RECORD STORE DAY: SPIN THE BLACK CIRCLES
More than 170 exclusive releases arrived on vinyl on Black Friday (11/24) for Record Store Day, including a noticeable uptick in rap-themed product as the genre celebrates its 50th anniversary.
The full breakdown can be found on the RSD website, but there are numerous highlights worthy of trumpeting here, including Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS: the secret tracks, which rounds up the four hidden songs from the previously released D2C-exclusive vinyl edition of the Grammy-nominated, chart-topping, album.
Also on shelves: hits collections from Post Malone and the Jonas Brothers, the first vinyl release of Kim Petras’ Problématique, performance highlights from Norah Jones’ collaboration-themed podcast Playing Along, a holiday 7-inch from Phoenix and the first vinyl release of Sia’s Everyday Is Christmas (Snowman EP).
Noteworthy hip-hop titles include the songs from De La Soul’s Three Feet High and Rising split into 12 separate 7-inch singles; Cypress Hill’s Black Sunday (Remixes); fresh vinyl pressings of Three 6 Mafia’s Da Unbreakables, Polo G’s Die a Legend and Lil Wayne’s I Am Music; an official release of the Nas bootleg I Am … The Autobiography; the grunge-era rap/rock mashup Judgment Night soundtrack; and four Tuff City Salutes sets focusing on DJs, solo MCs, crews and remixes.
On the vintage front, RSD offers The Grateful Dead’s Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA 3/2/1969, Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark Demos, INXS’ Shabooh Shoobah Rarities, Prince’s Gett Off 12-inch, a remastering of U2's Under the Blood Red Sky and a 50th anniversary edition of Willie Nelson’s Shotgun Willie.
And though it’s not being pressed to wax, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic is being re-released in a belated 30th anniversary CD longbox complete with “collectible rolling papers.” We already have the munchies in anticipation.
Vinyl continues to fly off the proverbial shelves in 2023, with Republic's Taylor Swift unsurprisingly owning three of the top five sellers so far this year and seven of the Top 25. Cactus Jack/Epic's Travis Scott, Interscope's Lana Del Rey, Geffen's Rodrigo and Columbia's Tyler, The Creator are also in the Top 10, as is Fleetwood Mac's beloved 1977 disc, Rumours (Warner).
Now, if you'll excuse us, it's time to excavate some change from between the couch cushions ahead of our trip to Amoeba.
