Vinyl pressings
by SZA · 2017
Ctrl was first pressed on vinyl in 2017. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
5 pressings came out in 2017, the album's first year. Compare the label and catalog number on your copy, then the codes etched or stamped in the runout groove (the dead wax around the label): they are the surest sign of an early pressing.
121970 A1 KMRunout, side A, etched
121970 B1 KMRunout, side B, etched
121971 C1 KMRunout, side C, etched
121971 D1 KMRunout, side C, etched
88985-44919-1 A SS 28289.1(3)...Side A runout
88985-44919-1 B3 SS 28333.2(3)...Side B runout
88985-44919-1 C SS 28289.3(3)...Side C runout
88985-44919-1 D SS 28289.4(3)...Side D runout
88985-44919-1 A SS 28289.1(3)...A-side runout, etched
D00209 3201-B-RE-2 WG/NRP ⓤB-side runout, etched
88985-44919-1 C SS 28289.3(3)...C-side runout, etched
88985-44919-1 D SS 28289.4(3)...D-side runout, etched
Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.
By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Unknown | Top Dawg Entertainment 88985-44919-1 / RCA 88985-44919-1First yearLP, Album · Colored vinyl | LP, Album · Colored vinyl |
| 2017 | US | Top Dawg Entertainment 88985-46523-1 / RCA 8985-44919-1First yearLP, Album, Limited Edition · Limited, Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Limited Edition · Limited, Colored vinyl |
| 2017 | US | Top Dawg Entertainment 8985-44919-1 / RCA 88985-44919-1First yearLP, Album · Colored vinyl | LP, Album · Colored vinyl |
| 2017 | US | Top Dawg Entertainment 88985-44919-2 / RCA 88985-44919-2First yearLP, Album, Limited Edition · Limited, Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Limited Edition · Limited, Colored vinyl |
| 2017 | US | Top Dawg Entertainment 8985-44919-1 / RCA 88985-44919-1First yearLP, Album, Mispress · Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Mispress · Colored vinyl |
| 2018 | US | Top Dawg Entertainment 8985-46380-1 / RCA 88985-46380-1LP, Album, Limited Edition · Limited, Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Limited Edition · Limited, Colored vinyl |
| 2019 | US | Top Dawg Entertainment 8985-44919-1 / RCA 88985-44919-1LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue · Limited, Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue · Limited, Colored vinyl |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | US | Top Dawg Entertainment 88985-44919-1 / RCA 88985-44919-1LP, Album, Unofficial Release · Unofficial, Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Unofficial Release · Unofficial, Colored vinyl |
| 2022 | US | Top Dawg Entertainment 8985-44919-1 / RCA 8985-44919-1LP, Album, Reissue, Repress · Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Reissue, Repress · Colored vinyl |
| 2022 | Europe | Top Dawg Entertainment 88985-44919-1 / RCA 88985-44919-1LP, Album, Repress · Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Repress · Colored vinyl |
| 2022 | Europe | Top Dawg Entertainment 88985-44919-1 / RCA 88985-44919-1LP, Album, Repress · Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Repress · Colored vinyl |
11 vinyl pressings of Ctrl are listed here, from 2 countries, released between 2017 and 2022.
The earliest pressings are from 2017, in US. One of them is Top Dawg Entertainment 88985-44919-1.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use 88985-44919-1, 88985-46523-1, 8985-44919-1, 88985-44919-2) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, 121970 A1 KM and 121970 B1 KM. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.
It depends on which pressing you have and on the condition of the record and its sleeve. Early pressings from the album's home country in near mint condition are usually worth the most; common later reissues are worth far less. Scan your copy with VinylLens to see its value for every grade.
