Album value
Billy Joel — An Innocent Man.
First-press value.
Released August 8, 1983, An Innocent Man draws on the doo-wop and soul music Billy Joel grew up with in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It reached No. 4 and gave him 'Tell Her About It' (No. 1) and 'Uptown Girl' (No. 3). The cover was shot on the front steps of 142 Mercer Street in SoHo. It is RIAA-certified 8× Platinum and one of the most common Joel LPs in used bins: on Discogs, US copies of QC 38837 usually sell for $7 to $10.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1983. The US first-press shipped on the Columbia, with Family Productions logo label.
- US stereo catalog: QC 38837
- UK first-press: CBS (UK) CBS 25554
- RIAA certification: 8× Platinum (US)
Compare this copy with the artist's other collectible originals. See the Billy Joel vinyl value profile.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- Original 1983 copies of QC 38837 already carry a barcode (0 7464-38837-1), so a barcode does not mark this one as a reissue
- Mastered at Sterling Sound: the dead wax is stamped STERLING, with G1 or G2 for the Carrollton plant or P for Pitman
- Original copies come in a custom inner sleeve with the lyrics and credits
- HC 48837 is the CBS Mastersound half-speed issue with a lyric insert, a separate audiophile release and not a first press
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 |
|---|---|
| 1983 first-press (NM) | $12–$30 |
| 1983 first-press (VG+) | $4–$10 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $8–$22 |
What pushes to the top: The CBS Mastersound half-speed issue (HC 48837) with its lyric insert, which has sold for a median of about $24 on Discogs; stock QC 38837 copies rarely pass $30.
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 Columbia, with Family Productions logo design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches QC 38837. 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.
1978 · Columbia, with Family Productions logo
Billy Joel — 52nd Street
1978 first press: $5–$12 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1977 · Columbia, with Family Productions logo
Billy Joel — The Stranger
1977 first press: $10–$20 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1982 · Epic
Michael Jackson — Thriller
1982 first press: $10–$25 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Columbia, with Family Productions logo), the catalog number (QC 38837), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. Original 1983 copies of QC 38837 already carry a barcode (0 7464-38837-1), so a barcode does not mark this one as a reissue.
The CBS Mastersound half-speed issue (HC 48837) with its lyric insert, which has sold for a median of about $24 on Discogs; stock QC 38837 copies rarely pass $30 brings the top of the NM range, typically $12–$30.
Often not by much. An Innocent Man reissues trade at $8–$22 per NM copy, against $12–$30 for a near-mint first pressing. A worn original can sell for less than a clean reissue, so condition matters as much as which pressing it is.
An Innocent Man was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The QC 38837 pressing is the reference.
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