Today marks the 17th year of Record Store Day, with vinyl fans gathering outside their local independent record shops since this morning to grab special edition releases. Some of the big names featuring in this year’s event include The 1975, David Bowie, Daft Punk, Talking Heads, Paramore, Blur, Lily Allen, Gorillaz, Elton John, and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Independent record store, Banquet Records in Kingston revealed that Paramore’s split with David Byrne was the most popular special release almost immediately. Elsewhere, a special edition zoetrope version of Lily Allen’s ‘It’s Not Me It’s You’ has been a hot topic on social media.
As ever, the celebrations have attracted huge numbers of fans to record stores around the country, with numerous stores using social media to show the size of their queues. Much admired Musical Box Record Shop in Liverpool, for instance, had the first fans lining up from as early as 5am.
Record Store Day was first founded in 2007, facilitating the gathering of large crowds to support the independent music store industry and to celebrate the diversity of music and vinyl culture. T-shirts, tote bags and prints are also available, and it is regarded as the most significant day of the year for indie music retailers and vinyl enthusiasts. The celebrations promote unity within local communities, and the music industry in general, with special events, exclusive releases, and live music to create a carnival vibe within independent record stores worldwide.
Despite the closures of many independent record stores within the past few decades, the day’s events represent a major breakthrough, with widespread support from the music industry, performers, and fans all coming together to support independent retailers while investing money into vinyl sales. The resurgent interest in vinyl has created increasing yearly sales and generated a more considerable market for the independent music store industry. Where many sales have since moved online, the purpose of Record Store Day is to keep the focus on the tangible benefits of retail, from customer interaction to physical ownership of the product
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