bucks today!
“That’ll be the day” and “In Spite Of All The Risk,” written by McCartney and Harrison, were then transferred to a 10-inch acetate which they were given.
That album is worth $170,000 50 years on, and it is only fitting that it is the property of Paul McCartney.
Two limited edition reproductions of McCartney were made in 1981 limited to 25 copies each. These records of 45rpm and 78rpm in a Parlophone replica are worth $20,000 plus each. The original 78 album is likely to remain forever in the McCartney family and never be sold.
Hopefully so, but it would be cool if this vinyl artwork were loaned into a museum-like painting by other great artists, such as Picasso and Dali. If I have one of these I definitely get myself a really nice wood record player stand with vinyl storage to display this masterpiece.
Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You 1962 – $4,250
This is where it started, as in September 1962; 250 copies of the first single of the Beatles were sent to journalists and radio stations in order to cultivate an interest in the first appearance of the new Parlophone signature.
The white labels have a large red “A” on the “A” side — “Love Me Do” — and a delicious orthographic error that makes the track “Lennon-McArtney” a success.
The final publication date was 2 Oct 1962 and it was first published in April 1964 in the States. The highest we saw copy sales on eBay in 2008 was $7,000.
1963-1964 Records
Introducing the Beatles (1963)
In 1963, the Beatles issued their first LPs with “Introducing the Beatles” (1st American album worth $350).
Please Please Me (1963) – $4,250
As The Beatles’ first album was released in 1963, only small volumes of stereo recordings were added to the market. The majority of pressures on this album were therefore published in the UK. They were in mono on March 22.
There was a limited number of stereo clones, which people with costly stereos were able to purchase by special requests. The first two “Please Please Me” presses in mono and stereo were given the now desired gold and black label.
Parlophone was changing the label design and ensuring that further issues relating to “Please Please Me” were used for a large part of the ’60s in the new yellow and black label.
Therefore, Mint stereo copies with the black/gold label therefore worth $4,250.
Those in the most “full” mono value 1,020 dollars. The 1963 mono/stereo gold label has two “special” push-ups: the first is a “Dick James Mus.”
Co’s publishing credit for the traps ‘Please Please Me’ ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ ‘Misery, Do You Want to Know A Secret’ and ‘There is A Place,’ and for ‘Northern Songs,’ the credit for the tracks is the same.
From Me To You/Thank You Girl (1963) – $850
Though the Beatles were hot in white by the beginning of 1963 and 1964, promotional recordings were already released and sent to journalists and radio stations.
All U.K. copies. Promos from this time are worth 850 dollars each in the country. Copies of “From Me To You”/”Thank You Girl” come with the late “45” suffix that is not shown single-handedly.
It was used to distinguish 45 rpm from 78 rpm albums. The following are worth “She Likes You,” “I Do Want to Squeeze Your Hand,” “Can’t Give Me Happiness,” and “A Bad Day Night.”
With The Beatles (1963)
The second Beatles album was released in 1963 and sold to the UK by millions. The audience was so excited about the album that the modern term “Beatle Mania” was coined.
Albums have been played to death, and it is very difficult to locate a clone of mint with one of the limited number of stereo recordings pressing on “Jobete.” The second press for the track “Money” with “Dominion, Belinda” is worth $200.
Beatles for Sale – 1964
Mint copies of “Beatles for Sale” in mono/stereo fetch around $85/$170, but there are some copies pressed in 1965 that include a printing error on the label of Side 1 that lists Track 2 as “I’m A Losser” rather than “I’m A Loser.”
Golden Disc (1964) – $2,550
Golden Disc was to be the fourth Beatles in the UK. EP and all the songs that became platinum by 1964. While two disks and two sets of proof labels were also checked, that is as far as Golden Discs is concerned and the concept was abandoned.
There was scarcely a drug shortage, as there were a total of four EPs issued in 1964, including two from A Hard Day’s Night. The sum of these check pressures is $2,550, which does not contain the stickers …
1965 -1966 Records
Rubber Soul (1965) – $590
Essentially, someone at Parlophone couldn’t read and has written “Norweigian Wood.” rather than “Norwegian Wood.” on the yellow and black label of this LP ‘s side 1.
It went to printers and the mistake was detected, but it did not go on the market before some.
It was perfectly well spelled on the shirt! So if you have an initial Empire. Pressing, look at the label, you never know …
More on this song’s fact here: Songfacts of Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) by The Beatles
Something New (1965) – $760
One of the first Beatles LPs pressed for sale outside the United Kingdom and mostly came to Sweden.
What is important to look for is the contrast between this first “Parlophone Co” news. Ltd on the labels and pressing the second same LP that had “Gramophone Co. On the tag, Inc.
Although the catalog numbers are the same, it ranges from $760 to $550.
Yeah, there’s even a mispressing on the packaging of “Sold in the UK …,” it shouldn’t be there because it wasn’t priced in the UK ($850).
Revolver (1966) – $420
While this album sold millions after its release in Britain, Beatles collectors needed mint copies of the first mono edition. After all, it’s one of the greatest albums!
To ensure that you have the first release, you can release the XEX6061-1 matrix on Side 2 – black and yellow stickers, with “The Gramophone Co Ltd” and “Sold in the UK…” labels, of course.
Read more: Who created the cover illustration for the Beatles’ Revolver album?
Beatles VI (1966) – $850
It is because there is a misprint of the black and yellow mark with the word “available in the UK.” The tag will not be present because it was pressed for sale.
Without a pressing error, the “standard” export issue of this album by “The World’s most popular foursome” on the label sells for $590.
The Beatles Second Album (1966) – $590
Placed in the United Kingdom This record is marked by yellow and black Parlophone labels in order to show these ‘electrifying big beat performances’ to Europe.
