ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. -- A Twin Cities tradition is coming to an end. This year marks the 30th and final Cities 97.1 Sampler.
"Three decades of a collection of music that has really kind of been the definition of community," said Paul Fletcher, music director and afternoon host.
Fletcher said it amounts to 520 performances, either recorded live in Studio C or at one of the station's events.
Each year, artists donate their songs and then money made from the CDs sold goes to Minnesota charities.
"Just over $13 million raised," Fletcher said. "It's definitely helped a lot of people."
Volume 30 will feature 19 tracks. As of Wednesday, they had announced seven of the tracks.
Track 1: Leon Bridges - Beyond
Track 2: Matt Nathanson - Used to Be
Track 3: Echosmith - Over My Head
Track 4: Ocean Park Standoff - If You Were Mine
Track 5: Portugal. The Man - Live in the Moment
Track 6: ZZ Ward - Domino
Track 7: Ben Rector - Drive
According to Fletcher, all 19 tracks will be announced by Friday.
"I've come in very late on this project. It's been, like I said, three decades. I've been here since 2012 so I've been here since Vol. 24 but it just means so much," Fletcher said.
Fletcher said they decided to make it "The Final Chapter" as most music is now digital.
"Because everything has gone so digital—remember I told you all the artists donate their tracks—well they won't donate them in a digital format. They want control and I don't blame them. They want control of their craft," he said.
Studio C sessions will continue. Many times it's a front row seat to new artists that go on to sell out stadiums. Some past artists on the Cities Sampler include: Coldplay, John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Brandi Carlile, Snow Patrol, Matchbox 20, Jason Mraz, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, as well as local artists like Jayhawks, Farewell Milwaukee, Dave Pirner and Tim Mahoney.
"Basilica Block Party 2012, we had this little band. I don't remember which newspaper it was but one of them didn't even get their name right in the newspaper because they were so little at the time," Fletcher recalled.
Instead of Imagine Dragons, the paper had called them "Imagination Dragons."
"Having Imagine Dragons in there, that was pretty unbelievable. One that gets me, it beat me by like eight months. We had Adele in Studio C. She did "Rolling in the Deep," "Someone Like You," which has been on a sampler, and a couple other tracks. And that predated me by like eight months and that's just like, why couldn't I have gotten that job a few months earlier," Fletcher said.
You can pre-order the Cities Sampler now online. It costs $14.97 and will be released on November 13, online and at Target locations.
There will be a release party but those details haven't been announced yet.
Fletcher added, "It's all for Minnesota charities. It's the biggest no-brainer in the history of buying a CD, I think, and it's the final one."