ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The World’s Best Record Stores: 17 Landmarks For Record Store Day

Crate diggers of the world, unite! From LA to Hong Kong, Australia to Wales, we look at some of the best record stores around the globe.

Published on

Best Independent Record Stores web optimised 1000

In tandem with the resurgence of vinyl, independent record stores have enjoyed a boom in popularity in recent years. No longer the dusty preserve of strange-smelling old men riffling through plastic crates in the hope of proving their superior tastes, vinyl’s popularity has led a younger crowd to the trusty indie’s doors – and seen the uninviting caves of yore reinvent themselves as vibrant playgrounds for music lovers, offering in-store gigs and no shortage of mouth-watering black (and coloured) wax.

With Record Store Day coming round once again, it’s time to look at some of our the best record stores from around the world. We’ve limited ourselves to one city – but if you know of any must-visit record stores in your town, let us know. We’d love to ogle their racks.

Read more about 2019 for Record Store Day releases, and scroll down for our pick of the world’s best record stores.

The World’s Best Record Stores: 17 Landmarks For Record Store Day

1: Amoeba Music, 6400 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Proudly – and justifiably – calling itself the world’s largest independent record store, Amoeba is an overwhelming place for first-time visitors. With a mind-boggling array of music old and new, plus DVDs, videos, merch and everything else, if it hasn’t passed through Amoeba’s doors, then there’s a very good chance it doesn’t exit…

Record Store Day 2018 at Amoeba Hollywood

Click to load video

2: Spillers Records, 27 Morgan Arcade, Cardiff, Wales

The self-proclaimed “oldest record store in the world”, Spillers is an institution that dates back to 1894 – and is so beloved that when a rent hike threatened the store’s existence, the Welsh Assembly and Manic Street Preachers led a vocal campaign to save it. Now in its new home at Morgan Arcade, the shop remains as vibrant, friendly and eclectic as ever, with a nice line in in-store performances that they sometimes film and post on YouTube.

Spillers Records, Morgan Arcade

Click to load video

3: Diskunion Club, Yamada Building, BF, 3-31-4, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

The independently owned Diskunion chain has record stores scattered throughout Japan. Their largest is spread over eight floors in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, and is a beacon for anyone looking for new and second-hand Japanese indie, rock, prog, Latin and punk. Collectors on the hunt for metal, hip-hop and jazz should also head to their Shibuya store.

8 storeys Record Shop! Japan, Shinjuku!

Click to load video

4: The Record Store Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 148, Berlin, Germany

Ask any local where they go crate-digging in Germany’s capital and, almost to a man, they will say The Record Store Berlin. See? It’s in the title: this is the record store to visit. Strictly second-hand (bar a few new releases tastefully hand-picked by the owner), it specialises in vintage classics of all genres – and if you’re lucky, you’ll be regaled by some of the owner’s captivating tales of record-collecting hijinks.

5: Rough Trade East, Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, England

The original Rough Trade shop opened in 1976 and spawned the beloved indie label that gave the world everyone from The Smiths to Arcade Fire. Now sister organisations, the Rough Trade record stores (in east and west London, Nottingham, and Brooklyn, New York) remain an institution. Rough Trade East is their flagship store, and alongside its racks of vinyl (including, in true indie spirit, unsigned bands) you will find a coffee bar, a chill-out area, and stage that has been graced by no less than Queens Of The Stone Age.

Rough Trade Record Store

Click to load video

6: Soundscapes, 572 College St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Located opposite the nourishing Burrito Boyz, Soundscapes will feed your head with music. It’s a fact that Little Steven broke the record for the all-time single-person purchases sales here some years ago, while the staff have curated a nice line in window displays with all the love and care that all record stores deserve.

7: Concerto, Utrechtsestraat 60, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Stretching down the street like The Beatles’ conjoined terraced houses in Help!, Concerto’s wide-ranging stock (new and second-hand, pop, jazz, soul, classical, soundtracks – you name it…) and array of turntable hardware is matched by its hospitality. Coffee and warm toasties are on hand for hungry shoppers, and it has its own radio station-turned-podcast as well.

