Ever wonder if your old records are worth anything? With vinyl collecting surging in popularity, those LPs and singles could now be serious assets. Sealed copies, first pressings, limited editions and other rarities are the most sought-after and valuable. Spinnable securities, they make for lucrative investments. But even regular releases you've played over and over can fetch a pretty penny if they're in decent enough condition.

Read on for 40 vinyl records worth a lot more than you think. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Released in 1987, U2's fifth studio album was certified 10 times platinum in the UK and shifted 25 million units globally. Needless to say, copies are far from rare. But if you're lucky enough to own a first pressing of the Irish band's top seller, you're sitting on around $100 (£77).

Identifying a first pressing can be tricky. Many are etched with 'A1' and 'B1' on their respective sides in the area between the label and grooves. But many aren't. In the case of The Joshua Tree, the earliest copies of the album have several distinct characteristics, including a number of formatting mistakes. These are detailed on online music database and marketplace Discogs, which is super-handy for identifying first pressings. Internet retailers and collectors' forums can be mines of information too, or you can go old school and get expert advice at your local record shop.

Jamiroquai's debut stormed to the top of the UK Albums Chart in 1993 and went platinum in the country, as well as France and Japan.

The acid jazz gem, which stands out for its trailblazing environmental theme, is a favourite among collectors. A 1993 copy in excellent condition recently sold on eBay for $105 (£81). And as you'd expect, first pressings are worth even more.

A massive commercial and critical success, Norah Jones' Come Away With Me was a number-one hit in 20 countries, sold a breathtaking 30 million copies and won a ton of Grammy Awards. The 2002 smash may be one of the top-selling albums of the 21st century, but common pressings are surprisingly valuable, despite their relative abundance.

If you've got one in excellent condition, it's worth around $125 (£96).

Billed “as an experimental fusion of hip-hop and jazz”, Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol.1 is a masterclass in genre mashups and has stood the test of time, a testament to the genius of the artist, who passed away in 2010 at just 48.

Later pressings of the 1993 album sell for about $100 (£77), while a first pressing fetched $150 (£116) on eBay in February.

Portishead's 1994 debut was a defining moment for the emerging trip-hop genre. The album's blend of hip-hop beats, obscure samples and Beth Gibbons' haunting vocals resonated deeply with listeners and critics alike, earning it the prestigious Mercury Music Prize.

A standard pressing of the album was sold by Atlas Records in January for $230 (£178). If you own a copy, check whether the liner notes for Glory Box mistakenly credit Ike's Rap III as 'Isaac Moods'. If so, you have a rare misprinted first pressing, which is worth around double the price.

Queen's fifth studio album, A Night at the Opera achieved a series of milestones: it was the band's first UK number one, became their debut platinum-selling record in the USA and was reportedly the most expensive album ever recorded upon its 1975 release. It also spawned Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen's bestselling single.

First pressings of the album are valued in the region of $230 (£178). According to Atlas Records, these can be identified by their embossed sleeve design and inner sleeve with three cut corners.

A sealed copy of John Lennon's third studio album Mind Games sold on eBay in February for $250 (£193) and a bog-standard specimen in good condition is listed on the platform right now for a not-too-shabby $70 (£54).

Bar signed first pressings, the most valuable version of the 1973 record is the bumper Grammy Award-winning reissue. Released last year, it was limited to 1,000 copies, which each retailed for $1,745 (£1,350).

Nat King Cole's L-O-V-E holds a special place in his fans' affections, since it was the jazz crooner's last album, recorded and released not long before his death in 1965. For this reason, the record is in relatively high demand.

A sealed specimen will fetch around $250 (£193) and even used copies sell for decent sums of money.

Oasis' long-awaited reunion and upcoming global tour have sparked renewed interest in the band's back catalogue, driving up the value of their early releases.

In impeccable condition, a copy of Oasis' 1994 debut studio album Definitely Maybe is worth $325 (£250), according to Martin Hughes, a vinyl records specialist at Wessex Auction Rooms in Chippenham, England, as reported in The Sun newspaper.

The 1989 science-fiction comedy about the the time-travelling escapades of two metalhead slackers is perennially popular and so is its soundtrack.

A sealed version sold recently for $400 (£309), while a limited-edition copy on blue and pink vinyl is worth around $100 (£77).

Nirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged session is legendary. The stripped-down acoustic performance cemented the grunge band's legacy and remains a defining moment in the MTV Unplugged series.

A sealed copy of the live LP of the performance fetched $400 (£309) on eBay in February. If you have a used copy, it could be worth up to $200 (£155) depending on the condition, according to Discogs.

Released in 1964, The Kinks' debut studio album was titled The Kinks in the UK and You Really Got Me in the US, after its bestselling single, which was a top 10 hit Stateside. A sealed copy of the American release sold on eBay recently for $420 (£324).

As per Discogs, used examples are worth up to $100 (£77).

Chris Cornell, the frontman of Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, also forged a stellar solo career, which was tragically cut short by his untimely death in 2017 at age 52.

