10 Vinyl Albums We Will Never Sell No Matter How Broke We Are

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We all go through tough times. It’s an inevitable part of life, especially if you’re raising a family with multiple kids, a mortgage, a couple of car payments, and so on. You get behind on your credit card bills, have an injury, get sick—anything can happen. When it does, you usually end up looking for ways to raise as much cash as you can. The allure of websites like eBay and Amazon can inspire people to sell some of their prized possessions. For many of us, that’s our record albums. There are some albums out there that go for high prices online. It’s a temptation that many of us just can’t deny. I have sold so many albums out of my collection over the years that I wish I had never sold. However, there are some that no matter how tough it gets, I just can’t do it. Here are 10 of them. What are your 10?

# 10 – Aja – Steely Dan

We open up our 10 Vinyl Albums We Will Never Sell No Matter How Broke We Are list with Steely Dan’s iconic album Aja. This is an album that grew with me as I developed my skill set as a musician. When I first bought this album, I didn’t hear the depth of it; I just heard the songs, which I really liked. But over time, I started to hear how good the playing was. It wasn’t just the playing; it was the production. It was perfection. If there ever was a perfectly recorded and performed album, it was Aja. It seems that’s what their goal was. But even in the search for that perfection, there still is this amazing soulfulness that flows throughout the entire record.

I remember how shiny it was when I first bought it, the beautiful gatefold, and all the musician credits. It is such a wonderful experience to hold this album in your hands, looking at it while listening to it. That, for the most part, is what’s going to fuel most of the albums on this list, and that’s the reason why I would never give this up.

# 9 – Gonna Take a Miracle – Laura Nyro

The first time I ever heard Laura Nyro’s voice, I was captivated by the soulfulness in her phrasing and style. I initially thought she was just a singer, not realizing that she was indeed a songwriter and truly one of the best ever. As I learned more about her, I purchased every single one of her albums. When I discovered that she was from the Bronx, like me, it made me fall in love with her even more. My favorite was the album she did with LaBelle that I fell in love with the most. It’s one of the most soulful albums I’ve ever heard, and there’s just no way that I would ever get rid of this one.

# 8 – Street Survivors – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Like many rock fans in the 1970s, I was a big Lynyrd Skynyrd fan, especially due to the popularity of their live album and the incredible live version of “Free Bird.” I purchased Street Survivors the first day it came out. Three days later, the band’s plane crashed, and we lost Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines in the tragedy. MCA Records quickly withdrew the original album cover and replaced it because the band had been pictured amid flames on the cover.

I listened to it every day; the songs were just stunning, and Steve’s playing was incredible. It seemed like they were on the verge of taking their music to an entirely new level, maybe even developing a new musical genre, or perhaps it could have been just an album that would stand as their greatest ever, even if they had continued to record and never endured that horrible plane crash. One will never know. In the coming years, of course, the album cover became a highly collectible item because there were very few out there. No matter how big the temptation was to sell this album on places like eBay, especially at the height of eBay’s popularity when albums like this were going for extremely high numbers, I just couldn’t do it. This is too much of an important memory from my teen years. I can never get rid of this record.

# 7 – At Fillmore East – The Allman Brothers Band

The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East is a live album that all other live albums have been compared to over the years. This was the album that broke the band big time. I remember when I first bought it, it was encased in very thick, hard cardboard. I sat in my room listening to it night after night, imagining that I was up there with the group and jamming out. It took a long time for me to really understand what Duane Allman was doing, and in many ways, I’m still trying to figure that out. I’m sure there are many other people still trying to figure it out too. In the end, it doesn’t really matter because it was just so wonderful.

# 6 – Good Singin’, Good Playin’ – Grand Funk Railroad

I became a Grand Funk fan the moment I heard “We’re an American Band” on the radio when I was 12. For the next couple of years, Grand Funk Railroad was the biggest band in the world to me. One of my favorite albums was All the Girls in the World Beware!!!. It had so many hits on it, and I liked those songs because I thought writing a hit song was an art form. However, the band’s album Good Singin’, Good Playin’, produced by Frank Zappa, became my favorite Grand Funk album of all time.

I can’t tell you how much of a joy it was to interview Don Brewer and talk about this record. I always believed it was one of their best and most underrated albums, and he pretty much agreed with me. We talked in great detail about the songs on the album and why the band sounded so good on that record. It’s a shame not many people know about this album. It also sounded amazing—I mean, how could it not? Frank Zappa produced it.

# 5 – Animals – Pink Floyd

If you were a rock and roll fan and a teenager growing up in the 1970s, you had Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Of course, if you had Dark Side of the Moon, you probably also had Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall. If you were a really huge Pink Floyd fan, you probably had Meddle in your collection too. These are all fantastic albums. However, I happened to see Pink Floyd on July 3, 1977, at Madison Square Garden in support of the Animals tour. It was a mind-blowing concert experience. I remember the very next day I put the Animals album on my turntable and couldn’t stop listening to it. Sometimes it’s just that one experience that helps you connect to an album forever, and that one surely did.

