| LATEST NEWS: How poor are ALDI’s April 2026 vinyl special buys? |
ALDI’s wheeling out the vinyl again, with its next Australian “special buys” sale of vinyl records kicking off from Saturday 26 April 2025. As usual it’s a bunch of largely grey market garbage. Here’s what you need to know.
- The discs are priced at $17.99, the same as the last sale for Christmas 2024. This appears to be the new ALDI standard price for vinyl, down from the previous $19.99 sticker price.
- As ever, the majority (7/10) are radio bootlegs, means the disc is pressed in Europe under laws which deem concert broadcasts on radio to be public domain 20 years after the fact. It’s not technically illegal to sell these in other countries, but it is pretty unethical. (Discogs, tellingly, refuses to let these discs be resold on its second-hand marketplace).
- And as often happens, ALDI is selling a record player alongside the dubious discs. This time around it’s a $69.99 “vintage turntable” in black, blue or cream.
Here’s a table summing up the recordings on offer. “Radio bootleg” I’ve already explained. “Re-recordings” means it’s the original artists, but not the original hit chart recordings (it might be a live version or a later-in-life remake). “Licensed” means it is the original recording, but it’s not going to be any newer than 1966 in that case. Several of these discs have featured in previous ALDI vinyl sales; I’ve noted that and linked to older entries if that’s the case.
| Artist | Title | Type | New@ALDI? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitney Houston | Greatest Hits Live | Radio bootleg | Yes |
| Michael Jackson | Greatest Hits Live | Radio bootleg | Yes |
| Aretha Franklin | The Greatest | Licensed | Yes |
| Madonna | Greatest Hits Live | Radio bootleg | No |
| Blondie | Hits Live | Radio bootleg | No |
| Bruce Springsteen | Live… | Radio bootleg | Yes |
| The Beatles | Greatest Hits Live | Radio bootleg | Yes |
| Prince | Greatest Hits Live | Radio bootleg | No |
| Various | 70s Disco | Re-recordings | No |
| Various | 60s Remembered | Licensed | Yes |
Now let’s look at the “new to ALDI” titles in more detail.
The Beatles, Greatest Hits Live. This I Love Vinyl release is an oddball mix of tracks recorded at various 1964 and 1965 gigs and broadcast around that time, including two performances from Melbourne’s Festival Hall on 17 June 1964. As one reviewer commented: “This sounds like shit. Why would you even wanna buy this crap ?”
Whitney Houston, Greatest Hits Live. This would appear to be a repackaged 1991 concert recording from the I’m You’re Baby Tonight tour, most likely lifted from a Spanish TV broadcast. That means no ‘I Will Always Love You’, but also means Whitney still had most of her vocal prowess.
Bruce Springsteen, Live. Or to give the full title: Bruce Springsteen And The E-Street Band Live . . . Estadio River Plate Buenos Aires, Argentina 15th Oct 1988. While this is somewhat unusual for an ALDI bootleg disc in representing a single gig, it’s only a subset of what was played that night. There are 9 tracks on offer here, with a heavy emphasis on songs from 1984’s Born In The USA, but Bruce’s set list for that night included 15 songs. That’s still a short show for The Boss, but the gig was part of the Human Rights Now tour which also boasted Peter Gabriel, Sting, Tracy Chapman and Youssou N’Dour on the line-up. There’s something especially scuzzy about bootlegging a charity gig.
Michael Jackson, Greatest Hits Live. This is mostly a 1989 recording from Japan, with a couple of other TV performances thrown in. So it’s Michael before the baby dangling but after the surgery had started, meaning lots of tracks from Thriller and Bad, which should suit the casual ALDI shopper just fine.
Aretha Franklin, The Greatest. Despite that title, you won’t find ‘I Say A Little Prayer’ or ‘Freeway Of Love’ here. This is a compilation of some of Aretha’s 1960-1966 recordings for Columbia, before she broke through to mainstream success. Some good stuff here but not what she’s known for. Oddly, ALDI doesn’t actually include Aretha in its main site listing of discs in the sale, but she is in the drop-down selector. What a lack of respect (ahem).
Various, 60’s Remembered. ALDI usually has an actually licensed 50s or 60s compilation disc in the mix. This one has plenty of actual big hits from the era, including Elvis Presley’s’ ‘Return To Sender’ and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ and the Everly Brother’s ‘Walk Right Back’ amongst its 18 tracks. It’s arguably the least disappointing of the vinyl ALDI is selling this time around.
What ALDI says: “Discover a world of music with our Assorted Vinyl Record Titles, each offering a unique collection of timeless tracks and classic sounds that bring your vinyl collection to life.”
What this actually means: “Have some grey market knock-offs the original artists won’t make a cent from. Or maybe don’t.” (Though I know from prior experience that these will sell out despite their low quality and questionable status.)
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