Aretha Gospel vinyl value
Aretha Franklin — Aretha Gospel: pressings we track
| Pressing | Catalog | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 Chess | CH-91521 | US | Reissue, Blue Labels |
| 2016 DOL | DOS666H | Europe | Reissue, 180g |
| 2016 Rumble | RUM2011125LP | Europe | — |
| 2019 Geffen | B0029471-01 | US | Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered |
| 2019 Geffen | 00602577280757 | Worldwide | Reissue, Remastered |
| Undated Chess | CH-91521 | US | Reissue, Mono |
6 pressings tracked · catalog of 974,753 releases, August 2026
What separates the pressings
How to identify your copy
Three checks, in the order worth doing them.
- 1
Match the catalog number. It is printed on the spine and the record label. Check it together with the country against the pressings table above: the same number can appear in more than one country.
- 2
Read the runout. The code etched in the dead wax near the label names the exact pressing. On the 1983 US pressing it reads “CH 8500A [encircled TR] CR 12/83 ▣-G-▣ G 2” on side one and “CH 8500B G [encircled TR] 12/83 ▣-G-▣” on side two. Sleeves migrate between copies over the years; the etching stays with the record.
- 3
Grade the condition. Condition multiplies the price: near mint can bring several times what a VG copy does. Vinyl and sleeve get separate grades; the scale is in our grading guide.
Discs and jackets part ways over the decades: a 1968 sleeve proves nothing about the record inside it. The runout etching and the label decide the pressing; the cover never does.
Questions
Which pressing of Aretha Gospel is worth the most?
Original 1968 pressings lead; they predate everything in our table, and that scarcity is the point. Among tracked copies, the 1983 pressings come first. Scarcer variants (the 1983 “Reissue, Blue Labels” and the 2019 “Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered”) can beat an ordinary early copy. After that it is all condition: the gap between near mint and VG is usually larger than the gap between pressings.
How do I tell which pressing I have?
Match the catalog number on the spine and label against the table above, check the country, then read the etched code in the runout groove. On the 1983 US pressing the runout reads “CH 8500A [encircled TR] CR 12/83 ▣-G-▣ G 2”. A period jacket with a later disc inside is still a reissue.
How much is Aretha Gospel worth today?
Market prices move, so a static number goes stale fast. Scan the record in the RecordScout app: it identifies your exact pressing from the label and shows a current value range for its condition.
Not sure which pressing you have? Photograph the label and RecordScout names it, then shows a current value range for its condition.
Open in the App StoreFree to try, iPhone, no account.