There aren’t many drawbacks when it comes to vinyl, but here’s one that’s a perpetual elephant in the room: it sure can get expensive. So, if you have a vinyl collector in your life who could use a fancy new record and you want to save them the stress of selling a kidney to pay for it, why not get them a slick new LP for their library this holiday season?
In terms of where to start your hunt, we’ve done some legwork for you. A lot of fantastic new vinyl releases dropped this year (which we keep up with in our monthly Best Vinyl Releases round-up, by the way) and we’ve collected a few of our favorites here. These picks span genres, price points, and formats, so no matter who it is you’re shopping for, the following list should at least point you in the right direction.
Taylor Swift — Midnights
Price: $29.99
Midnights is perhaps the biggest album of the year, and as always, Taylor Swift came through with the merch. Her webstore has four differently colored versions of the album on vinyl, too. If you want to dig deep into your pockets and buy all of them, the four editions can be placed together and form a clock face on their back sides.
Get it here.
Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 Vinyl Box Set
Price: $400
If your vinyl library doesn’t have any Blondie in it, this box set is probably the best possible place to start your collection off right. It has the band’s first six albums — Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat To The Beat, Autoamerican, and The Hunter — as well as four additional LPs that feature outakes, B-sides, and other exclusive rarities that add up to 124 total studio tracks.
Get it here.
Lizzo — Special
Price: $24.98
One of the year’s most colorful albums has gotten a decidedly less vibrant vinyl release. It’s a beauty, though, as this edition of Special is pressed on silver vinyl, and if it piques your interest, you ought to act fast: It’s exclusive to Lizzo’s web store and only 7,000 copies are set to be sold.
Get it here.
Harry Styles — Harry’s House
Price: $39.98
It could be argued that Harry Styles had a bigger year than anybody else in music, with “As It Was” spending 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, making it one of the longest-running chart-toppers ever. With that in mind, Harry’s House is a definite vinyl buy, especially if you opt for one of the exclusive colors (orange and seaglass green) available in his webstore.
Get it here.
The Beatles — Revolver (Reissue)
Price: $29.99 – $199.98
A Beatles vinyl reissue isn’t exactly a hard sell, especially when it comes to this new release of Revolver. This version features newly mixed audio available in mono, stereo, and Dolby Atmos iterations, and the Super Deluxe edition even comes with a 100-page hardbound book. It’s a must-own for any Beatles fan, and probably any music fan, too.
Get it here.
Alex G — God Save The Animals
Price: $22
Uproxx’s Ian Cohen previously declared that God Save The Animals, the new Alex G album, is the artist’s best. He wrote in part, “Folky Alex G, abstract Alex G, slowcore Alex G, rawk Alex G, it’s all here, but God Save The Animals manages to circle back to his origins placing the vocals higher than they’d ever been since Race or Rules.”
Get it here.
The War On Drugs — I Don’t Live Here Anymore (Limited-Edition Deluxe Box Set)
Price: $69.98
It’s been over a year since The War On Drugs dropped their latest album, 2021’s I Don’t Live Here Anymore. To mark the occasion, they have a limited-edition deluxe box set available now, which includes unreleased tunes “Oceans Of Darkness” and “Slow Ghost” on a 7-inch. They’ve even gone through the trouble of making an unboxing video for the release, so check that out above for more details about what’s included in the expansive set.
Get it here.
Steve Lacy — Gemini Rights
Price: $22.99
Steve Lacy was perhaps the year’s biggest breakout star thanks to his No. 1 hit “Bad Habit,” and furthermore, Gemini Rights was one of 2022’s best-received albums. The soulful, psychedelic R&B sounds of the LP are begging to be played via turntable, so you can’t go wrong adding this one to the collection.
Get it here.
Paul McCartney — McCartney I II III Box Set
Price: $89.98
Super young Paul McCartney fans might know the Beatles leader best by his latest solo album, 2020’s McCartney III (or perhaps the next year’s McCartney III Imagined project featuring contemporary artists). Well, as the title suggests, it’s part of a trilogy of albums, which have now been collected in a new box set. The vinyl edition includes special photo prints as well as notes about each album from McCartney himself.
Get it here.
The Weeknd — Dawn FM
Price: $39.99
The Weeknd had one of the year’s biggest albums with Dawn FM, and now fans can secure their own uncommon piece of it: The album has gotten an exclusive vinyl edition that’s only available at Target and features alternative artwork and silver translucent vinyl.
Get it here.
ABBA — Vinyl Album Box Set
Price: $249.98
ABBA (who somehow only just picked up their first-ever Grammy nomination, by the way) have a storied discography and now you can own it all thanks to a new box set. It features each of the band’s nine albums — including their latest, last year’s comeback LP Voyage — along with ABBA Tracks, which includes non-album singles and B-sides.
Get it here.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens — Harold And Maude (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Price: $35.98
Harold And Maude has become one of the defining films of its era, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens played a part in that with his soundtrack. That first came out 50 years ago, and now this vinyl reissue of it combines Stevens’ songs with dialogue from the film for the first time.
Get it here.
Big Thief — Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
Price: $30
Not only is the latest Big Thief album a killer listen, but this particular vinyl edition of it is sustainably produced. The jacket is printed on 100-percent recycled board, while the two LPs are produced from recycled materials (which means any given individual record won’t look exactly like the one in the photo above, so it’s a responsible way to give a truly unique gift).
Get it here.
PJ Harvey reissues
Price: varies
For months now, PJ Harvey’s entire discography has been getting the vinyl reissue treatment, so there are options here. A particularly compelling one is the 6-LP B-Sides, Demos & Rarities set, with features 59 tracks, most of which are unavailable on other formats and 14 of which were previously unreleased.
Get it here.
Roxy Music reissues
Price: varies
Roxy Music have been riding the same wave as PJ Harvey this year, as they too have given all eight of their albums fresh vinyl pressings. This is the best these classic LPs ever sounded, too, as they were all remastered at half speed and are packaged with revised artwork with a glossy laminated finish.
Get it here.
Beyoncé — Renaissance
Price: $44.98
It’s Beyoncé. On vinyl. This one isn’t really a tough sell. Renaissance was one of the year’s most anticipated albums, “Break My Soul” was a hit, and some (like Questlove) are already calling the release a classic. So, if it’s not already in the collection, it ought to be.
Get it here.
Alvvays — Blue Rev
Price: $27
Speaking of anticipated albums, Blue Rev was the Canadian group’s first album since 2017 and it’s perhaps the most critically acclaimed release of their career. Aside from the bold blue pressing shown above, there’s also a slick translucent edition that’s limited to just 4,000 copies that’s another appealing option.
Get it here.
Vinyl Me, Please
Price: varies
Time and time again, Vinyl Me, Please comes through when it comes to exclusive, appealing vinyl pressings. Pictured above is a gorgeous reissue of Interpol’s Turn On The Bright Lights (grab it here if that’s what you want), but their entire inventory is worth perusing to find the right album for your giftee. They also offer different options for gift memberships, so sending a loved one on that journey could be the way to go and the gift that keeps on giving.
Get it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
