15 best vinyl gifts for Christmas 2024

Do we really need another Beatles compilation? Of course we do – they’re simultaneously the biggest pop group and the biggest rock band to have ever walked this fair planet. This pricey box set assembles all seven of the band’s legendary US albums from 1964 – the year in which the Fab Four conquered America, with Capitol Records and United Artists producing a string of bespoke made-for-America releases. Each LP is faithful to the mono first pressings, and features faithfully replicated artwork with new four-panel inserts, as well as accompanying essays from Beatles expert Bruce Spizer.

For fans of timeless pop – and really, isn’t that all of us? – Abba’s imperious run of singles stands among the very best in the business. To mark the 50th anniversary of their second album Waterloo, the band has released a collection of three of the singles, complete with B-sides. They’re presented in the form of three primary coloured discs, each housed in a box with a lift-off lid, with individual sleeves featuring band shots from the time. Take a chance on this one.

The recent frenzy over Oasis reunion tickets is all the more remarkable when you consider the band peaked with its debut album. That might sound like a dig at the band, but it’s more a tribute to the enduring quality of Definitely Maybe, which is presented here in a luxurious four-LP package to mark its 30th anniversary. The set features a previously unreleased recording session from Monnow Valley, outtakes from Sawmills Studios, a demo of ‘Sad Song’ with Liam on vocals, and of course the original artefact itself in all its snarling glory.

For the opera lover in your life, this 2LP box set brings together the holy trinity of Puccini, Pavarotti, and Karajan. Marking a century since Puccini’s death, it’s a recording of the 1972 performance of the Italian composer’s La Boheme at the Jesus Christ Church in Berlin. The recording finds the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti (together with long term singing partner Mirella Freni and a capable supporting cast) at the very peak of his powers, all under the expert direction of Herbert von Karajan. Alongside the vinyl is a hardback book containing materials from the original event.

Miles ’54 has been released to mark not one but two important milestones – the 70th anniversary of the recordings themselves and the 75th anniversary of influential jazz label Prestige Records. The collection spreads 20 recordings from the great trumpeter across four LPs, with tracks taken from the albums Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis Quintet, Miles Davis All Star Sextet, and Miles Davis Quartet. The accompanying band was made up of a who’s who of jazz greats, including Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, and Thelonious Monk. That’s some pedigree.

As anyone who knows a Queen fan will tell you, there aren’t enough limited edition vinyl gifts in the world to satiate their hunger. Queen Rock Montreal is a live recording of the band in their pomp back in 1981. It’s also an accompaniment to the digitally restored IMAX concert film of the same name. Spread across three coloured LPs, Queen Rock Montreal sees Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon blasting through hits like We Will Rock You (twice), Under Pressure, Another One Bites the Dust, and of course Bohemian Rhapsody.

Metal Gear Solid might be one of the biggest and most bombastic vide game franchises of the past 30 years, but each release was the work of a true auteur in Japan’s Hideo Kojima. Unsurprisingly, it’s the kind of series that has inspired avid devotion, not least for its pronounced cinematic sensibility. Within such a context, this vinyl collection makes perfect sense, assembling soundtrack music and official arrangements from across the series. Each of the 53 tracks has been specially remastered before being pressed on heavyweight vinyl, accompanied by archival artwork.

After the Gold Rush and Harvest might be the most popular albums in Neil Young’s extensive oeuvre, but fifth album On the Beach is cited as the favourite of many a die-hard fan – this one included. It finds Young at his most beaten and downtrodden (see the title track), but also ready to turn out searing jams (Revolution Blues), jaunty rockers (Walk On), and sweet laments (See the Sky About to Rain). This 50th anniversary limited edition LP in clear vinyl is set to arrive on December 13, but it should be worth cutting it fine for Christmas.

It would be a stretch to label American Idiot Green Day’s breakout album – that came a decade earlier with major label debut Dookie. This was, however, the moment the Californian punk outfit entered the mainstream rock pantheon, thanks to a polished sound and a string of radio-friendly hits like Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Holiday, and Wake Me Up When September Ends. This extravagant eight-LP set includes 15 unreleased demos, a 15-song 2004 concert, and 14 assorted B-Sides and bonus tracks. You also get two Blu-rays featuring live performances and a new documentary.

Dizzee Rascal’s fourth album, Tongue N’ Cheek, landed 15 years ago in 2009. If you haven’t taken a moment to pause and reflect on your mortality of late, this should be your opportunity. Thankfully, we’ve got just the cure for the getting old blues. If listening to hyperactive UK hip hop tracks like Dance Wiv Me’, Bonkers, and Holiday doesn’t shake you out of your funk, just set your eyes on the beautiful zoetropic vinyl as it spins you to optical illusion nirvana.

For the Wham lover in your life – and we know there’s at least one, even if it’s just you – what better Christmas gift than this EP of the duo’s timeless festive ballad? Side one features the original single in addition to the sickly-sounding Pudding Mix, while side two features a live performance of the track from Wembley Arena in December 2006, followed by an instrumental take. The only question that needs answering is which of the disc designs you’ll choose. The funky zoetrope version stands out to us, but there’s also a suitably chintzy picture disc version.

We’re not sure any four-LP collection could hope to encompass The Orb’s contribution to music – this shape-shifting, member-changing duo have been ploughing their distinctive ambient house furrow for approaching 40 years now. Orboretum: The Orb Collection, however, has a jolly good stab at it. Packaged in a suitably psychedelic octagonal box that folds out into a flower, and with each disc presented in a different colour, Orboretum is intended as a modern ‘director’s cut’ of the group’s prodigious output.

With the last member of the Eagles dying last year, now would seem to be a good time to reflect on the career of one of the most beloved rock bands of all time. Six LPs contain 51 of their songs, and To The Limit – The Essential Collection goes well beyond being just another greatest hits collection. Yes, it has all the expected hits (Hotel California, Take It Easy, One Of These Nights et al.), but it also incorporates fan-favourite album tracks and even live performances released between 1972 and 2020.

2024 marks 30 years since the acclaimed debut album of East Coast rapper Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, more commonly known as Nas. Backed by a veritable supergroup of producers (DJ Premier, Large Professor, Q-Tip, Pete Rock, and L.E.S.), Illmatic has come to be regarded as one of the finest hip hop albums ever made. This uniquely presented limited edition re-release (only 3000 have been produced) is spread across six 7-inch records, each housed in a custom hardbound casebook. You also get a 64-page book of liner notes containing lyrics, photos, and the singles discography.

Marking a full decade since the original release of Nicki Minaj’s third studio album, The Pinkprint is now being re-released on vinyl just in time for Christmas. The original record saw Minaj returning to her hip hop roots after establishing herself as a major player on the dance-pop scene. While The Pinkprint 10th Anniversary is available from all good independent record shops, we’re struggling to look past HMV’s exclusive Pink Vinyl version here. It just seems fitting, no?