Standard Shopping Day is April 15 and every year the excitement continues to grow. The annual event opened in 2008 and is scheduled to take place on a Saturday in April and every "Black Friday" in November.
Unless you've been living under a rock, chances are you've seen record albums in some stores. The popularity of vinyl is great again. In fact, the Recording Industry Association of America reports that vinyl album sales will surpass CD sales in 2022. For the first time since 1987, vinyl album sales surpassed CD sales.
Artists like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Post Malone and others have intrigued a whole new generation of music fans. These artists and others like them pressed new music on vinyl, causing a stir among those who had never understood the vinyl album format.
Record Store Day celebrates independent record stores. It brings together fans, artists, musicians and thousands of independent record stores across the country and around the world.
Most major music store chains collapsed with the availability of digital downloads and subsequent streaming services. People stopped buying physical copies of albums, especially CDs. Well, I shouldn't say most people, because there are still a few of us who still appreciate the value of owning an artist's work. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to music.
Record shows have also become coveted events for music lovers from all walks of life. I've been to a few vinyl and CD concerts and it feels like a family reunion. Everyone there is a pure and die-hard music lover. Albums, tapes, CDs and even 8-track music fill these event halls. You see people whipping out their phones and scraps of paper with their wish lists hoping to find some gems.
I now visit many of the music stores in the area, often on weekends. My quest for vinyl has been very successful lately. It was also fun to bring some friends and see the joy on their faces when they saw the vinyl. The memories many of them bring back are almost priceless. It's also nice to see some new artists in the format as well.
So what's new on Record Store Day? This is a big deal because many artists release new music or put out a collector's edition of a popular album. It is not uncommon today to see long lines of people waiting for record stores to open that day. Expectations are high this year with several thousand new albums hitting stores.
Popular releases and reissues include U2's New Year's Day (40th Anniversary Edition), Madonna's American Life Mix Show, Eddie Money's The Covers, Duran Duran's Carnival Rio! and Billy Joel's Live At The Great American Music Hall", Bastille "MTV Unplugged", Stevie Nicks "Bella Donna Live", Taylor Swift "Folklore: The Long Pool Studio Sessions", Tori Amos "Little Earthquakes Rarities" and Belinda Carlisle.
These are a few of the hundreds planned for Record Store Day that you might be interested in, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I bought a copy of the 4-LP compilation Van Halen Live: Here, NOW. "
– David T. Farr is a reporter for the magazine. Email it to farrboy@hotmail.com.
This article originally appeared in the Sturgis Journal: The Farr Side: Record Store Day celebrates musicians and business owners