# 4 – Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy – Elton John

Captain Fantastic & Brown Dirt Cowboy [CD]

Elton John’s Greatest Hits was the first album I ever purchased as a 12-year-old kid. The second album was Caribou, and the third was Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. That third album became a life-changing experience for me. If we were just picking the greatest packages released from original albums, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy would definitely take the top spot. It was incredibly beautiful, with multiple booklets and a poster included.

One could easily get lost just sitting on their bed or in the corner of their room, staring at all the material while listening to a collection of songs that stand as probably Elton John’s greatest work. Simply stunning songs with sound quality that made it feel as if the band was in the room playing just for you. Some albums are life-changing, and this was one of them. You’d have to hit me pretty hard before you could ever rip this one out of my hands.

# 3 – A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles

If you’ve read the many “10 Albums That Changed My Life” articles we have done on this site about legendary rock stars, you have undoubtedly read that many of those lists include Beatles albums. For the most part, it’s usually Revolver or Rubber Soul. However, for me, the Beatles album that I’ve always enjoyed the most was A Hard Day’s Night. Of course, when this album first came out in 1964, I was only 3 years old, so it wasn’t something I engaged with daily. In fact, I really didn’t get into the Beatles until much later in my life.

My first Beatles album was actually Let It Be because it was popular in the early seventies as the final Beatles album released, and I was just kind of discovering music at that time. Nonetheless, over the years, I’ve collected all their albums, and A Hard Day’s Night has always been my favorite. I just like the style of music they were doing at the time, and of course, the vinyl album with its beautiful cover and gatefold was a pleasure to hold in my hands. So if I’m going to get rid of most of my albums, this is the one Beatles album that I would never part with.

# 2 – Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen

The term “life-changing albums” is certainly overused on this site. We just can’t help it; we are musicians and journalists, and in that aspect, we are passionate people who like to write dramatically. However, if I were ever to use the term “life-changing album” for myself, it would be Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run. The simple reason is that I decided to become a musician after I heard this album. I didn’t fall in love with it initially on the first listen; it took a while. But of course, after just a few plays, I completely fell in love with what he was doing.

Every song on this record is a keeper. My favorite will always be “Backstreets,” just because of the story; it was very similar to what I was going through as a kid growing up in the Bronx. The cover was mesmerizing, and I was submerged in the gatefold almost daily, reading the lyrics to every song I listened to. This was one really special album, and it changed the course of music and inspired so many artists for years to come.

# 1 – Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin

Remember when your parents and every adult used to say to you, “Enjoy your teen years; they’re the best years of your life”? I never really believed them because, well, for a lot of us, things weren’t always going so well. But of course, we had our moments, and there were times when we were teenagers and had the time of our lives. I spent an entire summer once hanging out at my friend’s house every day with a whole bunch of my insane friends, and we played Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti album all day long. My friend Brett didn’t own many albums, but he owned this one. So in many ways, this pick is very sentimental to me because it was the soundtrack of my life during the summer when I was 16 years old.

I think most Led Zeppelin fans would agree that this was the greatest album they ever recorded. Of course, some would argue it was IV or maybe even II. I eventually bought my own copy, and even though I had heard it a million times, I kept playing it over and over. It was a really great package; it was fun fitting the interior sleeves into the exterior cover and changing the windows, at least the pictures in the windows, that would show up depending on which album sleeve you put in. You really have had to have owned it to understand what I’m talking about here. I still listen to this album all the time. It’s just an album you never get tired of. Try to take this one away from me, and you’re going to have a hell of a fight on your hands.

Ten more…….

This was so difficult to do because, of course, as someone who has thousands of albums and CDs in my collection, just listing 10 was so challenging. So I thought well listen if I had a chance to keep actually 20 these would be the next 10 that I would add to the list. There may be some surprises on this list. These are not all big-time mega-selling albums. But they spoke to me, and that’s what this list is all about. Which ones spoke to you?

Life Is Sweet – Maria McKee

I became a huge Maria McKee fan the first time I saw her in a video where she was singing lead for her band, Lone Justice. She had so much energy, so much emotion, and an incredible voice. I loved that band. Their first album will always be my favorite. The second was very different, as it pretty much was a completely different band. Nonetheless, another great rock and roll record. Then they were her first two solo albums. Sensational records that kind of expanded on what she was doing with Lone Justice but still in the same ballpark.

And then there was Life Is Sweet. This was a radical departure for Maria McKee. Yet, I somehow sensed this was the artist that had been longing to be unleashed. It was a brilliant record full of haunting melodies, progressive chord changes, and masterful lyrics from an artist who would go on to release a series of solo albums that define what true, genuine art is all about.

Bible Belt – Diane Birch

Every once in a while, you find an album in a record store and pick it up because something about the cover speaks to you. You get that feeling that the album just may be special. I used to get that all the time in the ’70s, and I was usually right. And I’m talking big-time albums: Meat Loaf, Rush, The Runaways. Bands that had not yet broken and I had never heard of, but something about their covers drove me in. I could see it in Diane Birch’s eyes on the cover that this record was going to be special.

