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In the 1920’s, Ma Rainey was known as “the mother of the blues” and credited to be the first great female blues recording artist. Sometimes, because of the suggestive themes of her recordings, she was called “Madame Rainey.” All of her 78’s from 1924-1928 are collectible like “Dream Blues.” Released by Paramount Records, it’s worth up to $1,000.00. With Papa Charlie Jackson, she recorded “Ma and Pa Poorhouse Blues” in 1928 for Paramount. A copy can sell for up to $2,500.00 today.

“Don’t Be Cruel” with “Hound Dog” on the flip side is Elvis Presley’s all-time best-selling 2-sided single and his personal favorite. The king recorded 28 takes before settling on the version heard on record. “Don’t Be Cruel” was originally offered to a young Frankie Valli but song-writer Otis Blackwell asked him to let Elvis record what would become a Rock & Roll classic. Elvis held the #1 spot on the Billboard charts for 11 weeks in 1956. Released by RCA, the 45 is worth up to $50.00. The black and white picture sleeve can sell for $100.00 today.

Dennis Coffey played on several Motown records along with the Funk Brothers, the musicians who played behind the Motown stars. Coffey can be heard on the psychedelic “Cloud 9” by the Temptations and “Someday We’ll Be Together” by Diana Ross and the Supremes. His own single “Scorpio” sold a million copies in 1971 but is worth no more than $10.00. However, his 45 “Theme from Black Belt Jones,” released by Warner Brothers in 1974, is worth up to $150.00 today.

Among the many bands to come out of San Francisco in the mid to late 60’s was Moby Grape. Their self-titled debut album caused quite a stir. Columbia records simultaneously released 8 cuts from the album as singles, greatly confusing radio programmers as which one to play. As a result, on some of the album covers (as shown here) band member Don Stephenson extended his middle finger (later airbrushed out.) The album, released in 1967, is worth up to $20.00 without the finger and up to $300.00 with the finger.

Miles Davis was a musician, arranger, composer, producer, band leader, and the essence of what it meant to be cool. Along the way, he also introduced other Jazz greats like Sonny Rollins and Horace Silver. The Miles Davis album “Young Man with a Horn,” released on Blue Note Records in 1952, can fetch up to $750.00 today. His “Classic Jazz” album on Capitol Records from 1953 can also sell for up to $750.00.

Eddie Cochran was a true pioneer in the early days of Rock and Roll with classics like “C’mon Everybody” and “Summertime Blues.” As big a star as he was in the states, he was even more popular in England where a car crash took his life at the age of 21. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, his most valuable 45 is “Mean When I’m Mad.” Released on Liberty Records in 1957, the single with its picture sleeve is worth up to $1500.00 today.

Metallica is among the cream of the crop of Heavy Metal bands with their albums going platinum. Guitarist-singer James Hetfield struck a chord not only with suburban metal-heads but with critics as well for his songwriting. The bands’ music deals with teen obsessions, politics, and justice. In 1986, Megaforce records released a picture disc version of Metallica’s album “Kill ‘Em All.” A copy can sell for $250.00 today. “Kill ‘Em All” by Metallica is just one of the picture discs you’ll find listed on our Picture Discs Price Guide on CD. It’s available in the left hand column.

Born Jamesetta Hawkins and speculated to be the daughter of legendary pool-player Minnesota Fats, Etta James with hits like “Dance with me Henry” and “Tell Mama” is recognized as one of the all-time music greats. Her early 1960’s hit,“At Last (My Love Has Come Along)” has become a standard and wedding song favorite. The album on Argo Records is worth up to $500.00 today. The original 45 can sell for $200.00 today.

Rolling Stone magazine ranks “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones as the second greatest song of all time. Released on London Records in 1965 it became the Stones’ first #1 hit in the U.S. In Britain, the lyrics were considered too suggestive and initially got very little airplay. The 45 with picture sleeve can sell for $250.00 today.

In 1956, United Artists released the movie “Comanche,” which tells the story of Quana Parker, chief of the Comanche Antelope tribe.” Son of a Comanche chief and a white European, Quana Parker never lost a battle but eventually accepted the white man’s culture when he saw no alternative. Starring Dana Andrews and Linda Crystal, the original soundtrack album on Coral Records from 1956 is worth up to $350.00 today. “Comanche” is just one of the 10,000 soundtracks listed on our Soundtracks CD, covering movies, TV, and Broadway shows. It’s available in the left hand column.