Cassettes are becoming popular again, which means the sea of plastic cases and magnetic ribbons is growing. Digging through the mass-produced tapes that fill the thrift store cassette bins gets more and more confusing. But, there are rare, collectible cassette tapes that are actually worth your money. So, let’s sort them out.
We didn’t choose the items on this list because of monetary value even though some of these cassettes have sold for thousands. Every tape you’ll find here has rare versions of songs or otherwise unreleased tracks, was part of genre history, or has some other oddity that makes it valuable to a true fan — not just a tape hawker.
Whether a collector wants rock, heavy metal, hip hop, or any other genre, there’s a rare tape somewhere that will make all those years of tracking down obscure memorabilia worthwhile. This list is by no means the be-all and end-all, but it does highlight what sort of tapes are worth dropping cash on. After all, you don’t want to end up with worthless collectibles you thought were valuable.
12 of the Best — AC/DC
AC/DC is one of those bands that sold millions of records but never had a No. 1 hit. But, finding a copy of “12 of the Best” has always been nearly impossible. When we say this tape is “rare,” we mean there might only be one. AC/DC pulled this album before it was released in 1978.
While proof sleeves are out there — though they’re hard to get — it’s believed that only one tape survived the pre-release purge, but nobody knows for sure. A sleeve might be the closest a memorabilia collector gets to owning this cassette.
Infinite
The “Infinite” album by Eminem barely moved 250 copies, and most of those were given away for free. He released it in 1996 before he’d hit the limelight and was selling these cassettes around Detroit. No one knew who he was then, but now that he’s a hip-hop superstar, these tapes sell for thousands.
You can find bootlegged represses of this cassette that are comparatively affordable — though not easily. And while an original might be out of a lot of people’s price range, having such a rare piece of hip-hop history is worth the money.
In 1995, Incubus cut a self-titled demo. The EP included five tracks and was recorded around the same time as the band’s debut album, “Fungus Amongus.” The latter, however, is much easier to acquire.
Fans often wonder if there are any of these demos in public circulation. Well, there’s at least one, as a copy sold in 2021 for about $5,000 . Since there aren’t many recorded sales of this album online, finding a copy anywhere is worth the money for a diehard Incubus fan with extra funds in their bank account
On a Friday Demo
Before Radiohead was Radiohead, they went by “On a Friday.” Now, this was during the ’80s, before the band crossed into fame or had a record deal. They cut several demos as On a Friday, but they only sold locally for a few bucks. That was then, however, and this is now — a time when pre-Radiohead demos are pretty hard to come by.
You might have to scour online options to find a copy, but an On a Friday demo is a “must have” for Radiohead memorabilia collectors.
Ride the Lightning
Metallica’s 1984 album “Ride the Lightning” was extremely popular and sold millions of copies, but not many first-pressing cassettes still exist. Of the ones that do, it’s safe to say few are in great condition. Those lingering first-press oddities, however, can earn some serious bragging rights for classic heavy metal buffs.
These first-pressing tapes are so rare, some have sold for thousands of dollars, showing that these are true treasures. Even a later pressing in pristine condition is worth it for the metal head who can’t track down one of the first copies.
It’s On — Eazy-E
Eazy-E’s “It’s On” EP is a landmark on the map of classic hip-hop. The former N.W.A. member released this eight-song album as a direct attack on Dr. Dre in 1993 during their infamous feud, and it was the last album the artist released before he died in 1995.
Mint-condition versions of this cassette can be expensive, but any “It’s On” tape that still plays is worth the money for a serious rap fan or collector. This album is a piece of one of the greatest feuds in classic hip-hop.
Jah Won’t Pay the Bills
Sublime’s “Jah Won’t Pay the Bills” cassette tape from 1991 wasn’t something you could find in stores until it was rereleased in 2016. This is the pre-fame album that led to Sublime getting signed, and it only originally came out on cassette.
Bradley Nowell and the crew sold this album by hand. This tape contains early versions of songs from their following album, “40oz. to Freedom.” So, even if you can’t find a rare original and have to pick up a rereleased cassette, hearing this historic era of early Sublime is worth the money.
