Music merchandise: who has the most expensive merchandise available and how many days working would it cost?

• Music merchandise is becoming a more lucrative revenue source for a number of musicians.
• But with an increase in price thanks to 360 deals, some artists are leaving fans having to work 5 days a week just to afford a collection of items.
• So who is the musician that currently has the most expensive merchandise to collect ahead of the 2025 concert season?

As 2025 beckons with big shows on the horizon, after this morning’s announcement that Sugababes are back on tour, no doubt there’s going to be some shuffling around at home.

That would be many people, including myself, reorganising their vinyl collections or wardrobes to accommodate some of the merchandise that no doubt we’ll be collecting at any one of the number of shows in the New Year. I myself am hoping to update my Oasis T-shirt collection.

But music merchandising is a lucrative business these days, particularly when it comes to those musicians who have signed 360 deals; these are deals which mean those investing into a musician would take a cut from a variety of revenue sources, including merchandise.

Which would explain why in some cases you might find yourself looking at a tour poster, no matter how spectacular it may look, costing almost three times the price of the ticket to the show itself. It was a very cool Tool poster, mind you… 

So with the swarve of shows coming up, is anybody that is set to perform a high profile show in the United Kingdom going to cost you three days' pay in order to collect their essential tour merchandise or vinyl, now that WHSmiths have jumped on the analogue bandwagon?

Leave it to Purple Moon, who undertook the research by cross reference information from a number of artists official merchandise stores and data taken from HMV and Townsend Music to discover who has the most expensive merchandise in the music world - and how many days at work it would cost you to collect a vinyl, a hoodie, a shirt and a hat? 

Who has the most expensive merchandise in the music world?

That would be Chris Brown, who according to Purple Moon has the most expensive hooded top on the list, bumping him into first place over Kendrick Lamar. In order to pick up a vinyl, a hoodie, a hat and a shirt, you’ll be spending £241.00, or working 5.53 days to afford them.

Kendrick Lamar isn’t too far behind Chris Brown though, with his overall cost to collect the merchandise in question amounting to £219.99, or 5.05 days worth of work, while Beyoncé comes third with a total of £209.04, or in work hours 4.80 days. 

The top ten most expensive merchandise sellers in music (as of 2024)

1. Chris Brown - £241.00 (5.53 days worth of work)
2. Kendrick Lamar - £219.99 (5.05 days worth of work)
3. Beyoncé -  £209.04 (4.80 days worth of work)
4. U2 - £189.99 (4.36 days worth of work)
5. Iron Maiden - £185.00 (4.25 days worth of work)
6. Post Malone - £184.99 (4.25 days worth of work)
7. Taylor Swift - £178.99 (4.11 days worth of work)
8. Coldplay - £177.99 (4.09 days worth of work)
9. The Killers - £175.99 (4.04 days worth of work)
10. AC/DC - £174.99 (4.02 days worth of work)

What’s the most amount of money that you have spent on an artist’s merchandise, either collectively or for a singular item? Let us know your experiences buying music merchandise by leaving a comment down below.