The History Of Record Store Day

It's fascinating to witness the resurgence of vinyl records. Analog is back, and people all over the world are falling in love with the warm sounds of vinyl. In fact, record sales have skyrocketed to about 5.5 million for the 15th successive year this time.

Various factors have contributed to the comeback of records, but one thing is certain - everybody loves Record Store Day. Held annually on the third Saturday of April and Black Friday, Record Store Day celebrates the culture, history, and heritage of independently owned record stores all over the world.

RSD was founded in 2007 by independent record store executives Chris Brown (Bull Moose Music) and Eric Levan (Criminal Music), along with Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Brian Poehner, and Don Van Cleave. The idea was born at a meeting of independent record store owners in Baltimore, and it has since become a global phenomenon.

Even though RSD is headquartered in the US, official organizers have started to operate in the UK, Ireland, Mexico, Europe, Japan, and Australia as well.

Each year, a few selected albums get an RSD reissue, and a list of releases for each country is distributed to participating shops. Hundreds of artists and musicians participate in the day through performances, special appearances, and meet-and-greets with their fans. There are fundraisers for community non-profits and promotional events as well.

Record Store Day is managed daily by the Department of Record Stores, accompanied by the Coalition of Independent Music Stores and the Alliance of Independent Media Stores.

RSD has played a significant role in bringing back vinyl to the mainstream. Universal Music's sales manager, Marc Fayd’Herbe, describes Record Store Day as "the single best thing that has ever happened for independent record shops."

The 2013 event was responsible for the highest US vinyl sales, and the 2014 edition saw independent retailers receiving the highest percentage of physical album sales.

As the world becomes more and more digital, events like Record Store Day are important reminders of the value of physical media and the sense of community that comes with local independent record stores.

Browse : Record Store Day by The Revolver Club through the years.