Saturday was international Record Store Day. Always a great day.
Cynically, though, Record Store Day 2026 is again an opportunity to buy mainly over-priced, unique and limited versions of albums that soon will be out again in other formats and forms, but then perhaps to lower prices and as part of new packaging. Some new RSD albums are repackaged in new forms or formats after the actual content has already been released earlier, sometimes more than once, but not before on colour vinyls, in special packaging, with bonuses, or are now first time on vinyl and so on. And there are also albums, singles and maxis that are really new, cool and fun. Or back after having been out of print for years.
This may sound a tad grumpy, but, actually, I like RSD, and I was yesterday at Black & White in Helsinki at 08.30 am, and later visited X, in Turku.
Record Store Day started as a wonderful, fantastic idea to help independent record stores worldwide to survive when sales slumped overall. It was a helping hand from bands, artists and music community with special and limited editions released on a specific day, and only that day. When the records were sold they were sold out. For good. It was a beautiful idea. It worked perfectly. And what works very well will sooner or later be hi-jacked by more scrupulous commercial interests. Cynical selling strategies now replace part of what was a true music community ideal at the beginning. RSD is not that same community thing with great price-worthy products for fans and buyers in order to support alt independent recordshops. It is now much more profit-making involved, prices have increased, record industry uses the day for triggering sales and maximizing profits, and some buyers are not music fans or listeners at all, but immediately sell limited RSD albums further to collectors and fans online. But at least it is still a very good day selling music for independent record shops, a day of interesting products for true music and record store lovers and for artists a day to release some fun and valuable additions to their discography, and for the record-loving community a day to remember that the independent record shops surely need and deserve this boost too.
So despite all increased commercialism during later years I do like RSD, and take part when I can. Simultaneously I also support independent record shops this way.
Record Store Day is a great day!
This year was no exception. And it was an expensive day again. This year was no exception. One of the fun, and risky, things is that you never know which records are in which store of all that are released worldwide. Somewhat stressful, somewhat fun. Which shop to choose if there are more than one? The most attractive releases will sell out immediately. So choose wisely where to go. I actually found all that interested me this year, adding another problem, what to choose?
Had to think hard and put a few records back. It’s easy to go bananas and buy too much. Much more than your personal economy can stand that day.
So, what’s in the bag on RSD 2026?
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live From Asbury Park 2024 (5 LP)
A-Ha: Analogue (2 LP)
Air: Moon Safari - The Athens Concert (LP)
Furniture: Brilliant Mind (12”)
Hadn’t expected to get the Bruce livebox (first time on vinyl), or planned for it, as I arrived half an hour after B&W opened, but there were two sets left, so I grabbed one. Two minutes later I guided another happy customer to the last box set left and a minute after that I had to tell an unfortunate customer that the last was gone and sold. He explained in detail what he had heard and read about the box set concert. I wished him best luck to find a set in another record shop. Record store customers are part of a great global community. You can feel it on days like these. But I always love to visit record stores, where ever I go, live or visit. A city without a record store is no city. Period.
About 20 Bruce box sets had arrived to B&W and obviously, doing the math, about 18 were sold in the first half hour. Quite good sales for the independent recordshop. There are not that many thousand sets worldwide (6050) and Bruce is The Boss. A true American Hero in times when heroes are badly needed here, there and everywhere. Is this live box set any good? Review will follow later. But what I’ve heard already is very promising.
First on my to buy-list this year was actually Air’s live album from Athens, great debut album Moon Safari Live (4500 ex released worldwide). I instantly loved the mother album and have heard that Air are ace live, so this was a must. I have heard it once, and I am definitely not disappointed.
Under-rated at the time, Norwegian pop wonders A-Ha has transformed into one of the major synthpop bands, well actually one of the really important and great pop bands. For this year’s RSD the 20-year Anniversary of Analogue is for the first time released on vinyl (2500 ex worldwide). As they put it on the hype sticker, ”Analogue Is On Analog!”. Wonderful album, nice to have on vinyl too.
Furniture’s Brilliant Mind was a great pop single released on alternative Stiff Records. Now the 12” is out (500 ex worldwide) in a fine-looking colored maxi (red/white) for RSD. And music-wisely it’s a stunner. I had forgot that one but suddenly remembered it when I was already out the door, returned and checked the crates, and there was one single ex of it. Enough for me.
Due to buying the more expensive (but not over-priced) Boss boxset I had to leave some fine albums in the store, I had my RSD budget. Did not buy The Jesus & Mary Chain, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Annie Lennox, Motörhead and Frankie Goes To Hollywood, for example. Quite a lot if interesting titles released on RSD 2026. Again.
Until next time.
