Album value
Elton John — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
First-press value.
Elton John's double album came out in October 1973 on MCA2-10003 in the US and DJM DJLPD 1001 in the UK, and went to No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. MCA pressed it at several plants for years, so 1973-dated copies are everywhere; most change hands for $12 to $20 on Discogs. Value comes from a clean six-panel tri-fold jacket and two quiet discs, not from age alone.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1973. The US first-press shipped on the MCA black label with rainbow.
- US stereo catalog: MCA2-10003
- UK first-press: DJM (UK) DJLPD 1001
- RIAA certification: 8× Platinum (US)
The center label is only the first clue. See the full MCA black rainbow identification guide.
Compare this copy with the artist's other collectible originals. See the Elton John vinyl value profile.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- Original US copies come in the six-panel tri-fold jacket with Ian Beck's cover painting; a later reissue in a single sleeve adds the number MCA2-6894 at the top right of the front cover
- Black MCA labels with the rainbow; in the runouts, a P between two small diamonds marks MCA's Pinckneyville plant, a G between two small boxes marks Gloversville, and an etched T1 or T2 marks Columbia's Terre Haute plant
- Record-club copies exist on the same catalog number; RCA Music Service pressings print R214225 on the labels and back cover
- UK first pressings on DJM have black labels with a yellow logo and yellow rim text
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 |
|---|---|
| 1973 first-press (NM) | $20–$45 |
| 1973 first-press (VG+) | $10–$20 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $10–$40 |
What pushes to the top: Tri-fold jacket with no seam splits or writing, both inner sleeves present, and both discs NM.
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 MCA black label with rainbow design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches MCA2-10003. 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.
1975 · MCA custom picture label
Elton John — Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
1975 first press: $7–$14 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1972 · UNI
Elton John — Honky Château
1972 first press: $6–$12 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1973 · MCA black
The Who — Quadrophenia
1973 first press: $25–$60 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (MCA black label with rainbow), the catalog number (MCA2-10003), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. Original US copies come in the six-panel tri-fold jacket with Ian Beck's cover painting; a later reissue in a single sleeve adds the number MCA2-6894 at the top right of the front cover.
Tri-fold jacket with no seam splits or writing, both inner sleeves present, and both discs NM brings the top of the NM range, typically $20–$45.
Often not by much. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road reissues trade at $10–$40 per NM copy, against $20–$45 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.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The MCA2-10003 pressing is the reference.
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