Chris Stapleton’s “Traveller” Now Certified 2x Multi-Platinum
Add yet another distinction to Chris Stapleton’s now historic run with his debut album Traveller.
Under the radar and with little fanfare, Traveller was officially certified 2x multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, or RIAA on September 27th for having shipped 2 million equivalent units. Released all the way back on May 5th, 2015, Traveller continues to consistently sell over 10,000 units weekly and stays in the Top 5 on the Country Albums charts despite relatively no radio play and no major promotional push. It’s all due to the organic momentum behind Stapleton that was sparked off at the 2015 CMA Awards in early November when Stapleton shocked the country music industry by winning multiple awards, and performed a duet of the classic country song “Tennessee Whiskey” with friend Justin Timberlake.
But we’re now getting close to a 1 year anniversary of the 2015 CMA Awards, and still Traveller‘s sales are similar to an album released mere weeks ago. Going double platinum puts Stapleton in a very exclusive crowd in not just country, but in music in general in an era when album sales by any artist are hard to come by. And all of this sets the table for the 2016 CMA Awards now a month away where voters will be considering Stapleton for Entertainer of the Year. Who knows what could happen with Traveller if Stapleton has yet another big night.
Traveller was certified both Gold and Platinum on February 26th, 2016, while his rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey” also enjoys Platinum status. Traveller also received five separate award distinctions, including Album of the Year by both the CMA’s and ACM’s, and a Grammy for Best Country Album. He was also just named Artist of the Year at the 2016 Americana Music Awards.
October 7, 2016 @ 8:33 am
A most welcome anomaly. The tide doth turneth. Wonder how many A&R lackies lost their jobs in Nashville after trying to convince their bosses there is no money left in album sales when confronted about Traveller?
October 7, 2016 @ 9:15 am
This shouldn’t be possible. It defies any and all understanding of the industry as we know it.
Chris Stapleton has rallied every last major “album listener” in Country Music to buy the whole album, when most artists don’t see huge profits from album sales anymore.
He’s completely conquered TWO awards shows with outsider status and no major campaign to win with, and swept away both times.
I think all the people saying he rode Timberlake’s coattails after that performance are stymied by the continued success of this album.
He’s got enough momentum that he’s got a sure shot at superstar status the likes of which we haven’t seen since Haggard, Jones and Jennings, unless you count George Strait in that category.
We may be seeing Stapleton having a huge impact on the entire industry, even more so than we do now…
He’s beaten every major expectation, defied every prediction and all semblance of the status quo.
but why?
Why is Stapleton able to do what so many other authentic artists aren’t able to do, why is he able to win so big with so little compared to what other equal artists are putting out?
Isbell’s last two albums have blown “Traveller” away in lyrical content and construction.
Whether it’s Country or not, Sailor’s Guide blows “Traveller” away too.
and honestly? I’d rather listen to Jason Boland’s “Squelch” album.
All three of them have better voices tonally than Stapleton, and they all have better material.
Stapleton’s strong point is a technical singing ability, he’s got a huge range and dexterity, I’d say he’s arguably the best vocalist in Country Music right now by any technical measurement.
But what makes his album so popular when “Holding All the Roses” and “Underdog” and the Turnpike Troubadors failed given similar opportunities?
My theory is that he’s got something unlike the rest of them. BBS is pretty standard Southern/Country Rock, Turnpike Troubadors are folksy enough to sound like the Fureys, Clancy Brothers, or Old Crow Medicine Show (not a direct comparison, but I’d say that’s some of the most similar) but with electric instruments at times.
Stapleton is… unlike any major type of music we’ve ever seen become mainstream.
He’s often compared to Luther Vandross, which means nothing to me, but let’s roll with it.
My theory is that most people haven’t ever heard anything like what Chris Stapleton is doing. Not because it’s a new style of music but because it’s the first album of it’s kind to be given any major attention in over a decade.
Most “Southern Blues” or “Country Blues” records don’t get noticed much, so most people have never experienced it.
And that’s what the next trend is.
Not because it hasn’t been done before, but because people finally found out about it.
What do you think?
October 7, 2016 @ 10:09 am
I’d rather listen to Jason Boland’s “Squelch” album.
