10 Best Record Stores In The USA

Just thought it was a funky little store worthy of a shout.

 

Every time I go there, I do feel like it's "picked over", even though the store is huge. I have always had better luck at the San Francisco store. The Berkeley one used to be bigger; ten years ago, if you wanted a copy of, say, Foreigner's Double Vision on CD, they had seven copies of it; now they never seem to have any, ostensibly because it's not cool enough, though I really don't know why.

Btw, the Berkeley Rasputin has the most killer Classical CD section I have ever seen--it's a hot mess (am I using that term right?) but there is plenty of gold mixed in with the junk. Sometimes they forget to open the section, and often it's choked with boxes of video games and action DVDs so you can't reach the Beethoven section. Each time I go there, I am afraid they're going to get rid of the whole section because they whole chain of local stores seems be run almost on a whim--one day they have a vinyl annex, the next day it's "out of business"; sections shrink and expand (but usually shrink), and move around; and prices are all over the map. Found a W. German "target" of U2's War there the other day for $1.98 mixed in with 27 other copies (but jumbled up with all the other U2 titles), half of them filed underneath near the floor where the "overstock" presumably goes. Amoeba, on the other hand, keeps one (or maybe two) copies in stock.

 

Been to several on the list although it's been many years for a few. I remember walking along Newbury in the late 80s and shopping Mystery Train, then up to Newbury Comics, then finishing at the three-floor Tower on the corner.

Have to go to Nashville wednesday so looking forward to checking out Grimey's at the new, bigger location.

 

I love that Know Name has exactly the feel of the suburban strip mall record stores I first started shopping at in the late '70s, right down to the nauseating smell of incense, but I've been in there a half-dozen times and have never bought a single LP. Common-as-muck titles at inflated prices.

 

The Newbury Comics in Norwood, which is about the size of an old KMart, has a used vinyl section where you'd need to pack a lunch to get through even half of it. You can't judge the entire chain by the mall stores.

And when it comes to new vinyl, they consistently have the most competitive prices I've seen, and their high-turnover remainder bins are the best-kept-secret in vinyl shopping.

 

Too bad Princeton Record Exchange is missing. Right down the road from where I work. Just stopped there today on my lunch hour.......picked up Bill Nelson 's Red Noise on CD.

 

I agree with all of those who feel that Rolling Stone snubbed the Princeton Record Exchange for Newbury. Princeton is exceptional. Their new and old catalog are superb. I always walk out of there wishing I had spent more. Most importantly, they price their goods to move.

I’ll add to the shout-outs for the Red Onion (ex-PREX-alum owner), Crooked Beat, and the CD Cellar, which is great for audiophile LPs. Plus, I’ll pour one out for the Record Exchange in Silver Spring, MD, a small but well-curated shop with a great, friendly staff.

In Baltimore, I’ll skip the fine Sound Garden any day for the superb Celebrated Summer shop up in Hampden.

Best,

Bill

 

I am lucky (or unlucky depending) to travel quite a bit for work and hit lots of shops around the country .. here are a few good ones.
Record Wonderland- Schaumburg IL-my home go to shop
Vintage Vinyl- Evanston’s IL- super high quality stuff
Shangri La- Memphis TN
Scooters Records- West Point MS
Agharta Records minn MN- found a sweet TVZ Poppy Late Great for 50.00!
Mill City Sound-Hopkins MN- found some real gems here- sealed first press Fantastic Adventures of Dillard and Clark
Black Hills Vinyl- Rapid City SD

Just a small sampling of great stores! I try to only buy first pressings and have found amazing high quality used vinyl at all these stores

 

I've only been to Amoeba in LA. I actually think our folks here in the Phoenix area, Zia Records, do a really good job.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much always been the case. I was a regular Newbury customer from the 80s to the 2000's. Haven't spent much time in one in a while, but they always had:

* Good used selection (depending on location, e.g. the Fresh Pond store often had great used reggae CDs).
* Great remainders
* Great selection, including lots of imports
* Often the lowest prices.

While it's true that a lot of the stores have closed, and my old "hometown" store (Harvard Square) seems to focus less on music these days, it also may be true that they're the best record store in Boston anyway, since so many great places have closed.

 

I’m the opposite. On Bay Area vacations, I’ll spend 6+hours between the San Francisco and Berkeley stores and then later have to strategize packing 60+ CDs to get on an airplane home.

 

Princeton Record Exchange (NJ)

 

Been to 8 of the ten. I spend a fair amount of time in Portland, Jackpot would not make my top 5 in that city. Music Millennium for new and used vinyl the best in town, for used Crossroads is awesome. Hard to deny Bull Moose a spot, but Amoeba LA is so amazing and so tiring at the same time. For digging I might have included Mill Valley music in Mill Valley Ca. Waterloo deserves the hype. But the best record store ever, Tower Records Sunset 1978 vintage! Ha yeah!!

 

CD Cellar in Falls Church, VA (DC area) is awesome, as others have said. A lot of new audiophile stuff and always amd pretty great new arrivals section.

 

Without a doubt Electric fetus,Mpls Mn probably 50,55 years going strong.

 

for NYC, if you like rock or R&B, don't let people talk you into Rough Trade in Brooklyn. It's pretty much all new and sealed re-issues. For that, I'd recommend Turntable Lab instead,
For used, I'd recommend Human Head in Brooklyn. (Subway ride away)
if you like Jazz, Jazz Record Center is pretty great..

 

Don't know 'bout the worst, but certainly not the best - that would be Music Millennium, largely because of the sainted Terry Currier. I worked at MM's lamentedly closed NW location, as well as at the Electric Fetus which totally desrves its place on the list.

 

Unfortunately, that is neither in Washington nor New York.

 

Back in the day the Fetus had a once a year "Naked Sale " promotion. Come in to the store with no clothes on and get a free album. Probably wouldn't work today.

 

You are a brave guy for going into the warehouse during the summer.

What I love there is you get the old album smell, not in a bad way, into the parking lot. There is a lot of vinyl there

 

Shout out to Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ!

 

One city that still has a number of really great record stores in the city is Copenhagen. That place is fantastic. Malmo, Sweden isn't bad, either.

 

Music Millenium in PDX has the most unpretentious and friendly staff anywhere!
(I’ve been everywhere, man)

 

This wasn't anything OOP - it was just some James Taylor compilation.

I'm guessing Wonder Books just bought a whole collection and didn't even bother to look at what they had - cat toys, CD-Rs, it didn't matter. They just slapped a sticker on it and put it on the shelf!

 

I'll have to take a look - I like small used CDs!