A massive benefit album put together for Los Angeles wildfire recovery raised more than a quarter-million dollars for local organizations, despite only being available for purchase for 24 hours.
“Good Music to Lift Up Los Angeles,” a 90-track compilation album featuring some of the most well-known and renowned artists in indie music, raised over $275,000 for wildfire relief efforts and climbed to the top of the Billboard charts, organizers said.
The album was available for the price of $20.25, although many opted to contribute even more.
Featuring unreleased tracks from R.E.M., Faye Webster, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse and Dr. Dog, the star-studded album was available for download exclusively on Bandcamp for one day only on Feb. 7, with all net proceeds going to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
Despite only 24 hours on the market, the compilation shot up to No. 1 on Billboard’s Compilation Albums chart, and it landed at No. 5 on the Top Album Sales Billboard list — the highest ranking digital download album on the list. It also cracked the top 20 in the rock, alternative and independent album charts.
All of the net proceeds will be donated to organizations helping L.A. recover from a series of devastating wildfires that scorched thousands of acres, displaced millions residents and left lasting damage to communities.
The Eaton Fire, one of the two deadly January blazes in L.A. County, destroyed the home of Altadena-based artist Cleon Peterson, who created the album’s cover art.
Rock band Dawes, whose members also lost homes in the fires, contributed a track to the album as well.
Good Music has previously organized fundraising compilations for causes such as voting rights and reproductive justice, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Good Music is grateful to all of the musicians that donated tracks, the fans that purchased the album, and continue to send love and strength to the Los Angeles communities impacted by the fires,” organizers wrote Tuesday.
In the wake of the deadly fires across the region, beloved recording artists across the globe have come together to raise funds to help the city recover. In addition to this album, the FireAid concert series was expected to raise more than $100 million for that goal, and “Super Bloom,” another large-scale compilation album was available for purchase on Bandcamp.
