In the digital era, stores that sell records, CDs and other physical forms of recorded music are a dying breed. But some longtime record stores, many of them local institutions, are still thriving. Amoeba Music, founded in 1990 in Berkeley, California, now has locations in San Francisco and Hollywood and bills itself as the "World's Largest Independent Record Store."
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Wuxtry Records was founded in 1976 and now operates stores in Decatur, Georgia -- just outside Atlanta -- and the college town of Athens. The Athens store, near the University of Georgia, includes R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and producer Danger Mouse among its famous ex-employees.
Wuxtry Records
Princeton Record Exchange, across the street from the Princeton University campus in Princeton, New Jersey, boasts more than 140,000 new and used CDs, DVDs and vinyl records. The store opened in 1980.
Jeff Rusnak/Princeton Record Exchange
No trip to Austin, Texas, is complete without a visit to Waterloo Records, a landmark since 1982. The city's thriving music scene and South by Southwest festivals have helped boost the cachet of the store, which has hosted appearances by everyone from Willie Nelson to Spoon.
Waterloo Records
Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams and many other celebrated artists have played gigs at Twist & Shout, the venerable Denver record store.
Twist and Shout
Vintage Vinyl was founded by two buddies in 1979 as a booth at a farmer's market. Today it's one of St. Louis' classic record stores, stocking everything from rock to gospel to reggae to Latin jazz.
Vintage Vinyl
Nashville's status as a music hotbed means it has great record stores. One of the best is Grimey's, which has hosted in-store shows by the Black Keys, Shovels & Rope and others.
Grimey's
Founded in 1997, Jackpot Records is one of Portland, Oregon's, leading sources of new and used vinyl. The store also operates an independent record label.
Jackpot Records
Vinyl is king at Hymie's Vintage Records, in south Minneapolis. People sometimes stop in to greet Irene, the store's Boston terrier, whose picture once appeared in a Rolling Stone article about America's great record stores.
Hymie's Records
Randy's Record Shop in Salt Lake City was founded not on LPs but on 45 rpm records. Owner Randy Stinson opened his store with a collection of 60,000 of them, and vinyl remains the bedrock of his inventory along with turntables and other audio gear. The store holds special sales on Record Store Day, when customers line up around the block.
