Record Store Day drops

Record Store Day’s next wave of limited vinyl lands on Saturday, April 18, with stores and fans converging on indie shops across the United States. (recordstoreday.com) The official 2026 list says the special titles go on sale at participating record stores on April 18, and the organization says it does not sell the releases itself. Stores order titles individually, preorders are not offered, and unsold copies may go online starting Sunday, April 19. (recordstoreday.com) At Rockefeller Center, Rough Trade and the complex’s operators are staging the fifth annual iNDIEPLAZA from noon to 9 p.m. on April 18, with shopping starting at 9 a.m. and live performances beginning at noon. Rockefeller Center says the event is free and open to the public. (rockefellercenter.com) Time Out New York reported the Midtown event is being billed by organizers as the world’s largest Record Store Day celebration and is expected to draw tens of thousands of people. Its April 10 lineup report named Superchunk, Avalon Emerson, Incendiary, Hotline TNT, Momma, Winter, Friko, Nuovo Testamento and Weird Nightmare. (timeout.com) Record Store Day began in 2007 as an idea from independent record store owners and employees, and the first event was held on April 19, 2008. The organization now says nearly 1,400 independently owned stores in the United States and thousands more internationally take part. (recordstoreday.com) This year’s mechanics are the same ones that drive the annual rush: many titles are marked “Exclusive,” meaning they are physically released only at indie stores, while “RSD First” titles may reach other retailers later. A third category, “Small Run/Regional,” covers region-specific releases or pressings under 1,000 copies. (recordstoreday.com) Among the announced titles, Flying Lotus’s debut album *1983* is listed for an April 18 Record Store Day release through Brainfeeder. Record Store Day’s release page identifies it as a vinyl title in the 2026 program. (recordstoreday.com) Phoenix’s 2000 debut *United* is also on the official list, with Record Store Day describing it as a limited-edition release on crystal clear vinyl. The album includes “Too Young” and “If I Ever Feel Better,” two of the songs that introduced the band’s early sound. (recordstoreday.com) Major-label partners are still a big part of the day’s scale. Rhino said in February that it planned 51 limited-edition Record Store Day releases for April 18, spanning artists including Air, David Bowie, The Doors, Talking Heads and Yes. (rhino.com) Record Store Day’s own site is already promoting at least one Taylor Swift item for this year, a 7-inch single for “Elizabeth Taylor,” underscoring how pop-star exclusives continue to sit alongside catalog reissues and indie staples. On April 18, the format stays the same: show up early, get in line, and hope your local store ordered your pick. (recordstoreday.com)