Collecting vinyl is not entirely sensible. With single albums now costing multiple times the price of a monthly subscription to Spotify, something that gives listeners access to hundreds of thousands of albums (other, more likeable streaming services are available), it's a wonder anyone buys physical product anymore. But we do. Because records are great.
While this sometimes might feel like an act of altruism, there's nothing wrong with that. For the artists we love, physical sales might make the difference between continuing their calling or calling it a day. It'll certainly make a difference to their bottom line, unlike the fractions of a cent received for streaming plays. For the stores we buy from, it's their bottom line too, and Record Store Day is the biggest day of the year for many independent retailers.
It's not perfect. Queues will form. Elbows may be thrown. Early risers will clean up. The flippers will be out in force, advertising stock on eBay and Discogs at hefty mark-ups well before most of us have missed out on paying regular prices.
So go out and spend, if you can afford to. Just remember that the usual small print applies: not all titles will be available at all stores; some titles may only be available in certain regions; and there's every chance that your favourite shop won't be stocking the one record you're really after (Camper Van Beethoven's cover of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk album, in case you were wondering).
See you in the queue.
13th Floor Elevators - We Are Not Live (LP)
Bryan Adams - Tough Town (LP)
Against Me! - New Wave B-Sides (12" Vinyl EP)
Zeni Geva & Steve Albini - Superunit: Maximum Implosion (2 x LP)
Alcatrazz - No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll (2 x LP)
All Time Low - Fool's Gold (7" Vinyl)
Jon Anderson & the Band Geeks - True (2 x LP)
Babymetal - Live At The O2 Arena - Highlights (12" Vinyl EP)
Bad Brains - Live (LP)
Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi - Seventh Star (LP)
The Blasters - Rare Blasts: Studio Outtakes And Movie Music 1979-1985 (LP)
Blur - Live at the Budokan (2 x LP)
David Bowie - Hallo Spaceboy (LP)
David Bowie - Excerpts From Outside (LP)
Bring Me The Horizon - Lo-files (2 x LP)
Bruford - Feels Good To Me (LP)
Jeff Buckley - Live À L'Olympia (2 x LP)
Jeff Buckley - Live À L'Olympia (CD)
Camper Van Beethoven - Tusk (2 x LP)
Captain Beefheart - Lick My Decals Off, Baby (Deluxe Edition) (2 x LP)
Brandi Carlile - Live At Easy Street Records Vol II (LP)
The Cars - Heartbeat City Live (2 x LP)
Collective Soul - Touch and Go (LP)
Alice Cooper - The Revenge Of Alice Cooper (Picture Disc, 2 x LP)
Stewart Copeland - The Rhythmatist (LP)
Cream - Wheels Of Fire: Live At The Fillmore Auditorium & Winterland Ballroom (3 x LP)
King Crimson - Live - Penn State University 29 June 1974 (2 x LP)
Crosby, Stills & Nash - The Solo Albums (4 x LP)
The Cult - Weapon of Choice (LP)
The Cure - Greatest Hits (2 x LP)
The Cure - Acoustic Hits (2 x LP)
The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Birmingham (Live at the NEC) (2 x LP)
The Db's - Cycles Per Second: US Tour 2024 (LP)
Deafheaven - KEXP Sessions (12" Single)
Def Leppard - Slang (2 x LP)
Dinosaur Jr - Live in Hollywood 1991 - The Green Mind Tour (LP)
Dr. Feelgood - Oil City Confidential Soundtrack (2 x LP)
The Doors - Strange Days 1967: A Work In Progress, Part 2 (LP)
The Dream Syndicate - Sketches for Medicine Show (LP)
Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Live in London 1980 (2 x LP)
