London, UK | Seven London record stores have been named the ‘greatest in the world.’ Bursting with thousands of records, these are the best spots to bulk out your vinyl collection. Writers at the Financial Times recently published an impressive list of the top record stores on the entire planet – and in great news for London’s audiophile community, several stores in the capital made it into the mix. The FT’s list spanned some of the world’s biggest music cities, from New York and Paris to Sydney. Several places in the UK, including Leeds, Edinburgh and Stroud, also made the cut – in other words, London’s record shops were in very good company. So, which shops featured?
Edinburgh, UK | We visited the Edinburgh record store named in list of ‘best in the world.’ After The Financial Times named a Bruntsfield record store among the best in the world, we headed over to see what all the fuss was about and spoke to owner Mark Thorne who told us the secret to his success. An Edinburgh record store has been named among the best in the world, and we nipped over to Bruntsfield to see what all the fuss was about. Thorne Records was crowned by The Financial Times alongside 37 other record stores across the globe that are ‘go to venues for a vinyl fix’. Mark Thorne, who opened the store back in 2022, feels the key to his success comes from keeping sales in store and forming bonds with the community. We paid a visit to the store on a dour afternoon, that was immediately brightened by the chipper and welcoming yellow walls of Thorne. Mark was happy to take some time to have a chat, something that clearly keeps locals coming back.
Bayonne, NJ | Bayonne is Finally Getting a Record Store: 14a Records to Open 1/24. Although The Hoboken Girl typically focuses its coverage solely on Hoboken + Jersey City, the HG team is shining on spotlight on Bayonne today, as this nearby city is welcoming its first record store in years. 14a Records, which will sell new + vintage records, tapes, CDs, and rare imported vinyl, will be a one-stop shop for all things music. This spot will officially open on Friday, January 24th at 952 Broadway in Bayonne. 14a Records (formerly known as Disco De Facto) is a record business owned by Bayonne resident Robert Henry. Robert, who has over 20 years of record buying experience, according to the store’s website, shared via Instagram that he plans to open a brick-and-mortar shop at 952 Broadway. 14a Records, which will be Bayonne’s first record store to come to the city in years, will soft open on January 24th, 2025.
US | Post Malone named Record Store Day 2025 ambassador: Post Malone doesn’t need any help to be the official Record Store Day 2025 ambassador. In his new role, the rapper-turned-pop star-turned-country star will be encouraging folks to shop in their local independent record stores on April 12. “What an honor,” says Posty in a statement. “Record Store Day is so important, and I really hope to do my part to keep it alive.” “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,” he continues. “I feel at home. It’s really an unexplainable feeling to hit up a shop and dig through crates, just see what grabs your eye. You can be looking for something super specific and end up finding something totally different. It’s the best.”
Hopkins, MN | Popular Hopkins record shop owner Rob Sheeley of Mill City Sound, 69, dies: He opened his top-ranked Mainstreet store after retiring from audio/visual businesses. After he already built up two successful audio/video companies over three decades, Rob Sheeley got around to what his family said was his “dream retirement” in 2014: spending the next decade working hard in his own record store. The shop he opened, Mill City Sound in downtown Hopkins, became one of the Twin Cities’ most reputable shops for vinyl and other music collectibles. Its co-owner, too, gained a reputation as a fair and affable shopkeeper and enthusiastic rock ‘n’ roll booster. Sheeley, 69, died Thursday at his home in Minnetonka while under hospice care following a lengthy off-and-on fight with cancer. “He was working at the store just 10 days before he died, even though he wasn’t feeling well,” said his wife of 47 years, Donna Sheeley. “He still loved it.”
Salisbury, UK | Boiler Room Records revamps store and expands offerings: Boiler Room Records has transformed its Salisbury store, located in the Cross Keys Shopping Centre on the Market Place. Boiler Room Records is one of Salisbury’s leading independent music retailers, offering an extensive range of new and pre-owned vinyl records, and they have revamped their store. There has been an introduction of an additional 3,500 pre-owned collectable records to create a premium destination for vinyl collectors. The store now boasts an unparalleled selection, catering to diverse musical tastes and collectors of all levels. Over the past few days, the Salisbury store has undergone significant upgrades to enhance the shopping experience, including the addition of thousands of new and pre-owned LPs, affordable pricing where many titles have been reduced by up to 70% and an enhanced layout.
Northallerton, UK | Needle attack on Northallerton record shop owner was ‘unprovoked’ and ‘indiscriminate’, jury told: A court has heard that a needle attack on a record shop owner in North Yorkshire was an “unprovoked indiscriminate attack by a complete stranger”, which happened in “plain sight and broad daylight.” Darren Michael Harris, 58, is on trial accused of the attempted murder of Gary Lewis inside his store on Zetland Street, in Northallerton, in July last year. He also faces an alternative charge of grievous bodily harm with intent. He denies both charges, but has admitted administering a noxious substance with a needle into Mr Lewis’s backside. Opening their case against Harris at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday (21 January), the prosecution said Mr Lewis was left “completely paralysed and unable to communicate” in the aftermath of the attack, while still being able to hear and understand everything going on around him.
Los Angeles, CA | He spent 25 years building his vinyl record collection. Then the fires reduced it to ashes. Scott Dudelson, 45, peers out over the shelves of Santa Monica vinyl shop Record Surplus. First opening its doors in 1985, its been his home away from home since childhood. While other kids were popping CDs into their center consoles, Dudelson thumbed through bins of one-dollar records. It was a luxury he could afford, given that the going rate for the then-new, compact technology was anywhere from “$12 to $18” per disc in the late ’90s — a far cry from what he had stuffed away in his pockets. There’s a lingering despondence in his expression. Perhaps it’s because just a week earlier, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, he watched Hellfire climb over the Palisades hills, eventually trickling into his community. It would reduce his home to ash along with his vinyl record collection, roughly 8,000 albums and built over 25 years.
Kraftwerk to celebrate 50th anniversary of classic Autobahn album with reissues in March: Kraftwerk will release a new Dolby Atmos mix of Autobahn on Blu-ray and digitally, as well as their first official vinyl picture disc in March. …Kraftwerk founder Ralf Hütter, along with engineer Fritz Hilpert, has revisited the album’s master tapes and the pair have created a brand new Dolby Atmos mix, which will be released as a Blu-ray disc as well as digitally. An exclusive edition of the Blu-ray which comes housed in a card slipcase will only be available from the band’s official Kling Klang store. Autobahn will also be released on vinyl as a picture disc, the very first official picture disc from the band, featuring the 2009 remix of the album. A seven-inch vinyl single, featuring an edited version of the iconic title track, backed with Kometenmelodie 2, will be released on February 14.
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