Across the United States some of the music industry’s legacy indie stores have been reporting their best day ever thanks to this year’s Record Store Day (RSD 2026) release line-up. As usual, Retail Track implemented the annual RSD store crawl on Saturday (April 18), visiting 10 stores that day to witness first-hand how RSD was performing.
But unlike past years when Retail Track started further afield — in Poughkeepsie one year, in Patchogue another, and once in South Jersey — and stop by stores on the way back to New York City, this year the Crawl consisted of visiting stores in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, with the road trip culminating, as it usually does, at Rough Trade in Rockefeller Center for its annual Indie Plaza event.
Retail Track began the day a little before 7:30 a.m. in my hometown of Astoria, Queens, with a visit to Pancakes Records on Steinway Street. There were already 60 people in line before the store’s scheduled 8 a.m. opening, including Kyle, who arrived first at 1 a.m. He said he was hoping to buy Laufey’s A Matter Of Time: Live at Madison Square Garden and Pink Pantheress’ Girl Like Me. Second in line was Jose, who got there at 2:30 a.m., whose coveted record list included Paramore’s All We Know Is Falling (Deluxe), Carly Rae Jepsen’s 7-inch “Disco Darling” and Dijon’s How Do You Feel About Getting Married.
Retail Track didn’t wait for Pancakes Records to open. Instead, he hopped into his jalopy at 7:40 a.m. and took off for Vinyl Veritas — which opened its flagship location in 2024 — to see how long the Brooklyn store’s line was ahead of its scheduled 8 a.m. opening. It was the only other store on the Crawl list scheduled to open that early, and — with Google Maps promising it was only nine miles and 19 minutes away — there was just enough time. However, an overturned car on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) stymied that plan and Betsy III — Retail Track’s 2000 Buick LeSabre — didn’t turn onto Front Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Dumbo until 8:30 a.m. Nevertheless, there was still a line of customers about 50 people long, suggesting the queue was even longer when the store opened.
Rather than get my ass kicked by trying to jump the line, Retail Track figured it was safer to interview Vinyl Veritas owner Will Grandberg, via phone later. He reported two people were in line the midnight before RSD, with a third arriving at 3:45 a.m. on Saturday. By the time he got to the store at 5 a.m., he says there were about a dozen people waiting.
The store hosts two locations in the same building, including a street-level store on Front Street, and another on the seventh floor. On the seventh floor, customers received refreshments and discount offers (as well as a few giveaways) while four DJs continued to spin throughout the day— all livestreamed on Vinyl Veritas’ Instagram account. Grandberg declared it their best day ever since opening their doors in January 2024, with the Grateful Dead set being their top-seller for the day. Although, Grandberg shared, he wished the store had more inventory of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Disco Darling” single.
Vinyl Veritas
Retail Track then made his way to 5th Avenue Records in Park Slope, which the internet claims is open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, but by 9:05 a.m., there wasn’t any line. Since there was a parking spot out front and the next group of stores on the crawl list wouldn’t open until 10 a.m., Retail Track decided to investigate. Across the street was Smith’s Tavern, a splendid dive establishment which was already open and had an impressive 10 customers. Since Retail Track was driving, it seemed wise to forego asking for the usual can of PBR or Budweiser, and instead requested a Diet Coke, which subsequently turned out to be the worst Diet Coke ever. Regardless, Retail Track persisted in his informational quest, and queries to the customers and bartender yielded information that the store had been closed for some time. But, customers said, every once in a while, the store would seemingly open for a day or two before once again shuttering for weeks on end.
Next up, Retail Track drove to nearby Psychic Records, also in Park Slope, and, by 9:30 a.m., saw a line of about 15 people waiting ahead of the store’s 11 a.m. opening. Henry was first in line, and was looking to buy the Stax B-sides record and Ray Charles Live set. Peyton was second in line — even though, she claimed to have been the first to arrive at 7 a.m. However, she says she had gone across the street for a coffee, thus losing her spot to Henry. But not to worry, her desired RSD titles were different than Henry’s as she was looking for Taylor Swift and Steely Dan records and some jazz records for her dad. Peyton told Retail Track she chose to shop at Psychic for RSD because researched and heard people don’t line up at the store as early as they do at other participating places.
Retail Track left before the store opened, but spoke to Psychic Records owner Chris Lentz via phone on Sunday, who said his store’s big seller was Sonic Youth’s Diamond Seas. He also said that he sold many copies of the Springsteen album and a few Pink Floyd albums. Lentz also admitted that he wished he had more copies of the RSD pop records like Charli xcx and Jepsen. Overall, he says the store has a wide customer base, so he carries everything for Taylor Swift to Throbbing Gristle.
