KCRW’s Top 30: Prince reigns purple over our airwaves

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If you tuned into KCRW over the past week, chances are you heard Prince. That’s thanks in part to our exclusive radio broadcast version of “21 Night Stand: Live at the Forum April, 28 2011,” and the all-Prince extravaganza that followed on Aaron Byrd’s July 29 show. The Purple One was played close to 40 times during the span of this week’s chart, culminating in his “lost” album “Welcome 2 America” hitting No. 1 upon its July 30 release. 

Meanwhile, Seattle rockers La Luz made a considerable splash with their Adrian Younge collab “Watching Cartoons.” Arlo Parks is back in a major way thanks to the Unknown Mortal Orchestra remix of “Too Good.” And our local love Gavin Turek has claimed her rightful place in the top 20 with her debut album, “Madame Gold.”

Check out the full rundown of KCRW’s Top 30 Albums chart and our Top 30 Spotify playlist below. 

KCRW’S TOP 30: JULY 26 - AUGUST 1 1. PRINCE – WELCOME 2 AMERICA [DELUXE] 2. BRITTANY HOWARD – JAIME REIMAGINED 3. DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS – PRIVATE SPACE 4. BARDO – EVERYWHERE REMINDS ME OF SPACE 5. THE MARIAS – CINEMA 6. BACAO RHYTHM & STEEL BAND – EXPANSIONS 7. HIATUS KAIYOTE – MOOD VALIANT 8. ARLO PARKS – TOO GOOD (UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA REMIX) [SINGLE] 9. CHET FAKER – HOTEL SURRENDER 10. TYLER, THE CREATOR – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST 11. JUNIOR MESA – CIRQUE DU FREAK 12. ORA THE MOLECULE – HUMAN SAFARI 13. VALIDA – DO IT AGAIN [SINGLE] 14. SAMPOLOGY – REGROWTH 15. LEON BRIDGES – GOLD-DIGGERS SOUND 16. SAULT – NINE 17. GAVIN TUREK – MADAME GOLD 18. THE WAR ON DRUGS – I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE 19. CLAIRO – SLING 20. LA LUZ – LA LUZ 21. KIEFER – WHEN THERE’S LOVE AROUND 22. FILM SCHOOL – WE WEREN’T HERE 23. ALICE RUSSELL – TO DUST (BONUS TRACKS) 24. BRANDEE YOUNGER – SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT 25. JONNY KOSMO – PASTRY 26. ROYAL CANOE – SIDLINING 27. JAMES BLAKE – FRIENDS THAT BREAK YOUR HEART 28. RODRIGO AMARANTE – DRAMA 29. ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS – SPANISH MODEL 30. GENESIS OWUSU – MISSING MOLARS