English Teacher - Nearly Daffodils (7" Vinyl)
Fall Out Boy - So Much For (2our) Dust: Live At Madison Square Garden (3 x LP)
Fear Factory - Digimortal (25TH Anniversary) (2 x LP)
Flat Duo Jets - Flat Duo Jets (LP)
Foreigner - Foreigner 4 Live Tour 1981-82 (2 x LP)
John Frusciante - To Only Record Water for Ten Days (2 x LP)
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer (12" Single)
Jerry Garcia - Reflections (50th Anniversary) (3 x LP)
The Gits - Etcetera (LP)
Goatsnake - Dog Days (LP)
Goblin - The Singles Collection 1975 - 1979 (LP)
Gong - Flying Teapot (LP)
Grateful Dead - Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/11/76 (5 x LP)
Grateful Dead - On A Back Porch, Vol. 3 (LP)
Violet Grohl - What's Heaven Without You / Swallowtail (7" Vinyl)
HAIM - Relationships (12" Vinyl EP)
George Harrison - Dark Horse (Zoetrope LP)
George Harrison - Extra Texture (Zoetrope LP)
The Jayhawks - 2 Meter Sessions (LP)
The Jesus And Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking EP (12" Vinyl)
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Live At The Ritz NYC 1981 (LP)
Elton John - Positiva Presents: Elton John - The Remixes (LP)
Judas Priest - Live in Los Angeles '90 (LP)
Freddie King - Feelin' Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Pulsations Concert(3 x LP)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Big Fig Wasp (Vinyl)
Kiss - A Special Kiss Tour Album (12" Vinyl EP)
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning (2 x LP)
Bruce Kulick From Kiss - Transformer (LP)
Bruce Kulick From Kiss - Transformer (CD)
Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum (Original Draft) (2 x LP)
The Last Dinner Party - The Scythe (Live From The Pyre) (7" Vinyl)
Lemonheads - Creator (LP)
John Lennon - Love Meditation Mixes (3 x LP)
Little Feat - Little Feat (Deluxe Edition) (2 x LP)
London Suede - Coming Up At The BBC (LP)
Lunachicks - We Can Be Worster (LP)
John McLaughlin - Music From Abandoned Heights (LP)
Megadeth - Hidden Treasures (LP)
Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve: Remastered Anniversary Edition (2 x LP)
Meshuggah - Catch Thirtythree: Remastered Anniversary Edition (2 x LP) Misfits - Famous Monsters (LP)
Joni Mitchell - For The Roses (LP)
The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers (LP Picture Disc)
Mötley Crüe - Live Wire EP (45th Anniversary) (12" Vinyl EP)
Motörhead - On Parole Steve Wilson Remix (LP)
Motorhead - The Lost Tapes, Vol. 7 (Lemmy's 50th Birthday, Live in West Hollywood, 1995) (2 x LP)
Bob Mould - Body Of Song (20th Anniversary Expanded Edition) (2 x LP)
The Muffs - Live At Fort Apache (LP)
Muse - Muscle Museum (12" Vinyl EP)
Muse - Muse (12" Vinyl EP)
My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult - Sinister Whisperz - The Wax Trax! Remixes (2 x LP)
New York Dolls - One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This (2 x LP)
Ozzy Osbourne (Vinyl figurine)
Panda Bear & Sonic Boom - Graveyard/Lucky Charm (7" Vinyl)
Paramore - All We Know is Falling (Deluxe) (2 x LP)
Pavement - Perfect Sound Forever (10" EP)
Mike Peters of The Alarm - Feel Free (LP)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers July 16, 1978 - Paradise Theater, Boston, MA (LP)
Phoenix - United (LP)
Phoenix - Alphabetical (LP)
Pink Floyd - Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 (4 x LP)
Pink FloydLive From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 (2 x CD)
Pixies - Live in Newport (2 x LP)
Robert Plant - Saving Grace: All That Glitters… with Suzi Dian (12" Vinyl EP)
