New World Record Set At $6M For Nirvana GuitarIn an auction held today June 20, 2020 at Julien's Auctions a bidder bought Kurt Cobain's acoustic guitar used during the infamous MTV Unplugged performance. The purchase cost the lucky buyer a record-setting $6,010,000. The buyer, whose name was announced publicly as the auction concluded in a somewhat unusual occurrence, was Australian Peter Freedman, Founder and CEO of RODE Microphones. The Nirvana MTV Unplugged concert was recorded on November 18, 1993 in MTV's New York City s...
The Most Iconic Live Music Venues: Pt. 2This is Part 2 in our series on iconic music venues. Check out Part 1 here. Live music is as much about place as it is about sound. Certain venues transcend their physical structures, becoming cultural landmarks where history, artistry, and audience energy converge. Around the world, a handful of stages have earned near-mythic status—not just for the artists who’ve performed there, but for the atmosphere, acoustics, and stories embedded in their walls. Here’s a journey through some of the m...
This Week In Music History Mar 16-22The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! MAR 18: Happy birthday to Jerry Cantrell! The guitarist, singer, and songwriter is best known as the co-founder and primary creative force behind the influential rock band Alice in Chains. Born on March 18, 1966, in Tacoma, Washington, Cantrell played a key role in shaping the dark, heavy sound of the early 1990s grunge movement alongside contemporaries like Nirvana and...
The Most Iconic Live Music Venues: Pt. 1This is Part 1 in our series on iconic music venues. Check out Part 2 here. Certain places where people have enjoyed live music have become more than brick and mortar — they become mythology. The most iconic music venues are not just stages; they are proving grounds, cultural crossroads, and sacred spaces where movements are born. From psychedelic ballrooms to gritty punk clubs, these venues helped shape modern music history. Here are some of those places, in no particular order: Fillmore A...
The MTV Era And The Birth of Music VideosWhen MTV launched on August 1, 1981, it did more than introduce music videos to cable television—it permanently transformed how artists were marketed, perceived, and collected. The MTV era marked the moment when sound and image fused into a single commercial force. For memorabilia collectors, it represents the birth of modern music branding: a time when visuals, fashion, logos, and video iconography became as valuable as vinyl records. MTV launched its MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, with t...
April 12 Is Record Store Day For 2025While every day is kind of a record store day, in our opinion, this year's "official" Record Store Day takes place on April 12, 2025. The day always presents a great opportunity to get some limited edition vinyl, box sets, and other special releases. You can also just relive the your past memories of flipping through some vinyl, cassettes, and maybe even CDs (which are just now almost getting vintage as well) in the shelves and racks of your local record store. You can check out t...
Tour Treasures: Items Musicians Leave BehindWhen the final encore fades and the lights come up, what's left behind tells a story all its own. Scattered across green rooms, arenas, and hotel suites, these overlooked artifacts of life on the road—tattered setlists, sweat-soaked towels, broken guitar strings, hotel keycards, and coffee-stained lyric drafts—may not seem valuable at first glance. But for collectors of music memorabilia, these so-called "tour treasures" are pieces of living history. Finds from the floor While ma...
Top 10 Most Valuable Handwritten Song LyricsHandwritten song lyrics hold a special place in the world of music memorabilia, often fetching millions due to their connection to iconic songs and legendary artists. Lyric sheets provide a rare glimpse into the creative process, showcasing raw ideas, edits, and sometimes showcase doodles as well. Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac also displayed her drawing talents in this handwritten lyric sheet for "Songbird" Why are handwritten lyrics so valuable? Many of these songs have defined e...
Iconic Album Covers: Collectability And Stories Behind Classic Record ArtAlbum cover art is one of the most captivating and influential forms of visual culture in the last century. From the birth of vinyl to the digital era, the art on record sleeves has often been as iconic and memorable as the music itself. For collectors and music enthusiasts, album covers tell a visual story that enhances the experience of listening, transcending the confines of audio to become lasting works of art. Beyond their aesthetic value, many classic album covers have fascinating backs...
Reunited, And It Feels So Good: 10 Bands That Got Back TogetherBand break ups and make ups have always been with us. Some are heartbreaking, some are entertaining, but all affect their respective fans. Musical groups evolve and experience periods of disbandment and reunion, a reflection of both personal dynamics and professional evolution within the industry. These reunions can be driven by nostalgia, financial opportunities, or a rekindling of creative chemistry. On the heels of this week’s news that Noel and Liam Gallagher have finally, after 15 years,...
7 Of The Most Valuable Musician AutographsAutograph collecting is a fascinating hobby, especially when it comes to famous musicians whose signatures have skyrocketed in value due to their influence, scarcity, and cultural significance. Musician autographs, particularly those of iconic figures, can be some of the most valuable collectibles in the world. Freddie Mercury's autograph lands on many collector's most-desired lists The rarity of the autograph, the musician's global impact, and sometimes even the circumstances su...
Rare and Unusual: The Oddest Music Memorabilia Items Ever Sold at AuctionIn the world of music memorabilia, collectors and enthusiasts often seek out items that hold a special connection to their favorite artists or moments in music history. While guitars, costumes, and handwritten lyrics are common, some items that have been auctioned off are truly unique and even bizarre. From strands of hair to a pizza plate, here are some of the oddest music memorabilia items ever sold at auction: Elvis Presley’s Hair In 2002, a lock of Elvis Presley’s hair fetched a surpris...
