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Start Your Ear Off Right 2026: A Deep-Dive Guide to the Full January Vinyl Drop List (36 LPs)


Drops on January 2, 2026




alt-J — 

An Awesome Wave

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Why it’s here: alt-J’s debut is a modern “starter kit” for left-field indie: skeletal beats, huge negative space, and melodies that sneak up on you. It’s the kind of record that turns casual listeners into album people—perfect “new year, new ears” energy.

Sales/history + artist bio: alt-J built a reputation on album-as-worldbuilding—songs that feel like short films, packed with odd references and emotional feints. Their rise also tracks a broader 2010s shift: listeners re-embracing complete albums and headphone-first production, not just singles.




Cheap Trick — 

Woke Up With A Monster

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Why it’s here: Cheap Trick’s superpower is arena-level hooks with punkish attitude—power-pop that hits hard and sticks. This one’s for anyone who wants riffs that feel like a caffeine shot.

Sales/history + artist bio: Cheap Trick are one of rock’s great long-arc bands—surviving multiple eras by staying obsessed with choruses and stagecraft. Their catalog includes major mainstream peaks and long touring consistency; that “songs-first” DNA is exactly why they remain a reference point for modern guitar bands.




The Flaming Lips — 

Clouds Taste Metallic

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Why it’s here: A bridge between noisy weirdness and the big-heart psychedelia that later made the Lips iconic. Expect fuzzy guitars, sci-fi moods, and the kind of melodies that feel slightly haunted.

Sales/history + artist bio: The Flaming Lips are a rare case of a band that turned experimental instincts into a mass-audience experience—live shows as spectacle, albums as emotional technology. This era captures them sharpening that identity: less “polished,” more electric.




Fleetwood Mac — 

Future Games

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Why it’s here: If you mainly know Rumours, Future Games is a gorgeous detour—airy, pastoral, and quietly hypnotic. It’s Mac in “late-night drive” mode.

Sales/history + artist bio: Fleetwood Mac’s story is multiple bands inside one name—blues origins, transitional lineups, and later pop superstardom. Part of the fun (and the collector appeal) is tracing how the sound evolves from record to record until it becomes a cultural monolith.




Steve Martin — 

A Wild And Crazy Guy

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $20 (rounded up from $19.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: This album is peak Steve Martin’s late-’70s stand-up explosion. It hit #2 on Billboard’s pop albums chart and was eventually certified 2× Platinum, a reminder of how huge comedy records used to be. It also won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album. 

Why it works now: Beyond nostalgia, it’s a time capsule of a pre-internet monoculture—when a catchphrase could genuinely take over America.




Steve Martin — 

Comedy Is Not Pretty!

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $20 (rounded up from $19.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Released in 1979, this one reflects Martin at the pivot point—still a stand-up phenomenon, but already shifting into film. The record peaked at #25 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart per its album history. 

Listening note: It’s looser, more “night-out” than perfectly scripted—great if you like comedy that feels like you’re in the room.




Steve Martin — 

Let’s Get Small

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $20 (rounded up from $19.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Martin’s 1977 breakthrough comedy LP: it went Platinum, peaked at #10, and won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album. 

Why it’s essential: This is the “origin point” for why Steve Martin became a stadium-level comedian—tight bits, absurdist logic, and lines people repeated for years.




Steve Martin — 

The Steve Martin Brothers

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $20 (rounded up from $19.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: This sits in Martin’s recorded-comedy arc as the era when his stand-up dominance had already reshaped pop culture—and when his career was expanding far beyond comedy albums into broader entertainment. 

Why it’s here: If you’re collecting the run, it’s a key “chapter marker” in one of the most commercially successful comedy eras ever.




John Coltrane — 

Coltrane Plays the Blues

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: A focused look at Coltrane’s blues language—especially valuable if you mostly know the “harmonic Everest” reputation. The album’s history also ties into Atlantic’s era of releasing and curating sessions as Coltrane’s fame grew. 

Listening note: This is where you hear how the “advanced” vocabulary still comes from something primal and direct.




