A number of Rolling Stones vinyl records are very valuable today, and have become collectors items.
From humble beginnings, amidst the backdrop of Beatlemania, the English quartet forged themselves a path throughout the 60s music scene and beyond.
The Stones went on to become one of the greatest rock acts of all-time, adored for generations by music lovers across the world.
Today, there are a select number of rare vinyl records to the Rolling Stones’ name – with demos, promos and obscure pressings commanding big prices for collectors.
Read on to find out more about the rarest and most valuable Rolling Stones vinyl records.
10. Emotional Rescue LP – Alternate Version (1980)
Estimated value: $2,800
Originally found on the estate of Earl McGrath, ex-president of Rolling Stones Records, an alternate acetate of the band’s LP Emotional Rescue, is thought to hold great value for music lovers and avid collectors.
This pressing has a version of ‘Dance (Pt. 1)’ that is at least one minute longer than the original, and also features a slightly longer version of the track ‘Where the Boys Go.’
This acetate, which was released over six weeks after the album itself, likely contains subtle differences in the final mix.
In May 2020, a copy of this rare Rolling Stones album sold for over $2,800.
9. ‘Sticky Fingers’ – Mono Promo (1971)
Estimated value: $3,200
Recorded in mono, this White label promo of album Sticky Fingers is largely valuable because of its unique design features.
The promo version places a twist on the record’s original artwork, which displays the classic image with a jean-wearing man pictured from waist to lower thighs.
Made available in 1971, this specific vinyl has a special sleeve which sports a real metal zipper and orange sticker that reads – “Promotional d/j copy monaural NOT FOR SALE.” On its rear, the sleeve has a lips sticker complete with track listing.
A copy of this rare promo record was sold in 2022 for $3,200.
8. Self-Titled – The Rolling Stones – Test Pressing (1964)
Estimated value: $3,350
Test pressings of the Rolling Stones 1964 self-titled record have a handful of distinct features that make them easier to identify.
They contain a different version of the track ‘Tell Me’ which has a shorter running time of 2:52, in comparison to original pressings where the song lasts for over four minutes.
Additionally, a collector can determine the scarcity of a copy by checking the label or sleeve for a misprint. Early covers list the fourth track on side one as ‘Mona’ which was later altered to “I Need You Baby.”
A copy of this rare pressing sold for $3,350 in 2018.
7. Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass) -Alternate Cover (1966)
Estimated value: $4,000
There are only a handful of the rare, withdrawn Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass) matte cover currently in existence, with approximately seven known to be in circulation.
The sleeve folds out to a book of pictures, featuring members of the band.
Notably, the cover is made of matte paper vs the more common version which is poster paper. Some of the artwork on this record is also different to the standard issue. The river in this design is pastel purple with two lines of text on the cover in Italics.
In 2018, one of these rare Stones records sold for $4,000.
6. ‘Little Red Rooster’ – 7” Promo (1964)
Estimated value: $4,000
The rarity of this Rolling Stones seven-inch promo is a result of the record label on which it was released.
This ‘Little Red Rooster’ vinyl, along with its B-side ‘Off the Hook,’ was a UK based demo and was produced on London Records. The Stones were traditionally on Decca records in the UK, and so this is the only known demo on the London label.
One of these very interesting seven-inch vinyl records sold in 2016 for around $4,000.
5. Some Girls – Withdrawn Cover (1978)
Estimated value: $4,500
Some Girls is the fourteenth UK and sixteenth US Rolling Stones studio album. It was the first record to feature guitarist Ron Wood as a full-time member.
The cover of the original album featured a die-cut design with peep-holes revealing faces of The Stones, and a host of female celebrities on the inner sleeve.
Due to the threat of legal action from the women appearing on the cover, it was withdrawn shortly after release and a newly crafted inner sleeve without the celebrities’ faces was released.
A copy of the original record sold for $4,500 in 2021.
4. ‘Beast Of Burden’ – Unreleased Picture Sleeve (1978)
Estimated value: $7,200
In 1978, The Rolling Stones’ released their single ‘Beast of Burden.’ The original picture sleeve depicted a lion sitting on a “damsel in distress.”
The artwork was withdrawn and all the sleeves scrapped. Many in the US disapproved of the imagery, reportedly feeling that it implied the idea of bestiality.
With legal cases from the original ‘Some Girls’ LP cover still very much at large, the Stones were eager to prevent further issues. As a result of its removal, very few copies still exist.
In 2021, one of the remaining singles fetched in the region of $7,200.
3. DECCA Promotional Album (1969)
Estimated value: $8,300
Originally released in 1969, and initially printed in the U.S, The Rolling Stones’ DECCA promotional record was produced in limited edition and originally intended for use by American radio stations.
The rarest iteration of this record is the UK version – a radio sampler with only 200 copies ever manufactured in England.
The running order differs slightly from US releases. The UK work has ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’ placed differently on the track list, with most songs running a few seconds longer than their US equivalents.
In January 2023, a UK copy of this rare record sold for around $8,300.
2. ‘I Wanna Be Your Man / Stoned’ – 45 RPM (1964)
Estimated value: $9,400
This rare Rolling Stones vinyl, featuring the songs ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ on side A and ‘Stoned’ on the reverse, was pulled from shelves following backlash over the B-side’s suggestive name.
The record was first released by London Records in 1964.
The first US release was withdrawn even before it reached the shops, after the label decided that it raised controversial connotations of drug taking.
Only a few stock copies of this rare 45 have survived, and in 2016 one sold for over $9,400.
1. ‘Street Fighting Man’ – U.S Picture Sleeve (1968)
Estimated value: $22,600
The Rolling Stones’ record ‘Street Fighting Man’ was banned across the US in 1968.
The controversial record was criticised for the cover image that depicted black riots, as well as for the track’s lyrical content.
The year 1968 is remembered for the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F. Kennedy, along with a summer of rioting amongst black neighbourhoods, sparked in part by King’s death.
The picture sleeve in question was quickly withdrawn after record label London Records bowed to the social pressures surrounding it.
The recording itself is a rare version of the song with a different vocal track, and additional piano than previously seen on the album Beggar’s Banquet.
A copy of this incredibly rare and valuable vinyl sold for $22,600 in 2022, making it the most valuable Rolling Stones vinyl record.
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