At WholeLottaVinyl, our crates are constantly in motion. We spend our days play-testing, inspecting with eagle eyed vision activated, and hand-grading thousands of LPs and 7-inch gems for collectors across the UK and on an international basis.
While our shelves hold everything from obscure prog-rock to forgotten 80s synth-pop, ten titles consistently lead the pack. Grab a proper brew, don't worry we will not judge your 'perfect tea' choice, pop your feet up, and dig into the weird, wonderful history behind our current top 10 bestsellers!
- Iron Maiden- Fear Of The Dark (1993)⚡ 90s heavy metal pressings are absolute gold dust. Because the CD was king in 1993, vinyl pressing runs were tiny, making original UK pressings of this album proper holy grails on our shelves.
The Quirky Lore: You probably know Bruce Dickinson flies the band plane, but did you know Eddie's tree-monster look on this cover wasn't drawn by longtime Maiden artist Derek Riggs? Artist Melvyn Grant won the design commission instead, making this the very first main Maiden album cover not created by Riggs.
- Tears for Fears- Songs from the Big Chair (1985)🪑 A synth-pop masterpiece from Bath's own Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. We barely get a copy in before another collector picks it up for their turntable.
The Quirky Lore: The "Big Chair" in the title wasn't a piece of studio furniture. It was inspired by the 1976 TV film Sybil, about a woman with multiple personality disorder who only felt safe and grounded when sitting in her analyst's large armchair. Almost as though her stories were igniting their tune from the "Big Chair".
- Fleetwood Mac-Rumours (1977)🍾 No collection is complete without it, and we move pristine original pressings of Rumours faster than we can grade them.
The Quirky Lore: Take a close look at Mick Fleetwood on the cover. Those two wooden balls hanging between his legs were actually lavatory flushing chains he pinched from a pub venue early in the band's career. He kept them as a lucky charm and wore them on stage for years.
- David Bowie- Knock on Wood/ Panic in Detroit 7" Single (1974)⚡ Bowie 45s are pure gold on our shelves, particularly his soul-infused mid-70s era live cuts.
The Quirky Lore: Recorded live at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, Bowie's soaring career cover of Eddie Floyd's soul classic became a UK Top 10 hit. However, Bowie famously admitted he disliked the live mixing process and only released the single to appease his record label's demand for fresh material!
- The Stone Roses- The Stone Roses (1989) 🍋 The definitive Madchester debut. If a copy lands in our store with the original embossed sleeve intact, it's gone as soon as our online customers hear of it.
The Quirky Lore: The iconic cover art-painted by guitarist John Squire in a Jackson Pollock style- is titled Bye Bye Badman. The lemons placed on the canvas weren't just a stylish touch; they were a nod to the 1968 Paris riots, where protestors sucked on lemons to neutralize the effects of tear gas used by the Police.
- Kate Bush- Hounds of Love (1985)🏃♀️ Driven by the enduring power of Running Up That Hill, original EMI pressings of the album remain top of everyone's wish list.
The Quirky Lore: Kate originally titled the lead single A Deal With God. EMI executives panicked, fearing radio stations in stricter countries would ban the track on religious grounds. Kate reluctantly compromised on the title, though the original name remains in brackets on the record label.
- Pink Floyd- The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 🌈 An evergreen classic. First UK Harvest pressings with the solid blue triangle label are the ultimate trophy for analog purists.
The Quirky Lore: The prism design came about because keyboardist Richard Wright asked graphic designer Storm Thorgerson to make something "clean, elegant, and graphic" instead of their usual surreal photography. Thorgerson found the prism diagram in an old physics textbook during a brainstorm.
- Oasis- Definitely Maybe (1994) ⚽ The crown jewel of Britpop. Original Creation Records pressings on heavy wax are constantly hunted down by collectors on our sites.
The Quirky Lore: The album cover was shot in guitarist Bonehead's living room. If you look closely at the mantelpiece behind Liam, there is a framed photo of Manchester United legend Rodney Marsh. Noel Gallagher- a die hard Manchester City fan- insisted on putting it there just to spite his football rivals!
- Queen- A Night at the Opera (1975)👑 Operatic rock at its absolute peak. Finding an early gatefold sleeve without ring-wear is a rare treat we always celebrate.
The Quirky Lore: During the recording of Bohemian Rhapsody, the band overdubbed their vocals so many times (over 180 tracks) that the physicals 2-inch analogue tape became completely transparent! The tapes was wearing thin so they had to stop and make immediate safety copies before it disintegrated.
- Led Zeppelin- Led Zeppelin IV (1971) 📜 From Black Dog to Stairway to Heaven, this record is pure rock history.
The Quirky Lore: The famous oil painting of the old man carrying a bundle of sticks on his back wasn't commissioned for the band. Robert Plant bought it from a second-hand shop in Salisbury, Wiltshire. The band decided to hang it on the wall of a partially demolished house in Reading to shoot the cover.
Whether you are hunting for pristine 70s rock, obscure 80s synth, or rare 90s pressings, and many more pressings from 50s to now, every piece of wax on www.wholelottavinyl.com is play-tested and hand-graded right here in the UK with proper care.
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So ignore the rumours, pull up a big chair, and stop running up that hill- life is definitely better with a WholeLottaVinyl in your collection.