As would I, and it’s not even my favorite JB album. Pretty much everything my wife and I bought back in 2015 was better than Traveller to my ears, including the new albums from the Turnpike Troubadours, Strait, and Randy and Wade.
That said, I do think it’s cool that Stapleton is finding success. I’d be interested to know what the secret is, too.
October 7, 2016 @ 10:32 am
”My theory is that most people haven’t ever heard anything like what Chris Stapleton is doing. Not because it’s a new style of music but because it’s the first album of it’s kind to be given any major attention in over a decade.”
I think this is a HUGE part of the equation , F2S . But the real question is ” What are most people hearing that they haven’t heard in a decade “?
My son is a young rock n roll guy …toured with a terrific major label-backed band here in Canada for several years . I played him Stapleton with the Steeldrivers a couple years back . BLEW HIS SOCKS OFF.
He said it reminded him of how he felt when he listened to George Jones’ stuff …it was so from-the-heart -honest compared to most of what he’d listened to in country OR pop . I don’t think this can be denied and I really believe that lyrics , arrangements , ‘ polish ‘ , production or lack there-of can’t hide the honesty in a vocal performance . Blues , soul , southern country/ country rock …call Stapleton’s music what you will …but people are being moved by his vocals ( and perhaps by his against-the-grain appearance,,? ) in a way they haven’t been by country singers in a long long time .
My son ( and his girlfriend ) have become HUGE fans , as have a few of his young music buddies . We were lucky enough to see the Steeldrivers ( sans Stapleton ) in town last year and , as you know , their ‘new’ vocalist delivers a vocal in a similar manner . Incredibly emotional and heartfelt .
Perhaps off topic slightly …but I would love to hear Adele do an even more soulful turn than she currently does. Perhaps that way she might get popular …..lol
October 7, 2016 @ 10:49 am
It’s because he’s tapping into that same intimate populism as Adele.
Much like Stapleton, Adele has focused less on genre and more on the building blocks of song composition and the intimacy of a singular performance. Where many other artists favor opulence and/or allegiance to a particular style of music, these two are more concerned with the skin and bones of composition itself in a way that resonates across formats and has a broad emotional appeal without hitting you over the head. And, most certainly, they rely on their strong vocals as chief instruments: which ensure your full attention is captured.
Jason Isbell is often stylistically similar in that his production is decidedly sparse and designed to focus on the lyric, but I think his comparatively limited appeal boils down to his voice not being as robust and wide-ranged, as well as his lyrics being too meaty for some listeners. Same with Jason Boland: with the exception of his production also being more adventurous and probably being too much to handle for MOR-types.
Stapleton and Adele are the kind of artists that effortlessly seduce the MOR audience across formats with their style-over-substance appeal, but nonetheless also have significant credibility with critical crowds as well because of their respect for the fundamentals of composition and performance.
October 7, 2016 @ 12:55 pm
”…..the skin and bones of composition itself in a way that resonates across formats…”
Merle’s approach
October 7, 2016 @ 9:30 am
Jorma Kaukonen does country as well as Stapleton but in a different style of course. Both done well but I would go with Jorma as a better artist. The kid has got to put in more time and effort to be a Savior.
October 7, 2016 @ 10:33 am
Why are we comparing Chris Stapleton to Jorma Kaukonen of all people, and who called him a “Savior”? This is just a report on how many albums Stapleton has sold.
October 8, 2016 @ 1:25 am
I do believe you have stated many times how Chris could be the Savior that country music needs and album sales are great but so is longevity in the business. That was the analogy but probably not put in context in a pure form and that would be my mistake. But none the less I still think we are all entitled to an opinion and I never state anything here to be taken as mean or demeaning about about anyone or their opinion. After all if we all felt the same way about everything it would be boring as hell.
