Music lovers who swear by vinyl LPs always want to add another disc to the stack and Record Store Day on April 12 is a day to get some coveted special releases.
About 330 new and limited-edition vinyl releases featuring artists ranging from Gracie Abrams to Waxahatchee are planned to hit nearly 1,600 record shops across the U.S. on Saturday. And, yes, there’s something from Taylor Swift, too.
Vinyl remains a special format for many music lovers. Even though the century old-LP was expected to be replaced by compact discs, digital downloads and streaming music, spending on vinyl records has increased each of the last 18 years, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
Vinyl sales rose 7% in 2024 to $1.4 billion, surpassing CDs, which sold $541.1 million, RIAA said. Paid music subscriptions ($11.7 billion) rose 5% and made up 79% of music spending.
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For many, vinyl makes music special. „We get a lot of younger people coming in that show interest in it and there’s a lot of big pop stars that have started taking over the vinyl market,“ said Sam Reiman, assistant manager at Shuga Records in Chicago’s Logan Square. „Taylor Swift is definitely a big example of that. She kind of dominated that over the past couple years. People have definitely shown a bigger interest in it than ever before these past several years.“
Record Store Day is usually one of the busiest days of the year at Shuga Records, he said. Local artists and bands will perform all day at the company’s main location in Wicker Park. Customers can buy special Record Store Day T-shirts, too.
„We always have people lining up at the door in the morning,“ Reiman said. „But, you know, people always like, shuffle in throughout the day to look for anything that’s left over.“
Here’s a snapshot of a dozen Record Store Day releases. For the full list of releases and stores, go to the Record Store Day website. Happy hunting!
Post Malone, who’s serving as this year’s Record Store Day’s Ambassador, has a yellow vinyl release of his April 24, 2000 livestream tribute to Nirvana — songs include “Come As You Are” and “In Bloom” – his supporting band included blink-182’s Travis Barker on drums. All net proceeds from the sale will be donated to Musicares‚ Addiction Recovery and Mental Health division.
„Record Store Day is so important and I really hope to do my part to keep it alive,“ he said in a Record Store Day statement. „We love hitting local shops when we’re on the road, seeing all the crazy artwork, the whole energy in a record store is just super inspiring. … Keep supporting y’all and let’s keep records and these local shops going strong. Happy Record Store Day everybody!“
This special 7-inch white vinyl disc has the single „Fortnight,“ Swift’s collaboration with Post Malone from „The Tortured Poets Department,“ and the “Fortnight (BLOND:ISH Remix)”.
Now on red vinyl, a collection of ten tracks recorded in L.A. and the U.K., originally released in 2017 by Charli XCX as a mixtape.
Rage Against The Machine apparently won’t tour again. But you can get get this two-disc ‚Live On Tour 1993‘ of live recordings from the band’s first world tour. You get music on three sides and an etching on the fourth, plus „explosive renditions of such Rage anthems as ‚Bombtrack,‘ ‚Killing in the Name‘ and ‚Freedom‘,“ writes Ron Hart on Billboard.com.
The pop-rock classic that spawned singles „Rhiannon,“ „Say You Love Me,“ and „Over My Head,“ gets a picture disc release on its 50th anniversary.
A 15-song live recording from the rising singer-songwriter and his band recorded in 2022 and released in 2023, but now available on vinyl.
Rhino Records and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery collaborated on this vinyl LP collection of Grateful Dead classics including “Eyes Of The World,” “Here Comes Sunshine,” plus more rare tracks such as “Easy Wind,” and “Big Railroad Blues.”
Grateful Dead fans may want to look out for these other Record Store Day releases: the five-LP set Grateful Dead, „Beacon Theatre, New York, NY 6/14/76,“; the 4-LP set Jerry Garcia Band, „Don’t Let Go: Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco – May 21, 1976,“ and Robert Hunter, „Tiger Rose Rarities.“
Record Store Day marks the first physical release of Bowie’s live Sept. 8, 2003 concert in London transmitted via satellite to movie theaters across the globe. This two-LP set on 180-gram black vinyl (17,400 available worldwide) comes with a replica poster of the original event. Also available: 3,600 CD copies.
This 1973 release from the tenor saxophonist, who passed away in 2022, finally comes to CD and digital platforms – and a special Record Store Day 180-gram vinyl release, with new liner notes and photos. If you are into spiritual jazz – à la John Coltrane and Kamasi Washington – „this is the real deal,“ writes Morgan Enos on Tracking Angle, an audio news site.
Released on CD in 1998, this live album comes to vinyl for the first time with written reflections from Harris and Buddy Miller, who was part of her backing band Spyboy. There’s also five previously unreleased tracks.
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter’s performance recorded on April 29, 2024 at the Moody Theater and broadcast October 26, 2024 is captured on electric blue vinyl.
This double-LP set will be popular with fans of the movie, thanks to its green glitter and pink glitter vinyl, special Record Store Day cover art, enclosed poster and bonus track „Ozdust Duet.“
Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY’s Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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Record Store Day 2025: Get special vinyl releases from Post Malone, Taylor Swift and more – USA Today
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