RSD 2026-THE ENCORE
it’s been real! Thank you rsd 2026
THAT’S ALL FOLKS
So yeah, turns out there are still a few more pick‑ups lurking in the shadows of RSD 2026. This is the part where the house lights lie to you and the band comes back out anyway.
I try not to wander outside my wheelhouse when it comes to 7”, 10”, or 12‑inch singles and EPs. I definitely don’t mess with those 3‑inch novelty turntables… or at least that’s the lie I had to tell myself this year. Because if I were ever going to break, it would’ve been this year. But two hundred bucks for a Rolling Stones‑branded toy wasn’t happening. And before you ask why I’d even consider buying such a ridiculous little piece of plastic…simple. I wanted it for my actual office at work. The offices they insist on keeping sterile, like we’re all supposed to be living in a brochure. I’ve got a few Funko Pops smuggled in like contraband, but personality is apparently frowned upon. Whatever. That’s not the point of this writing; at least at this time.
Every year I end up grabbing a couple of those “I’ll never actually play this” gimmicks. This year I doubled down — a 7‑inch, a 12‑inch, and something so far outside the RSD box it might as well have been shrink‑wrapped on Mars. And the kicker? Even when I do drag myself to an in‑store event, I never get the cool posters anymore, I used to, those a nothing but memories. Feels like the shops with the big RSD stock save the freebies for the lifers, not the “shows up a few times a year” guys like me. Which is exactly why I don’t sweat skipping the brick‑and‑mortar chaos anymore.
Speaking of outside the box or cover when it comes to records, Back on RSD Black Friday 2025, I grabbed a handful of singles and the commemorative Tom Petty RSD shirt. No shirts this time around, but I did bring Ozzy home. It’s the small victories that count.
After the rush of RSD maniacs, I did the unthinkable; I walked into The Exchange. Twice, two different ones of course. And I actually did what RSD pretends it’s about, I bought some non-RSD physical media. I let myself wander and flip through the inventory then, I let something unexpected jump into my hands. It felt almost… pure.
So here it is, the final RSD 2026 haul, the last lap, the encore nobody asked for but you’re getting anyway. The needle drops one more time, the crowd leans in and I walk offstage with a bag full of vinyl I absolutely didn’t need and absolutely don’t regret. Only one encore and this is it…
That’s all folks!
RSD 2026-Ozzy Osbourne “Handmade by ROBOTS” figure
2000 available
“Handmade by Robots”-exclusively for RSD 2026
$27 VINTAGE MIO RECORDS
The one iconic thing missing this year? Ozzy fucking Osbourne. At least in the form of an actual vinyl record. Thankfully, RSD 2026 and Ozzy’s estate, didn’t try to cash in on his death, at least not in the gross, obvious way you’d expect. Ozzy’s had his share of RSD drops over the years. 2011 gave us the Flying High Again 7” repress; 2012 doubled down with the Believer 7” and the numbered Ozzy Live 2LP (I’ve got #7822); then 2021 and 2023 brought the No More Tears picture disc and the RSD “Essential” Bark at the Moon with the poster. Naturally, they’re all sitting in my collection, and if you’re an Ozzy fanatic, they damn well should be in yours too.
Back of box shown
This is #2 in the “Handmade by Robots” series. #1 is “Hello Kittty”
If there had been a proper album release this year, it would’ve been a flipper’s wet dream; as usual, these scumbags will readily profiteer off anything that isn’t nailed down. But RSD 2026 didn’t leave Ozzy out entirely. They still gave him a tribute… just not on wax. Instead, we got a vinyl figure, and no, not under the Funko Pop! banner. This one features Ozzy (the 2011 Record Store Day Ambassador), styled after the Patient #9 artwork. Limited to 2,000 units, never to be re‑made. As a “Pop!” collector myself, this is a sweet little non‑Funko addition to the shelf.
As simple view from the top of the box.
And the best part? Because it’s not a Funko Pop!, you can still find them on eBay without needing to sell a kidney. Just wait it out for a minute, the flipper mentality always backfires. I grabbed mine for $27 through Vintage Mio Records during Armando’s “Record Store Day‑After” sale. They’re floating around for fifty bucks right now… but trust me, hold tight. Flippers hate holding inventory longer than they can hold their breath.
