There are many things that can make a record store great. The selection, the store’s place in the local music scene, and of course the people. Everyone has that special record store in their life, and I’m sure the record store you are thinking about now is indeed the best record store in the world, but if you’re considering branching out or you’re on vacation and looking to bring back some vinyl, then here are 10 of the best record stores in the United States that you absolutely need to see.
Waterloo Records – Austin, Texas
Some record stores are famous for the sheer volume of records they carry. Others are famous for their importance to the local music scene. Waterloo Records in Austin, Texas has been a major part of the local scene for over 40 years, operating as both the premier destination to buy physical music in the city and one of the best venues to catch a live performance. Austin has a deserved reputation of being one of the most important music cities in the country. Tons of major recording artists like Willie Nelson and Indie rockers Spoon have called the city home. The city’s musical history attracts visitors from all over the world, and when they get there, Waterloo Records is waiting for them with open arms.
Address: 600 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703
Gramaphone Records – Chicago, Illinois
Plenty of cities across America will lay claim to being the most important city in terms of American musical history. No matter where you’re from or where you stand on the issue; Chicago is certainly worth a shout when discussing “American music.” There are tons of iconic music venues in Chicago, but Gramophone Records just might be the best place to get in touch with the city’s music history. First opened in 1969, the shop manages to cram decades of Chicago’s musical legacy into its North Chicago storefront. The stores focus primarily on house and electronic music makes Gramophone Records a bit of a rarity. If you are looking for a store that specializes in something besides rock, Gramaphone should be on your list. A pilgrimage that many established and aspiring DJs will make, Gramaphone records has earned it’s icon status.
Address: 2843 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657
Third Man Records – Nashville, Tennessee
Record stores represent so much more than just a place to buy music. It’s a part of the DNA of the local music scene and when the local music scene is as renowned as Nashvilles, the standards for what makes a good record store can be incredibly high. Luckily, Third Man Records is able to not just meet but surpass these standards. Started by White Stripes front man Jack White in 2001, Third Man Records boasts an amazing record selection, state of the art live music venue and tons of cool stuff for music and record collecting geeks to play around with. A visit to Nashville should be on every music lover’s bucket list, and Third Man Records is an essential stop when you get to Music City.
Address: 623 7th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
Music Millennium – Portland, Oregon
Few stores embody the musical and counterculture spirit of Portland, Oregon the way Music Millenium does. The oldest record store in the city is also one of the biggest and arguably the coolest. Located on Portland’s happening Burnside street, Music Millennium is a near perfect example of a neighborhood record shop. Not too big, not too small, and packed full with tons of great music, records from local artists, events, live shows and everything else you could possibly want in a record shop. This is the quintessential record store in a city that is packed full of vinyl lovers.
Address: 3158 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Submerge Records – Detroit, Michigan
These days, many record stores aim to have a selection that offers the widest appeal possible, so it’s quite rare to find a shop as specialized as Submerge Records. This Detroit record shop is basically ground zero for techno music in the city, and possibly the country. The shop stocks techno music from all over the world, with tons of offerings from local artists right in Detroit, as well as tons of extremely hard to find and rare records that will have techno enthusiasts drooling. For fans of techno, there are few stores in the world that are more deserving of a trip than Submerge Records.
Address: 3000 E Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202
Easy Street Records – Seattle, Washington
In recent history, few cities have had as big of an impact on the music landscape as Seattle, and Easy Street Records aims to keep that legacy alive. Doubling as a cafe, the Southwest Seattle record store is one of the oldest shops in the city, having first opened its doors in 1988. Like many of the shops on this list, Easy Street Records is still a major staple in the local music community. The shop has hosted several thousand performances over the years from a slew of major artists including Pearl Jam, who recorded their “Live at Easy Street,” EP here in 2005. Easy Street is Seattle music royalty, record shop royalty, and just too damn cool to miss out on if you’re ever in the Emerald City.
Address: 4559 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
Limited to One Record Shop – New York City, New York
Look, there’s a lot of everything in New York City. There’s a lot of people, a lot of restaurants and there are most certainly a lot of record stores. However, if I am limited to one, then that’s exactly what I’m going to pick. Limited to One Record Shop in the East Village is a humble record shop with an absolutely stellar selection of records. Focusing mainly on indie, punk, and rock records, the store stocks a little bit of everything when it comes to genre. Where the shop really excels is its focus on rare and hard to find records. If you are often disappointed by record shops that seem to only have old used records that are damaged and easy to find, ‘goodwill records’ as they are sometimes called, then this is definitely a shop you’ll need to stop by.
Address: 221 E 10th St, New York, NY 10003
Electric Fetus – Minneapolis, Minnesota
A wild and crazy name for a wild and crazy record store, Minneapolis’ Electric Fetus is the essential record store in the Twin Cities. Founded in 1968, Electric Fetus is one of the oldest record stores on this list and it’s managed to keep its central ethos the whole time: introduce music fans to something a little out of the ordinary. If you like going into record stores just for the fun and counter-culture vibes, check this place out, if you go to record stores solely to purchase and find new music, then you should still check this store out. Local music legend Prince was once a frequent customer here, need I say more?
Address: 2000 S 4th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Princeton Record Exchange – Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey may not have the reputation of places like New York City, Detroit, or New Orleans when it comes to the impact the city had on music culture, but Princeton Record Exchange simply doesn’t care. A store by a true collector, for true collectors, this record shop has been serving fresh tunes to the people of Princeton since the 1980’s. Exposing the locals to all the amazing music that was getting popular just up the road in New York City, this store has had a major impact on tons of people over the years. LCD Soundsystem has even credited the record store for helping him discover his love for music.
Address: 20 S Tulane St, Princeton, NJ 08542
Amoeba Music – Los Angeles, California
Few record stores deserve the term “cathedral of music” the way Amoeba Music does. All three locations of the iconic California record store (San Francisco, Berkeley, Hollywood) are enormous, but it’s the Hollywood location that is truly special.
Open since 1990, the store has one of the largest record selections of any store in the world and a staff with the knowledge and expertise to help you navigate the entire thing. Record store employees are almost always a wealth of knowledge when it comes to music and equipment, but the employees at Amoeba are truly in a league of their own. The store stocks thousands of records, CD’s, cassette tapes and DVD’s across the massive 20,000 square foot space. The store also has a knack for booking intimate performances from some of the biggest artists on earth with the likes of Billie Eilish and Paul McCartney having played in the store.
There are tons of great record stores in this country, but if we are talking about the very best record stores in the United States, Amoeba just might deserve the number 1 spot.
Address: 6200 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
There are tons and tons of amazing records all across the country that are worth checking out, but the ones listed above are the best of the best, at least in my opinion. See something we missed? Let us know!