Album value
Queen — A Night at the Opera.
First-press value.
Released in late November 1975 in the UK on EMI and in December 1975 in the US on Elektra. This is the album that carried "Bohemian Rhapsody." It reached No. 4 in the US and became Queen's first Platinum album there. US originals in an embossed gatefold are common and usually sell for $17 to $30.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1975. The US first-press shipped on the Elektra butterfly label.
- US stereo catalog: 7E-1053
- UK first-press: EMI (UK) EMTC 103
The center label is only the first clue. See the full Elektra butterfly identification guide.
Compare this copy with the artist's other collectible originals. See the Queen vinyl value profile.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- US originals come in an embossed gatefold with no barcode on the back and Elektra's butterfly labels
- The pressing plant shows on the labels or in the runouts: CSM (Santa Maria), CTH (Terre Haute), or SP with an SRC stamp (Specialty)
- Santa Maria runouts read 7E-1053 with an etched ESR TD 11 19 75 lacquer date
- UK first pressings have an embossed matte gatefold without the "crest design © Queen Productions Ltd 1975" credit on the front, BLAIR'S etched in both runouts, and a card picture inner sleeve with three die-cut corners
The matrix runout etched in the dead wax is the definitive identifier when label and catalog number both look era-correct.
03
What it's worth
Recent sold-listing ranges. Pressing, condition, and current market all move the number.
| Pressing & condition | Recent sold |
|---|---|
| 1975 first-press (NM) | $35–$75 |
| 1975 first-press (VG+) | $15–$30 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $20–$35 |
What pushes to the top: Santa Maria (CSM) pressing in a clean, unsplit embossed gatefold with no barcode.
Sources: Discogs sold listings (90-day window), Popsike.com auction archive, Goldmine Record Album Price Guide.
04
If you have one
Pull the record. Check the label first against the Elektra butterfly label design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches 7E-1053. Then check the matrix runout in the dead wax. All three lining up is the first-press confirmation.
Or scan with Crown Vinyl. The app reads the label, catalog number, and matrix runout from a single photograph, returns the exact pressing, and pulls a current value from recent real sales. Free on the App Store.
Keep checking the shelf
More first pressings worth knowing.
Nearby years, matching labels, and more records by the same artist.
1974 · Elektra butterfly label (15 Columbus Circle address)
Queen — Queen II
1974 first press: $12–$25 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1977 · Elektra (custom album labels)
Queen — News of the World
1977 first press: $10–$18 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1972 · Elektra butterfly label
Carly Simon — No Secrets
1972 first press: $4–$10 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Elektra butterfly label), the catalog number (7E-1053), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. US originals come in an embossed gatefold with no barcode on the back and Elektra's butterfly labels.
Santa Maria (CSM) pressing in a clean, unsplit embossed gatefold with no barcode brings the top of the NM range, typically $35–$75.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. A Night at the Opera reissues from later decades trade at $20–$35 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
A Night at the Opera was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The 7E-1053 pressing is the reference.
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