An interesting argument, though, is that there is no “selling in the UK subject to resale market terms…” on the labels since certain versions of the “export” were not sold in the UK.
There is an EMI emblem press from 1969 ($210) and one from 1970 with two! ($170 dollars).
1967-1968
The White Album/The Beatles (1968) $8,500 – $11,900+
This dual album marked its 40th anniversary of the band in 2008, and it is appropriate that The Beatles became the most collectible album in the United Kingdom. These four sides of fresh, vivid and completely opposite music still confuse and thrill Beatles fans afterward from Sgt. Pepper.
In addition to the songs, the cover is so significant. British pop artist Richard Hamilton came up with the concept of a simple white gatefold cover, with “The Beatles” embossed on the front to “look like a limited edition.” In consultation with Paul McCartney.
The two LPs are now well known as the White Album and is the first album on the Apple label by The Beatles.
Because their best-selling album is the only numbering scheme that means the record can be released after Sgt Peppers. Numbers 1 to 10 are priced between $8,500 and $11,900 so if you landed on eBay – in certain conditions – the sky will be the limit.
The 11–1000 are priced at about $1,700, while 1001–10,000 are priced at around $1,020. Albums will be silver with black inner covers, a cover, and four boys’ color prints.
The copy 0000001 from The Beatles alias The White Album sold at the Julien sale for $790,000, the world’s new record for a sale vinyl record. Early estimates for the item ranged from $40k-60k, which comfortably surpassed the estimated collector order.
1969-1970 Records
Something/Come Together (1969) – $850
Although for most Kingdom the guide price. Beatles’ 7-inch version from ‘Ticket To Go’ to ‘Lady Madonna’ from 1965 to 1968 costs between $500 and $680, the amount of George Harrison’s ‘Anything’ costs approximately $850.
It is not because of the song’s greatness — because it is great — because it was the final album because single on Parlophone that helped to make Beatles albums on their own Apple label.
The presentation will have a green mark and if the core is incomplete, the record is $400.
Abbey Road (1969) – $1,700
Selling copies of the yellow and black label but even a printing deal is assigned to Decca as the EMI factories are too busy.
In order to decide if your vinyl is in the contract pressing, no stamped letters (G or D) in the direction of 3:00 will be included in the matrix number.
The label will also be circularly impressed 15 mm from the outside edge. If you look at “Come Together,” in mint condition, you take a glance at this value.
Check the Abbey Road’s trivia
Yellow Submarine (1969) – $2,000
The company Odeon was an EMI division that demanded that Beatles LPs be shipped and sold worldwide.
Therefore, limited amounts for sale in Portugal on this Odeon album may have been pressed.
Copies of Yellow Submarine were registered with the name Odeon and an Odeon sticker on the backside of the sleeve which is branded as “Apple.”
This is a “mega-rare” collectible Beatles valued $2,000.
Hey Jude (1970) – $420
The Hey Jude album sold millions when it was released in 1970 in the United Kingdom, but it was only pressed as a sales album abroad.
And, even though a U.S. copy is popular, a British copy. The EMI boxed branding and the mysterious CPCS 106 Catalog number printing with a silver / black sticker is worth $600.
When the sticker is dark black, the second press is 250 dollars and the final one is bright green (20 cents).
Instead of ‘Paperback Artist’ or ‘War’, there are several copies with a sticker that is miss pressed on Side 1 listing ‘Paper Back Writer’ instead.
Let It Be (1970) – $1,100
My very hot Beatles export LP, with stickers on the bottom of the silver and black EMI case.
The shims include a catalog number for the PPCS 7096 on the back of the shim and a Parlophone mark on the rear cover.
There’s an EMI Box Logo (US$ 250) release from 1970, which is very close, apparently. The second edition in 1970, with an Apple sticker (PCS 7096) in sleeve £ 60 in Parlofone, is simpler to see.
More Let It Be’s trivias:
- Who was the only bearded Beatle on the Let It Be cover?
- Who played keyboards with the Beatles while recording Let It Be?
From Then To You (1970) – $500
Released after the Beatles split, this Apple LP collected all free Beatles Christmas Cards, which ranged from songs, mimics and musical collages, to a Flexi CD for paying fan club members from 1963 to 1969.
Only the fan club and the United Kingdom could order the record. Edition in mint condition is now very difficult to find. CD reissue has no effect whatsoever on the pricing.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Music Medley (1976) – $680
EMI shipped out this 7-inch promotional single to promote the new 1976 double album Rock N Roll Songs.
On one side there was a mix of 11 Beatles edited in a combination while the B-side was a 3-minute, 30-second continuous test sound.
What’s special about this record is the 7-inch sticker is white and has no text. Only the “A” matric number, SPSR 401 and “LPFB” on the side “B,” will differentiate that.
The Beatles Mono Collection (1982)
In fact, the value for money is pretty good. For your $340, you get a sweet Red Presentation Package with all 10 Beatles albums – in monograph. In 1982 it was squeezed.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1984) – $420
In 1984, the United Kingdom A number of the traditional Nimbus supercut presses on top of 120-gram vinyl was reissued by stereo enthusiastic magazine Practical Hi-Fi.
There were only about 1000 copies of each title pressed, which could be bought only via fax.
Sgt. Peppers also received a five-star rating of Pink Floyd ‘s Wish You Were Here and Miles David Kind Of Blue.
References:
I have a Green vinyl copy of Abby Rd,,,is this rare?
I don’t know ware to start. My husband’s dad passed and out in the shed was a big stack of these records and other ones as well but I was able to move them before they got water damage. Last year. They are in a box. Their is a white one and a mystery tour. Abby road. And handfull of others along with other bands. Ware do I start to get rid of them so we can keep my mother in law in her home..? Ebay?
What about Meer the Beatles? The 1964 T2047 mono version.