US | Record Store Day 2025 Report: Swift Sales and Long Lines, But Weather and Economy Cloud Some Results: Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Wicked and Oasis were among the in-demand titles as Retail Track trekked to eight indie stores in NYC and L.A. Record Store Day delivered another triumphant sales day to brick and mortar indie retailers with the hot sellers being Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams and Charli XCX titles, while the Oasis and Wicked releases were among the most in demand—if only more copies had been manufactured for the event. While this year’s Record Store Day (RSD) represented the usual sales bonanzas for retailers, merchants in some of the stores visited by Billboard reporters said that even with one of the stronger release day schedules in recent years, it was difficult for them to top last year’s RSD, which at the time many retailers proclaimed as their best day ever. However, there were other mitigating factors beyond the strength of last year’s performance that were felt by stores.
Minneapolis, MN | Record Store Day at Minneapolis’ Electric Fetus With Bootsy Collins & Guests: Bootsy Collins celebrated the release of his new album Album of the Year #1 Funkateer at the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis. Decked out in purple and black as an obvious homage to Prince. Bootsy and Peppermint Pati danced and sang to Bootsy‘s new album with the crowd. The Fetus was packed with excited fans, picking up new albums for RSD, and checking out Bootsy, local Dj’s and artists like The Linda Linda’s signing autographs in the parking lot. After Bootsy’s DJ set, they proceeded to the parking lot to sign autographs, take photos, and chat with the fans. Dave Pirner from Soul Asylum was also in attendance, waiting his turn to say hello to the legendary funk hero.
Detroit, MI | Record Store Day hits the right notes: Andrew Dore and Andy Colohan were ready to shop on Record Store Day April 12. The Madison Heights residents stood in line outside Solo Records in Royal Oak with about 40 other music collectors before the store opened, hoping to find a few titles to be released only on Record Store Day. “I’m looking for the Jerry Garcia Band re-release and the Prince record,” said Dore, 26. “They also put out non-Record-Store-Day records. It’s fun to see what gems they have. I lean toward jam bands. This is the record store I go to the most.” Colohan, 26, was in search of Joey Valence & Brae. Even if he didn’t find it, “I’m just here to have fun,” the hip-hop and jazz music fan said. “Coming out early is always fun to get the exclusives and all the new Record Store Day picks.”
Evanston, IL | Record Store Day brings music fans to Evanston shops: Two record store owners discuss the importance of Record Store Day and physical media. Vinyl enthusiasts gathered at shops downtown on Saturday, April 12 to celebrate Record Store Day. The unofficial holiday honors independently-owned record stores and the role they play in their communities. Warm and sunny weather made for an ideal day of searching for exclusive releases and classic records. Conveniently located within walking distance of each other, two Evanston small businesses — Vintage Vinyl and Animal Records — participated in Record Store Day. Both displayed exclusive records from artists like Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, The Cure, Post Malone and Taylor Swift, among many others. …The shop has celebrated the occasion for its entire existence, according to owner Steve Kay. He said the day remains special for music enthusiasts and collectors, both old and new.
Stroud, UK | Record Store Day hits all the right notes: Stroud’s two bricks-and-mortar record stores celebrated a successful Record Store Day (RSD) on Saturday. Sound Records, run by Tom Berry, was one of only two record stores in the county (along with Badlands in Cheltenham) to be part of the event, whilst Sean Roe’s Klang Tone Records in Lansdown staged special events to mark the day whilst not officially being part of it. Record Store Day first started in 2007 when a gathering of record shop owners came together in the USA to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture of record stores. The first official event took place on April 19th, 2008, and today it is celebrated by thousands of record shops all over the globe in what’s become the biggest new music event of the past decade. Record Store Day is a day for people to come together and honour the special role they place in their communities. In the UK, almost 300 shops participate across the country.
Amarillo, TX | Fans line up for Record Store Day at Amarillo business: Ray Wilson, co-owner of High Fidelity Records in Amarillo, has come to expect a line of eager buyers awaiting him to open on Record Store Day, as collectors and enthusiasts begin arriving hours before sunrise to secure exclusive vinyl releases. “People started camping out at midnight,” Wilson said with a laugh. “The line went down the block and around the alley. It was incredible.” Record Store Day, created to celebrate independent music shops, has become a highly anticipated event that draws collectors away from big-box retailers and back to small businesses that keep vinyl culture alive. Exclusive releases and special reissues — unavailable elsewhere — help drive demand and spark excitement among music aficionados. “Back in the day, folks would stand in line for new Led Zeppelin records,” Wilson said. “Record Store Day brings some of that old-school thrill back. We’re grateful for the buzz it creates for stores like ours.”
