Record Store Day exclusives drop

Record Store Day lands on Saturday, April 18, with more than 350 limited releases headed to independent shops on a first-come, first-served basis. (recordstoreday.com) (glidemagazine.com) The official Record Store Day site says the releases are sold only through participating brick-and-mortar stores on April 18, and stores decide for themselves which titles to order. If shoppers miss out, stores may begin selling leftover stock online on Sunday, April 19. (recordstoreday.com) Organizers split this year’s list into three buckets: “Exclusive” titles only for indie stores, “RSD First” titles that may reach other retailers later, and “Small Run/Regional” releases with pressings under 1,000 or limited local distribution. (recordstoreday.com) In Nashville, Vinyl Tap has scheduled a Record Store Day event from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on April 18, with a backyard stage lineup running from noon to 7 p.m. Grimey’s plans its event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. the same day. (vinyltapnashville.com) (grimeys.com) Grimey’s said it expects to carry “the vast majority” of this year’s titles, while warning that quantities are limited. The store also plans a preloved vinyl drop, free cookies and giveaways during the event. (grimeys.com) Record Store Day was created in 2007, and the first event was held on April 19, 2008. The official site says nearly 1,400 independently owned stores in the United States now take part, along with thousands more internationally. (recordstoreday.com) Bruno Mars is this year’s Record Store Day ambassador, and one of the event releases tied to that role is *Bruno Mars - The Collaborations*, an 11,000-copy exclusive LP set for April 18. (recordstoreday.com 1) (recordstoreday.com 2) Coverage of the 2026 list has also centered on format as much as fandom. Hypebot reported that “Eco-Vinyl,” including bio-vinyl and recycled polyvinyl chloride pressings, appears on a record number of releases this year. (hypebot.com) Collectors chasing archival material have a deep bench in jazz and blues. Glide highlighted 18 recommended jazz and blues Record Store Day titles for 2026, many of them unreleased live sets and reissues, including several projects associated with producer Zev Feldman. (glidemagazine.com) The scramble, as usual, starts early and ends fast: one day, one line, and no guarantee your local shop ordered the record you want. The official advice from Record Store Day is simple—check whether a store has the pledge badge, and ask that store what it plans to stock. (recordstoreday.com)