Record Store Day is an annual event that celebrates independent record stores around the world. It is held on the third Saturday of April each year and was first established in 2007. The day is dedicated to promoting the culture of independent record stores and the unique experience they offer to music lovers.
The idea for Record Store Day came from Chris Brown, a record store owner in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2007, He came up with the idea of creating a day to celebrate independent record stores. They decided to make it a national event and approached the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS) for support.
The first Record Store Day was held on April 19, 2008, and was a huge success. Over 300 independent record stores across the United States participated in the event, offering exclusive releases and hosting in-store performances. The event attracted thousands of music fans and generated a lot of buzz in the media.
In the following years, Record Store Day continued to grow in popularity and became an international event. In 2010, the event was extended to include record stores in the United Kingdom, and in 2011, it was expanded to include stores in other parts of Europe, as well as Australia and Japan.
Each year, Record Store Day releases a list of exclusive and limited-edition vinyl releases that are available only at participating stores. These releases are often reissues of classic albums, rare recordings, and special editions of current releases. The event also features in-store performances, meet-and-greets with artists, and other special events.
Record Store Day has been instrumental in helping to support independent record stores and promoting the value of physical media in the digital age. It has also become a beloved annual event for music lovers around the world, who look forward to the exclusive releases and special events that are part of the day.