This album completely blew my mind when I first heard it. If this album had been released in 1975, it may have become one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. That’s how good the songs are on this record. I feel like this is the one that got away from people. Take my advice and get a copy. It will become one of your favorite albums.

Blue Moves – Elton John

Blue Moves Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered Edition by John, Elton (1997) Audio CD

This will be a surprise pick, I think, among many Elton John fans of the 1970s. I could already hear people going, ” Well, what about Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Tumbleweed Connection, and so many more classic Elton John albums from the ’70s.” I understand, I get it, those are fabulous records, and I listen to them probably thousands of times. But Blue Moves was just really special, on so many levels.

On Blue Moves, the sound was incredible. The musicianship was brilliant. And listening to Roger Pope and Kenny Passarelli lock in these incredible grooves just brought something fresh to the Elton John sound. Some of my favorite songs of all time from Elton John were released on this album, like “Tonight,” “Cage the Songbird,” and those spectacular instrumentals. This is probably the most underrated Elton John album of his career.

Darkness On The Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen

When I did the original 10 on this list, I wanted to keep it to one per artist. I thought it would be a little more interesting. But truth is, this one should have been on the original 10. While it’s hard to touch Born to Run, it just seems time keeps making this one better and better. It makes more sense as I’ve gotten older. The songs here are more personal, more realistic, and more romantic than Born to Run.

I was a teenager when both of these albums came out. The long wait for Darkness proved a bit of a disappointment for a lot of us expecting Born to Run II. But over time, I think this may very well be my favorite Springsteen album. The music has grown along with me, and with each passing day it makes more and more sense.

Even Now – Barry Manilow

I love Zeppelin, Floyd, Sabbath; I can dig as heavy as it gets. But I’m a musician, and I just love great music, well-written songs, brilliant productions, and sensational performances. Manilow brought that to pretty much every album he released in the 70s. He was such a huge star that, of course, a lot of people would make fun of him in the rock and roll world. It’s a shame because little did they know that musicians thought the world of him. I mean, you had Frank Zappa’s drummer, Vinny Colliuta, playing drums on Manilow records. It was all the top players, top songwriters, top singers. I was a big Manilow fan because I recognized all of that. This was his creative peak. And easily my favorite Manilow. Her name was Lola!

Eat To The Beat – Blondie

The first four Blondie albums are smoking. Their debut, Blondie in 1976, and the follow-up Plastic Letters in 1978 helped define the new wave scene. The third album, Parallel Lines, turned them into a worldwide sensation with the hits Heart of Glass and One Way or Another. They took that New York street and underground sound and turned it into a commercial success. However, their fourth album combined their earlier sound with their commercial success into what I believe was their best record. All I know is I listen to this album more than any of their others, and I still listen to it.

Music – John Miles

It’s a real head-scratcher why John Miles never became a big star in the United States. He was huge in Europe, but for some reason, he just didn’t seem to appeal to music fans in the States. I blame that on radio; I blame that on his record companies, because I think the real reason was people just didn’t know anything about him. His debut album here in the States was just jaw-dropping. The title track alone is enough just to buy this album.

Ghost Writer – Garland Jeffreys

This is another artist who I always try to turn people on to. He does have a huge fan base and a loyal following. An artist as brilliant as Garland Jeffries will always have a long-time following. Ghost Writer is the sound of New York, and I say that because New York defines the sound of the rest of the world. That’s who Garland Jeffries is. An artist who brings so much culture, so much love, style, and brilliant songwriting wrapped up in a subway train car, a corner bodega, all running wild in the streets. To me, there was nothing like staring at the New York skyline in the 1970s and listening to this album.

Upside Downside – Mike Stern

Mike Stern is the artist who got me into jazz. Actually, it was my friend Tom who put this album on and said “Check this out” that got me into jazz. There has always been a crossover of rock fans who got into fusion with bands like Return to Forever and Weather Report in the 1960s and ’70s. For me it was Mike Stern in 1986 that got the Jazz juices flowing. When you talk about great guitar players, I mean players that take guitar playing to a whole other level; Stern is right at the top, and this is the album that showcases it.

The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album – Tony Bennett and Bill Evans

The Tony Bennett & Bill Evans Album [Expanded Edition]

What happens when you take possibly one of the most brilliant Jazz pianists of all time, and pair that person up with one of the most loved and mesmerizing singers in history? And then you put both of them in a room, with nothing but a microphone and a piano. No special effects, no multiple takes, just a voice and a piano. You wind up with one of the most genuine, organic, beautiful recordings in the history of music. If you’re a musician who wants to be real, who wants to be genuine, or just a fan who wants to hear what pure music and talent is all about, there’s a reason why this one is last on this list. Everyone should own this one.

Updated October 3, 2026.

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