For the last stop in the Park Slope segment of the RSD crawl, Retail Track headed to Sterling Records, arriving at 9:58 a.m. According to the internet, the store usually opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday. But, in celebration of the RSD festivities, the store opened earlier than expected, at 9:15 a.m. Sterling Records owner Gary Giddens reported to Retail Track that there were about 30 people in line when he opened the store. A perusal of the inventory showed that at a little after 10 a.m., the store still had plenty of copies of The Cure, Pink Floyd and Jeff Buckley RSD releases, but Sterling noted he could have used more of the Bruce Springsteen Live From Asbury Park 2024 boxset.
After Retail Track left, Giddens called to report the Buckley and Pink Floyd and Cure titles had sold out by noon. Other titles that did well were Olivia Dean’s “BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge,” the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack and Ariana Grande/Cynthia Erivo Wicked: One Wonderful Night (Live) titles, he said.
Sterling Records was a fairly new two-year old store. Giddens, who is 69, told Retail Track he got the urge to open a record store. “I have never been a very smart person but wanted to do something that makes me happy,” he said. “And I am friends with Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yahoo, and Erasure) and was talking to him and said aloud that I wanted to open a record store; and Clarke said ‘I’m in.’” Clarke serves as an investor for the store.
Retail Track opted to browse Sterling Records for his own purchases, taking home the Lunachicks’ We Can Be Worster, Stax Killer B’s, The Westbound Sound: Single Minded and the non-RSD title, Cramps’ Bad Music For Bad People.
Since it was still early and most other stores on Retail Track’s crawl list weren’t opening until noon, a trek to VP Records in Jamaica Queens, which opened at 10 a.m., seemed like the next logical store to visit. VP Records Retail is a unit of Jamaican-born record label and music company. The company was founded by husband and wife Vincent “Randy” and Pat Chin.
The store’s website claims that VP Records is the largest indie reggae label in the world. Throughout the years, they’ve put out releases from artists including Yellowman, Lee Scratch Perry, Gregory Isaacs, Buju Banton, Maxi Priest, Beenie Man, Shaggy and Sly & Robbie. Like the label, the store on Jamaica Avenue is mainly dedicated to dance hall, reggae and all its sub-genres, but the store also carries a mix of R&B and soul.
When Retail Track arrived at VP Records at 11 a.m., there was a beehive of activity in the parking lot next to the store. Store manager Rashan Mykoo reported that the RSD Festivities would begin at noon, with merch tables and four DJs scheduled to entertain during the day. Recording artist I Wayne was also due to make an appearance to help sell merchandise, sign autographs, and take photos with fans. The vinyl showcase featured “legendary sound system King Addies, alongside Massive B, DJ Proud, and DJ Anthony, with hosting duties were led by Killa Boo and sound powered by Next Level Sound,” according to a subsequent press release. After I Wayne performed, Buju Banton surprised guests with an appearance.
“Presenting the sound systems each year has been a great way to connect with the community and today will be well remembered,” Chris Chin, CEO of VP Records, said in a statement.
Rebel Rouser
Meanwhile, inside the store, featured RSD titles included the Bruno Mars “Collaboration,” Elton John “The Remixes,” the Ariana Grande/Cynthia Erivo Wicked: One Wonderful Light (Live), The Soundtrack, the Taylor Swift “Elizabeth Taylor” 7-inch single; and Ziggy Marley’s Brightside. Besides official RSD titles, the store’s own highlighted selections were Jackie Mittoo’s “The Myestro — In Cold Blood,” Congo Ashanty’s “Congo,” Ziggy Marley albums and Randy’s 50th Anniversary Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, the latter compilation titles named for the company’s late co-founder, Mr. Chin.
While the store still had the Bruno Mars title in stock when Retail Track arrived, Mykoo said every copy of the Taylor Swift single had been bought up by a woman who had arrived in time for the store’s opening. As it was, Retail Track scored the RSD title Skeeter Davis’ “The End of The World: Navy Hoedown Sessions,” quipping the store’s buyer must have purchased the title by mistake. Instead of sticking around for the party to begin next door in the parking lot, Retail Track headed back to Brooklyn for the next RSD stop on his list, but first he went to grab some sustenance, i.e. lunch.
By 1 p.m., Retail Track pulled up to Octopus Records for the Bushwick leg of his crawl. Store owner Nigel Filson reported he had about 20 people waiting when he opened at 11 a.m., with the first bunch of arrivals rewarded with cupcakes. The big sellers during the day at that point had been the Pink Pantheress and Charlie xcx titles, while store associate Celine Mancuri noted that Cam’ron’s “Killer Season” was also popular. Filson also acknowledged that some customers were asking for the Taylor Swift record, “Which I didn’t carry.”
At Octopus Records, Retail Track scored RSD titles Power Pop! American Power Pop for the Now Generation: 1977-1981, Teenage Fanclub & Jad Fair’s Words of Wisdom and Hope and the Misfits Famous Monsters.
Next up was the nearby Rebel Rouser, which didn’t participate in Record Store Day because, in the words of sales associate William Martin, “We don’t do corporate discs.”
