History of Record Store Day

Since 2007, Record Store Day has struck the nation with annual discounts, great events, and fan-driven fun. Held on one Saturday during April, Record Store Day celebrates the culture of independently owned record stores. It’s made in dedication to music-lovers, vinyl enthusiasts, and—of course—the world’s best bands.

Across the World

Every year, Record Store Day brings together thousands of independent record stores. During the day’s events, hundreds of records are pressed. Unique releases are offered, distributed across participating shops. Record Store Day started in the United States—which is the event’s leading nation, in terms of celebration. Today, Record Store Day has official international events across Ireland, France, the UK, Canada, The Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Italy, Australia, Mexico, and Spain.

The History of Record Day

Record Store Day was created with a nod to Free Comic Book Day. Its inspiration came from an independent record store ownership meeting in Baltimore. Founded officially by Michael Kurtz, Eric Leven, Amy Dorfman, Carrie Colliton, Brian Poehner, and Don Van Cleave, Record Store Day was established in 2007 in celebration of individual artists. Packed with performances, special appearances, and meet-and-greets, Record Store Day celebrated everything musical while upholding the individuality of every store.

Community Values

Record Store Day, above all, is about community. Throughout the year, independent record stores maintain websites, hold social media presences, promote music and talk with future clients. On Record Store Day, day-to-day customer interactions explode in celebration. Today, Record Store Day is directly managed, day-to-day, by the Department of Record Sales, the Alliance of Independent Media Stores, and the Coalition of Independent Music Stores.

Record Store Day, for many, is the best thing to ever happen to independent record shops. In 2013, Record Store Day was credited for promoting the highest percentage of album sales since 1991—when the SoundScan system was introduced. On the first Record Store Day, Metallica spent several hours in San Francisco’s Rasputin Music, meeting fans and promoting artists around the block.

Other Musicians and Widespread Impact

Metallica wasn’t the only band to headline Record Store Day. Over the past years, a number of famous artists have held performances, meet-and-greets, and signings. Among these were Queens of the Stone Age, Iggy Pop, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Grohl and Chuck D. While Record Store Day directly supports independent record stores, its biggest impacts are multinational sensations.

So, give a shout-out to your local stores supporting Record Store Day. Across the nation—and the world—music-lovers are meeting with artists, getting albums signed, and promoting the future of music. Record Store Day might be a relatively new event, but it’s made a huge impact across the industry. It’s about much more than local store promotion. It’s about the love of music. Record Store Day promotes both independent and major labels, raising musical awareness through promotions, contests, and special releases. For participating stores, the event is a holiday. The world of musical retail has come a long way, and Record Store Day celebrates its finest historical moments in grand detail.

It was our passion for music that led us to create the RT85 Turntable. This Record Store Day, check out some of the unique record pressings at your local record shop and enjoy them on a turntable that was built with that pure analog music experience in mind.