Record Store Day has returned for its 17th year today (April 20), with fans queuing since the early hours to get their hands on special edition releases from their local independent record shops.
READ MORE: Record Store Day 2024: Check out the full list of releases
Some of the big names putting out special one-off collectable vinyl and cassettes for the annual event include The 1975, David Bowie, Daft Punk, Talking Heads, Paramore, Blur, Lily Allen, Gorillaz, Elton John, Paramore and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Banquet Records in Kingston said on their social media that Record Store Day ambassadors Paramore‘s split with David Byrne was the most popular special release so far. It features Paramore’s cover of Talking Heads’ ‘Burning Down The House’ while Byrne covers their song ‘Hard Times’.
PARAMORE / DAVID BYRNE
seems like this is the most popular release so far for #RSD24 pic.twitter.com/4W4hkQSmW9
— Banquet #RSD24 feed (@BanquetRSDfeed) April 20, 2024
A special zoetrope edition of Lily Allen’s ‘It’s Not Me It’s You’ also seems popular on social media. The album celebrated its 15th anniversary earlier this year.
First mission of the day complete #RSD24 #RSDUK pic.twitter.com/FJDN1La56c
— 𝗳𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗼 (@iamfabio) April 20, 2024
Successful #RecordStoreDay for this Lily Allen exclusive pic.twitter.com/074q1NxuZC
— Jack Proverbs (@JackProverbsPR) April 20, 2024
As ever, the celebrations brought huge numbers of fans to record stores around the country early this morning, with many stores taking to social media to show just how large the queues had become. Musical Box Record Shop in Liverpool, for example, said they had the first people joining the queue at 5am.
What a morning! The queue was going strong till nearly 11! Thank you so much to everyone who came down and joined us for @RSDUK, first in line was queueing from 5am! #RecordStoreDay2024 #RSD2024 #RSD #recordstoreday pic.twitter.com/PQ2CfidB9j
— The Musical Box Record Shop (@TheMusicalBoxRS) April 20, 2024
Good morning from Leighton Buzzard, fellow #RSD2024 queue maniacs. pic.twitter.com/e8JfvUAgX3
— John Earls (@EarlsJohn) April 20, 2024
Back of the queue.
Front of the queue.
All of the queue!
Happy @RSDUK to all you #vinyl collectors.#RSD2024 pic.twitter.com/R2U0hneFmT
— Crash Records (@Crash_Records) April 20, 2024
#RSD2024 has been very good to us so far!!
A beautiful morning set from @bandofhutch, lots of chatting, lots of smiles & a whole load of redbull to get us through the mega queue (we’re nearly there though!)
If you joined us this morning, don’t forget to come back to catch… pic.twitter.com/7mgtVkHb9S
— resident (@residentmusic) April 20, 2024
Dozens of fans took to social media to show off their new purchases. “I queued all night in the wind and the rain but I got what I wanted for #RSD2024,” one X/Twitter user wrote.
“It was worth the 5am alarm clock… A SUCCESSFUL @RSDUK!” said another.
I queued all night in the wind and the rain but I got what I wanted for #RecordShopDay #RSD2024 pic.twitter.com/pMAGgR9IWW
— Simon Love (@simonloverules) April 20, 2024
Record Store Day one of my favourite days of the year! Superb work from the team at @RoughTrade. #RSD2024 @RSDUK pic.twitter.com/mx86SoTwet
— Danny McGuinness (@dannymcg) April 20, 2024
Thank you @ThorneRecords …was panicking when the queue went right round the corner, but was able to get what was on my list #RSD2024 #RecordStoreDay pic.twitter.com/mTuY0Zf69X
— Colin Burt (@burt_cdburt) April 20, 2024
Ah lads @rollwithitband … the sweet sound of the #Limelight back in the day …. Sublime … I’m tempted to lie on the floorboards and listen to it #OASIS #VINYL #RSD2024 pic.twitter.com/g7g34XUitS
— Jay (@jayladd9876) April 20, 2024
Just a 3 hour queue for this fucker this morning #RSD2024 pic.twitter.com/lK1UhEsMlR
— Felix Drew (@FelixLUFC) April 20, 2024
It was worth the 5am alarm clock… A SUCCESSFUL @RSDUK!! pic.twitter.com/hG4d1Y7sKn
— George Garner (@george_garner8) April 20, 2024
I think this must be the first record store day for a few years that I’ve not been trying to get a few records! I did get the new @PearlJam & @wearejames @BloodRecs this week though! Anyone else get anything decent? #RSD24 #RSD2024 #RecordStoreDay pic.twitter.com/7O9K2AEJpR
— Natalie Hood (@NatalieAHood) April 20, 2024
This year’s Record Store Day ambassadors have been named as Paramore and Kate Bush. Paramore previously said their role was their “first order of business” as a newly independent band, a significant one for them given that “a vital part of our journey from music obsessed school friends to professional music makers”.
Bush, meanwhile, said in a statement: “What a huge honour to have been asked to be [an] ambassador for this year’s Record Store Day. It really is a great privilege.
“Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the music industry by surprise? It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees! I love that!”
To celebrate her involvement, she will release a special 10-inch vinyl edition of her song ‘Eat The Music’, which originally appeared on her 1993 album ‘The Red Shoes’. It’ll boast the original artwork, printed directly onto the disc.
Last year, the event proved to be highly successful, helping vinyl sales to soar by 122 per cent in the week that it took place. According to Official Charts Company data, 190,000 vinyl records were sold in the seven-day period, surpassing CD sales. Overall, physical sales were up 37.2 per cent week-on-week as well.
The post Record Store Day 2024 has fans queuing early to grab limited edition releases appeared first on NME.