Mötley Crüe-Live Wire EP
2500 Pressings
1-10” EP-Silver & Black swirl
$27 VINTAGE MIO RECORDS
Mötley Crüe’s RSD 2026 entry marks their tenth appearance in the Record Store Day circus. Ten times these guys have shown up to the party. Seven of those were 10” or 12” singles/EPs, one was the Supersonic and Demonic Relics 2LP picture disc set, one was the Dr. Feelgood singles box, and one was that cursed, meltdown‑inducing 40 Years: 40th Anniversary Cassette Boxset. And now, here we are again the numerünö, 8th EP.
Back cover
This is simply for the süper fan
This time it’s a 12” LIVE WIRE EP with “Take Me to the Top” riding shotgun on side A and “Merry Go Round” stranded alone on the B‑side. Nothing special. Nothing remotely special. Unless you’re the kind of person who collects all things Crüe… which, unfortunately, I am.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
An RSD without Tay‑Tay would be like an RSD without an available line of credit…it just doesn’t happen. Once again, RSD 2026 rolls out a 7” single of “Elizabeth Taylor”, backed with the “So Glamorous Cabaret” version. It’s labeled an RSD exclusive, which is hilarious when you realize “exclusive” now means “tens of thousands of copies.” Even RSD didn’t have the sack to disclose how many pressings there were. BUT…If you didn’t grab one, don’t panic, it shows there were plenty available because all it takes is a twenty‑dollar bill to pick a copy up. That and the willingness to admit you’re buying a collector‑bait trinket. And when I say “collector,” I don’t mean the flipper parasites who treat vinyl like crypto.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I’m referencing the poor bastards like me who actually keep a full discography because our brains are wired wrong. Yes, I know…I forfeited all credibility with my rock‑purist friends the moment they learned I actually enjoyed and listened to her body of work. Fear not I am not nor wasn I a “Swifty” exactly, but I wasn’t not one either. I’m not out here painting friendship bracelets, but I’ll say it plainly…Taylor Swift writes really fucking good music. I would say above average, even. Pretending otherwise because her audience skews young is lazy, insecure gatekeeping. “Elizabeth Taylor” is a good track off a great album, “Life of a Showgirl”. But this 7”? It’s strictly a collector’s item and one that will remain not worth much. No new insight, no hidden gem, no reason to own it other than the fact that it exists; which, unfortunately, is reason enough for me. Sorry, not sorry. It’s in my collection.
As I warned at the beginning, here are the albums that weren’t RSD releases, they were even BETTER! RSD was designed more than to get you to go into an Independent shop to just buy RSD released albums. No; RSD was to pull people back to the brick and mortar stores and actually shop for vinyl, CDs, cassettes, whatever your pleasure. And that’s exactly what I did.
I went to two of my local Exchanges, of whom, usually have a nice supply of leftover RSD titles or that get re-filled after the fact. This time however, I had no such luck, at least not what I was looking for. That didn’t discourage me from looking through the used sections. The following are two albums I was stokedto find in the “wild”. Not to mention, for less than their “pre-sale” pricing and pricing from their websites. Here ya go…
$28-The Exchange
Deko Records finally dragged Belly to Belly out of the CD bargain‑bin purgatory it’s been rotting in since 1996… and thank whatever rock‑and‑roll deity you believe in, because this album deserved a resurrection. This isn’t Warrant playing dress‑up or trying to cosplay grunge either. This is the sound of a band clawing its way out of the 80s with their teeth. And on this reissue, the songs finally hit with the punch they always had buried under that flat, lifeless original mastering. “Feels Good” comes out swinging! The groove is thicker, the guitars have actual body, and Jani Lane sounds like a man who’s been through some shit and isn’t sugarcoating a damn thing. It’s the kind of opener that makes you wonder how anyone ever dismissed this era as “the forgotten years.”
But the real payoff for fans and collectors are the tracks that justify owning yet another version of this album…the deep cuts. “Letter to a Friend” is absolutely devastating here. Jani’s vocal is clearer, the acoustic layers finally breathe, and the whole thing lands like a punch to the ribs. This is the song that proves he wasn’t just a glam‑era, “hair-band”, songwriting, hook machine. He was simply a fucking songwriter.
