The eight CDs worth up to £8k that could be in your collection, including one big surprise

Wales Online

02-05-2025

The eight CDs worth up to £8k that could be in your collection, including one big surprise
CDs you probably have in your collection could be worth a small fortune. From David Bowie to Michael Jackson, collectors are willing to pay hundreds, or even thousands, for a rare CD
It's always worth checking your dusty CDs to see if you're sitting on a goldmine
(Image: Getty Images )
CDs and vinyl records, once considered relics of the past due to the advent of MP3 players and smartphones, are making a comeback as nostalgia grips music lovers who are returning to physical media in droves. This resurgence in popularity means that those discs gathering dust on your shelf or in your car could now be worth a pretty penny. Collectors are willing to shell out hundreds, even thousands, for rare CDs from artists like David Bowie to Michael Jackson. Many of these coveted CDs were released in limited quantities or exclusively in foreign countries, while others were recalled for various reasons.
Read on to discover which CDs could net you a tidy sum.
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Bruce Springsteen, also known as The Boss, released The Future of Rock and Roll as a promo-only compilation in Japan in 1988. This 16-track double disc is now incredibly hard to find and has been known to fetch around £1.1k, with one eBay user currently selling their copy for £907.
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Prince's My Name Was Prince follows a similar narrative. Only 50 copies of this Japan-only collection were issued in 1993 to promote the 12-track album The Hits/The B Side, reports MyLondon. Almost impossible to come by, collectors are willing to part with up to £5k for a copy.
Paris Hilton's brief stint in the music industry may have concluded in the 2000s, but her debut album Paris is now a hot commodity. This is largely due to Banksy, London's beloved graffiti artist, who in 2006 distributed approximately 500 counterfeit copies of the album across 48 UK stores.
He swapped the original booklet for his own artwork and replaced the disc with Danger Mouse remixes. These rare CDs can fetch anything from £750 up to an astonishing £8k!
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Now That's What I Call Music 4, first launched in 1984, was the inaugural Now album to be released on CD, with only 500 copies pressed. Unfortunately, this 15-track compilation was re-released in 2019, so it's not extremely rare, but original discs can still command prices between £200 and £400.
Coldplay's 1998 EP The Safety had a limited release, with only 150 copies available for sale, while the remaining 350 were reportedly given to family, friends, and record executives. It's now one of the most valuable CDs from Chris Martin's band, and fortunate music enthusiasts who own one could potentially fetch around £1.5k.
In April 1994, Nirvana released a single titled Pennyroyal Tea, an alternate version of the song from their 1993 album In Utero. However, following Kurt Cobain's death in the same month, the single was recalled.
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A few copies are still in circulation and can sell for anywhere between £1.5k and £2k.
Michael Jackson memorabilia has always been a hot commodity, especially following his sudden death in 2009. However, the most sought-after disc is the single 'Smile', which mysteriously vanished.
This CD, released only in Austria in 1997, was later cancelled and never reissued, making the few remaining copies worth around £1k-£1.5k.
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Not to be overlooked is David Bowie's 'Sound + Vision'. A copy of this 1989 compilation, one of just 350 made, reportedly sold on eBay for just over £4k in 2013.
It boasted 49 tracks, a video disc, a 72-page booklet, and came in a basswood and birch box. Additional copies released in 1990 are currently selling for between £70 and £350.
So, there you have it, time to start hunting.
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Here's the full list of CDs that collectors are on the lookout for: