Record Store Day Picks

Robert Plant is getting a new honor and a new vinyl release on the same day: Record Store Day 2026 named him this year’s Record Store Legend, and his band Saving Grace is putting out a 12-inch extended play record called *All That Glitters… with Suzi Dian* on Saturday, April 18. (recordstoreday.com 1) (recordstoreday.com 2) That pairing is the whole point of Record Store Day now: it is less a sale than a one-day event built around exclusive records that are meant to get people into independent shops instead of clicking “buy now” at home. Record Store Day says the idea began in 2007 and the first event was held on April 19, 2008. (recordstoreday.com 1) (recordstoreday.com 2) The scale is bigger than many casual buyers realize. Record Store Day says there are nearly 1,400 independently owned participating stores in the United States and thousands more internationally, which is why one artist announcement can ripple from Cardiff to California in the same week. (recordstoreday.com) Plant’s new release is not a greatest-hits package from Led Zeppelin. It is a four-track studio extended play record by Saving Grace, the group he has been working with alongside singer Suzi Dian, and Record Store Day lists it as a Nonesuch release with 3,500 copies. (recordstoreday.com) The four songs show what this version of Plant is doing in 2026. The track list is “Blackest Crow,” “Poison,” “Orphan Girl,” and “She Cried,” which leans toward folk and reinterpretation more than hard-rock nostalgia. (recordstoreday.com 1) (recordstoreday.com 2) The award itself is also part of a newer Record Store Day tradition. Record Store Day UK says Elton John was the first Record Store Legend in 2017, Johnny Marr received the honor in 2025, and Plant is the 2026 pick from the United States and United Kingdom organizers together. (recordstoreday.co.uk) Record Store Day tied Plant’s announcement to a visit to Spillers Records in Cardiff, which it describes as the world’s oldest record store, where he appeared for the installation of the official Record Store Legend plaque. That detail tells you what kind of image the event wants: not red carpet, but artist-in-shop, surrounded by bins and regular customers. (recordstoreday.com) (yahoo.com) The shopping rules are part of the ritual too. Record Store Day says these titles are released first through participating stores on April 18, and some stores say any leftover stock can go online the next morning, which turns the day into a mix of early lines, wish lists, and second-chance web sales. (recordstoreday.com) (plaidroomrecords.com) Plant is not the only draw on the list, which is why collectors tend to plan before sunrise. Record Store Day’s 2026 release pages include a Weezer title called *1192* with 3,000 copies marked as a “Record Store Day First” release, the kind of limited run that can make one neighborhood shop feel like a concert line. (recordstoreday.com) So the April 18 rush is really three things stacked together: a limited-edition marketplace, a live event for local stores, and a prestige moment for a 77-year-old artist who still treats record shops as part of his working life. This year, Robert Plant is the face on the plaque, but the real stage is still the store floor. (recordstoreday.com) (recordstoreday.com)