The 10 Most Expensive 45 RPM Records Sold in 2025
The list below highlights the ten most expensive 45 RPM records publicly sold in 2025, based solely on verified eBay sales data archived by Gripsweat.
It’s important to note that this ranking reflects only public auction results — not private dealer transactions or Discogs marketplace sales. In reality, some of the year’s biggest record deals happened off the radar, particularly through top UK rare soul specialists like John Manship, Darren Brown, and Tim Brown. A few privately sold titles — including Eddie Parker’s “I’m Gone” on Aware (a Northern Soul grail) and The Fix’s “Vengeance” (an early hardcore punk landmark) — both topping $10,000, rivaling or surpassing the highest eBay figures shown here.
One last thing, while these rare 45s continue to set record prices - it’s important to note that MOST 45s (hit songs by popular artists) are at their lowest demand/value of all time - with most not even selling for 25 cents!
10. James Marsh – “You Made a Mistake / I’ll Never Stop Loving You” (Rainbow, Dallas TX)
📅 Sold: March 22, 2025 💰 $5,000
An ultra-rare Texas private-press soul 45 that surfaced in VG+ condition. Even with the ugly label damage this managed to hit 5k!
Only known to serious R&B DJs, the Marsh single shows how regional soul remains one of the strongest performing niches in the 45 market.
9. The Five Crowns – “I Want You / Hillum Bay” (De’Besth, 1959 Promo)
📅 Sold: May 25, 2025 💰 $5,099.55
A scarce Harlem R&B promo from the group that would later evolve into The Drifters with Ben E. King.
This clean D.J. copy on the obscure De’Besth label is one of the hardest early Five Crowns discs to find.
8. Orquesta La Oposición – “El Rumbero Está Aquí” (Tabu, 1970s)
📅 Sold: June 21, 2025 💰 $5,100
A salsa and guaguancó holy grail that almost never appears publicly.
This excellent-condition copy drew heavy competition from Latin collectors worldwide and underlines the global growth of vintage Latin 45 demand.
7. Peabody Hermitage – “Something So / Fear” (Tennalaga, late ’60s)
📅 Sold: July 6, 2025 💰 $5,532
A fuzzed-out garage-psych monster from Tennessee with local-press scarcity and strong crossover appeal.
Its combination of teenage grit and psychedelic chaos makes it a prime example of how regional garage remains hot with collectors.
6. John & The Weirdest – “Can’t Get Over These Memories / No Time” (Tie T-101, 1967)
📅 Sold: May 18, 2025 💰 $5,899
One of the most coveted Northern Soul 45s, spun at Wigan Casino and Blackpool Mecca.
Pristine condition and verified original pressing status helped this one climb close to six thousand dollars.
5. The Reactors – “I Want Sex / The Seduction Center” (Meltdown Music, 1979)
📅 Sold: June 9, 2025 💰 $6,600
A DIY Houston punk single that still shocks audiences and bidders alike.
Raw, funny, and furious, “I Want Sex” has been a KBD-era staple for years and continues to rise in value.
4. The Fabulous Filtrations – “Wait Till I Find Her” (D-Clef, 1971, NJ)
📅 Sold: August 21, 2025 💰 $6,766.66
Sweet-soul perfection from Newark.
A one-sided private press with gorgeous harmony vocals, this record rarely surfaces and shows the ongoing dominance of rare soul 45s in the collector market.
3. Nirvana – “Love Buzz / Big Cheese” (Sub Pop SP23, 1988)
📅 Sold: April 20, 2025 💰 $7,100
The first ever Nirvana release, hand-numbered #870 of 1,000.
This copy was near-mint with a clean sleeve, confirming that early Sub Pop singles continue to rival vintage punk in price and demand.
2. Tony Sheridan & The Beat Brothers – “My Bonnie / The Saints” (Decca, USA Stock Copy)
📅 Sold: March 9, 2025 💰 $11,186
A historic pre-Beatles artifact featuring Lennon and McCartney backing Tony Sheridan during their Hamburg days.
Scarce U.S. Decca stock copies like this are cornerstone pieces for early Beatles completists.
🥇 1. Rolling Stones – “Street Fighting Man / No Expectations” (London, Withdrawn Picture Sleeve)
📅 Sold: April 28, 2025 💰 $13,768
The crown jewel of 2025’s public record sales.
An authentic withdrawn U.S. picture sleeve verified by Rockaway Records expert Gary Johnson pushed this VG- copy to nearly fourteen thousand dollars.
Few artifacts capture the intersection of rock history, censorship, and collector obsession better than this one.
Closing Thoughts
While these figures come from public eBay auctions, insiders know that similar or higher prices are being achieved privately every month.
From Northern Soul to garage fuzz to early grunge, 2025 proved that the 45 rpm format still defines the cutting edge of record collecting.