Record Store Day exclusives

Record Store Day lands on Saturday, April 18, and some of this year’s most-hyped vinyl is already being treated like an opening-bell rush. (recordstoreday.com) The official Record Store Day site says the 2026 event will release its special titles only through participating independent shops on April 18. Record Store Day says the celebration began after a 2007 meeting of store owners and employees, and the first event was held on April 19, 2008. (recordstoreday.com 1) (recordstoreday.com 2) This year’s ambassador is Bruno Mars, who said independent stores let fans “immerse and surround” themselves with music. Record Store Day is also issuing a Bruno Mars compilation LP, “The Collaborations,” in a run of 11,000 copies. (recordstoreday.com 1) (recordstoreday.com 2) Several of the releases getting the most attention are small-run exclusives tied to major names. Taylor Swift’s “Elizabeth Taylor” arrives as a 7-inch single on April 18, while Charli xcx’s “party 4 u” is listed as an 8,000-copy 7-inch exclusive. (recordstoreday.com 1) (recordstoreday.com 2) Robert Plant’s “Saving Grace: All That Glitters… with Suzi Dian” is listed as a 3,500-copy 12-inch extended-play record on Nonesuch. The Grateful Dead have two prominent exclusives on the official list, including “On A Back Porch, Vol. 3” at 5,500 copies and the five-LP “Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/11/76,” listed at 6,100 copies in the United States and 7,600 worldwide. (recordstoreday.com) (recordstoreday.com) (recordstoreday.com) Collectors watch those copy counts because Record Store Day titles are not ordinary wide releases. Goldmine’s 2026 buying guide picked 10 priority titles and said shoppers should expect the list’s most in-demand records to disappear quickly. (goldminemag.com) Store owners are warning customers the same way. Spin the Black Circle in Worcester said it will open at 8 a.m. on April 18, hand out numbered queue tickets from 7 a.m., and limit shoppers to one copy of each title. (worcesternews.co.uk) Record Store Day co-founder Carrie Colliton told Goldmine that each year has exceeded “all reasonable expectations,” a sign that the event now functions as both a retail holiday and a scarcity-driven collectibles launch. The official list for 2026 spans hundreds of titles across formats including 7-inch singles, long-playing albums, picture discs, and box sets. (goldminemag.com) (recordstoreday.com) For shoppers, the practical detail is simple: April 18 is the first shot, local inventory will vary by store, and the shortest print runs are likely to set the pace of the line. (recordstoreday.com) (worcesternews.co.uk)