Record Store Day 2018 broke many sales records and proved that U.S. vinyl sales are not tapering off any time soon. The 733,000 LPs sold during Record Store Day week 2018 set an all-time high, according to Nielsen Music.
Independent record stores set other all-time Record Store Day week highs including Vinyl LPs sold, at 580,000; industry share of physical album sales in a week, at 39%; and total albums sold (all formats), at 799,000 albums, the highest non-holiday week sales total since July 2005.
Bruce Springsteen’s Greatest Hits, David Bowie’s Welcome To The Blackout (Live in London ’78) and Neil Young’s Tonight’s The Night Live At The Roxy, topped the charts of Top RSD Exclusive Albums at Independent Record Stores.
The Top RSD Exclusive Singles at Independent Record Stores, respectively, were Led Zeppelin’s “Friends” (Rock And Roll), David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” (Full Length Demo) and Sufjan Stevens’ “Mystery of Love EP”. (See full RSD 2018 charts here)
Record Store Day 2018 Highlights
Independent Record Stores
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Total Album sales rose by 200% over the prior week
- Total Album sales were up by 23% over RSD week last year
- Independent Record Stores were 39% of all physical album sales this week (RSD 2017 was 31%) – AN ALL TIME HIGH
- Vinyl LP sales rose by 427% over the prior week
- Vinyl LP sales were up by 42% over RSD week last year
- Independent Record Stores were 79% of all Vinyl LP sales this week (RSD 2017 was 75%)
Total Industry
- Total Album sales rose by 17% over the prior week – however, without the Independent Record Store gains, the industry would have been down by 2.5%.
- Vinyl LP sales were up by 190% over the prior week with 98% of that gain coming from Independent Record Stores
- Vinyl LPs were 36% of all physical albums sales for the week of Record Store Day.
The 580,000 LPs sold by Independent Records Stores this week was an all-time high for Record Store Day week. The 733,000 LPs sold by all retailers was also an all-time high for Record Store Day week. The 799,000 Albums (all formats) sold at Independent Record Stores was the highest non-holiday week sales total since July 2005.
These numbers surpassed last year’s record breaking 10th anniversary Record Store Day numbers.