Record Store Day

Background

Originally pitched as an idea to create an event similar to Free Comic Book Day{{Cite news|first=Miles|last=Raymer|date=April 19, 2013| title = The business of Record Store Day|url = http://fortune.com/2013/04/19/the-business-of-record-store-day/|work = Fortune|access-date = January 19, 2016}} by Bull Moose Music's Chris Brown and Criminal Records' Eric Levin, the concept for Record Store Day was created during a brainstorming session at a meeting of independent record store owners in Baltimore, Maryland. Record Store Day was founded in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Brian Poehner and Don Van Cleave, and is now celebrated at stores around the world, with hundreds of recording and other artists participating in the day by making special appearances, performances, meet and greets with their fans, the holding of fundraisers for community non-profits, and the issuing of special vinyl and CD releases along with other promotional offerings to mark the occasion.

Each store holds its own event for the day, to celebrate its place in its community. Although Record Store Day only occurs twice a year, the organization provides promotions, marketing, and other opportunities for stores throughout the year, maintaining a website, social media accounts and other means of promulgating its views about the value of independent record stores. Record Store Day is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Department of Record Stores, along with the Coalition of Independent Music Stores and the Alliance of Independent Media Stores.

History

2008–2010

Record Store Day officially began on April 19, 2008, at Rasputin Music in Mountain View, California, with Metallica launching the event. The first celebration featured around 10 special releases from artists like Death Cab for Cutie, R.E.M., and Vampire Weekend. Approximately 300 independent record stores in the U.S. participated, with English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg helping to launch it in the UK. Key British stores, such as Piccadilly Records in Manchester and Rough Trade in London, joined the inaugural festivities, marking the event's first significant expansion beyond the U.S.

The second annual Record Store Day took place on April 18, 2009, and was marked by further growth, with 85 special releases and around 500 artist appearances, including Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, and Slayer. Over 1,000 record stores from countries like Japan, Canada, and Germany participated, with New York City's Mayor Mike Bloomberg recognizing it as an official citywide event.

In 2010, Record Store Day reached new heights. With 1,400 independent record stores participating, the event saw a 41% increase in sales from the previous year. The Smashing Pumpkins and other artists performed in-store, and Joshua Homme of Queens of the Stone Age served as the ambassador. This year also introduced Black Friday Record Store Day, launched in November 2010.

2011–2015

Record Store Day continued to grow in 2011, becoming the world's largest music event. With Ozzy Osbourne serving as ambassador, the event saw over 600 artists participating in in-store performances, including the Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, and My Chemical Romance. Special releases that year included rare items like a limited-edition 12" vinyl of New Order's "Ceremony", and the event saw a notable 182,000-unit sales bump, as reported by Billboard.

In 2012, Record Store Day celebrated its fifth anniversary with Iggy Pop as the ambassador. The event featured over 400 special releases and saw the launch of the UK's Official Record Store Chart, further highlighting the significance of independent record shops. The event's growth continued in 2013, with Jack White, known for his work with The White Stripes, as the ambassador. The electronic duo Boards of Canada would place six limited records in stores on Record Store Day, in promotion of their 2013 album Tomorrow's Harvest.

The event continued to expand in 2014, with Chuck D of Public Enemy serving as ambassador. Notable releases included exclusive tracks from Soundgarden and Joan Jett. In 2015, Dave Grohl would become the ambassador, with releases from bands like The White Stripes and Twenty One Pilots coming out.

2016–2020

Metallica, who had helped launch the event, returned as its ambassador in 2016. The event included exclusive releases from artists such as David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash. The year was also marked by a poignant moment when Prince made one of his last public appearances at Electric Fetus in Minneapolis during Record Store Day, purchasing CDs just days before his untimely death.

In 2017, the event celebrated its 10th anniversary with St. Vincent as the first female ambassador. The releases in 2017 included a rare classical title, a Soviet-era recording of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 2, and live recordings from artists like Brandy Clark. In 2018, Run The Jewels would serve as ambassador, and special releases from Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bruce Springsteen would come out. In 2019, Record Store Day featured Pearl Jam as the ambassadors, with exclusive vinyl releases such as MTV Unplugged and limited-edition reissues from artists like Gorillaz and John Lennon.

In 2020, Record Store Day faced significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the event to be postponed. The event was rescheduled and spread across three dates (August 29, September 26, and October 24), known as "Drops", in addition to the traditional Black Friday event.

2021–present

Record Store Day returned to its in-person format in 2021, although it was spread across two dates: June 12 and July 17. Fred Armisen served as the ambassador for the year, and a 'Black Friday' edition took place in November. In 2022, the event celebrated its 15th anniversary with Taylor Swift as the first-ever global ambassador. The celebration included special releases and a new "RSD Drops" date in June for delayed items.

In 2023, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires took on ambassador roles, and the event saw Taylor Swift's Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions debuting on vinyl and entering the Billboard 200 Top 10. In 2024, Paramore and Kate Bush would serve as ambassadors. This year resulted in the highest weekly vinyl sales in 30 years. Record Store Day 2025 took place on April 12, with Post Malone as the U.S. ambassador and Sam Fender representing the UK.

Impact and criticism

Universal Music's sales manager, Marc Fayd'Herbe, has described Record Store Day as "the single best thing that has ever happened" for independent record shops. The 2013 event was credited with the highest U.S. vinyl sales, and the 2014 edition resulted in independent retailers recording the highest percentage of physical album sales, since the SoundScan system was introduced in 1991. In their 2015 Libera awards, the American Association of Independent Music awarded Record Store Day its "Marketplace Ally" award. Record Store Day 2016 produced the biggest week of sales for the vinyl LP format since the introduction of SoundScan.

In the UK, the event has been criticised for catering to record collectors, rather than casual music fans, and delaying the release of non-affiliated records by monopolising the capacity of record pressing plants. Major labels have been accused of hijacking the event, and the policy of shops being obliged to buy on a no-return basis has been criticised, along with many of the limited releases being re-sold online within hours at inflated prices.

Some shops during the COVID-19 pandemic pushed for a reformat of the event, even suggesting that the initiative risked damaging their businesses due to supply-chain issues.

The British band Half Man Half Biscuit made a song entitled "Record Store Day", released on their album All Asimov and No Fresh Air on 13 June 2025. The song mocks the event, targeting overpriced re-releases of unpopular recordings.

Ambassadors and honorifics

|File:Jessehughes.jpg |Jesse Hughes was introductory ambassador for Record Store Day. |File:Taylor Swift Eras 08092023-581 (1).jpg |Taylor Swift became the first "global" ambassador in 2022. |File:Elton John 2022.jpg |Elton John received the first "Record Store Day Legend" honorific in 2017. Starting in 2009, Record Store Day has announced influential musicians to carry the honorific title each year.

References

References

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