15 Vintage Photos of Record Shops in the 1970s: Record shops in the ’70s were a heady mix of patchouli, vinyl dust, and the plastic scent of freshly-unwrapped album sleeves. You’ve got people in listening booths debating whether “Ziggy Stardust” really was Bowie’s best, while a stack of vinyls teeters dangerously near the register — $1.99 each, or three for five bucks (just seeing those prices are enough to make us shed a tear). From the flicker of a disco ball spinning over the new releases bin to that one clerk who always seemed to know exactly which record you needed, here are 15 snapshots of record shops that’ll take you right back in time.
Inverness, UK | Union Vinyl no more: Haven for Inverness music lovers closes its doors: Explaining his future plans, Nigel Graham reflected on the business, saying: “We had a certain type of customer. If you wanted Taylor Swift you’d go elsewhere.” Union Vinyl owner Nigel Graham has never been one for the easy option. Even when struggling to keep his Inverness business afloat amodt costing of living rises he has been loathe to sell some of the biggest albums around. Taylor Swift, he explains, won’t be found on any of his shelves. “It’s not really what we do,” he told The Press and Journal. “They can go to HMV for that.” Nigel quietly closed the doors of the Market Brae record store on Saturday for the last time. The business celebrated its 11th birthday just a few weeks ago, but rising costs meant it couldn’t continue. It has been a must-visit destination for music lovers from the city and further afield, and will be missed by its many regulars. His musical journey will, however, continue at Union Vinyl’s sister shop in Nairn.
Rockford, IL | Changes are coming to Toad Hall Books and Records: Toad Hall Books & Records, a Rockford staple for music and movie enthusiasts, is undergoing significant improvements to its property, driven by a surge in demand for physical media like vinyl records, CDs, and DVDs. Owner Nick Naruz, who has operated the store for 20 years, is revamping the parking lot to accommodate 17 vehicles, addressing long-standing issues with the old layout. “The blacktop wasn’t the greatest, and the layout, with steps, didn’t make much sense,” Naruz said. “We finally have a new parking lot and striping, and we combined multiple lots.” The upgrade also includes relocating a shipping container to the east side of the 10,000-square-foot store, freeing up space and improving efficiency for customers. The container will now be used for special sales events. “This is kind of a concept we’ve had for a few years,” Naurz said. “We are going to fill it with really great stuff—$1 records, $3 records, CDs, DVDs.”
Los Angeles, CA | Free pop-up vinyl shop helps January fire survivors find their groove: After the January fires, Brian Clasby and his business partner Gavin Gottlich started hearing about people who lost everything—including vinyl collections that took years to build. That detail screamed out at the two. They run the music consultant firm, Lunch Club Projects, and are well connected in the industry. “We felt like we could help by sourcing a lot of extra inventory from different labels and distributing it to people who lost their collections,” Clasby said. Those efforts started around the end of January with asks sent to their friends at labels seeking contributions. To date, “Project Re-issue” has received more than 1,500 vinyl records from some two dozen labels, including majors like Atlantic Records, and UMG to indie outfits like Brooklyn’s Mexican Summer, to alternative powerhouse Beggars Group in L.A. “It’s a pretty eclectic collection.”
Burbank, CA | Petition Launched to Press Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Soundtrack on Vinyl for 40th Anniversary: Nearly four decades after Ferris Bueller’s Day Off first hit theaters, a Burbank-based record store has launched a public petition to press the film’s long-missing soundtrack on vinyl for the first time. The 1986 teen comedy, written and directed by John Hughes, is widely remembered for its music—from the iconic use of Yello’s “Oh Yeah” to The Dream Academy’s instrumental cover of The Smiths’ “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.” But despite the popularity of the songs, no official soundtrack album was released at the time. According to Hughes, the musical selections were too eclectic to make a traditional commercial release. “It didn’t flow,” he reportedly told interviewers in later years, calling the soundtrack a “personal mixtape” that didn’t seem like a viable album at the time. It wasn’t until the film’s 30th anniversary in 2016 that a limited soundtrack was issued—on CD only, with just 2,000 copies produced.
