Lithium continued the pattern of major label Nirvana singles. There were fewer versions than with its predecessors, but just a couple. This one introduced the track "Curmudgeon" to the world, which was exclusive to this single at the time. If I recall, this one was also notable because it contained lyrics. No U.S. vinyl for this one (originally). In Europe, there were a bunch of versions. The picture sleeve 7" came out in the UK, Germany, and France. The UK 7" dropped the paper labels for this one and went exclusively with painted molded labels. The prices for this one went up a few years ago, but have been coming down slowly in the last couple of years. As with the other UK singles, there was a version of with unpainted labels, and it is rarer, but not expensive. European 12"s came out in the UK, Germany, and Spain - black vinyl in Germany and Spain, picture disc in the UK. The UK picture disc is super common, but the value has gone up to a notable degree. Prices for all of the others have stayed quite consistent for the past few years. I split out the UK versions into their own chart because there were so many entries, but the other European versions are grouped together.
There were two other promo 7"s, which were released in Mexico and Costa Rica. As per usual, those are rare and expensive. The Mexican single has been sold a bit more often in recent years. Its price has stayed flat and predictable during that time. The Costa Rica one has not been sold publicly in several years, and when it was being sold more often, prices were all over the place. So that valuation is a guess.
In 2011, a black 10" came out in the U.S. This was included in the Nevermind - The Singles set, but it is occasionally sold on its own.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK 7" (DGC DGCS 9) | 25-35 | 2 | Down |
| UK 7" Unpainted Molded Labels (DGC DGCS 9) | 15-20 | 5 | Stable |
| UK 12" Picture Disc (DGC DGCTP 9) | 40-60 | 1 | Up |
| Germany 7" (DGC GES19134) | 20-25 | 3 | Stable |
| Germany 12" (DGC GET21815) | 35-45 | 3 | Stable |
| France 7" (DGC GES 19134) | 20-25 | 5 | Stable |
| Spain 12" (DGC GET 21815 (3B)) | 35-45 | 5 | Stable |
| Mexico 7" (DGC RX-1124) | 100-120 | 8 | Stable |
| Costa Rica 7" (Geffen 71002092) | 80-200 (estimated) | 9 | Volatile |
| U.S. 10" (DGC/UMe B0016231-01 LP03) | 25-35 | 5 | Stable |
 |
 |
 |
Release List:
DGC DGCDM-21815 CD / PRO-CD-4429 CD / DGCCS-19134 Cassette, released 1992 (U.S.)
DGC DGCS 9 7" / DGCTP 9 12" / DGCTD 9 CD / DGCSC 9 Cassette / DGCDM 21742 Cassette, released 1992 (UK)
DGC GES19134 7" / GET21815 12" / GED21815 CD, released 1992 (Germany)
DGC GES 19134 7" / GED 21752 CD / GEC 19134 Cassette, released 1992 (France)
DGC GET 21815 (3B) 12", released 1992 (Spain)
DGC RX-1124 7", released 1992 (Mexico)
Geffen 71002092 7", released 1992 (Costa Rica)
DGC DGCDM-21815 CD / GED 21815 CD / DGCCS-19134 Cassette, released 1992 (Australia)
DGC DGCDM-21815 CD, released 1992 (Canada)
DGC MVCG-12001 CD/Cassette, released 1992 (Japan)
DGC GEC 19134 Cassette, released 1992 (Netherlands)
DGC DGCCS-19134 Cassette, released 1992 (New Zealand)
DGC/UMe B0016231-01 LP03 10", released 2011 (U.S.)
This page was last updated on August 29, 2024.