Prince is still a hot seller at Minneapolis’ best-known record store, but in 2024 so were a lot of today’s hottest young pop acts.
What were the top sellers of 2024 at Minneapolis’ favorite record store?
Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and other young pop stars sold well this year at the Electric Fetus alongside former customer Prince.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 17, 2024 at 7:51PM
“Good Luck, Babe!” hitmaker Chappell Roan had the top-selling album of the year at the Electric Fetus, according to a newly issued year-end list from the 56-year-old record shop. The ostentatious Missouri pop singer’s breakout LP, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” came in at No. 1 over Prince’s “Purple Rain,” which got a re-up in 2024 off the 40th anniversary hoopla for the movie and soundtrack.
Other big sellers in 2024 at the expansive Minneapolis store were local pop-rock darlings Hippo Campus, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, St. Vincent, Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Noah Kahan and up-and-comer Taylor Swift. Most of those names eschew the stereotype that kids these days only stream their music instead of buying it.
“It’s encouraging to see so many younger music fans craving physical media in addition to streaming,” the Electric Fetus’ Jim Novak said when asked about the 2024 list, which includes vinyl and CD sales.
Eying Hippo Campus’ big showing along with No. 14 entry Bad Bad Hats (plus some other homies that didn’t quite make the store’s top 20), Novak added, “Local artists also have a strong showing this year, proving that Twin Cities music fans love their local bands just as much as their pop divas.”
While she had an unquestionably big year, Roan is something of a surprise at No. 1 because she performed only once in town as Olivia Rodrigo’s opening act at Xcel Energy Center in March but then skipped Minnesota on her subsequent headlining tour. Surely, she has to make up for that now after she sees she beat out Prince at the hometown store where Prince actually liked to shop, right?
Here’s the full top 20 for the Electric Fetus’ best-selling albums of 2024.
- Chappell Roan – “Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”
- Prince & the Revolution – “Purple Rain”
- Hippo Campus – “Flood”
- Taylor Swift – “The Tortured Poets Department”
- Charli XCX – “Brat”
- Billie Eilish – “Hit Me Hard and Soft”
- St. Vincent – “All Born Screaming”
- Brigitte Calls Me Baby – “The Future is Our Way Out”
- Noah Kahan – “Stick Season”
- Hozier – “Hozier”
- Green Day – “Saviors”
- Jack White – “No Name”
- Gracie Abrams – “Secret of Us”
- Bad Bad Hats – “Bad Bad Hats”
- Decemberists – “As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again”
- Jeff Buckley – “Grace”
- Waxahatchee – “Tigers Blood”
- Radiohead – “In Rainbows”
- Melanie Martinez – “Portals”
- Fleetwood Mac – “Rumours”
Highlights for Dec. 19-25 include Alicia Witt, the Steeles, the Jayhawks, the Bad Plus, Chapel Hart, Trailer Trash and Rachael & Vilray.