October 8, 2016 @ 6:49 am
He literally never says that. He has said time and time again he will go out of his way not to label someone the “savior”
October 8, 2016 @ 7:42 am
Hey Cosmic Cowboy,
I’m not surprised you’re associating this idea that Saving Country Music is calling Chris Stapleton a “savoir” because it happens all the time. But it’s just not true. In fact the opposite is true. Here is an example:
The name of the article is “The Case Against Chris Stapleton as Country Music’s Savior”
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/the-case-against-chris-stapleton-as-country-musics-savior/
Here’s the pertinent paragraph:
“But who exactly is declaring Chris Stapleton a “country music savior”? As the proprietor of a site called “Saving Country Music,” I can say the vast majority of people associating Stapleton with being a country music savior are the same exact people complaining that he shouldn’t be regarded as one. In other words, even though you have to travel far and wide to find someone saying, “Chris Stapleton is country music’s savior,” you can’t post anything on Facebook about him without hoards of “REAL” country fans telling you how “he’s not a country savior.” It’s a “Straw Man,” or painting an extreme viewpoint to then refute it, when the case isn’t even really being made.
The only instance I could find of someone declaring Chris Stapleton a “country music savior” was the sports site Deadspin. And are we really going to let Deadspin write the book on Stapleton’s impact on country?
Maybe Cris Stapleton will save country music. Maybe he won’t. That’s for history to decide.”
October 7, 2016 @ 9:49 am
Good theory. I think your right that many think that southern blues rock is some form of new music. Most music buyers are too young to remember the heyday of bands like The Allman Brothers, and even though there are many good blues bands around, it’s mostly independent and un-noticed by radio.
I think the other thing driving Stapleton’s sales is the early shout outs by mainstream artists along with sites like this one hailing him as the next great thing in country. Chris has become synonymous with the movement against Bro-Country, and it has become the in thing to say “I’m not one of those pop radio country stars, I’m more like a Chris Stapleton”. You see it everywhere now on social media, t-shirts, and even on mainstream tv shows like The Voice where the singers claim they are Stapleton like and audition with his songs.
Deserved or not, Chris Stapleton is not the face of the new country movement. Expect many long haired bearded clones to follow in his footsteps.
October 7, 2016 @ 9:51 am
Now the face. Misspelling.
October 7, 2016 @ 10:02 am
Yep. Jake Owen wearing a Stapleton t-shirt in the “American Country Love Song” video is a good example.
October 7, 2016 @ 10:18 am
I don’t get it either.
Don’t get me wrong..
Great album I guess. Never really blew me away though.
It isn’t even in my rotation now. Once in a while I’ll play a song on the Juke at the bar.
I saw him live when the CD came out.
He was good..
IDK I just don’t get it.
But all the power to him.
At least people are spending their money on something decent.
He was in the right place at the right time..
October 7, 2016 @ 10:25 am
I love how people over think this shit. “How is Chris Stapleton able to pull this off? It’s unrealistic!” I don’t know, maybe it’s just a good album and a lot of people like it so much that they were willing to spend their hard earned money on it?!?! This ain’t rocket science y’all!
October 7, 2016 @ 10:35 am
The problem is that for many listeners, unless these distinctions are going to their favorite artist, they’re balked at. But if these distinctions are going to their favorite artists, they balk at those artists because they can’t rationalize liking something that is popular.
October 7, 2016 @ 12:04 pm
So even if it’s good music: but if radio plays it, award shows reward it and mainstream artists show their support, then it must suck right? So, I’m not gonna give any credit to that artist because then I would supporting suck-ass country radio, the evil institution that is known as the Country Music Association and giving the impression that bro country acts who wear Chris Stapleton t-shirts are legitimate musicians That’s SO OUTLAW!!!
So the Fuck what if Miranda Lambert wears a Chris Stapleton shirt at the CMA’s trying to suck up to his fans and make everyone think she’s hip/cool. So the Fuck what if Jake Owen rides that coat tail and wears a Stapleton shirt in his video. Stapleton was the big wave that broke the dam and has got country radio flowing in the right direction again. Is it a slow start, yeah.
Like the whole William Michael Morgan thing, I just don’t fucking get it. “I met a girl” has NO depth, ZERO! They threw some pedal steel and acoustic guitar finger picking on a watered down song, sang by a young dude in an old school George Strait straw hat and it goes #1 and y’all go APESHIT!!! “IT’S NOTHING LESS THAN HISTORIC!!!” There were some people who got on here and actually said they didn’t like it just because Sam Hunt cowrote it! I personally don’t like the song because there’s nothing there for me to get into lyrically. But some people said it was a good song, they just didn’t like it because Sam Hunt’s name was on it. If it sounds good to you, don’t publicly hate and secretly love it just because Sam Hunt cowrote it. Like it for what it is, not if it’s hip or someone who everyone else thinks is some hip-hop country music sleaze ball sucks.