Songbook is the late grunge luminary's intimate 2011 live album. A fan must-have, it sells for up to $500 (£386) on eBay.

Dr Dre's 1992 debut studio album is a hip-hop landmark and mandatory for serious aficionados of the genre.

A first pressing of the vinyl LP can fetch up to $500 (£224). Used later pressings can go for impressive sums too, with the median sale price a respectable $193 (£149), according to Discogs.

As a cultural phenomenon and one of the most influential bands in history, The Beatles have an enduring appeal that is second to none. The Fab Four have shifted an astronomical number of records, more than any other band, so their music are hardly thin on the ground. But certain albums and specific pressings are incredibly valuable.

For instance, a US version of Help! from 1965 sold recently on eBay for $500 (£386).

The buzz surrounding the Oasis comeback and world tour is bumping up the price of the Manchester band's other albums, aside from Definitely Maybe.

In September, a copy of Oasis' sophomore release from 1995, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, went under the hammer at Wessex Auction Rooms for $535 (£413).

Few albums are as popular as Fleetwood Mac's eleventh studio release Rumours. The acclaimed record has sold 45 million copies since its debut in 1977 and ranks as the most streamed '70s album on Spotify.

A sealed first-pressing complete with the original price sticker sold on eBay in January for $600 (£463). While used copies don't go for anywhere near that much, they can be worth up to around $100 (£77) depending on their condition, according to Discogs.

Likewise, The Eagles' Hotel California is one of the most successful albums of all time, with over 35 million sold. Interestingly, the 1976 LP lost out to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978.

A sealed first pressing sold recently for $700 (£540). Used versions on the other hand are worth up to around $125 (£97).

Hunky Dory is the fourth of David Bowie's 26 albums. Released in 1971, it's considered one of his best and among the most influential, inspiring Post-Punks, New Romantics and more over the years following its debut.

Copies from the UK first pressing of Hunky Dory, which have a laminated cover, are the most valuable. Last year, one fetched $780 (£600) at an Omega Auctions sale in the Netherlands.

The 11th studio album from Bob Marley & The Wailers is brimming with reggae classics, from the title track Exodus to much-loved favourites like One Love, Jamming and Three Little Birds.

A sealed US first pressing from 1977 sold on eBay in January for $850 (£656). The value of used copies varies, but they can fetch up to around $175 (£133) as per Discogs, with the Jamaican release on the Tuff Gong label the most desirable.

The world's first manufactured boy band, The Monkees were created for the eponymous NBC TV show and went on to become one of the top-selling acts of the late 1960s. Their self-titled debut was released in 1966.

A sealed Canadian mono first pressing recently sold for almost $900 (£697) on eBay, though used versions are worth significantly less.

Back to The Beatles, the band's imaginatively titled Second Album from 1964 was actually their third release in the US.

A compact-33 Little LP version recently sold for almost $1,000 (£772). These seven-inch records were intended for jukeboxes and made in limited numbers, and their relative scarcity drives their high collectible value.

This 1967 album from The Who pokes fun at the commercialisation of pop music, so it's kind of ironic the record is now a valuable collectible.

According to Work+Money, the first 1,000 pressings came with a 'psychedelic poster' of a butterfly and are worth around $1,100 (£851). Among the less rare versions, the original mono release is the most valuable, selling for up to around $765 (£589), as per Discogs.

Van Halen's self-titled 1978 debut is glam metal perfection and sold more than 10 million copies in the US alone.

A sealed first pressing with the original price sticker sold on eBay in February for $1,000 (£772). In terms of used copies, the earliest pressings of the record from the Los Angeles Press are worth the most money, fetching up to $225 (£174).

The top-selling female artist of all time has a formidable back catalogue, and then some. When it comes to collectibles, Celebration, Madonna's four-LP greatest hits compilation from 2009, is among the most coveted.

The European version is especially sought-after. According to Discogs, copies sell for up to around $1,100 (£851), with sealed first pressings garnering the most money.

The late George Michael's third solo studio album has pride of place in many a music lover's CD collection, but if you're lucky enough to own the album in vinyl form, you possess a valuable asset.

Mint copies of the 1996 LP are worth up to $1,156 (£900), according to Discogs.

Elvis' eponymous debut was the first rock 'n' roll album to reach number one on the US national charts, landing in the top spot on 5 May 1956. Elvis' debut has also gone down in history as the first rock 'n' roll album to sell a million copies. But Elvis Presley is only the artist's 31st bestselling album, making it relatively rare.

For this reason, copies command high prices, with one selling on eBay recently for $1,200 (£926).

One of two albums in our round-up with cover art by Andy Warhol, The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers was released in 1971 and sold almost 3.6 million copies. The originals feature a real zipper that opens to reveal underwear fabric. The zipper was subsequently shrunk in size and vanished from later copies.

A sealed first pressing fetched around $1,240 (£957) on eBay in January. And even used versions of the earlier pressings with the large zipper are highly lucrative, selling for up to around $715 (£553).

