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The 8 old CDs you may own that are worth a fortune
Reach Daily Express | May 17, 2026 3:39 PM CST

CDs that are hidden in the back of your cupboard could get you some cash. Once thought to be relics of the past, physical media has made a comeback in the streaming age where consumers own nothing. This means those old CDs that are gathering dust on your shelves or scattered throughout your car could now be worth a substantial amount of money.

Collectors are willing to pay hundreds, even thousands, for rare CDs from artists like David Bowie and Michael Jackson. These highly sought-after CDs were often released in limited quantities or exclusively in foreign countries, and some were later recalled for various reasons.

For example, Bruce Springsteen, famously known as The Boss, released "The Future of Rock and Roll," a promo-only compilation in Japan in 1988.

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This hard-to-find 16-track double disc can fetch around £1,100, with one eBay seller reporting a sale for £907.

Prince's "My Name Was Prince" is another rare find. Only 50 copies of this Japan-only collection were issued in 1993 to promote the 12-track album "The Hits/The B-Sides."

Almost impossible to locate, collectors are willing to pay up to £5,000 for a copy, according to MyLondon.

First launched in 1984, "Now That's What I Call Music 4" was the inaugural Now album released on CD, with only 500 copies produced.

Although this 15-track compilation was re-released in 2019, original discs can still command between £200 and £400.

Coldplay's 1998 EP "The Safety" only had 150 copies available for sale, with the remaining 350 reportedly gifted to family, friends, and record executives.

It has now become one of the most valuable CDs from Chris Martin's band, with fortunate owners able to sell a copy for around £1,500.

Nirvana's single "Pennyroyal Tea," released in April 1994 as an alternate version of a song from their 1993 album "In Utero," was recalled after Kurt Cobain's death later that month.

A few copies are still in circulation, and they can now sell for between £1,500 and £2,000.

Michael Jackson memorabilia has always been highly sought after, especially following his untimely death in 2009.

The most coveted disc is the single "Smile," which mysteriously disappeared.

This Austria-only CD was released in 1997 and never reissued after its cancellation, making the few remaining copies worth between £1,000 and £1,500.

Another prized item for collectors is David Bowie's "Sound + Vision."

A copy of this 1989 compilation, of which only 350 were made, reportedly sold on eBay for just over £4,000 in 2013.

It included 49 tracks, a video disc, a 72-page booklet, and came in a basswood and birch box. Copies released in 1990 are selling for between £70 and £350.

The Future of Rock and Roll (Bruce Springsteen)

My Name Was Prince (Japan-only compilation by Prince)

Paris (2006 Banksy/Danger Mouse edition by Paris Hilton)

Now That's What I Call Music 4

The Safety EP (Coldplay)

Pennyroyal Tea (Nirvana)

Smile (Michael Jackson)

Sound + Vision (David Bowie)


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