I agree with Fuzzy Two Shirts, Isbell’s last 2 records blow right past Traveller I think lyrically speaking. I also believe that Dave Cobb producing the record had a lot to do with it. I also think Stapleton writing so many #1 hits for mainstream artists put him up on the radar to the ACM and the CMA, along with A&R people, radio station program directors which lead to the opportunity to be the one who made country music fans say hey “we’re tired of this pop/bro country bullshit you’ve been shoving down our throats, give us something real”. And they declared that by buying that record!
October 8, 2016 @ 12:54 am
Never got I met a girl either
October 7, 2016 @ 10:42 am
First-year college students today were *born* in 1998. They didn’t grow up on Skynyrd.
Stapleton is a grizzly adams type (students won’t get the reference) who sticks out like a big bruised thumb among the manicured handsies of pop music today. He has grit in his voice. His songs are on the sweet side, like Yukon Jack. When you think of him, you think of denim, leather, and probably some tobacco somewhere.
This is how he appears in a musical world that’s mostly EDM manufacturing. In that context, Stapleton is a stick of real wood.
October 7, 2016 @ 11:00 am
Like I’ve mentioned before several times, Chris Stapleton’s appeal is most comparable to that of Adele in their command and respect of the building blocks of musical composition regardless of genre, and having their voices being the primary instruments driving their music.
I’ve minced no words regarding my opinion of “Traveler” being a decidedly style-over-substance album with the lack of a distinctive point of view between the songs. But that is also essentially the point. There IS a place for style in every musical community, and the chief benefit of mainstream country music having an Adele of its own is that it makes many consciously aware of the beauty of intimacy and the power of each individual performance: and that yearning for more heart and fewer bells and whistles can also set the stage for an eventual renaissance of lyrical substance as well.
“Traveler” is short of lyrical substance itself. But its success can later be directly goes to the turning point in which listeners demanded more intimacy and heart to their music, and would be the first of multiple steps in a renaissance of narration and storytelling quality in the genre. And, for that, I’m obviously gladdened this is a breakout album success.
October 7, 2016 @ 11:24 am
I don’t really get it as his music don’t do much for me??? but with that being said I met him on the Hank Jr tour this summer and him and his wife both are super nice down to earth people and its good to see good people being rewarded for there work!!
October 7, 2016 @ 1:26 pm
Maybe because there is an acoustic shaped hole where Mumford went electric.
Lots of hipsters like the acoustic cred. I guess he’s tapping into the crowd who buys Mumford, Ed Sheeran, Lumineers, Avett brothers etc.
October 7, 2016 @ 1:36 pm
Chris Stapleton is an acoustic performer? He plays a Fender Mustang. I’m stupefied at all of the theories flowing out here. Possibly he’s just a great performer and people like his music.
Anything but admitting that better music is gaining traction.
October 7, 2016 @ 2:49 pm
It’s a Jazzmaster, not a Mustang. And I know that Jazzmaster is a huge part of his sonic fingerprint!
October 7, 2016 @ 9:35 pm
Ok, not acoustic, but not programmed.
Yes, better music is getting recognition, but why NOW?
There has been a lot of ‘better music’ that got ignored for a long time, so why did Traveller break out?
Not complaining at all, I just wonder whether country fans are seeing the light, or if its the hipster market that has found Stapleton and now everyone has to have it along with their vinyl player, carefully trimmed beard and paleo diet.
October 8, 2016 @ 7:48 am
There is no hipster market around Chris Stapleton. I have seen absolutely no evidence of that. I obsessively study the demographics of people who coalesce around certain artists, especially if they’re blowing up like Chris Stapleton. Hipsters are nowhere to be found in the Chris Stapleton phenomenon, and I don’t even know where that idea comes from. Sturgill Simpson maybe, but many of the hipsters have moved on from him now. But not Chris Stapleton. Stapleton is reaching a broad base of music listeners. That’s the only way you can get to double platinum these days is by reaching virtually everyone. Saying that it must be hipsters behind Chris Stapleton seems to be yet another way to hate the success of Chris Stapleton.
