Back in the ’80s, the average price of a vinyl record was around $10…but now, decades later, those very same albums can fetch thousands of dollars, particularly if there’s something unique or special about them. Case in point: One rare copy of the popular 1980 soundtrack for the movie Xanadu, which just sold for an eye-watering sum on Discogs.
Every month, Discogs reports on the records bought and sold through the online marketplace, highlighting the “most valuable” purchases. According to the site, one particularly rare copy of the Xanadu soundtrack took the top slot in August, selling for a whopping $6,500. But what makes this the 10-inch picture disc the “ultimate collector’s item” for fans of the film?
Apparently, only 31 of these records (which feature the title track by Electric Light Orchestra on both sides) were pressed by the studio for promotional use, as Olivia Newton-John was reportedly unhappy with the photo of her printed on the disc. Since production was halted, copies only show up on auction sites every now and then…which means collectors are generally willing to pay top dollar. (This was only the second time a copy of the record was sold on Discogs, with the last sale in 2023 fetching $5,882.)
What was the second most-valuable record sold on Discogs in August?
Coming in at second place on the list of most expensive albums at $6,395 was a highly in-demand pressing of Pink Floyd’s 1984 record Wish You Were Here known as the Nimbus variant. The Nimbus label is popular with collectors for its “Supercut” versions of records, which are particularly valuable because they were only available for purchase by mail order from Hi-Fi Today.
Taking third place at $4,800 was the first U.K. stereo pressing of The Beatles’ Please Please Me, which was only available for several weeks in 1963. Setting this particular version of the record apart are several features including labels with black and gold print (unlike the black and yellow labels used on later releases), publishing credits attributed to “Dick James Mus. Co.” instead of Northern Songs, and a different placement of the photo credit.
Related: Beloved Pink Floyd Album Just Made an Unexpected Return to the Charts
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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