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The Most Expensive Single Sold on Discogs

There may be less than 10 copies of this rare promo single from the Velvet Underground & Nico, featuring mono mixes of “All Tomorrow’s Parties” and “I’ll Be Your Mirror.”

Velvet Undergound & Nico band image from the Discogs database.

In mid-April 1966, the collective members of the Velvet Underground convened at Manhattan’s Scepter Studios alongside German singer Nico to record their groundbreaking debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico. Financed by Andy Warhol and Columbia Records sales executive Norman Dolph, The Velvet Underground and Nico recorded the bulk of the songs for the album in four days with engineer John Licata for somewhere between $1,500 and $3,000 USD.

The band had no record deal in place. Dolph began generating interest from record labels, with MGM-owned Verve Records ultimately choosing to release the recording. The Velvet Underground & Nico was released in March 1967 and sold fewer copies than Warhol and the band had hoped. In 1982, Brian Eno famously quipped that while the record only sold 30,000 copies in its first five years, “everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band.”

One of The Most Sought After 7-Inch Singles In The World

All Tomorrow’s Parties
The Velvet Underground And Nico
1966
Rock, Garage Rock, Art Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Vinyl, 7″, Single, Promo, Mono
Shop

Prior to the album’s release, Verve released All Tomorrow’s Parties in July 1966, a very rare promo 45 RPM single featuring two songs from The Velvet Underground & Nico: “All Tomorrow’s Parties” and “I’ll Be Your Mirror.” 

This promo single has always been a sought after item. The mono mixes and mastering are hotter, more present, and more detailed. “All Tomorrow’s Parties” is edited to 2:55, while side B features an extended version of “I’ll Be Your Mirror.” 

Additionally, the picture sleeve for the single might be one of the rarest picture sleeves ever printed. According to collector Andy Davis, “The sleeve to All Tomorrow’s Parties was never issued commercially, and was only ever intended for promotional purposes. Legend has it that this cover was never packaged with actual vinyl copies. It has only ever surfaced as a paper artifact, and then only in single figure quantities.”

Rare Velvet Underground & Nico Singles Sells for $30,000 on Discogs

In March 2024, a Discogs user who chose to remain anonymous, purchased a copy of the single with a slightly worn picture sleeve for $30,000 USD. According to Velvet Underground legend, less than 10 of the singles with picture sleeves intact are known to exist in the world. The seller described the record like this: “With HOLY GRAIL picture sleeve, vinyl has light wear, plays good. Local pickup is encouraged.” However, the buyer was not local, so instead of shipping the single, the seller hopped on a plane to hand-deliver it.

The Most Expensive Single Sold on Discogs

Prior to this purchase, the most expensive single ever sold on Discogs was an unreleased Sex Pistols single, featuring “God Save The Queen” and “No Feeling.” Described as the holy grail of punk 7-inches, the record sold for $15,625 USD in 2018.

The Rarity of the Velvet Underground & Nico First Pressings

First pressings of The Velvet Underground & Nico — from the West Coast Pressing, to the East Coast Pressing, and to promo copies of the original album from Verve — continue to drive high prices on Discogs, ranging from $1,800 to $4,999 USD. But diehard fans can still listen to these mono mixes of the sought-after single on reissues from the Velvet Underground — both songs are featured on The Velvet Underground & Nico 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition, and are also available digitally.

As for the original version that sold on Discogs in March, it’s now made a cross-country journey and is in the hands of a devout Velvet Underground & Nico fan. 

Learn more about the top 25 most expensive items sold on Discogs in March 2024. 

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