Chris Stapleton’s Breakout Album Debuts — A Decade After It Made Him A Star

10 years after its release, Chris Stapleton’s Traveller returns to multiple rankings in the U.K. and even manages to debut on the vinyl tally. NEW ORLEANS, LA – MAY 02: Chris Stapleton performs during 2015 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – Day 6 at Fair Grounds Race Course on May 2, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Scott Legato/WireImage)

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Chris Stapleton has spent the past decade building a career most country singers could only dream of. Since stepping out on his own after breaking into the business as part of the SteelDrivers, the star has turned into one of the most treasured names in the country genre, selling millions of albums and collecting Grammys along the way. He’s released a string of full-lengths that have dominated not only in the United States, but also abroad, and it all started with one project: Traveller.

This week, that breakthrough album is back on the rise in the United Kingdom, more than 10 years after it first changed everything for Stapleton. Traveller finds its way onto several charts in the region, and in one case, it even manages to appear for the first time.

Traveller Debuts on the Vinyl Chart

Traveller launches on the Official Vinyl Albums ranking at No. 26. As the title opens, Stapleton collects his third entry on the list. Both Starting Over and Higher peaked at No. 20 on the tally, so Traveller now stands as his lowest-peaking project.

Traveller Reenters Two Sales Rankings

Stapleton also sees Traveller return to the Official Albums Sales chart, where it lands at No. 53. On the Official Physical Albums list, the studio effort reappears at No. 52. Traveller reaches a new peak on the physical-only chart as it gains momentum around its tenth anniversary.

Traveller Nearly Returns to No. 1

Stapleton’s blockbuster also surges on the Official Country Artists Albums chart, and he almost reconquers the tally. Traveller jumps from No. 10 to No. 2, coming within striking distance of reclaiming the top spot. It’s blocked from returning to No. 1 by Jordan Davis’ Learn the Hard Way, which holds steady at the summit.

Higher Keeps Moving

While Traveller mounts its comeback, Stapleton’s more recent album Higher continues to hang on. The project lifts one space to No. 15 on the Official Americana chart, where it has now spent 94 weeks on the genre-only roster.

Traveller Made Chris Stapleton a Star

Traveller arrived in 2015 and quickly changed the trajectory of Stapleton’s career. After not becoming a breakout hit, one performance with Justin Timberlake at the CMA Awards turned him into an overnight sensation, and the full-length into both a bestseller and a chart-topper.