Then there’s “A.Y.M.”, which hits like a middle finger dipped in battery acid. The remaster gives the low end actual teeth, turning it from a decent track into a full‑blown mission statement; Warrant ain’t dea, but they were pissed. And “Indian Giver” ? This is a song that always felt like a half‑formed idea but suddenly over time it has depth, warmth, and a melodic backbone you could never hear before. It’s like someone finally wiped the grime off the windshield.
The back cover showing no signs of AquaNet or spandex; this was THE album that wasn’t. Shame.
And then there’s “Vertigo”. The closer that always hinted at a different future for the band. Upon revisiting this pressing, it’s moody, atmospheric, and damn near cinematic. It’s the kind of track that makes you realize Belly to Belly wasn’t the end or a detour. Tt was a rebirth that sadly, never got the chance to stick. Deko’s reissue doesn’t just clean up the sound, it reframes the entire album. This is the version fans and collectors always wanted. It’s the version fans always argued existed beneath the surface, and the version that finally proves “Belly to Belly “ wasn’t some weird mid‑90s experiment. This was Warrant being allowed to grow. If you’re a real fan, not a nostalgia tourist, not a “Cherry Pie”‑only civilian, then this reissue is mandatory. It’s not optional, it’s Mandatory!
So way back long ago, i went to see Yungblud as a “guardian” for my granddaughter, I went home a fan! So, I have every official release the lad has offered. I saw him in 2019 and 2022 in Louisville, KY; Forecast Festival and Louder Than Life respectively. Each time he just blew my mind, this kid might have been known by a few festival goers, but he owned those motherfuckers after his performance. He took the stage at both of those shows like he was the headliner and he gave perfomances at both like he should have been the headliner.
Yungblud-”Idols”
I found this collector’s copy sitting in the wild waiting. Even the signed insert was there.
$29-The Exchange
YUNGBLUD’s IDOLS isn’t just another album — it’s the first time he’s made something that actually sounds like it belongs on vinyl. Deko, Polydor, whoever presses this thing knows exactly what they’re doing: the production is big, cinematic, and intentionally analog‑leaning, built for a needle drop rather than a playlist shuffle. The nine‑minute opener “Hello Heaven, Hello” is practically a flex — a sprawling, multi‑section overture that shifts from dream‑pop haze to snarling rock to stripped‑down confession. On vinyl, that dynamic range hits harder; the quiet parts breathe, the loud parts punch, and the whole thing feels like YUNGBLUD finally stopped trying to be a genre mascot and started acting like an artist with something to prove.
Back cover…yeah it’s really WHITE ain’t it?
If you think Yungblud is a joke, you don’t know comedy.
The standout tracks are engineered for wax. “Lovesick Lullaby” has that Britpop‑meets‑Madchester swagger that practically begs for a 12‑inch single — thick bass, jangly guitars, and a chorus that blooms wider on an analog system than it ever will on earbuds. “Zombie” is the emotional anchor, a Radiohead‑adjacent slow burn that reveals layers of texture when the vinyl warmth kicks in: the tremolo guitars shimmer, the vocal cracks feel intentional, and the whole track lands like a late‑night confession you weren’t supposed to hear. And then there’s “Supermoon,” the Elton‑John‑by‑way‑of‑YUNGBLUD piano anthem that sounds absolutely massive on a turntable. The London Philharmonic moments across the album — especially on “Ghosts” — aren’t just ornamentation; they’re built to fill a room, not a phone speaker.
What makes IDOLS hit hardest, though, is the attitude behind it. This is YUNGBLUD finally dropping the performative chaos and writing like someone who’s sick of being told what box he belongs in. Thematically, it’s a record about identity, pressure, and self‑belief, but sonically, it’s a record about scale. It’s big, it’s messy, it’s ambitious, and it absolutely thrives on vinyl, where the imperfections and emotional cracks become part of the experience. If his earlier albums were built for the kids screaming in the pit, IDOLS is built for the fans who actually buy the records, spin them, and live with them. It’s his most mature, most musically expansive, and most vinyl‑worthy release yet. It’s the kind of album that proves YUNGBLUD isn’t just an idol to his fans, but a legitimate contender in modern British rock.