Beaumont, TX | For The Record holds local National Record Store Day specials: For The Record in Beaumont spun its own celebration of national Record Store Day on April 12 with an early store opening and a day of live local music. The local vinyl shop and live music venue opened its doors at 8 a.m. to a crowd of nearly 60, the earliest of whom started lining up and camping out at 7 p.m. Friday night. “We were so excited when people started showing up last night,” Jen Trenbeath said. She and co-owners husband John Trenbeath and son Damian Phelps were even more excited to see the line grow throughout the night. The earliest line-goers were hoping to score some of the Record Store Day limited release titles that ranged from Taylor Swift recordings to Post Malone’s Nirvana redux to Gracie Adams, a Fleetwood Mac picture disc and regional new releases like Houston rapper Bun B’s first ever vinyl release.
Baldwin County, AL | Record stores in Baldwin County celebrate Record Store Day: This past Saturday was Record Store Day, and many record shops in Baldwin County celebrated the occasion. Record Store Day is held semi-annually. According to the official website, it is intended “as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,400 independently-owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally.” During Record Store Day each year, artists across various genres release special vinyl records released as exclusives for this day, so many vinyl enthusiasts and collectors were up in the early morning hours to snag these exclusive records. In Foley, the Yellow Submarine, also known as The Sub, is a small record store located inside Covert Comics and Collectibles, just off the intersection of highways 59 and 98. The Sub celebrated Record Store Day for the first time this year and had a line out the door before the store even opened.
Boston, MA | Record Store Day brings exclusive vinyls to Boston: Supporting a local record store should be something everyone is aware of. Record Store Day was created to bring attention away from online shopping and back to supporting small businesses. Every April 12, vinyl collectors and shop owners get together to support musicians across the globe with a day of exclusive drops and limited edition pressings. Beginning in 2008, and originating in Mountain View California, RSD is a great way for fans to give back to the music community and support their favorite artists. Each year, the RSD list comes out, adding to the anticipation for the day in April when these titles are released in stores around the world, leading to music fans lining up outside of these stores for a chance to snag one of the few records as soon as they are released.
Nashville, TN | Bobby Rush, Many More Get Together on Record Store Day: Aaron Lee Tasjan, Winona Fighter, Case Arnold and others made parties at Vinyl Tap and The Groove ones to remember. Record Store Day continues to be a remarkably popular event in Music City. Saturday’s parties at Vinyl Tap and The Groove brought thoughtfully curated live sets that emphasized how mom-and-pop shops make record collecting about more than just owning stuff you can show off. For this year’s shenanigans at Vinyl Tap, Greenwood Avenue was once again closed so an overwhelming array of dogs, their people and said people’s takes on fringed attire could more easily mingle in and out. Even before reaching the gate, we dodged a gang of punk toddlers running a circle pit in the middle of the street and observed a chance meeting of five identical-looking maltipoos, whose owners remained completely nonchalant like this was totally a thing that happens all the time.
Elizabeth City, NC | Shut Up and Listen celebrates Record Store Day: Record Store Day is a day for the community, says Kevin Blade. “I look at Record Store Day as a way to bring the community together through music,” said Blade, owner of Shut Up and Listen Records in downtown Elizabeth City. Shut and Listen, located at 610 E. Fearing Street, participated in its third Record Store Day on Saturday. The event included deals on vinyl records and a raffle for customers who earned one ticket for every $25 they spent. Brandyn Napolitano, who received 9 tickets after purchasing a number of Grateful Dead records, camped all night in front of the store. “This is a special opportunity for people to get cool records they might not be able to get otherwise. A lot of this stuff is 1/5000 so it’s a big deal.” said Napolitano, referring to the number of copies, or presses, of a vinyl album. “It’s also a chance to meet some really cool people.”
Ann Arbor, MI | Record Store Day celebrates music and vinyl at AADL: The Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown location held its third annual pop-up vinyl fair Saturday in celebration of National Record Store Day, featuring many independent sellers and collectors as well as DJs Dave Lawson and Batz. Established in 2008, National Record Store Day seeks to celebrate independent record stores across the nation, often featuring special vinyl and CD releases made specifically for the day. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, John Bunkley, a librarian at AADL whose work centers on promoting music throughout Washtenaw County, said his goal for Record Store Day was to educate the local community on vinyl and connect them with resources to begin collecting their own records. “(AADL’s) Record Store Day is in conjunction with the National Record Store Day,” Bunkley said.
Oxford, UK | Record Store Day: Truck in Witney and Oxford celebrates. Record Store Day was celebrated in style with exclusive offers, events and an after party. Truck, in Witney and Oxford, was part of the national event on Saturday, April 12. Almost 300 independent record shops all across the UK came together to celebrate their unique culture. A statement issued by the Truck Witney team said: “Today was truly a day to remember. “Thanks to every single one of you, whether you were in the queue since yesterday or just dropped in to say hi. Your support today and all year round is overwhelming (in a good way).” In Oxford, the branch had hundreds of limited edition titles on sale, goodie bags, quizzes, an in store DJ and an after party at The Star Pub.
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