We recently explored a photo survey of video stores that have faded to black since the digital marketplace takeover, which got us thinking about other ephemeral media. Just a few weeks ago it was reported that Times Square record haven Colony Music — founded in 1948, and with an inventory of more than one million LPs — would be closing its doors. Colony is one of many large chain music stores and indie record shops that have called it quits since the rise of high def formats, web retailers, and the popularity of digital downloading. It’s a phenomenon that’s being explored in documentaries like Last Shop Standing — about the rise, fall, and rebirth of indie record shops in the UK — which hits DVD today. (The filmmakers are encouraging audiences to purchase the movie locally.)
If you grew up ritualistically hunting for vinyl or cassettes and relied on knowledgeable record store employees for recommendations à la High Fidelity , you’ve definitely been feeling the pangs of loss as these stores quickly collapse around us. Click through our gallery of abandoned record shops — including several landmark stores — to remember the fine art of crate digging and the passionate music communities that made them awesome.
Sam the Record Man — Toronto, Canada
Image credit: Ro b
Gunsman Records — Savannah, Georgia
Image credit: MilkaWay
Washington’s Cafe and Record Shop — Springfield, Illinois
Image credit: straightedge
Belmar Record Shop — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Image credit: congoeels
Caroline Records — Dublin, Ireland
Image credit: lasgalletas
Coachman Records — Detroit, Michigan
Image credit: DetroitDerek Photography
This‘N’That — Margate, England
Image credit: Southern Driver
Record Shop — London, England
Image credit: ross mcross.
Discolandia — San Francisco, California
Image credit: dogwelder
Vinylmania Records — New York, New York
Image credit: Joshua G.
Tower Records — Costa Mesa, California
Image credit: boutmuet
Record Time — Ferndale, Michigan
Image credit: kid marmite
Dancetracks — New York, New York
Image credit: Tim Varney
Zodiac — London, England
Image credit: blackisz
White’s Records — Detroit, Michigan
Image credit: buckshot.jones
Disco Maghreb — Oran, Algeria
Image credit: Bled Runner
Mojo Music — Cambridge, Massachusetts
Image credit: AntyDiluvian
Image credit: Torin C (Mojo during its last days)
Billups Records — Buffalo, New York
Image credit: congoeels
Rockit Scientist Records — New York, New York
Spotted via: Ev Grieve
Bleecker Bob’s Records — New York, New York
Spotted via: Ev Grieve
Inbeat Records — Montreal, Canada
Spotted via: Late Nights
Tower Records — West Hollywood, California
Image credit: xero79
Image credit: Edwin Folven
Golson Music — Detroit, Michigan
Image credit: J.harwood
Virgin Megastore — New York, New York
Spotted via: Racked
Image credit: trick77 (Virgin during its last days)
Vinyl Fever — Tampa, Florida
Spotted via: TBT