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Sturgill Simpson Hits #3 On The Billboard Chart With A Physical Only Album
Courtesy of Sturgill Simpson
Country artist Sturgill Simpson catapulted to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with an album that was only released physically.
Why It Hits: After more than a decade of streaming, music fans are falling back in love with physical media — vinyl sales topped a billion dollars for the first time this century last year, and cassettes are back on the rise after near extinction. Much of that interest was driven by Taylor Swift, but Simpson’s success shows that releasing new music exclusively in the format can now make waves.
Behind The Sales: Simpson, performing under the moniker Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds, released the album Mutiny After Midnight only on vinyl, CD, and cassette… and people bought them, per Variety.
The album sold a total of 59,000 units to debut at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, behind only Harry Styles’ Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. and Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem.
It’s the first physical-only release to crack the top 10 in nearly three years — the last was a Record Store Day limited-edition vinyl exclusive of Taylor Swift’s Folklore.
More impressively, it’s the first time a new album has appeared in the top 10 in… honestly, not even Variety knows. It’s been a while.
And it’s a big win for Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies — it marks the artist’s best debut week ever.
Last Track: So, how did Simpson pull this off? The artist leaned into some savvy online marketing. He teased that Mutiny After Midnight would be his first “dance record” and a salve for contemporary anxieties. Then he “leaked” the album briefly on YouTube as a tease. Simpson plans to release the album on streaming eventually… but expect him to ride the physical wave for a while.
Next Album: Expect some savvy artists to make physical-only releases part of the marketing game. Concert-only tracks? Check. A jukebox scavenger hunt? Check. Find a guy selling CDs in a Target parking lot? Double check. Time to have some fun.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.