Album value
Aerosmith — Rocks.
First-press value.
Released in May 1976 on Columbia, Rocks opens with "Back in the Saddle" and "Last Child" and was cut largely at the Wherehouse, the band's rehearsal space in Waltham, Massachusetts. Like Toys in the Attic, it sold heavily, and a first pressing usually sells for under $10. The jacket tells you more than the label.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1976. The US first-press shipped on the Columbia label.
- US stereo catalog: PC 34165
Compare this copy with the artist's other collectible originals. See the Aerosmith vinyl value profile.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- The original jacket is textured on the front and back, prints the title in quotes ("Rocks"), and has no "All Rights Reserved..." line near the bottom of the back cover
- Later jackets are smooth, drop the quotation marks, and add the "All Rights Reserved..." line
- First issues carry PC 34165; copies with JC 34165 on the label are later represses, since Columbia did not use the JC prefix until late 1976
- Pitman copies have STERLING and a P stamped in the runouts next to AL 34165 / BL 34165
- The original came with a printed inner sleeve
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 |
|---|---|
| 1976 first-press (NM) | $15–$35 |
| 1976 first-press (VG+) | $6–$12 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $4–$10 |
What pushes to the top: Textured quote-title jacket with the printed inner sleeve and a clean PC 34165 disc.
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 design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches PC 34165. 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 · Columbia
Aerosmith — Toys in the Attic
1975 first press: $8–$15 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1974 · Columbia
Aerosmith — Get Your Wings
1974 first press: $7–$14 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1976 · Tamla yellow-rim
Stevie Wonder — Songs in the Key of Life
1976 first press: $20–$50 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Columbia), the catalog number (PC 34165), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. The original jacket is textured on the front and back, prints the title in quotes ("Rocks"), and has no "All Rights Reserved..." line near the bottom of the back cover.
Textured quote-title jacket with the printed inner sleeve and a clean PC 34165 disc brings the top of the NM range, typically $15–$35.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Rocks reissues from later decades trade at $4–$10 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
Rocks was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The PC 34165 pressing is the reference.
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