Originating in 2007, a gathering of record shop owners celebrated and spread the word about the unique culture of record stores and the continuous efforts made to support the longevity of vinyl culture. Their first official event took place on 19th of April in 2008, and 17 years later, RSD is celebrated globally in a plethora of record shops, creating one of the biggest new music events in the past decade!
The mission of Record Store Day is to shine a light on the people who keep our record stores booming – the staff, customers, artists and labels – and create an opportunity to come together and celebrate with local communities.
We invited our staff down to showcase their favourite records, and select what record store has been influential to their collection!
Tor – Glow On by Turnstile
‘I found this band while on YouTube surfing music videos and instantly fell in love with them, their sound is so raw but also soft at the same time. It is the perfect music to skate to, I feel happy when I listen to this album, and when I saw them live for the first time it was truly an incredible experience, I had loads of fun moshing about in the pit and never felt so happy.
My favourite record shop is Stalk Cult Hero based in Brighton, that’s where I got most of my records.’
Kate – Hail to the Thief by Radiohead
‘I chose this record mainly because it’s my favourite Radiohead album, I listened to it a lot as a teenager and so I have a lot of memories associated with it. It has really helped me through some tough times, it also is one of my favourite covers of all time so I had to get it on vinyl.
My favourite record store is probably Vinyl Exchange in NQ, it’s a cool shop and they’ve got a great metal selection.’
Oscar – Fate by Dr Dog
‘They’re my favourite band of all time and that is the definitive album of theirs in my opinion. The way it handles each of the bands strengths and elevates them, and how they experiment with the foundations the have established for themselves makes it an incredible listening experience.
My favourite record store is Vinyl Underground in Barnsley, when I first started collecting records in college, it had just opened and over the next two years I spent so many hours sorting through and buying hundreds of records, discovering new ones and getting classics for a really good price, it was also inside a pub so bonus points.’
Ella – Pilgrimage To Paradise – Sourmash (Hardfloor Remix)
‘This was my first ever record I bought, I found the tune through YouTube surfing old acid house classics. The track is genuinely so transcendent, groovy and the epitome of that old 90’s acid house sound, a really transformative remix from Hardfloor. This sparked my discovery of the German duo and they’ve produced some more amazing tracks like Fever Called Love and Circus Bells.
My favourite store has to be Eastern Bloc, a club by night they have some sick up and coming DJs play and an extensive electronic music catalogue. It is probably one of the only stores in Manchester that stocks some decent dub, Berlin-style techno and reggae all in one spot – it’s nice to have somewhere physical for this and not online!’
Jenny – Speaking On Tongues by Talking Heads
‘This album is perfect for dancing around the house with the sun blaring through the windows. This Must Be The Place and Burning Down The House are my two personal favourites as they’re so upbeat and funky – perfect for summer!
My favourite records store is Keswick Collectables, there is nothing better than having a walk around the lake, feeding the ducks and then wondering into the record store. I love it because not only does it have some cool and unusual records but antiques too! It is like looking around a museum.’
Niamh – Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) by David Bowie
‘This album is over 40 years old and was my mums back in the 80s. She allowed me to take mist of her records to university with me and this one I couldn’t stop playing! I already loved Bowie’s music but never heard of this album before and to some extent it became my personal soundtrack for me moving away from home.
Vinyl Resting Place is such a lovely little record store. It’s not vert big but it has a wide range of genres, including a section labelled ‘weird sh**’. The prices are reasonable and you can get some great finds in there!’
Laura – Nickel Creek by Nickel Creek
‘My record choice? Nickel Creek by…Nickel Creek! This self-titled album was released the same year I was born, and it’s been the soundtrack of my childhood, if not life. Nickel Creek are made up of a mandolin, fiddle, and guitar trio – they are rooted in bluegrass, but over the years they’ve carved out a space as pioneers of progressive acoustic music. Their intricate musicianship and harmonies would sound absolutely magical with the acoustics here at Albert Hall.
A record store I love is FortyFive Vinyl Café in York. It’s a brilliant little spot – not only does it have an incredible vinyl selection, but it also hosts intimate country gigs that give serious Bluebird Café (Nashville) vibes, right in York! Not to forget they make some of the best grilled cheeses you’ll ever have!’
So who is celebrating Record Store Day in Manchester?
In Manchester, there are 7 dedicated stores that will be celebrating this Saturday – check them out below!
Picadilly Records – 53 Oldham St, M1 1JR
Probably the most popular store in Manchester, Picadilly Records usually has queues starting the day before…they recommend getting to the store nice and early to avoid disappointment, along with their tick list to make sure you get the records you love on a first come first serve basis! Here is your tick list: https://www.piccadillyrecords.com/RSD25_Piccadilly_Records_Tick_Sheet.pdf
Vinyl Revival – 5 Hilton St, M4 1LP
Established in 1997, Vinyl Revival is dedicated to local Manchester bands from the 60’s and beyond. They stock a range of vinyl, CD’s, t-shirts and posters that are related to our city’s wonderful music heritage! This is there RSD 2025 stock list: https://vinylrevivalmcr.com/record-store-day-2024-sat-20th-april/
Dead Cloud – 33a Oxford Rd, WA14 2ED
Offering thousands of preloved and brand new records, Dead Cloud stock multiple genres of vinyl in the heart of Altrincham. Check their HUGE stock list of what you can grab: https://deadcloud.co/record-store-day-2025
Vinyl Exchange – 18 Oldham St, M1 1JN
Formed in 1988, Vinyl Exchange has become the largest seller and buyer of rare and second hand CD’s, records and DVD’s in the North West. They stock over 25 genres of music and their staff specialise in certain genres, ready for any questions you may have before purchasing! They haven’t uploaded their stock list for RSD 2025 just yet….but you can look at what’s in store from their 2024 stock list: https://www.vinylexchange.co.uk/search?q=RSD2024
Wax and Beans – 16 Market St, BL9 0AJ
As Bury’s only independent record store, set in a unique grade two listed building, Wax and Beans offer a different experience to your usual record store. You can grab a coffee and bite to eat after a serious digging session, creating a space for everyone to relax – it’s a real community vibe. Here is what you can expect from Wax and Beans this Saturday: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0035/5008/5193/files/RSD_2025.pdf?v=1738864490
Tasty Records – 25 Regent Rd, WA14 1RX
A crucial hotspot for music heads, Tasty Records stock quality pre-loved and hard to find catalogue items and hot tickets! Their mantra is ‘We don’t want to sell the most records, we want to sell the best records!’ You can look at what records will be stocked this Record Store Day here: https://tastyrecords.co.uk/product-category/all-products/rsd-releases/?v=7885444af42e
Vinyl Fetishes – 15 Pollard St, M40 7QX
This stores first Record Store Day – they will be allowing queuing from 8am with limited stock available for purchase. They recommend coming down early to make sure you get your purchases! Check out their stock list and prices here: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0830/8198/6383/files/Ticklist.pdf?v=1743869727
That’s all from us today, we hope you enjoy your Record Store Day, listen to some great music and have a successful digging session! In the meantime, why not follow us on social media and sign-up to our newsletter to keep up to date and to be the first to hear about announcements!