New World Record Set At $6M For Nirvana Guitar
In an auction held today June 20, 2020 at Julien's Auctions a bidder bought Kurt Cobain's acoustic guitar used during the infamous MTV Unplugged performance. The purchase cost the lucky buyer a record-setting $6,010,000. The buyer, whose name was announced publicly as the auction concluded in a somewhat unusual occurrence, was Australian Peter Freedman, Founder and CEO of RODE Microphones. The Nirvana MTV Unplugged concert was recorded on November 18, 1993 in MTV's New York City s...
The Most Iconic Live Music Venues: Pt. 2
This is Part 2 in our series on iconic music venues. Check out Part 1 here. Live music is as much about place as it is about sound. Certain venues transcend their physical structures, becoming cultural landmarks where history, artistry, and audience energy converge. Around the world, a handful of stages have earned near-mythic status—not just for the artists who’ve performed there, but for the atmosphere, acoustics, and stories embedded in their walls. Here’s a journey through some of the m...
This Week In Music History Mar 16-22
The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! MAR 18: Happy birthday to Jerry Cantrell! The guitarist, singer, and songwriter is best known as the co-founder and primary creative force behind the influential rock band Alice in Chains. Born on March 18, 1966, in Tacoma, Washington, Cantrell played a key role in shaping the dark, heavy sound of the early 1990s grunge movement alongside contemporaries like Nirvana and...
The Most Iconic Live Music Venues: Pt. 1
This is Part 1 in our series on iconic music venues. Check out Part 2 here. Certain places where people have enjoyed live music have become more than brick and mortar — they become mythology. The most iconic music venues are not just stages; they are proving grounds, cultural crossroads, and sacred spaces where movements are born. From psychedelic ballrooms to gritty punk clubs, these venues helped shape modern music history. Here are some of those places, in no particular order: Fillmore A...
The MTV Era And The Birth of Music Videos
When MTV launched on August 1, 1981, it did more than introduce music videos to cable television—it permanently transformed how artists were marketed, perceived, and collected. The MTV era marked the moment when sound and image fused into a single commercial force. For memorabilia collectors, it represents the birth of modern music branding: a time when visuals, fashion, logos, and video iconography became as valuable as vinyl records. MTV launched its MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, with t...
April 12 Is Record Store Day For 2025
While every day is kind of a record store day, in our opinion, this year's "official" Record Store Day takes place on April 12, 2025. The day always presents a great opportunity to get some limited edition vinyl, box sets, and other special releases. You can also just relive the your past memories of flipping through some vinyl, cassettes, and maybe even CDs (which are just now almost getting vintage as well) in the shelves and racks of your local record store. You can check out t...
Tour Treasures: Items Musicians Leave Behind
When the final encore fades and the lights come up, what's left behind tells a story all its own. Scattered across green rooms, arenas, and hotel suites, these overlooked artifacts of life on the road—tattered setlists, sweat-soaked towels, broken guitar strings, hotel keycards, and coffee-stained lyric drafts—may not seem valuable at first glance. But for collectors of music memorabilia, these so-called "tour treasures" are pieces of living history. Finds from the floor While ma...
Top 10 Most Valuable Handwritten Song Lyrics
Handwritten song lyrics hold a special place in the world of music memorabilia, often fetching millions due to their connection to iconic songs and legendary artists. Lyric sheets provide a rare glimpse into the creative process, showcasing raw ideas, edits, and sometimes showcase doodles as well. Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac also displayed her drawing talents in this handwritten lyric sheet for "Songbird" Why are handwritten lyrics so valuable? Many of these songs have defined e...
Iconic Album Covers: Collectability And Stories Behind Classic Record Art
Album cover art is one of the most captivating and influential forms of visual culture in the last century. From the birth of vinyl to the digital era, the art on record sleeves has often been as iconic and memorable as the music itself. For collectors and music enthusiasts, album covers tell a visual story that enhances the experience of listening, transcending the confines of audio to become lasting works of art. Beyond their aesthetic value, many classic album covers have fascinating backs...
Reunited, And It Feels So Good: 10 Bands That Got Back Together
Band break ups and make ups have always been with us. Some are heartbreaking, some are entertaining, but all affect their respective fans. Musical groups evolve and experience periods of disbandment and reunion, a reflection of both personal dynamics and professional evolution within the industry. These reunions can be driven by nostalgia, financial opportunities, or a rekindling of creative chemistry. On the heels of this week’s news that Noel and Liam Gallagher have finally, after 15 years,...
7 Of The Most Valuable Musician Autographs
Autograph collecting is a fascinating hobby, especially when it comes to famous musicians whose signatures have skyrocketed in value due to their influence, scarcity, and cultural significance. Musician autographs, particularly those of iconic figures, can be some of the most valuable collectibles in the world. Freddie Mercury's autograph lands on many collector's most-desired lists The rarity of the autograph, the musician's global impact, and sometimes even the circumstances su...
Rare and Unusual: The Oddest Music Memorabilia Items Ever Sold at Auction
In the world of music memorabilia, collectors and enthusiasts often seek out items that hold a special connection to their favorite artists or moments in music history. While guitars, costumes, and handwritten lyrics are common, some items that have been auctioned off are truly unique and even bizarre. From strands of hair to a pizza plate, here are some of the oddest music memorabilia items ever sold at auction: Elvis Presley’s Hair In 2002, a lock of Elvis Presley’s hair fetched a surpris...
