Record Store Day exclusives

Record Store Day’s April 18 drop is shaping up as a queue-forming one, with more than 350 special releases headed to independent shops. (recordstoreday.com) The official 2026 list says the titles arrive at participating brick-and-mortar stores on Saturday, April 18, and Record Store Day says it does not take preorders for them. Stores order directly from distributors, and the organization says not every shop will carry every title. (recordstoreday.com) The list’s headline names include Taylor Swift, whose “Elizabeth Taylor” arrives as a 7-inch “Cry My Eyes Violet Glitter” single on April 18 as a Record Store Day exclusive. The official page lists two tracks: the title song and a “So Glamorous Cabaret Version.” (recordstoreday.com) Charli XCX is on the slate with “party 4 u,” which Record Store Day lists as an 8,000-copy 7-inch exclusive for April 18. The page says it is the song’s first vinyl single release and that the B-side is etched. (recordstoreday.com) Robert Plant’s entry is “Saving Grace: All That Glitters… with Suzi Dian,” a 12-inch extended-play record that Record Store Day lists at 3,500 copies on Nonesuch. The site describes it as a continuation of Plant’s “Saving Grace” project with Dian and their band. (recordstoreday.com) The Grateful Dead title is bigger in every sense: “Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/11/76,” a 5-long-play, 180-gram Rhino box set. Record Store Day lists 6,100 copies and says it is the second installment in a five-part vinyl breakout series drawn from the band’s 2020 “June 1976” compact disc box. (recordstoreday.com) Collectors are also circling Flying Lotus’ “1983,” which Record Store Day lists for April 18 through Brainfeeder. The official page identifies it as a vinyl reissue of the producer’s 2006 debut and shows the original 10-song track list, including “Sao Paulo,” “Orbit Brazil” and “Unexpected Delight.” (recordstoreday.com) Record Store Day splits the annual list into three buckets: “Exclusive,” “First” and “Small Run/Regional.” The organization says “Exclusive” means a title is physically released only at indie record stores, while “First” titles may later reach other retailers or webstores. (recordstoreday.com) The event itself started after a 2007 meeting of independent record store owners and employees, and the first Record Store Day was held on April 19, 2008, according to the organization. For 2026, the official site says nearly 1,400 independently owned stores in the United States and thousands more internationally now take part. (recordstoreday.com) If a store sells out on April 18, Record Store Day says shops may choose to post leftover stock online starting Sunday, April 19. Until then, the rules of the day are still the old ones: find a participating store, get in line, and hope your shop ordered your record. (recordstoreday.com)