Shrink-Wrap and Allowance Money: Record Stores in the '70s and '80s

Some of us can still smell it: cardboard sleeves, fresh shrink-wrap and the faint scent of incense near the posters. For teenagers in the 1970s and '80s, the record store wasn't just a place to buy music. It was where you discovered new bands, argued about old ones and spent every dollar of your allowance.

The Thrill of the Hunt

Walking into a record store meant rows and rows of bins packed with albums, sorted by genre and artist. You flipped through them one by one, studying the cover art, reading the back and reading liner notes when the store let you. There was no algorithm to tell you what to like. You found new music by taking chances, trusting the clerk's recommendation or buying something just because the cover looked cool.

A Format for Every Fan

Record stores of that era carried every format imaginable: LPs and 45s, 12-inch dance singles, 8-track tapes, cassettes and, by the mid-'80s, those shiny new compact discs. Vinyl had its warm sound and big album art. The 8-track was built for the car. Cassettes were perfect for the Walkman and for making mixtapes. Rock, pop, punk, disco, country and soul all had their own sections, and the bargain bin was a treasure chest of its own.

More Than a Store

The best record stores were social hubs. You'd run into friends, overhear debates about the best album of the year, check the bulletin board for concert flyers and find out which band was coming to town. Big chains like Tower Records, which started in Sacramento in 1960 and grew into a worldwide brand, sat alongside small independent shops with their own personalities and loyal regulars.

The Ride Home

Then came the best part: getting your new record home. Tearing off the shrink-wrap, sliding out the inner sleeve, setting the needle down and reading every word on the jacket while the first song played. The anticipation was almost as good as the music.

The Record Store Today

Streaming made music instant, and many stores disappeared. Tower Records closed its U.S. stores in 2006. But independent shops have made a comeback, helped by the vinyl revival and events like Record Store Day, which started in 2008. For a new generation of collectors, flipping through the bins is once again one of the best parts of loving music.

What was the name of your favorite record store growing up, and what's the best album you ever bought there? Tell us in the comments below.