Robert Plant honored
Record Store Day (April 18) named Robert Plant a ‘Record Store Legend’ and he'll have a new four‑track EP — Saving Grace: All That Glitters — with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian tied to the release, making his involvement one of the year's biggest RSD stories. Collectors should also watch for special releases from Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Bruce Springsteen and note many shops, like The Sound Garden in Syracuse, are opening early at 9 a.m. for the rush. (goldminemag.com) (billboard.com) (uncut.co.uk) (syracuse.com)
Robert Plant is not just getting a plaque for Record Store Day 2026. He is also using the honor to put a new four-track extended-play record into shops on Saturday, April 18, which turns a ceremonial award into one of the day’s biggest actual releases. (billboard.com) Record Store Day named Plant its 2026 “Record Store Legend,” and the award comes jointly from the United States and United Kingdom arms of the event. Goldmine says Elton John was the first recipient in 2017 and Johnny Marr received the honor in 2025, which puts Plant into a very short list. (goldminemag.com) The release tied to the award is called *Saving Grace: All That Glitters*, and it arrives through Nonesuch. Goldmine says the record features Plant with Saving Grace and singer Suzi Dian, the same circle behind his recent *Saving Grace* album. (goldminemag.com) That part matters because Record Store Day runs on scarcity. The event’s 2026 list includes more than 350 exclusive titles, so a fresh Robert Plant record gives collectors a reason to line up for something new, not just a colored-vinyl reissue. (goldminemag.com) Plant also fits the culture of the event better than a random celebrity face would. Billboard’s April 8 report tied the announcement to his visit to Spillers Records in Cardiff, Wales, which Billboard called the world’s oldest record store. (billboard.com) The wider 2026 field is stacked with legacy artists who still move physical media. Uncut’s guide highlights special Record Store Day releases from Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Bruce Springsteen, which means older rock fans may be chasing several high-demand titles at once on the same morning. (uncut.co.uk) Uncut reported in February that Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts are issuing *As Time Explodes*, a live document from the 2025 Love Earth tour, while Bruce Springsteen is also part of the 2026 exclusive slate. That helps explain why this year’s event looks less like a niche vinyl holiday and more like a major catalog drop for classic-rock collectors. (uncut.co.uk) The rush is already shaping store plans. Syracuse.com reported that The Sound Garden at 310 West Jefferson Street in Syracuse will start its Record Store Day festivities at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, a concrete sign that shops expect early lines before regular weekend hours. (syracuse.com) So the Robert Plant story is really two stories locked together: a career honor for a singer whose record-store credibility is part of the pitch, and a limited new release landing on the exact day thousands of buyers are already hunting. On Record Store Day, that combination is usually what turns admiration into a queue. (goldminemag.com)