Concerto, world famous record store from Amsterdam

Click to load video

8: Academy Records Annex, 85 Oak Street, Brooklyn, New York

Academy Records’ flagship store is in Manhattan, but this Brooklyn sibling offers a less claustrophobic experience – and, we think, more range. You’ll get titles old and new here, plus the sense that this store has been around a lot longer than it actually has.

Academy Records: Neighborhood Beat: Williamsburg Greenpoint

Click to load video

9: La Cuve À Son, 56 Rue Traversière, Paris, France

Ever mindful of the finer things in life, the French have hit upon an unbeatable combination with this one. Aiming to bring the role of the record store back to neighbourhood prominence, La Cuve À Son offers the expected wide range of genres, while handmade artwork adorns the walls, giving it that local feel. Its shelves don’t just stock records: you can also purchase quality wines to help enhance a quality listening experience.

10: Red Eye Records, 143 York Street, Sydney, Australia

Fast approaching its 40th birthday, Red Eye Records is the biggest record store in Australia – no small feat, given how vast that country is. Specialising in vinyl new and old, and selling books, posters and DVDs as well, it’s heaven for music anoraks – especially one on the hunt for unique Australian pressings and memorabilia.

The Vinyl Guide - Red Eye Records in Sydney, Australia

Click to load video

11: Vinyl Villains, 15 Elm Row, Edinburgh

Proudly waving the banner for their “discerning taste in music”, Vinyl Villains sees nothing wrong in racking James Brown next to Captain Beefheart – and claiming the title of “the finest renegade record store in Edinburgh” in the process. You may have to dig deep here, but you’ll come up smiling, not least over the store’s own-brand carrier bags.

CD & DVD Shops - Vinyl Villains

Click to load video

12: Disco 100, 33 Calle Escorial, Barcelona, Spain

Family owned since 1978, Disco 100 recently moved to a new site – and no surprise; it must have needed the room. Boasting over 100,000 items and spanning all genres, it’s arguably the widest-ranging record store in Spain. It’s certainly among the cleanest record stores around: modern racks and shelving only add to the allure of this spot.

13: Miles Discos, Honduras 4969, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Presumably named after the lengths of shelving inside the store (or the legendary jazz icon – take your pick), Miles Discos is an Argentinian institution housing everything you could think of – and then a whole lot more that you never even knew existed.

14: Vinylicious Records, 3 Coleman Street, #03-01 Peninsula Shopping Centre, Singapore

A wide-ranging store, Vinylicious also stocks records decks and cassettes – all packed into a cozy space. Don’t be put off by its size, though. Plenty of lucky punters have found some serious rarities in here.

#vinyloftheday - Vinylicious Records interview

Click to load video

15: Freebird Records, 15A Wicklow Street, Dublin

With four decades under their belt, Freebird have mastered the art of the indie record store in Ireland. Famous customers include Ryan Adams, Robert Plant and André 3000 – and if that’s not a stamp of approval, we don’t know what is. It’s tucked away down an alley that leads to The Secret Book And Record Store, which only serves to stoke the feeling that you’re in on to something no one else knows exists.

DAVID KEENAN Freebird Records Dublin Instore Performance 2019

Click to load video

16: Hocus Pocus, Via Marruvio 18, Zona San Giovanni, Rome, Italy

This is your place for classic rock, soul and hip-hop, and the hippest local-language records too. If you’re lucky, it might even be your place for fiendishly obscure Italian giallo soundtracks.

BRIGANTE "Va' Tu" live @Hocus Pocus Record Srore

Click to load video

17: Vinyl Hero, 239 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Lo Wai, Hong Kong

As overwhelming to newcomers as Hong Kong itself can be, Vinyl Hero pays no mind to the concept of organisation. Records are kept in cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other in what looks like a hoarder’s apartment – but with everything from Metallica to ABBA rarities, plus stacks of local stars, it is the very definition of a crate-digger’s paradise.

This Place Has the Largest, Most Complete Collection of Vinyls in HK

Click to load video
Format: Union Jack flagUK English
10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. Isaac Mizrahi

    April 17, 2017 at 1:00 pm

    you guys missed two of the 3 undisputed best/largest…and you’re not paying me enough to do your work for you..i’ll just say they’re in the Bay Area…and that’s there this website called ‘google’. try it. it’s amazing…!

    btw. this ‘isn’t just an opinion’. we of the Bay Area understand this…you already named 2 of the 3 with your number one pick. only it was FIRST in Berkeley. and you DIDN’t mention their competitior down the block. i could never tell you how happy that made me. the owner coulda ran against trump and won. that big of an asshole…nice article.

