Box sets used to run into the thousands, but have lately fallen in price—no doubt a result of the recession. For the majority of music fans, this is great news when looking to purchase some of their favorites, but there are still some out there that they’ll have to drop serious coin on. Check out our list of some of the world’s most expensive box sets—ranging in genre from classical to rock, these sets include such items of interest as books, DVDs, original artwork and even x-rated goods!
Herbert von Karajan: Complete Recordings on Deutche Grammaphon
Price: $3,300
One of history’s most celebrated conductors, Karajan has outsold every other classical music recording artist. This 240-disc Japanese set features two CDs of rehearsals, 100 and 200 page books (in Japanese), and a wooden cabinet-style box.
Arthur Rubinstein: The Rubinstein Collection
Price: $1,600
This 94-disc set features all of the Polish pianist’s studio-approved recordings—including three complete Beethoven cycles, Chopin cycles and around 200 previously unreleased tracks. The 706 recordings are remastered and the set includes a book of photos and essays.
Yo-Yo Ma: 30 Years Outside the Box
Price: $789.98 (The most expensive box set in 2009!)
The complete set includes ninety CDs (every original album Yo-Yo Ma has recorded to date), two bonus discs featuring the first release of John Williams’ Suite from Memoirs of a Geisha for Cello and Orchestra, entirely re-mastered with DSD technology, a 312-page hard-bound book, a beautifully designed velvet-lined box, numbered limited-edition with letter of authenticity, a rare archival of photos, essays, full track lists, original liner notes, and more. It’s available at Borders, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.
The Pixies: Minotaur Box Set
Price: $753.98
This box set features all five of the band’s studio albums—Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, Bossanova and Trompe le Monde—on 24k gold-plated discs and 180-gram vinyl. It also includes a 96-page fine art book and a 52-page photo book, a bookmark signed by all the members of the Pixies, two double-sided posters and a Giclee print of some of Oliver’s art. Topping it all off is a DVD and Blu-ray with all five Pixies albums on 5.1 Surround Sound Mix, an unreleased 1992 concert from London’s Brixton Academy and all of the band’s music videos.
Jascha Heifetz: RCA Living Stereo Box Set (Road Case)
Price: $699.99
Lithuanian violin virtuoso Jascha Heifetz was known for a mechanical stage presence that belied the emotionality of his playing. This set features nine albums on thirty-three 12” 45 rpm LPs, including Beethoven and Tchaikovsky concertos in D. All of this is bundled in a heavy duty road case.
The Beatles: Stereo Box Set
Price: $661.98
This is the 2009 Japanese remastered box set. It includes sixteen discs along with a DVD, a bonus Japanese text booklet and Obi. The stereo remastered versions of these thirteen studio albums along with the Past Masters CD are all included. There are also a lot of extras included in this box set, such as a DVD that includes a short documentary on the making of each album.
Abba: Paper Sleeve Box
Price: $507.99
Be the complete Abba fan with this deluxe limited edition nine-CD Box Set, with each disc presented in Paper Sleeves. All eight albums are here, along with a bonus disc exclusive to this box set!
Rammstein: Liebe Ist Für Alle Da
Price: $409.99
This is a unique box set to say the least. This version of Rammstein’s sixth studio album, Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, comes expansively packaged in a flight case style box. The package contains the deluxe edition version of the album, six sex toys (numerically corresponding to each member of the band), handcuffs and lubricant. It definitely makes for an interesting gift!
SBB: Anthology 1974-2004
Price: $340.99
A Box Set containing twenty-two studio and live albums by SBB. The last two albums are compilations of rare and unreleased tracks with guest musicians such as Tomasz Stanko. Those two CDs are available ONLY in the box set. It’s a limited edition (only 1000 copies released).
The Beatles: USB Box Set
Price: $229.99
The apple-shaped USB drive is loaded with the critically acclaimed remastered audio for The Beatles’ fourteen stereo titles, as well as all of the remastered CDs’ visual elements, including 13 mini-documentary films about the studio albums, replicated original UK album art, rare photos and expanded liner notes.
Price: $3,300
One of history’s most celebrated conductors, Karajan has outsold every other classical music recording artist. This 240-disc Japanese set features two CDs of rehearsals, 100 and 200 page books (in Japanese), and a wooden cabinet-style box.
Price: $1,600
This 94-disc set features all of the Polish pianist’s studio-approved recordings—including three complete Beethoven cycles, Chopin cycles and around 200 previously unreleased tracks. The 706 recordings are remastered and the set includes a book of photos and essays.
Price: $789.98 (The most expensive box set in 2009!)
The complete set includes ninety CDs (every original album Yo-Yo Ma has recorded to date), two bonus discs featuring the first release of John Williams’ Suite from Memoirs of a Geisha for Cello and Orchestra, entirely re-mastered with DSD technology, a 312-page hard-bound book, a beautifully designed velvet-lined box, numbered limited-edition with letter of authenticity, a rare archival of photos, essays, full track lists, original liner notes, and more. It’s available at Borders, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.
Price: $753.98
This box set features all five of the band’s studio albums—Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, Bossanova and Trompe le Monde—on 24k gold-plated discs and 180-gram vinyl. It also includes a 96-page fine art book and a 52-page photo book, a bookmark signed by all the members of the Pixies, two double-sided posters and a Giclee print of some of Oliver’s art. Topping it all off is a DVD and Blu-ray with all five Pixies albums on 5.1 Surround Sound Mix, an unreleased 1992 concert from London’s Brixton Academy and all of the band’s music videos.
Price: $699.99
Lithuanian violin virtuoso Jascha Heifetz was known for a mechanical stage presence that belied the emotionality of his playing. This set features nine albums on thirty-three 12” 45 rpm LPs, including Beethoven and Tchaikovsky concertos in D. All of this is bundled in a heavy duty road case.
Price: $661.98
This is the 2009 Japanese remastered box set. It includes sixteen discs along with a DVD, a bonus Japanese text booklet and Obi. The stereo remastered versions of these thirteen studio albums along with the Past Masters CD are all included. There are also a lot of extras included in this box set, such as a DVD that includes a short documentary on the making of each album.
Price: $507.99
Be the complete Abba fan with this deluxe limited edition nine-CD Box Set, with each disc presented in Paper Sleeves. All eight albums are here, along with a bonus disc exclusive to this box set!
Price: $409.99
This is a unique box set to say the least. This version of Rammstein’s sixth studio album, Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, comes expansively packaged in a flight case style box. The package contains the deluxe edition version of the album, six sex toys (numerically corresponding to each member of the band), handcuffs and lubricant. It definitely makes for an interesting gift!
Price: $340.99
A Box Set containing twenty-two studio and live albums by SBB. The last two albums are compilations of rare and unreleased tracks with guest musicians such as Tomasz Stanko. Those two CDs are available ONLY in the box set. It’s a limited edition (only 1000 copies released).
Price: $229.99
The apple-shaped USB drive is loaded with the critically acclaimed remastered audio for The Beatles’ fourteen stereo titles, as well as all of the remastered CDs’ visual elements, including 13 mini-documentary films about the studio albums, replicated original UK album art, rare photos and expanded liner notes.
