Dynamic Vinyl Market: Travis Scott’s Days Before Rodeo Makes Waves
The vinyl market is experiencing an impressive boom with the success of Travis Scott’s mixtape Days Before Rodeo. According to Luminate, this mixtape achieved 156,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. for the week ending September 19, marking a massive increase of 1,295%. Of these, traditional album sales accounted for 150,000, propelling Days Before Rodeo to the top of the best-selling albums chart. Notably, vinyl sales reached 149,000, making it Scott’s largest vinyl sales week to date.
Moreover, this week recorded the highest vinyl sales for a rap album and the sixth-largest vinyl sales week across all genres since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991. Previously, Days Before Rodeo debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 361,000 units, just behind Short n’ Sweet.
Noteworthy Figures
This marks the second album in 2024 to reach No. 1 on the charts without debuting at that position, following Toby Keith’s 35 Biggest Hits, which returned to the chart after Keith’s passing. Similarly, the Encanto soundtrack had a comparable journey, debuting at No. 197 and then climbing to No. 1 in January 2022.
As of now, Days Before Rodeo is Travis Scott’s fourth album to reach the top spot on the Billboard 200, following Utopia (2023), Astroworld (2018), and Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016).
Re-release and Mixtape Comeback
Significantly, Days Before Rodeo is not a brand-new product. Initially released for free in 2014, the mixtape was commercially released on August 23. After debuting at No. 2, it quickly dropped to No. 30 and then No. 106 before experiencing a remarkable resurgence with vinyl sales, marking the largest leap to No. 1 since April 2022.
Currently, Days Before Rodeo is also undergoing extensive retail sales beyond Scott’s online store, potentially causing another Billboard 200 stir.
Impressive Mixtape
Days Before Rodeo is Travis Scott’s second mixtape, released independently on SoundCloud on August 18, 2014. It features 12 tracks with guest appearances from artists like Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug, T.I., Big Sean, and Migos. This mixtape serves as a sequel to Scott’s debut mixtape Owl Pharaoh (2013) and a prequel to his debut studio album Rodeo (2015).
On August 18, 2024, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Days Before Rodeo, Travis Scott announced a re-release of the mixtape in a deluxe digital edition, featuring tracks not included in the original. On August 23, 2024, the mixtape was officially re-released through Cactus Jack and Epic Records, with 10 additional tracks and the removal of T.I. from the guest list.
Since its original release, Days Before Rodeo has received high praise from critics and continues to make a significant impact on the music market today.