John Coltrane — 

Giant Steps

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Giant Steps is widely regarded as one of jazz’s major landmarks, with the title track’s changes becoming a practice template for generations. The album was added to the National Recording Registry and later achieved Gold status (500,000 units) per its documented history. 

Why it’s a “start your year” pick: It’s the kind of record that resets your standards for musicianship.




John Coltrane — 

My Favorite Things

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: This Atlantic classic is famous for being Coltrane’s first album to feature him on soprano sax, and an edited version of the title track became a hit single. The album later received a Grammy Hall of Fame recognition and (per its documented history) also hit Gold status. 

Listening note: It’s hypnotic—music that feels like it stretches time.




John Coltrane — 

Olé Coltrane

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 2, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Olé Coltrane is part of the Atlantic stretch where Coltrane’s sound opens up—long-form, exploratory, and increasingly global in feel. Its release is documented as an Atlantic studio LP from the early ’60s. 

Why it’s here: It’s a “deep listening” record—great for people who want jazz that behaves like a landscape.




Drops on January 9, 2026




America — 

America

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Why it’s here: Smooth, sunlit songwriting with that instantly familiar soft-rock glow—music that sounds like open road and clean harmonies.

Sales/history + artist bio: America’s signature is melody + harmony + restraint—a template that helped define radio-era classic rock and continues to influence modern indie-folk and singer-songwriter pop.




The Dust Brothers — 

Fight Club

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $40 (rounded up from $39.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: The Dust Brothers are legendary for sample-based, collage-style production, and are explicitly credited with the Fight Club soundtrack in their career overview. 

Why it’s here: It’s a gateway LP for people who love cinematic, mood-driven instrumentals—dark, propulsive, and very “late-night.”




Faces — 

A Nod Is As Good As A Wink… To A Blind Horse

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Faces are one of rock’s great “band’s band” stories—raw, loose, swaggering, and hugely influential on everything from Brit rock to bar-band soul-rock. Their legacy is tied to both critical reverence and the long tail of rock myth-making around live energy.




Faces — 

Long Player

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: If you want the roots of “classic rock cool” without the polish, Faces are the blueprint: groove-forward rock that prioritizes feel over perfection.




Gordon Lightfoot — 

If You Could Read My Mind

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Lightfoot sits in that rare tier of writers whose songs became standards—covered widely, quoted endlessly, and emotionally evergreen. This title signals the intimate, story-first end of the campaign: fewer “big moments,” more permanent songwriting.




Charles Mingus — 

Blues & Roots

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Mingus is essential because he treats jazz like a living argument—gospel, blues, swing, rage, humor, and tenderness all colliding. Blues & Roots is the “prove it” record for anyone who thinks jazz is only heady: it’s physical, stomping, and deeply American.




The Monkees — 

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: The Monkees’ story is pop-culture lightning: a band born from TV that grew into a genuine catalog with real songwriting and studio craft. This era captures them leaning into the late-’60s studio imagination—bright pop with psychedelic edges.




The Monkees — 

The A’s, The B’s & The Monkees

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: A compilations-as-gateway pick: perfect for newcomers who want the core hooks fast, and perfect for longtime fans who just want a clean, curated spin.




Ramones — 

Greatest Hits

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: The Ramones are widely recognized as foundational to U.S. punk—short songs, fast tempos, zero filler. Their influence is disproportionate to radio stats: they’re a blueprint band. 

Why it’s here: This is the “plug-and-play” entry point—instant impact, no homework required.




Rush — 

Feedback

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Feedback is Rush tipping the hat to the songs that built them—covers as autobiography. The EP’s concept and history are documented as a 30th-anniversary marker (for both their debut era and Neil Peart’s joining). 




Rush — 

Snakes & Arrows

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Rush are an all-time longevity case: their discography is documented with dozens of Gold and Platinum certifications, reflecting decades of sustained album demand. 

Why it’s here: For collectors, late-catalog Rush is about the craft: tone, precision, and thematic ambition.