The Doors' self-titled freshman release from 1967 is regarded as one of the greatest debut albums of all time, so it's very attractive from a collector's point of view.

The original US release is the most coveted. A sealed first pressing sold for $1,525 (£1,177) in February. But used copies can bring in the bacon too, selling for up to $545 (£421).

Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is widely considered the greatest jazz album of all time. The second best-selling LP of the 1950s, it's also the second most collected album of the 1950s and 1960s after The Beatles' White Album, according to Discogs.

Given the fierce demand, prices for the 1959 record are super-high. A sealed first pressing recently fetched $1,750 (£1,351) on eBay. When it comes to used copies, the most valuable is the US mono pressing with the 'Adderly' misprints and reverse-ordered B sides. It sells for up to $1,200 (£930).

Whitney Houston's 1985 debut launched a voice that would define a generation. The album was the first by a female artist to go straight in at number one in the US and it ended up becoming one of the bestselling debut albums in history.

A sealed copy sold in 2019 for $2,025 (£1,587) as per the Value Your Music site. Used copies however aren't all that valuable, selling for up to around $100 (£77).

The Rolling Stones' eight studio album is highly esteemed among collectors, largely thanks to its cover art. Incidentally, the cake was baked by none other than British cook and TV presenter Delia Smith, who was tasked with rustling up the gaudiest and most over the top concoction she could muster.

Original mono copies of the 1969 LP with a red inner sleeve and poster are worth keeping an eye out for. They could earn you up to $650 (£500). Factory-sealed copies fetch even more, sometimes up to $2,850 (£2,200).

One of the most successful albums of all time, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon is the best-bestselling and most collected LP of the 1970s. Like Let it Bleed, the iconic cover art, the handiwork of British graphic design firm Hipgnosis, is among its biggest draws.

The original UK Harvest release from 1973 is the most valuable. It features a solid blue prism on the record labels, instead of the shaded version used on most other versions. A first pressing sold on eBay in February for $3,230 (£2,500), though the typical maximum price for this Harvest release is around $1,600 (£1,239).

With its pop art Andy Warhol cover, The Velvet Underground & Nico from 1967 is a dream music collectible.

A mono white label promo sold on eBay for $3,520 (£2,716) in February and regular copies fetch more than $1,000 (£774). The most valuable record by The Velvet Underground is a promo single featuring mono mixes of All Tomorrow's Parties and I'll Be Your Mirror. Only 10 are thought to exist that still include the picture sleeves. One sold on Discogs in March 2024 for $30,000 (£23,220), the most expensive single ever sold on the marketplace.

Please Please Me was hastily released by Parlophone in the UK in 1963 following the remarkable success of its title track. The album didn't get a US release until 1987.

According to MoneyWeek, the early UK Parlophone pressings with the black and gold label sell for around $7,770 (£6,000).

Released in 1969, Led Zeppelin's debut album is a hard rock sensation that belongs in every well-rounded record collection. The early UK pressings are worth the most money.

In particular, the version with turquoise lettering and a 'Superhype' credit is most coveted – in 2013, a copy sold for $9,235 (£7,120), according to MoneyWeek. The most valuable Led Zeppelin record is an exceedingly rare unreleased promo interview. Only two copies of the 1979 release are thought to exist and one was listed for sale recently for $99,999 (£77,399).

The Sex Pistols' original God Save The Queen single on A&M Records was withdrawn after the label dropped the band for their notorious punk antics and the ensuing public backlash. Most of the copies were destroyed but between 13 and 20 are thought to have survived.

Last year, an A&M copy of the 1977 single fetched $31,420 (£24,320). In contrast, the mass-produced release on Virgin, which subsequently signed the band, is less valuable, selling for up to $3,600 (£2,786), with the South African release commanding the highest price.

The Northern Soul movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s is all about obscure fast-tempo American soul records. Collectors fork out outrageous sums of money for the rarest and most desirable singles and albums.

In fact, a copy of Frank Wilson's unreleased Do I Love You (Indeed I do) from 1965 features in Guinness World Records as the most expensive single sold at auction. The Tamla Motown rarity went under the hammer in 2009 for $39,295 (£25,742).

The earlier iterations of The Beatles' 1966 US album Yesterday And Today feature the notorious 'Butcher' cover, which shows the band dressed in white coats and covered in dismembered dolls and raw meat. The image was meant to be satirical take on the way Capitol Records had 'butchered' The Beatles' Stateside releases. Proving too controversial, it was swiftly pulled by the record company and replaced with a far more innocuous image.

Regular used copies of the original can fetch up to $3,780 (£2,924), while a sealed first-state copy sold in 2016 for a whopping $125,000 (£96,508).

The holy grail for many vinyl collectors, The Beatles aka The White Album is a top-tier acquisition. Ordinary copies of the original 1968 UK release sell for up to around $1,400 (£1,084). But the earliest first pressings are in a league of their own price-wise.

The year 2015 saw Ringo Starr auction off the very first copy of the revered album for a staggering $790,000 (£609,932), a sum that crowns it the most expensive album ever.

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