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In 1966, the Beach Boys hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Barbara Ann.” Lead singers on the record are Beach Boy Brian Wilson and Dean Torrence of famed singing duo Jan & Dean. Their 45 with picture sleeve is worth up to $200.00. But the song first hit the charts in 1961 when the Regents brought it to #13. Their “Barbara-Ann” album, released on Gee records, is worth up to $100.00. The original 45 of “Barbara-Ann” by the Regents, released on Cousins Records, can sell for up to $500.00 today.

Ray Charles had his first big hit for Atlantic records in 1955 with “I Got a Woman.” Then the floodgates opened with more classics like “What’d I Say” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” However, before Ray Charles began his string of hits with Atlantic Records he recorded some lesser-known songs for Swing Time Records. In 1961, Hollywood Records released the album “The Original Ray Charles,” which featured many of the early recordings that he made for Swing Time. An original copy of the album is worth up to $200.00 today. His first single of “Midnight Hour” in 1952 on Atlantic Records can now sell for $1000.00.

In 1963, Paul Revere and the Raiders recorded and released their version of the Rock and Roll classic, “Louie Louie.” They used the same studio in Portland Oregon where the Kingsmen recorded the definitive and legendary version. Had it not been for Mitch Miller of “Sing Along with Mitch Miller” fame, Paul Revere and the Raiders’ version might have been just as successful. However, Miller, who made the decisions at Columbia Records, hated Rock and Roll and turned thumbs down on bringing the Paul Revere and Raiders’ single nationwide. Their version on the small Sande record label is worth no more than $30.00 but their one album on Sande can sell for $500.00 today. The 45 and album are shown here.

Where do the ideas come from for some of Rock and Roll’s greatest hits? In 1957, Elvis Presley held the #1 spot on Billboard for two months with “All Shook up.” Songwriter Otis Blackwell got the idea for the song and title from an associate who was shaking up a bottle of Pepsi. The 45, with picture sleeve, is worth up to $150.00 today. $100.00 just for the picture sleeve. Don’t shake it!

Little Richard’s back-up band was the Upsetters. Among the members during those early years of Rock and Roll was a man who would epitomize the Soul sound of the 60’s. That man was Otis Redding. Best known for his #1 hit, “(Sittin’on) The Dock of the Bay,” he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His “Dock of the Bay” single can fetch $40.00. In 1965, Volt Records released the Otis Redding album, “Soul Ballads.” A copy is worth up to $100.00 today.

One of the comic book characters brought to TV in the golden age of television was “Dennis the Menace.” The series on CBS ran from October of 1959 through July of 1963. It preceded the most popular TV show on Sunday nights, “The Ed Sullivan Show.”  Starring Jay North, the show was sponsored by Kellogg’s cereals and Skippy Peanut Butter. In 1960, Colpix Records released the soundtrack album “Dennis the Menace.” A copy is worth up to $200.00 today. “Dennis the Menace” is just one of the 10,000 soundtracks listed on our Soundtracks Guide, covering movies, TV shows, and Broadway shows. It’s available in the left hand column.

The Reflections were blue-eyed Doo Wop singers from Detroit when they reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964 with “(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet.” They tried the formula again two years later with “Like Adam and Eve.” However, it failed. The 45 of “(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet,” released on Golden World Records, is worth no more than $15.00 but that failed attempt of “Like Adam and Eve” can sell for $125.00 today. The “(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet) album can also fetch $125.00.

“The Way You Make Me Feel” was the third single from Michael Jackson’s “Bad” album to make it to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Composed and written by Michael Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones, it was released not only as a 45 but also as a 12-inch single in conjunction with Pepsi Cola. The regular 45 isn’t too collectible, up to $5.00. However, the 12-inch single, with custom cover as seen here, can easily sell for $200.00 today. (Find the values for every record by Michael Jackson in our “Record Appraisal Guide,” available in the left hand column.)

The Beatles’ 5^TH album for Capitol records is “Beatles 65’,” containing their hits, “I’m a Loser,” “She’s a Woman” and “I Feel Fine.” The album also shows the respect the Beatles had for legendary Rock and Roll pioneer Carl Perkins as they covered his songs, “Honey Don’t” and “Everybody’s Trying to be My Baby.” An original copy of the album is worth up to $150.00 in stereo and up to $400.00 in mono.

“After Bathing at Baxter’s” is Jefferson Airplane’s third album, which was inspired by the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts club Band.” The psychedelic group from San Francisco wanted to go with a more experimental approach. Gary Blackman, a friend of the band came up with the title. “After Bathing at Baxter’s” really means after “bathing taking LSD.” Baxter was the band’s code word for LSD.
Released on RCA in 1967, a stereo copy is worth up to $30.00 while a mono copy could sell for $750.00 today.