Rush — 

Vapor Trails

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Documented as Rush’s first studio release after their longest gap, shaped by an extended hiatus and eventual return to recording. 

Why it’s here: This is “return album” energy—heavy, emotional, and made with something to prove.




Sex Pistols — 

Never Mind The Bollocks…

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: The Sex Pistols are a core punk origin story—short life, massive impact. Their documented history reads like a cultural detonation: controversy, scene-shaping shows, and a legacy that outlived the band’s original run. 

Why it’s here: If your “start the year” goal is to feel something immediately—this is the record.




Sly & The Family Stone — 

Who In The Funk Do You Think You Are…

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Sly & The Family Stone’s influence is foundational: a documented blend of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, gospel, and R&B that shaped modern popular music. Their era includes massive hits and albums with major commercial footprints (including Stand! with multi-million sales noted in their history). 

Why it’s here: This is “DNA music”—you hear it in everything that came after.




Squeeze — 

Play

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Documented as Squeeze’s 1991 album, and described by Glenn Tilbrook as the start of their “renaissance period,” with a UK chart appearance noted in the album’s history. 

Why it’s here: It’s a great “under-loved” catalog pick—smart writing, pop craft, and that unmistakable Difford/Tilbrook conversational lyric style.




Sturgill Simpson — 

A Sailor’s Guide To Earth

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $32 (rounded up from $31.98)

Why it’s here: Sturgill’s big swing: country that refuses to stay in one room—soul horns, pop instincts, and deep personal writing.

Sales/history + artist bio: His career arc is often cited as proof that modern country can still be album-driven, adventurous, and emotionally adult without chasing trends.




Tower of Power — 

Back To Oakland

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Back to Oakland is documented as Tower of Power’s fourth album (1974), and the band itself is documented as a long-running Oakland R&B/funk institution with multiple Hot 100 entries. 

Why it’s here: This is groove-education—tight drumming, brutal horn arrangements, and bass lines that teach you how funk works.




Todd Rundgren’s Utopia — 

Another Live

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 9, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Documented as a 1975 live album from Todd Rundgren’s Utopia era—capturing the band’s progressive/art-rock ambitions in performance mode. 

Why it’s here: Live prog can be indulgent; this one is kinetic—virtuosity with momentum.




Drops on January 23, 2026




Les Nubians — 

One Step Forward

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 23, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Les Nubians’ catalog sits at a unique intersection of French lyricism and neo-soul/R&B textures. Their documented history positions Princesses Nubiennes as the breakthrough era, with One Step Forward following as a key full-length in their discography. 

Why it’s here: This is a “reset your palate” record—if your year needs something warm, rhythmic, and melodic, it lands perfectly.




Les Nubians — 

Princesses Nubiennes

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 23, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: This debut’s commercial story is unusually well-documented: it struggled initially in France, then broke in the U.S., with sales figures noted as reaching ~300,000 in its first year and nearly 400,000 by 2003 in its history section. 

Why it’s here: It’s a true gateway into French-language soul—lush but grounded, modern but timeless.




Rahsaan Roland Kirk — 

The Inflated Tear

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 23, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: Roland Kirk’s legend is equal parts musical mastery and force-of-nature personality—an artist who made jazz feel like live theater without sacrificing seriousness. His biography and career are widely documented as core to the “fearless individualist” jazz lineage. 

Why it’s here: This is a “wake up your ears” record—emotional, surprising, and never background music.




Drops on January 30, 2026




Squeeze — 

Play

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 30, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: (Same album, later drop date in your file.) Squeeze’s broader career includes multiple documented UK top-ten singles and a long touring/recording afterlife beyond the first wave era. 

Why it’s here: It’s a “smart pop” anchor—great for listeners who want hooks with writerly detail.




Tower of Power — 

Back To Oakland

 (LP)



Release date: Jan 30, 2026

Price: $25 (rounded up from $24.98)

Sales/history + artist bio: (Same title, later drop date in your file.) Tower of Power’s long-running stature and charting presence are documented, and Back to Oakland is documented as a core mid-’70s statement in their catalog. 




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