Top 25 Record Stores In Canada & The U.S.

Twelve years after its debut, Record Store Day has become an essential event for record stores and music fans around the world. This year, RSD will bring more than 400 exclusive vinyl releases from both major and independent labels. 

Record stores have been the great savior in helping the triumphant return of the vinyl LP over the last decade. But you might now be aware vinyl sales account for under ten percent of recorded-music revenue in the United States. Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, Apple, and Amazon are the giants of the record business. But with that being said Record Store Day has helped save many music retailers from extinction.

Independent record stores remain musical meccas and gathering spaces for the true music fans, many who are on on lifelong scavenger hunts for specific vinyl treasures. Every record purchased has a unique story behind it. And record stores play an important role in our communities. They are so much more than temples of sound. They are spaces for timeless art, culture, and ideas. On April 13, 2019 we celebrate Record Store Day and Yelp has spun a list of the top record stores in Canada and the U.S. to help you support great local businesses and of course, start crate digging. 

Want more Yelpy record store fun? Read an interview with Darren Blase of Shake It Records in Cincinnati, OH.

Top Record Stores in the US According to Yelp Methodology: This is an all-time list of the best record stores in the US according to Yelp. We identified businesses in the vinyl records category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews. We included only two businesses per metro for geographic diversity.

Top 25 Record Stores In Canada

1. Lotusland Electronics & Music – Vancouver, BC
2. BMV Books – Toronto, ON
3. Old Strathcona Antique Mall – Edmonton, AD
4. Red Cat Records – Vancouver, BC
5. Lukes Drug Mart Bridgeland – Calgary, AB
6. The Turntable Shop – North Vancouver, BC
7. June Records – Toronto, ON
8. The Turntable – Victoria, BC
9. Antikka – Toronto, ON 
10. Cheap Thrills – Montréal, QC
11. Dandelion Records and Emporium – Vancouver, BC
12. Sonic Boom – Toronto, ON
13. Apollo Music – Port Coquitlam,  BC
14. Kops Records – Toronto, ON
15. Listen Records & CDs – Edmonton, AB
16. Sound Central – Montréal, QC
17. Blackbyrd Myoozik – Edmonton, AB
18. Sloth Records – Calgary, AB
19. L’Échange – Montréal, QC
20. Milkcrate Records – Kelowna – BC
21. Cosmos Records – Toronto, ON
22. Freecloud Records – Edmonton, AB
23. Music MadHouse Records – Burnaby, BC
24. Phonopolis – Montréal, QC
25. Red Cat Records – Vancouver, BC

Top 25 Record Stores In The U.S.

1. Headline Records – Los Angeles, CA
2. Shake It Records – Cincinnati, OH
3. The ‘In’ Groove – Phoenix, AZ
4. Human Head Records – Brooklyn, NY
5. Plaid Room Records – Loveland, OH
6. On the Corner Music – Campbell, CA
7. Domino Sound Record Shack – New Orleans, LA
8. Double Decker Records – Allentown, PA
9. Rooky Ricardo’s Records – San Francisco, CA
10. One Bad Apple – Castro Valley, CA
11. Audio Element – Pasadena, CA
12. Spoonful Records – Columbus, OH
13. The Sound Gallery – Austin, TX
14. FeeLit – San Diego, CA
15. Standards – Vista, CA
16. 1-2-3-4 Go Records – Oakland, CA
17. Stinkweeds – Phoenix, AZ
18. Groove Merchant Records – San Francisco, CA
19. End Of An Ear – Austin, TX
20. The Sound Garden – Baltimore, MD
21. Amoeba Music – Los Angeles, CA
22. Videotheque – South Pasadena, CA
23. Radio Active Records – Fort Lauderdale, FL
24. Boo Boo Records – San Luis Obispo, CA
25. Redscroll Records – Wallingford, CT