  2. Mark Penkunas

    April 18, 2017 at 2:06 am

    Vintage Vinyl Records, 51 Lafayette Road, Fords, NJ
    This record store has a wide array of new recordings in vinyl and CD in just about any rock genre inclusive of the most popular to the obscure and rare. Also contains sections on blues, jazz and soul/funk. What they don’t have you can order. There is a used CD section that is a treasure hunt. In addition, there is a section for used DVD and Blu-Ray movies. .

  3. bob

    April 22, 2017 at 1:25 pm

    Living in NJ I was going to add Vintage Vinyl to this list. I spent from 1975-2000 in the music retail business in the north jersey area.We like most retailers tried to switch to CD only because that was where the money was going. Vintage held true to their name and although they also sold CD’s vinyl was their main focus and after all these years these guys are still going strong. This “new” trend towards vinyl is not new news to them. Love this store.

  4. Thomas Gogo

    May 2, 2017 at 6:31 pm

    Of the stores you have featured, I have visited Concerto in Amsterdam. There is a phenomenal amount of music beyond those Dutch doors. I was able to acquire many titles by my favourite (Nederpop) artists: Ekseption, Focus, Kayak etc. and left the premises sweating with excitement!
    I must also mention Ditch Records on Fort St.,here in Victoria, British Columbia which is very comprehensive and well stocked, especially for a city this size. New and used titles, an equal emphasis on CDs and LPs and a truly passionate, knowledgeable and friendly staff make Ditch a worthy candidate for any future installments of your list.

  5. Eduardo Álvares

    May 20, 2017 at 4:39 pm

    You should see and try São Paulo’s 24 de Maio Street Galleries. Many Shops of all kind of music and all in one place. Fantastic. Never seen nothing similar in the world.

  6. chris

    April 20, 2018 at 11:39 pm

    Heaps of great record stores in Australia.

    Beatdisc in Parramatta and Off the Hip in Melbourne CBD are great shops are two of my faves.

  7. Michael

    April 21, 2018 at 8:03 am

    “Strange-smelling old men.” Really. As an old man who has loved vinyl for the last 50 years I find this very insulting. Thankfully such casual prejudice directed at ethnic groups is now taboo yet it’s ok for a music publisher to indulge in such prejudice to people over 60?

  8. John Forsman

    April 22, 2018 at 5:56 am

    Having not been to any out of the country shops, I just need to share my favorite in the US: Music Millennium in Portland, Oregon. The quality and quantity always overwhelms my wallet because I find too many treasures!

  9. Pete

    July 15, 2018 at 1:15 am

    Ever hear of Rolling Stones Records just outside Chicago? Rolling Stone magazine sued them, so, they changed the name to “Stones”. Then Jagger got involved and they settled out of court. Bought all my records there.

  10. Dj JazzyPete

    April 15, 2019 at 7:57 pm

    Been to many record stores world wide my Fave is Northside Records – 236 Gertrude St, Fitzroy ( Melbourne Australia . Indie music shop specialising in new & secondhand vinyl from R&B, soul, hip-hop & reggae artists. Its a great place and they have lots of in store live band performances

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Billy Idol - Rebel Yell LP
Rebel Yell (40th Expanded Edition) (Marbled Limited Edition) 2LP
ORDER NOW
Def Leppard - Pyromania 2LP
Def Leppard
Pyromania 2LP
ORDER NOW
The Who - Live At Shea Stadium 1982 3LP
The Who
Live At Shea Stadium 1982 3LP
ORDER NOW
Keane - Hopes And Fears 20th Limited Edition 2LP
Keane
Hopes And Fears 20th Limited Edition 2LP
ORDER NOW
Abba - Waterloo 50th Anniversary
Abba - Waterloo 50th Anniversary (Limited Edition 3 x 7" Box Set)
ORDER NOW
Bob Marley - Songs Of Freedom Limited Edition 6LP Box Set
Bob Marley - Songs Of Freedom Limited Edition 6LP Box Set
ORDER NOW
uDiscover Music - Back To Top
uDiscover Music - Back To Top