Record Store Day drops

Record Store Day’s 2026 rush lands on Saturday, April 18, with independent shops preparing for early lines and first-come, first-served releases. (recordstoreday.com) Record Store Day says the event began after a 2007 gathering of independent record store owners and employees, and the first one was held on April 19, 2008. The organization now says it includes nearly 1,400 independently owned stores in the United States and thousands more internationally. (recordstoreday.com) This year’s official list is already live, and Record Store Day’s events page shows stores posting opening times as early as 6:00 a.m. on April 18 in places including Salt Lake City, Longview, Urbana, Chicago, Denver, Miami, and Portland. (recordstoreday.com) In Annapolis, local coverage says fans are expected to queue early for limited releases, giveaways, and store events. That local scramble mirrors the event’s basic rule: special titles are sold through participating shops as part of the April 18 in-store celebration. (eyeonannapolis.net) (recordstoreday.com) The 2026 list is built around scarcity as much as music. Record Store Day’s release pages mark titles by format, label, release type, and quantity, turning the day into a hunt for numbered or tightly capped pressings. (recordstoreday.com) One collector lane runs through producer Zev Feldman, whose 2026 slate totals 11 releases, including 10 archival titles and one rare reissue, according to Goldmine. The magazine said Feldman’s projects dominate this year’s archival jazz, blues, and catalog conversation. (goldminemag.com) Another high-demand item is Primal Scream’s *1987 EPs*, which Record Store Day lists as a Rhino exclusive with 3,500 copies. Glide reported the package is pressed on translucent-blue vinyl at 45 revolutions per minute and combines *Gentle Tuesday* and *Imperial* on one release for the first time. (recordstoreday.com) (glidemagazine.com) John Lennon’s *Love Meditation Mixes* is another event title aimed at collectors. Record Store Day lists it as a limited-edition 3 long-playing record set produced by Sean Ono Lennon, and The Music Universe reported it is limited to 4,500 copies for the April 18 drop. (recordstoreday.com) (themusicuniverse.com) Flying Lotus is back on the list with *1983*, his debut Brainfeeder release, which Record Store Day tags as an “RSD First” pressing of 2,000 copies. 48 Hills called the reissue part of this year’s draw for fans chasing older albums that return to vinyl through the event. (recordstoreday.com) (48hills.org) By Saturday morning, the story will be less about streaming-era convenience than about who got to the shop first. Record Store Day’s own event listings and release rules make clear that April 18 still runs on lines, limits, and luck. (recordstoreday.com 1) (recordstoreday.com 2)