National Record Store Day
National Record Store Day:
Celebrated annually on the third Saturday in April, the National Record Store Day is observed to remind us of the record store culture that brought together communities, artists, and music under one harmonious roof.
Year | Date | Day | Where |
2022 | 16th April | Saturday | United States |
2023 | 15th April | Saturday | United States |
2023 | 14th April | Saturday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#NationalRecordStoreDay
#RecordStoreDay
Why Record Store Day?
In an era where amusement was not available a click away, seeking out entertainment was an experience in itself. You had to either visit the theatre, cinemas or attend live shows. Though in the succeeding years’ television made entertainment more accessible, if you wanted to listen to your favorite song at your whims and fancies only a record store could meet your needs. Record stores became a favorite rendezvous for the young and old alike, bringing them songs and music of their liking to their daily lives.
A record store, also commonly known as a record shop primarily dealt with the retail of recorded music. Towards the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, record stores sold gramophone records. With the technological advancements that were ushered in by the industrial revolution, the 20th century witnessed many innovations. The record stores dominated by vinyl records began to cash in on trending music formats in the form of Eight track tapes, Compact cassettes. The vinyl records continued to hold a large chunk in the sharemarket even with competing mediums like compact cassettes.
Later on when compact disc also known as CD’s became the most sought-after music recording in the 1990s disrupting record sales. Even then the name record shop continued to stick on, in most of the English countries. When many prominent label distributors altered the return policy, the retailers had no choice to return or swap the vinyl record that did not sell out. Hence only the popular labels were ordered and retailers began to sell more of the cassettes and CDs.
Many of the vinyl record production and distribution came to a standstill leading to a decline in the availability of vinyl records and subsequent closure of pressing plants. Few experts suggest that it was an intentional move to boost the CD sales. The music format that was once the herald of pop music from the 1950s to the 1990s hardly survived the competition. Later on, even the flashy CDs lost their novelty when online streaming and downloads were made possible.
While vinyl records were on the verge of extinction, a renewed interest in the media and technology of the past favored vinyl records and gramophones. This resulted in an increased demand for vinyl records throughout the western world from the year 2007 and is termed as the vinyl revival. Records were then considered to be long-lasting and were thought to be of more value than CDs.The detailed album art because of the large packing, additional clothing articles, posters, or liner notes are often included, adding more value to it in comparison to the CDs.
Even with the presence of sound artifacts the records are now deemed to be more pleasant than CD’s or digital audio, often termed as a certain kind of warmth, by its users. The newfound interest in vinyl records led to the reopening of record stores resulting in an overall profit, surpassing the average revenue of CD sales. The vinyl record’s popularity in turn rekindled the interest in record stores and their culture, resulting in events like the record store day which is celebrated in the US and other western countries to support the independent record stores and store owners.
In today’s scenario, the record store sells a variety of formats including CDs, DVDs of many shows, cartoons, and movies along with vinyl records. A variety of vintage record collectibles, merchandise related to artists and musicians can also be found in these stores. However, online platforms like Amazon and eBay offer fierce competition as a more convenient means to make purchases without a middleman. Many customers prefer to go to the record store, which almost seems like a museum of music, and experience the record store culture firsthand. This day commemorates the union of artists, customers, and sellers who made music their passion and life.
How Can We Celebrate National Record Store Day:
- Make A Trip To Your Local Record Store
Take time to locate and visit your local record store and experience the glorious history first-hand.
- Lookout For The Festivities
Many record stores organize cook-outs, parades, and meet and greets with local musicians on this day. Many artists visit local stores and perform for the audience and meet their fans. This can be your lifetime opportunity to meet your favorite artist and spend some time with them!
- Support On Social Media
You can share a post on the observance and list out your favorite record store and give a shout using #NationalRecordStoreDay and #RecordStoreDay.
Interesting Facts on National Record Store Day:
Few Facts Related to National Record Store Day
- In 2008, about 300 record stores celebrated the day in the United States. Metallica inaugurated the event on April 19 in California at the Rasputin Music in Mountain View.
- The first record shop was established in 1894 by Spiller records in Wales.
- Vinyl records surpassed the CD’s revenue in 2020 for the first time, since its decline in the 1980s.
- The highest sales of Vinyl LPs in a single week was recorded in June 2021 for Taylor Swift’s Album Evermore selling out a whopping 102,000 vinyl LP’s.
- In the initial six months of 2021, 19.2 million vinyl albums were sold in comparison to the 18.9 million CD’s according to the MRC reports.
- Record stores owned by African-American entrepreneurs served as a means for economic empowerment and helped in creating public areas for black customers amidst the closure of black-owned businesses and desegregation policies in the 1960s and 1970s.
History Of National Record Store Day:
The National Record Store Day was inspired by a gathering of independent record store owners and employees in 2007 in the US. The day was created to celebrate and educate people about the record store culture and its tradition catering to music lovers throughout the ages.