Porcupine Tree - We Lost The Skyline (LP)
The Power Station - Raw Power: Live At The Spectrum, Philadelphia (3 x LP)
Primal Scream - 1987 EPs (LP)
John Prine - Found Dogs (LP)
John Prine - BBC Sessions (LP)
Professor Longhair - Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge (2 x LP)
Puscifer - Normal Isn't (Live) (2 x LP)
Corinne Bailey Rae - Live At Webster Hall, New York (LP)
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Live From Koln 1976 (3 x LP)
Ramones - Live In San Francisco (2 x LP)
The Rolling Stones - Big Hits (High Tide & Green Grass) - (Japanese Edition vinyl import)
The Rolling Stones - RSD3 Mini-Turntable
The Rolling Stones - Get Off of My Cloud (3" Record)
The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women (3" Record)
The Rolling Stones - Play With Fire (3" Record)
The Rolling Stones - Heart of Stone (3" Record)
The Rolling Stones - Mother's Little Helper (3" Record)
The Rolling Stones - Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? (3" Record)
Runt w/ Todd Rundgren - The Necessary Cosmic Frenzy (LP)
Michael Schenker Group - Best Of Live MSG – 1980-1984 (LP)
The Sisters Of Mercy - First And Last and Always "The Japanese Edition" (LP)
Sleep Token - Caramel (12" Vinyl)
Slint - Untitled (Steve Albini rough mixes) (12" Vinyl)
Snarky Puppy - Live at GroundUp Music Festival (LP)
Son Volt - Sound Signal Serenades (LP)
Sonic Youth - Diamond Seas (12" Vinyl)
Bruce Springsteen - Live From Asbury Park 2024 (5 x LP)
Billy Squier - Tell The Truth - Deluxe (2 x LP)
Starcrawler - Starcrawler Sings Elvis Presley (7" Vinyl)
Steely Dan - Alive in America (2 x LP)
Rod Stewart - Alternate Atlantic Crossing (LP)
Stone Temple Pilots - Live at Rolling Rock 2001 (2 x LP)
The Stranglers - Rarities (LP)
Stray Cats - Rumble In Brixton (Live) (2 x LP)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Global A Go-Go (2 x LP)
Sugar - File Under Easy Listening - The Singles Collection (3 x 12" Vinyl)
The Sword - Three Songs (12" Viny EP)
Talking Heads - The CBS/Columbia Demos (2 x LP)
Teenage Fanclub & Jad Fair - Words of Wisdom and Hope (LP+ 7")
Thin Lizzy - Live in Cleveland 1976 (2 x LP)
Third Eye Blind - Rarities & First Drafts (LP)
T. Rex - Songs from "Marc" (LP)
Various Artists - Just Tell Me You Love Me: A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac (2 x LP)
Various Artists - Rock And Roll Doctor: Lowell George Tribute (2 x LP)
Van Halen - Live in New Haven, CT 1986 (2 x LP)
The Verlaines - Ready To Fly (LP)
Violent Femmes - The Blind Leading The Naked (LP)
Ween - Europe "90"(3 x LP)
Weezer - 1192 (LP)
Scott Weiland - Live(LP)
Paul Weller - When Your Garden’s Overgrown / Boy About Town (Weller at the BBC Vol. 2) (7" Vinyl)
The Who - A Quick One (2 x LP)
Brian Wilson - On Tour (LP)
Brian Wilson - Imagination (LP)
Wire - Read & Burn 03 (LP)
Wolf Alice - Spotify Live Room (7" Vinyl)
Xmal Deutschland - Peel Sessions (2 x LP)
XTC - Live Boots - Live At Emerald City (1981) (2 x LP)
Yes - Tales From Topographic Tours (3 x LP)
Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts - As Time Explodes (2 x LP)
The latest vinyl deals and more (UK)
Amazon UK | CDs and vinyl
Townsend music | Vinyl, bundle packs and more
The Sound Of Vinyl | Limited editions and new releases
HMV Online | Get all the latest albums
EMP | Records, t-shirts, accessories and more
Rough Trade | Rock and metal galore
HHV Europe | Vinyl, CDs & tape
The latest vinyl deals and more (US)
Amazon US | For all your rock music needs
Walmart | The Music Shop
