Do you own a whole bunch of Elton John records and want to sell them fast? What are the most valuable Elton John vinyl records and how do you know if they’re worth anything? Is Elton John really as great as he seems? If so, how is this represented by his monetary value?
All this and more today as we explore the most valuable Elton John vinyl records available to buy and sell.
1. Self-Titled
Value: £6,000.00
It seems as though Elton John always had something to say. Way before there was any whiff of a greatest hits album, there was this, his sophomore, self-titled album released on the 10th of April 1970, only a year after his debut. He’s nothing if not prolific!
2. Madman Across the Water
Value: £4,959.28
Certain test pressings of this record are worth a hell of a lot, not least because this is a valuable album in terms of cultural impact and the effect that it has had on countless listeners, hence the high price this can command at auction.
3. Crocodile Rock
Value: £2,966.00
There are certain German issues of this album that have also been known to command a high price when put up for auction, largely owing to just how popular this song alone was when it was initially released.
Some songs simply do not die, no matter how much you might wish it for them.
4. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Value: £3,152.22
This is another vinyl record by Elton John that has since grown in value, especially if the copy in question happens to be signed. Yes, even if the disc is missing, you are likely to still fetch a pretty penny at auction.
5. West of the Rockies
Value: £2,602.90
This is an incredibly rare live album by Elton John that is not only valuable for its relative rarity but also for the fact that it is pressed onto multicolored vinyl – if you have a copy, hopefully, the value listed above will help you in some way to part with it.
6. Ice on Fire
Value: £1,622.63
This is the nineteenth studio album by Elton John, the title of which contains a line from the lyrics of the song “Nikita” – “With eyes that looked like ice on fire”.
7. Empty Sky
Value: £1,262.00
Considering Elton’s considerable fame after the fact, it should be no wonder that his debut album has since release gone on to garner a considerable amount than it initially commanded, far more than even inflation could account for.
With an album cover seemingly scrawled on the back of a napkin, Elton has clearly come so far.
8. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Value: £1,181.70
Considered by many to be Elton’s magnum opus, consistent collaborator and lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics in two and a half weeks, with John composing most of the melodies in three days while staying at the Pink Flamingo Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.
9. I’ve Been Loving You
Value: £1,191.71
This is the 1968 debut single by Elton with lyrics credited to Bernie Taupin (although John later admitted that he wrote the song by himself, giving Taupin credit as an effort to earn Taupin his first publishing royalties). Oft neglected, this stands as a testament to much of his earlier material.
10. “Come Back Baby” b/w “Mr Frantic”
Value: £1,150.00
Another couple of oft-neglected singles here from a pretty great era for Elton – he had so many looks and so many eras it’s really hard to pick!
11. Honky Chateau
Value: £950.00
A signed copy of this classic album is bound to whet the appetites of even the most celibate record collectors. The cover art here seems to depict what it must feel like for any record collector to try and avert their gaze from such a priceless gem.
12. Greatest Hits Vol II
Value: £820.42
There are rare versions of this album that were never released to the public and featured a slightly different cover – these versions are worth a considerable sum more than the usual fare which has been played on radio stations throughout the world.
13. Made in England
Value: £650.00
This is the twenty-fourth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1995.
On the track “Belfast,” the song originally ended simply with John singing the last line, “Belfast.” In an interview with fan magazine East End Lights sometime later, arranger Paul Buckmaster said he thought the song needed a more uplifting end, and added the outro, making it sound as if it were being played in an Irish pub somewhere up the road.
14. A Single Man
Value: £599.90
This is the first of Elton John’s albums to not include work by lyricist Bernie Taupin, and the first since his debut Empty Sky without producer Gus Dudgeon.
Unlike previous compositions in which lyrics came first, John started writing melodies at a piano, and an album unintentionally came about from this. This is also John’s first album on which he sings in a lower register.
15. Caribou
Value: £700.00
Copies of this signed both by Elton and chief lyricist Bernie Taupin have been known to sell for pretty extortionate amounts of money, hence the price above.
16. “Border Song” b/w “Country Comforts”
Value: £638.37
Early unreleased acetate demos of this single have been known to sell for large sums also, hence the chunky price listed above, a price that this single really did sell for at one point or another.
17. Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player
Value: £569.99
Original studio acetates of this classic and meta album have also been known to acquire considerable sums of money when put up for auction. It seems the further back in the production process a piece of music goes for a popular artist, the more it will be worth to the public.
18. “Club at the End of the Street”
Value: £627.37
This single was ultimately withdrawn from public consumption, hence why it now fetches such silly sums of money when put up for sale. If you have a copy, now is the time to sell, sell, sell!
19. “I Don’t Wanna Go on with You Like That” b/w “Rope Around a Fool”
Value: £517.36
Likewise, there are certain 12-inch vinyl record types of this single that go for large sums when put up for sale, especially those on colored vinyl.
20. Diamonds
Value: £568.59
Finally, let’s round things up with this, a greatest hits album spanning his hits from 1970 to 2016. The album was released on 10 November 2017. It is the first career-spanning compilation of John’s music since the release of Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits in 2007, released to commemorate the 50 years of John’s work with lyricist Bernie Taupin.
Final Tones
So, there you have it! Hopefully, you are now feeling ready and able to part ways with your own most valuable Elton John vinyl records!
FAQs Most Valuable Elton John Vinyl
How do I know if my vinyl is rare?
A record is considered rare when there are very few copies in circulation. While major albums were traditionally mass-produced, some pressings were released in smaller batches. Many out-of-print records, picture discs, imports, and limited-edition records occasionally fall into this category.
What is the most prized vinyl in the world?
Vinyl records from the ’50s and ’60s are very collectible. These records are from the “golden era” of the vinyl record timeline, made famous by the greatest musicians in history.
What vinyl records are worth selling?
Ultimately, there are four key factors to consider: how rare the record is, what condition it’s in, how old it is, and the current price of similar copies.
What vinyl singles are worth money?
Madonna – “Erotica”, John’s Children’s “Midsummer Night’s Scene”, Bruce Springsteen’s “Spirit In The Night”, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, and Robert Johnson’s “Kind Hearted Woman Blues”, to name just a few.