October 9, 2016 @ 12:23 pm
I think there is some amount of “hipster” fan base supporting Chris Stapleton. I saw him with Alabama Shakes at an amphitheater show and the hipsters were going crazy for him. His SNL appearance may have helped too.
I think some “hipsters” who initially liked Sturgill are seeing Stapleton as another “country but good” artist they can listen to.
I know a handful of Nashville hipsters that like Stapleton for what it’s worth.
October 9, 2016 @ 2:58 pm
” I saw him with Alabama Shakes…”
Ding ding ding.
Not saying there aren’t some hipsters into Chris Stapleton, but I don’t think that’s the reason for his industry-leading album sales. It may be a contribution, but his appeal is much more broad based, while “hipsters” by definition are a niche.
October 9, 2016 @ 4:06 pm
That was what I meant, hipsters have some contribution. You had stated that “there is no hipster market around Chris Stapleton.”
I feel that at least a portion of his fan base are “hipsters.” The majority of his fans are regular country fans but hipsters are a part of his audience as well.
October 7, 2016 @ 1:36 pm
Chris Stapleton has sold 2 million albums, but he has done something much bigger in my opinion. He has made life long fans. Everyone I talk to loves him. People will say “I like everything but Country… Well except Chris Stapleton, that guy rocks.” I know so many people who don’t like country who love Chris Stapleton. These listeners love what they hear and will come back for more. He will not be a one hit wonder. Whatever he does next people will pay attention, and people will buy
October 7, 2016 @ 4:24 pm
I enjoyed Traveller, and I’ve used it as a great entry to show friends of mine other music like it, and let them see that there’s more to country music that was they hear on the radio. Sure it’s not the greatest album out there, but it’s still pretty damn good.
Side note: any plans to review Brent Cobb’s new album Trigger?
October 7, 2016 @ 5:02 pm
This is great news but I’d just like to take a second to acknowledge how much i am loving the mo pitney album been listening to it and the new green day since this morning
October 7, 2016 @ 5:30 pm
At a Sturgill concert recently, the lady sitting next to me made an interesting comment after I had told her that I had just seen Cody Jinks and Whitey Morgan at a much smaller venue than the one Sturgill was playing. Sturgill was laying a large theater. We were discussing the difference in audiences and their sizes despite being mentioned in the non bro country genre and she said “Sturgill, Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton all appeal to country fans, rock fans and the Hipster crowd.” She defined the Hipster crowd of fans as those who think it is fashionable with peers to buy the record or see the concert because it is viewed as cool. I noticed at the Jason Isbell concert recently as well the same dynamic (he sold out two nights in same theater Sturgill sold out) that there is 1/3 – 2/3rds of that audience that was at Jason and Sturgill but I sure did not see at the Cody/Whitey concert at the smaller venue. I assume that would be the rock fans and hipster portion she was referencing?
I am seeing Chris soon at an ampitheater, much larger than the two previously mentioned venues.I guess it’s hard to define what attracts that extra audience interest beyond the trad country audience for one artist but not the other.
October 7, 2016 @ 7:17 pm
people are desperate
Stapleton is at least a rope to the pier
that’s as Occam as I get
October 7, 2016 @ 8:29 pm
I personally love Stapleton; as someone is not so into the SCM frame of mind (I’m only slightly there) I can speak from a different perspective….
Chris is popular because he is blending the best of both worlds; he has a unique voice, great range, good sound, takes it back to a more “traditional” country sound – but he’s still “mainstream” enough to appeal to the masses. His songs are pretty generic really…I love them, but they aren’t ridiculously deep or thought-provoking….they’re just good, enjoyable songs. People like that. I have friends who arent super into country (they know and like the big mainstream names – Shelton, McGraw, Underwood) and they all like Stapleton.