Morgan Wade Drops Special Edition Vinyl For Independent Record Stores: Morgan Wade successfully gave music lovers their ultimate reason to race into their respective indie record stores. A special edition has been pressed for Vinyl for ‘The Party Is Over (recovered)’ on Record Store Day exclusively for sale through independent record stores, and now, with so many crowds rushing to snatch up the copies, independent stores will soon be out of stock. On social media, the announcement was accompanied by one of the most stunning and evocative images ever taken of the singer. The image shows Wade lying down under a bright magenta light and totally glamorizes every rockstar essence her raw music style could conjure. The post only directed people to recordstoreday.com to check if their local indie stores were carrying the record-there was no link to pre-order, no expedited link to large corporations from major remaining retail outlets. It was all black and white support for these tiny stores that keep the vinyl culture alive.
Record Subscription Company Vinyl Me, Please Acquired by VNYL Inc.; New Owners Vow to Restore Troubled Service to Former Glory. The once beloved, recently troubled record subscription service Vinyl Me, Please has been acquired out of bankruptcy and looming liquidation by VNYL Inc., a company that already runs two other vinyl clubs, with new owners who are vowing to assuage VMP’s unhappy customers and restore the company to its former glory. The purchase went through last Wednesday and was revealed Tuesday morning by Vinyl Me, Please’s new CEO, entrepreneur Nick Alt, and new president, direct-to-consumer expert Emily Muhoberac, who hold similar titles at VNYL Inc., the parent company. They come to these new roles running VMP having experience having already been in charge of two other subscription services, VinylBox and the VNYL brand, which will continue as sister operations under the VNYL Inc. umbrella. (A reminder that records are best purchased at indie record shops. Not via your mailbox. —Ed.)
Demon Records announces ‘Doctor Who—The Jon Pertwee Collection’ on LP and CD: Demon Records is celebrating a cultural icon of the 1970s by honouring one of Doctor Who’s most beloved incarnations: Jon Pertwee’s flamboyant and fearless Third Doctor. Marking 55 years since Jon Pertwee first graced screens on 3 January 1970, ‘Doctor Who – The Jon Pertwee Collection’ is an deluxe audio collection paying tribute to the actor who redefined the Time Lord for a new generation. Pertwee brought elegance, action, gadgets and smart velvet jackets to the role, and they come across in abundance in this collection. Releasing on 4th July 2025 on both blue vinyl and a limited 4x blue and green vinyl set and deluxe CD gatefold package, ‘Doctor Who—The Jon Pertwee Collection’ is beautifully packaged. The LP version includes a frameable photographic print of Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.
Vinyl Records That Shaped Music History And Still Deserve to Be Heard Today: These records rose to number one while establishing new musical standards. The music world experienced permanent change when specific albums arrived on the market. The digital world of today has not diminished the need to experience these iconic records in their original format which is vinyl. You can now use A2D2 Stream to play these famous LPs while streaming their musical essence wirelessly to Bluetooth headphones or smart speakers which preserve their authentic sound and historical elements. This list features essential vinyl records that modified music history alongside their ongoing importance.
Los Angeles, CA | What Lester Holt told Tom Llamas before handing over ‘NBC Nightly News.’ …The son of Cuban immigrants, Llamas grew up in Miami, where he continues to have strong ties (pop superstar Gloria Estefan and “Sabado Gigante” host Don Francisco attended a party in Florida to celebrate his promotion). He lives in Westchester County, N.Y., with his wife, Jennifer, three children aged 12, nine and seven, and a dedicated room for his vinyl record collection built from a decade of crate-digging while traveling around the world on assignment. …Ten or 12 years ago, I went to my friend’s house in Los Angeles and he has a record player. I think he played “Sticky Fingers” from the Rolling Stones. We just chilled and we listened to the album. And I thought, “What a great experience.” Then I realized the other fun part about records is just finding them and collecting them, and trying to get original pressings. I have Wilson Pickett records that were made in Spain. I have Beatles records where the liner notes and the album covers are in different languages. I have a room where I have them—it feels like you’re walking into a jukebox. It’s where I read the paper sometimes. It’s where I prepare for big election nights. I’ll be in there for hours. It’s how I relax.”
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