Rebel Rouser primarily carries used records and is in a long shed in an alley off Broadway, in Bushwick, about a mile from the Williamsburg Bridge. It has a huge selection of punk, glam rock, power pop, new wave, garage rock and old soul music, both albums and 7-inch singles, as well as many old classic rock magazines and fan zines. The only new product it carries are largely local indie band releases.
“Our idea of record store day is loading up on local indie bands and selling vinyl LPs at 25% off,” Marten said.
At Rebel Rouser Retail Track bought The Charly Black Music Sampler, two Millie Jackson albums: E.S.P. (Extra Sexual Persuasion) and Get It Out’cha System, Candi Staton’s eponymously named album, Little Anthony and the Imperials’ “I’m on the Outside (Looking In)” and Johnny Thunder’s “Loop De Loop.”
Finally, Retail Track arrived at what would be the last Brooklyn record store stop of the day at Superior Elevation Records, also located in Bushwick. The used record store caters to the DJ and the dance music crowd, carrying electronica, house, disco and soul music; sales associate Alex Feldherr says the store and even has a school for DJs. Despite the store not participating in Record Store Day, Feldherr shared that business on the day was good.
“That’s because “we get everybody who is tired of waiting on lines,” he told Retail Track. At Superior Elevation Retail Track bought two Laura Lee albums, Women’s Love Rights and her eponymously named album; and an album from 100 Proof (Aged In Soul).
Around the same time, elsewhere in Brooklyn, Billboard’s executive digital editor, east coast, Joe Lynch served as a Retail Track deputy for the day and visited the Record Grouch and the Academy Records Annex, both in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint.
After participating in Record Store Day celebrations for several years, Record Grouch in Greenpoint chose to opt out of the vinyl holiday the last few years. But even without a trove of exclusives on offer, the highly curated store of reasonably priced rarities and obscurities was packed on Saturday afternoon. Walking past an 8.5 x 11-inch piece of paper proudly proclaiming, “THIS IS NOT A RECORD STORE DAY CELEBRATION,” patrons browsed the stacks while an assortment of local and indie artists performed in the small space. The Retail Track Brooklyn deputy caught a punishing but impressive experimental set from Outdoor Horse Shrine (one of five artists playing Record Grouch that day) while picking up used copies of Jobriath’s second album, the soundtrack to Forbidden Zone by Oingo Boingo and a single by ANOHNI and the Johnsons.
Moving toward Williamsburg, but still in Greenpoint, the Academy Records Annex was also doing banger business despite opting out of the official celebration. Patrons munched on free Peter Pan donuts while browsing the store’s extensive, eclectic collection of new and used vinyl (and if you wanted to enjoy the fabulous weather, 40-some boxes of music were out on the curb). Academy Records owner Cory Feierman says he stopped participating three years ago — not just because it was becoming too corporate, but for business reasons.
“I might make $20,000 in a day, but I spent $13,000 to get there, and I’m left with a bunch of product that won’t move,” he tells Retail Track’s Brooklyn deputy. In his eyes, the early years of RSD included “warranted” reissues of rarities, but the recent glut of RSD exclusives are much less interesting to him and his shoppers. Retail Track picked up a clear-vinyl copy of Rosalía’s Lux (which he notes is about as mainstream as the store’s product gets) as well as used copies of Isaac Hayes’ Shaft soundtrack plus Eartha Kitt’s 1955 album Down to Eartha.
Pancake Records in Astoria
For the last stop of the day before heading into Manhattan for the annual Rough Trade Indie Plaza RSD celebration, Retail Track returned to his hometown of Astoria to re-visit Pancake Records and see how it was doing since opening, arriving there at 3:30 p.m. (Before joining Billboard, Retail Tracked worked in three record stores on the same block on Steinway Street— Words ’n’ Music, Record Scene/Record Spectacular and Sound City — in the 1970’s and 1980s.)
Pancakes Records co-owner Tanya Gorbunova reported that the big sellers were John Frusciante’s “To Only Record Water For Ten Days;” Ethel Cain’s Inbred, and Hemlock Springs going…going…GONE! Meanwhile she said the Springsteen and Pink Floyd titles were slow movers on RSD, but she wasn’t worried about the latter, “because Pink Floyd fans are known for sleeping in.”
For RSD, the store was offering customers a selection of CDs for only 50 cents, as well as 10% off used records. Overall, she said the store’s customer base was a cross between the “pop echo chamber, but still have people looking for niche stuff.”
For the last purchase of the day, at Pancakes Records, Retail Track scored Robert Plant’s Savin Grace All that Glitters with Suzi Dian.
Alas, the day unfortunately ended without Retail Track scoring the four RSD titles was still looking for: Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted, Bob Brady and the Con Chords, Bruce Kulick’s Transformer, and T. Rex’s Songs from ‘Marc.’
Joe Lynch provided assistance in preparing this story.
