Record Store Day exclusives

Record Store Day’s April 18 drop is shaping up as a vinyl line-former, with one-day releases from Taylor Swift, Robert Plant, the Grateful Dead and Charli XCX headed only to participating indie shops. (recordstoreday.com) Record Store Day says the releases go first to brick-and-mortar stores, not its own website, and says there are no pre-orders for the official list. Unsold copies can move online only after the event, starting Sunday, April 19. (recordstoreday.com) The 2026 event falls on Saturday, April 18, and the organization says nearly 1,400 independently owned stores in the United States and thousands more internationally now take part. Its events page already shows stores opening as early as 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. for the day. (recordstoreday.com; recordstoreday.com) Some of the biggest draws come with hard caps on supply. Charli XCX’s “party 4 u” is listed as an 8,000-copy seven-inch, Robert Plant’s “Saving Grace: All That Glitters… with Suzi Dian” as a 3,500-copy twelve-inch extended play, and the Grateful Dead’s “Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/11/76” as a 6,100-copy five-long-play set. (recordstoreday.com; recordstoreday.com; recordstoreday.com) Taylor Swift’s entry is “Elizabeth Taylor,” a seven-inch single on “Cry My Eyes Violet Glitter” vinyl with two tracks, including a “So Glamorous Cabaret Version.” Record Store Day lists it as an exclusive release for April 18. (recordstoreday.com; recordstoreday.com) Stores are preparing for the rush with early doors, line rules and extras aimed at collectors who show up before breakfast. The Record Exchange in Boise says customers may line up outside “as early as you wish,” with its gift shop opening at 7:30 a.m. and exclusives starting at 8 a.m. (therecordexchange.com) That same Boise store says it expects 350 exclusive Record Store Day releases on hand, including titles from Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead and others. Record Store Day’s own rules stress that not every participating shop will stock every title, because each store orders directly from distributors and chooses its own list. (therecordexchange.com; recordstoreday.com) The frenzy is spilling beyond the official Record Store Day list. Noise11 reported on April 12 that the Rolling Stones issued an ultra-rare teaser single, “Rough And Twisted,” under the alias The Cockroaches, and that the vinyl sold out worldwide. (noise11.com) Record Store Day started with its first event on April 19, 2008, after being conceived in 2007 by independent record store owners and employees. Eighteen years later, the pitch is still the same: get to a local shop early, because the records and the line both run out. (recordstoreday.com)