As announced earlier this year, Record Store Day, as it has come to be known, will not be celebrated in 2021. While we’d all love nothing more than a party at our local record stores, large groups still aren’t the thing right now. However, in our eyes, those independently-owned community businesses remain essential and may still need the revenue brought in by the sales of those sought-after Record Store Day titles. So, this year, we will celebrate and support indie record stores - the importance of their culture and their unyielding tenacity - as we did last year, with two events, but with one list of releases, which is announced today.

At press time, the Record Store Day website has launched an RSD Drops List for both dates, detailing which of the titles will be coming to record stores on June 12, the previously announced date, and July 17, the newly added date. RSD organizers have worked tirelessly with artists, labels and distribution to assign dates to the titles on the Record Store Day 2021 List.

Things are improving but in this continued unprecedented global situation, where production and shipping is still in a state of struggle, the focus of the RSD Drops is on bringing revenue to the stores - as well as to the artists, labels, distribution and every other business behind the scenes making record stores work, in a fiscally and socially responsible way. The spread of titles over two dates in two months allows some flexibility for the struggling vinyl pressing plants and distribution companies as well as provide stores time to prepare budgets and place the orders that safely get music into the hands of customers on a larger than normal release day.

What can music fans expect this year? There are approximately 450 RSD releases spread over the two months. That’s about 50 more than they usually do for Record Store Day itself. There will be a bit more on the June 12 RSD Drop but the July 17 RSD Drop will have some heavy hitters, and a few surprises that can’t be announced yet so stay tuned.

Titles possibly of interest to BraveWords readers are listed below.

(Title / Artist / Label / Format / Release Type / Quantity)

"Through The Mists of Time" / "Witch's Spell" - AC/DC - Columbia Records - 12" Picture Disc - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (5000)
Born Innocent - Alcatrazz - Silver Lining Music  - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (1200)
Sunset On The Golden Age (DLX Version) - Alestorm - Napalm Records - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (1000)
The Final Note - The Allman Brothers Band - Allman Brothers Band Recording Company - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (9000)
Olias Of Sunhillow - 45th Anniversary Edition - Jon Anderson - Cherry Red - LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (1200)
Hunter Gather - Avatar - eOne - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (1200)
Mob Rules - Black Sabbath - Warner Records - LP Picture Disc     - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (4000)
Heaven & Hell - Black Sabbath - Warner Records - LP Picture Disc - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (4000)
Energy II - Tommy Bolin - Friday Music  - Vinyl - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2500)
Live In Oxford - Def Leppard - Island/Mercury - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (4000)
“Digital Bath (Telefon Tel Aviv Version)” / “Feiticeira (Arca Remix)” - Deftones - Warner - 12" Picture Disc - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (8500)

God Hates Heavy Metal  - Dio - BMG  - 12" Picture Disc - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (3500)
Time To Die - Electric Wizard - Spinefarm - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (3000)
Tarkus - Emerson, Lake & Palmer - BMG  - 12" Picture Disc - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (3500)
Chemical Warfare: B-Sides - Escape The Fate - Better Noise - Vinyl     - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (1500)
The Harvest Wombs - Fallujah - Unique Leader - LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (1000)
Determination - God Forbid - M-Theory Audio - LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (1000)
Heavy Metal (Live) - Sammy Hagar & The Circle - BMG  - 12" Picture Disc - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (2000)
Greasty Truckers Party - Hawkwind - Parlophone - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17th    4500)
Best of Suburban Noize Years - (Hed) P.E. - Regime Music Group/Suburban Noize Records - LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (750)
After - Ihsahn - Spinefarm - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2500)
Acid, Incense and Balloons: RSD-Collected Gems From The Golden Era Of Flight - Jefferson Airplane - Legacy - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (3000)

Best Of  - Judas Priest - eOne - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (2000)
Tape Head - King's X - Svart Records - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2000)
Please Come Here… Mr. Bulbous - King's X - Svart Records - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2000)
Manic Moonlight - King's X - Svart Records - LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (2000)
As The Palaces Burn - Lamb Of God - Craft Recordings - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (3500)
Fallen Torches - Mastodon - Warner - 12" Picture Disc - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (6500)

40th Anniversary Cassette Box Set - Motley Crue - Better Noise  - Cassette - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (1750)
St Valentine's Day Massacre - Motorhead - Sanctuary Records  - 10" Picture Disc     - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (4000)
Lean Into It  - Mr. Big - evoxs - LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (500)
Morningrise - Opeth - Spinefarm - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (3500)
Eulogy For The Damned - Orange Goblin - Spinefarm - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2500)
Alive - Pearl Jam - Legacy - Cassette - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (6300)
Alive - Pearl Jam - Legacy - 12" Vinyl - RSD Drops 2021 July 1 (18500)
Sweetzerland Manifesto 2.0 - Joe Perry - Roman Records - LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (2500)
Live at Knebworth 1990 - Robert Plant - Eagle Rock - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (4700)
Live & Kickin (2021 Mix) - Suzi Quatro - Chrysalis Records  - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2500)
Live Around the World / Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow - Queen + Adam Lambert, Freddie Mercury - Hollywood Records - Vinyl - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (3500)
Hot Rocks (50th Anniversary Edition) - The Rolling Stones - Abkco - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (7200)

Live In Manchester 1980 - Michael Schenker Group - Chrysalis Records  - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2500)
Heir To Despair - Sigh - Spinefarm - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2500)
The Undiscovered Lotus - Soen - Silver Lining Music - Vinyl - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (1200)
God Damn Evil - Stryper - Frontiers Records - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (1200)
The Same Stardust EP - Styx - Ume - Vinyl - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (N/A)
Platinum Rare - The Sweet     - Prudential Records - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (1500)
Age of Winters - 15th Anniversary Edition - The Sword     - Kemado Records - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (3000)
Mechanical Resonance - Tesla - LMLR (French Import) - LP - RSD Drops 2021 July 17 (3000)

Allied Forces 40th Anniversary - Triumph - Round Hill Records - LP Box Set - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (1200)
Mother Mary/This Kid's - UFO - Chrysalis Records  - 10" Vinyl - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2500)
The Magician's Birthday - Uriah Heep - Sanctuary Records - LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (2500)
Face Dances - 40th - The Who - Geffen - 2 x LP - RSD Drops 2021 June 12 (6500)

For the complete list, visit RecordStoreDay.com.