Record Store Day Lineup

Record Store Day returns on Saturday, April 18, with an official 2026 list that spans nearly 360 special releases sold through participating independent shops. (recordstoreday.com) The rules are the same as ever: Record Store Day does not sell the records itself, stores order titles from distributors, and most shops will not stock every release on the list. Unsold copies can begin appearing on store websites on Sunday, April 19. (recordstoreday.com) The broader vinyl market is still expanding into this year’s event. The Recording Industry Association of America said United States vinyl revenue topped $1 billion in 2025, rose 9.3% from a year earlier, and reached 46.8 million units, more than three times compact disc revenue. (riaa.com) Record Store Day sits in the middle of that shift from music as a stream to music as an object. Record Store Day says the event was created in 2007 by independent store owners and employees, and the first one was held on April 19, 2008. (recordstoreday.com) Collectors are watching the list for scarcity as much as for artist names. Record Store Day sorts 2026 releases into “Exclusive,” “First,” and “Small Run/Regional” categories, with some pressings limited to 1,000 or 2,000 copies and others running higher. (recordstoreday.com) Among the headline catalog titles, The Cure has two major entries: *Greatest Hits* on 2-LP silver bio vinyl and *Acoustic Hits* on 2-LP vinyl, with the latter listed at 7,200 copies. Both are dated April 18 on the official release pages. (recordstoreday.com (recordstoreday.com)) Hip-hop buyers have a new Nas release to chase. Record Store Day lists *Light-Years* as a Nas and Disc Jockey Premier collaboration and describes it as “the legendary Hip Hop release that fans have been anticipating for years.” (recordstoreday.com) Jazz and indie-rock fans are getting archival and anniversary plays rather than brand-new studio albums. Miles Davis’ *The New Sounds* arrives as a 75th-anniversary 10-inch reissue tied to Davis’ centennial year, while Pavement’s 1991 *Perfect Sound Forever* gets its first repress ever on a white 10-inch pressing, with each title listed at 2,000 copies. (recordstoreday.com (recordstoreday.com)) Beatles-adjacent collectors have a John Lennon item that leans hard into the deluxe-object side of vinyl. Record Store Day lists *Love Meditation Mixes* as a 4,500-copy, 3-LP “RSD First” set produced by Sean Ono Lennon, with nine reworked versions of “Love” and looping mantras cut into the runout groove of the third disc. (recordstoreday.com) The event still works like a local scramble, not a national online drop. Record Store Day’s store locator says a listing does not guarantee a shop will carry any specific title, so buyers are being pushed to check directly with individual stores before April 18. (recordstoreday.com)