The 8 Most Valuable Classic Rock Vinyls From The '70s

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

We only want the best for you discerning audiophiles out there, so today we're looking at the most sought-after and therefore most valuable rock vinyls from the 1970s. Since we've already got your listening room full of '70s essentials prepped and ready to go, it's only right and proper that we get you the finest discs for your freshly varnished stereo cabinet. 

While there are 10 vinyls that every '70s diehard should already own, those aren't necessarily the highest-grossing LPs on the market nor the editions that sound the best. We want the faces of your fellow '70s retro puritans to light up in appreciative surprise when they realize they're in the presence of an aficionado with a supreme collection of primo spinners. So here's to the wax that earns you the respect and/or envy of your fellow collectors for your maniacal commitment to audio quality — and apparently bottomless pocketbook.

"Frutti Per Kagua" by Capitolo 6 is a promising debut LP from an Italian progressive rock combo that broke up soon after its 1972 release. While the sprawling epics (including an opening track that surpasses 18 minutes) may draw a reasonable comparison to Jethro Tull thanks to a flute-playing lead singer, the compositions themselves feel more connected to the Rock in Opposition movement for their liberal use of jazz and avant-garde elements. This flash-in-the-pan oddity goes for as much as $8,700, making it an early but valuable artifact from a country with a surprisingly prominent, yet underrepresented, progressive rock scene.  

There's something bitterly ironic about the brazenly anti-commercial ethos of vintage punk rock commanding high prices, but a fresh 1977 copy of "Cough/Cool/She," the 7” single from horror punk pioneers The Misfits, can cost over $13,000. The songs contained on this much-sought-after disc are of little musical accomplishment, though lead singer Glenn Danzig does showcase some of that Elvis-meets-Jim-Morrison vocal tone that endeared him to punks and metalheads alike. A perfect gift for your once-cool dad who shaved off his mohawk and became a hedge fund manager. 

The 1974 vinyl single for AC/DC's "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" is noteworthy for featuring vocals performed by Dave Evans, the group's short-tenured original vocalist. The single was a modest hit and began opening doors for the then up-and-coming AC/DC, but Evans resigned in 1974 citing overwork and a lack of pay. Nevertheless, the pre-Bon Scott era single can fetch a cool $7,000. A small price to pay for fans who want to smell the freshly poured asphalt on the Australian quintet's legendary highway to hell. 

The obscure self-titled 1971 LP by Mourning Phase didn't garner much attention until it was acquired and re-released by the Kissing Spell label in 1994. It's a charming collection of willowy, surrealistic, and dreamy folk yarns that hint at tremendous artistic potential if the project had lasted long enough to mature. As it stands, the original pressings can go for over 10 grand. That sort of unexpected interest, long after the fact, is proof that an unexpected cult following among vinyl fanatics can be a hit-making machine of sorts in its own right.

Cherry Five would go on to greater success when they were rebranded as Goblin and hired by legendary horror filmmaker Dario Argento to work on the soundtrack to his 1975 film "Profondo Rosso" and, more notably, his 1977 masterpiece "Suspiria." That makes this self-titled 1975 LP a rare collector's item for prog rock aficionados. For a mere $7,000 or so, you can take a spin through the sunnier side of the imagination of an ensemble that would go on to be synonymous with the demonic and the macabre.

Japanese first editions of Pink Floyd's "Ummagumma" can reach prices exceeding $13,000 — the most expensive 1970s release in their archive. Not a bad showing for one of Pink Floyd's more popular releases from before their golden period, which began with "Dark Side of the Moon." Much of that price tag is no doubt down to the widespread appeal of Japanese releases among vinyl collectors. Whatever the case, this particular 1970 release from Pink Floyd's artistically wayward post-Syd Barrett years is a top commodity among vintage vinyl collectors. 

English psychedelic crooners Ferris Wheel never made much of a splash with their recordings, but the ones that did survive command hefty prices. "Supernatural Girl," the group's 1974 debut, fetches as much as $13,000. The music itself is well executed, but the recording quality is so aggressively lo-fi that it sounds almost as if the whole session was recorded with a single microphone in a studio down the hall from the actual performance. But that complete lack of definition adds to the charm, as well as the appeal factor for listeners who want to feel as though they're probing the outer reaches of what recorded music has to offer.

And who is Complex, you might reasonably ask? We're not entirely sure, either, but it was apparently an ensemble of British teenagers managed by one of the band members' mothers. Released independently, the group's 1971 debut was limited to a run of just 99 copies (one short of 100 for tax purposes, apparently). The band went on to absolutely no success — but obscurity is a license to print money in the rare vinyl business. Near-mint condition copies of the group's self-titled debut go for around $12,000, so drop that on the turntable and pour your listener a nice glass of 1970 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.