I am a huge fan of Stapleton and Church. Both very mainstream but still capable of substance. I recently listened to Isbell’s latest….on an hour drive….with both my kids….I got bored, turned it off, and turned back on my Church and Stapleton albums. I couldn’t focus on the lyrics of Isbell, my kids were noisy….and suddenly it all sounded like one long song. Soooo figure your average listener is like I was at that moment…wants something that sounds good….style over substance. That’s just the truth of the matter. I went back and listened to Isbell later on my way to work, when it was quiet and the roads weren’t crowded (I drive sparsely populated back roads on my commute) and I liked it better when I could focus on what I was hearing. Most people aren’t interested in doing that, I can pretty much guarantee it.
Anyway, there’s an outsiders perspective for you….
October 7, 2016 @ 11:18 pm
I agree with you, Nadia, regarding your post comparing CS to Adele. I’m beginning to wonder if your average listener hears so much of what’s on the radio that when something of musical AND lyrical substance with a great arrangement and talent gets played, they can tell the difference or not. I just hear something different and better in his voice and how the songs are put together, not to mention the production. That’s my add to your post. I’m looking forward to seeing him rock out, too!
October 8, 2016 @ 4:45 pm
I don’t know Trigger, when I went to see him at the Ryman back in February, it was like a hipster convention! I paid $250 for that ticket and it was worth every penny!
October 8, 2016 @ 6:44 pm
Well, Nashville is like a hipster convention these days. It’s getting as bad as Austin.
October 8, 2016 @ 11:42 pm
As a country fan I prefer to listen to artists who have a more country sound. I do have his record and like it for what it is. And I totally believe he went 2x platinum because friends and family who don’t even listen to country and have never heard of Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, or Miranda Lambert love Chris Stapleton or have heard of him.
October 9, 2016 @ 10:51 am
The long term challenge for Chris will be sustaining this current level of success. Topping Traveler will be tough, particularly if his label is on him to produce a sophmore album quickly. Most artists spend a long time perfecting material for the first album and don’t have the same prep time for the second, which is often the old “sophmore slump” story. Plus, if you were big on your first go, the media may turn on you a bit since mainstream media both builds up and tears down in equal measure. I hope these things don’t happen to Chris as he seems from the outside like a decent guy and his success is a win for better country music. I wouldn’t be surprised though if the hipsters move on in time, leaving a core of dedicated fans.
October 9, 2016 @ 3:19 pm
“Traveller” was released May of 2015, so it’s already been a decent amount of time since it was released. It doesn’t seem that way just because it continues to sell so well and it really didn’t take off until November of 2015. I expect a new album from Chris probably in the Spring. I also expect him to sell over 1 million copies right out of the chute. Maybe more.
October 9, 2016 @ 2:43 pm
Biscuit, you make a valid point about record companies rushing an artist back in the studio for a quick follow up to a successful album. They (the record companies) seem to want the artist/group to put out something to keep them from getting left behind.. Typically, two things happen: 1) the follow up is as good or better but lack of radio play and a push leaves them buried because the record company has their money tied into the next craze, or 2) the follow up is a rush job and nowhere near as good so the fan base moves on to the next hot thing. When a #2 happens, that’s a surefire sign the next album will tank since the people who bought the prior album feel ripped off. Sometimes, in the case of someone like Alanis Morissette and a group like Hottie & The Blowfish, two or three years (or longer) go by between releases, the musical landscape has shifted and they’re, unfortunately, not able to repeat sales-wise. Seeing that CS is looked at as someone bringing back a traditional or as close to a traditional sound back into a genre that’s been diluted and cross-pollinated, I see his follow up album as a can’t miss, in my humble opinion.
October 10, 2016 @ 12:10 pm
Trigger, did you see that Traveller is nominated for Country album of the year in the AMA’s? That’s a good sign. 🙂 Unfortunately, H.O.L.Y. is nominated for song of the year.
October 10, 2016 @ 12:24 pm
The American Music Awards are not an officially sanctioned music awards apparatus in the eyes of Saving Country Music, but I do appreciate that Chris Stapleton is receiving even more exposure.
October 22, 2016 @ 10:45 pm
I was very late to the party on this album, but I looked up some tracks online about reading about it here somewhere in the bowels of SCM… and saw it at the last known to me actual CD store left in my county… and snatched it up. I have really enjoyed this album and I’m glad he’s still having success with it.