I was out running errands today and wanted to pick up two albums I've been thinking about for a while now. Then it dawned on me there was literally nowhere to go. My area has lost four major record stores in the last few years, including my personal favorite Tower. There is nowhere left now to shop for records, save for a few small used music stores. I can buy the albums online, but I really do miss walking into a record store, browsing, listening to samples with headphones and walking out with music in hand. We built entire afternoons around hanging out in Tower when I was younger. We even did the midnight runs for a few new releases...Does any one else miss record stores?

mcw00 said:

YES! Though I am embracing the digital age...nothing gave me more joy that walking into a record store and it was an exhilarating feeling. Walking in, hearing what's beeing played...chatting with some stranger over who the best artist is!!!

Yes! There's something oddly impersonal about going to the back of a chain bookstore for a CD.

chocolate1 said:

It's not the same.
Loved Towers.

Too bad we NEVER had record stores. But I feel for those who have seen record stores close. It's a drag. You're lucky if you can find your favorite CD at Wal-Mart, fuck that, I'm only buying blank CDs so I can burn good shit. Fuck me buying it online so I can be in a recession too, fuck that.

Oh I feel your pain! I moved from London to the South of France and I really miss going to several record stores every weekend and chatting about music to the record shop owners, The only solution for me is to order vinyls on line.

i miss it too. we use to have Peaches which is now a Salvation Army, go figure. Luckily we have Plan 9 which kicks ass in selection but the prices are totally brutal.

I agree, browsing @ Best Buy & big retailers just isn't the same.


Although with digital, my cds don't take up space, they don't get stolen as often & I can make anyone I know a copy in an instant. Plus with the internet the rare gems are that much easier to find & quite affordable.

While I miss record store adventures, I now have more time with more music.

i go to Dimples music in folsom, california, they are one of the few well stocked music stores left.

kimrachell said:

I dont have to. In Minneapolis there are three good palces to go. The Landfill where records are only $1. Cheapo where their extensive new records and used records are HOT. And this other place on Lake Street that have some really cool r&b 45's and used records...even though it is kind of a mom and pop place and they dont really talk 2 u at all.

I miss record stores too.I used to spend hours in Tower Records and I remember going there at 9:00 AM on Tuesdays when new albums were released.That was so much fun! Fortunately,my area still has Rasputins (an independent chain of large record stores) but I still miss the days when we had alot of record stores around town (remember The Wherehouse and MusicLand?).

SoulAlive said:

Man, we still have Rasputins and Amoebas!

nosajd said:

That's the upside to this.

Well....I just got back from the record fair with a swag of LPs & 12inches...oh and some CDs as well that I bought for three bucks each.

I LOVE going to the record fair.

I ALWAYS check it out!

Plus I already have quite a record collection.

So, as far as I'm concerned, I don't really have anything to miss at all.

Strangely, I find myself NOT missing them, actually.

I almost can't believe it, but when I saw this thread, I thought about it for a minute, and I just don't. Maybe it's that I don't feel the need to own physical copies anymore. Maybe it's because I like the option to browse other media (books, movies) while I'm also looking at music (if I even make it to the music section, actually).

I don't know. I'm surprised by this. I really don't miss them and don't even look for them.

errant said:

That's true. I didn't grow up around record stores or if they were around I was too young to know if there was one or not because by the time I grew up, we always went to the mall or Wal-Mart and the mall always had a record store. We didn't have THE record stores, lol.

bboy87 said:

Oddly enough,I've never been to Amoeba.It's in San Francisco,right? Gotta go there someday.I love Rasputin....they remind of Tower,but with better prices and used vinyl too.

Timmy84 said:

How old are you? I'm a 70s child and back then,record stores were as common as 7-11...lol....they were everywhere.

SoulAlive said:

Hold Up.....



HOLD UP!


You haven't been to Amoeba? What in the blue hell?




It's in SF on Haight but there's one in Berkeley right next to Rasputin on Telegraph

bboy87 said:

Yeah,I know...I really need to make it out there

vinyl rulz

occasionally for those hard to fine records or international ones but for the majority everything i can find is conveniently online. most consumers would agree that it outweighs having to go to a store and looking through hundreds of records and finding or not finding what you what, waiting in line and then paying for it.

I miss the culture of the record store. Specifically, I miss that part of the neighborhood where everyone went to buy and talk about music. The music cranking when you walk in, the clerk hitting you with the newest underground stuff, other patrons talking about what they were listening to, etc, etc. That was cool.

I don't know, I work next to Rasputin & Amoeba, so I don't miss Licorice Pizza. But I would be upset if I had to buy all my cd's at Wal Mart.

We're fortunate in Chicago to have a couple of Mom & Pops shops still around... just because of the times it's a bit different vibe. Dr. Wax and Chicago Jazz Mart are my favorites record stores. My brothers -like all the kids- use hang out at the record store on Saturday's. They had that rich smell of the difference types of incense being sold roach clips and those beautiful intricate pipes/bongs. Of course you could listen any record or album before you bought it. Soul's right you could go down the block and hear shops playing the jams.
[Edited 2/23/09 20:57pm]

Yes, I happen to like Vinyl better than cd quality anyway. NY still has record stores,but Brooklyn got rid of alot of them. I used to Love Sam Goody's and Zig Zag or Titus Oakes that would have really wild New Wave and Imports and Independent and things from England. I would check out the section every week and buy a new record. J and R and Bondy's down City Hall was big with records also.

SoulAlive said:

You lyin'! Please add that to your places to go list. I will followup with you on that.
I remember spending what felt like hours at Tower Records, The Wherehouse, and of course Amoeba. Since I'm not downtown anymore, I don't go to Virgin that much. I won't be surprised if that store closes in less than two years. Music stores used to carry tons of magazines, also autograph signings happened there, and mini-performances. I'd much rather buy music at those stores instead of Target and Border's. Those places meant more to me when I was in my teens and 20's. I guess I only miss them for nostalgia.

MRGee said:

They need to bring vinyl back! Death of record stores bad time for music lovers. Take away the whole experience I used to kick in the record stores for hours checkin out different bands. Its a drag to listen on a computer. Headphones is where its at

to be totally honest with you? not really anymore cuz blogs these days got everything maxi singles,rare,remixes,etc,etc i go just go from blog blog gettin stuff i know i wont find on itunes.

there are Sanity stores everywhere here, but they haven't got hardly anything in them and never had before either

Sanity is just crap. Their discs are always scratched, which is I always go to JB Hifi. Or even Big W or a used record store or something.