list of Defunct Indie Record Stores and Head Shops-

In my younger days, I spent a lot of time in record stores & head shops, from about 1973 to 2007. Sometimes I think I love the record stores more than the records themselves (and you know how much I love records). I still look/looked up to the store owners, weird and ornery as they are/were, they are my heroes. Hats off to ’em! I’ve talked to a few folks over the years, and I’ve compiled a list here. This is a work in progress, and I’ll update it from time to time. Please feel free to post comments below with new entries. Photos of 40 closed record stores

Abandoned Record Stores

British Record Shop Archive

Good database of current operating record stores

Jeanne Andersen’s page of Twin Cities Record Stores

The phone app you need for current stores

California:

South San Francisco: Bronstein Music

Conneticut:

Middletown: Rhymes

New Haven: Rhymes

New Milford: Rhymes

Southbury: Rhymes

Florida:

Coral Gables: Spec’s Records & Tapes

Illinois:

Champaign: Record Service

Chicago: Wax Trax, Round Records, Rose Records, Hardboiled, Pravda, Hot Jams

Decatur: Co-Op, Appletree

DeKalb: Co-Op

Elgin: Splittgerber’s

Galesburg: Co-Op

Granite City: Vintage Vinyl (still open in St Louis- OF COURSE)

Homewood: Record Swap

Lincoln: Co-Op

Macomb: Co-Op

Moline: Ash Mountain

Normal: Co-Op, Divinyl Madness, Record Service, Appletree

(thanx, Paul Etch)

Rock Island: Co-Op, White Silver Sands

Rockford: Co-Op, Straight Johnson’s, Buffalo Records, Appletree, Grass Menagerie, Giant

Springfield: Co-Op, Appletree

Sterling: Co-Op

Indiana:

Carmel: Karma Records Tapes Audio

Columbus: Karma Records Tapes Audio

Greenfield: Karma Records Tapes Audio

Indianapolis: Karma Records Tapes Audio,

Ed’s Music Center

Mishawaka: Just for the Record

Mooresville: Karma Records Tapes Audio

Plymouth: Karma Records Tapes Audio

Warsaw: Karma Records Tapes Audio

West Lafayette: Lick My Grooves, Slatewood

Iowa:

Ames: Peeple’s, Co-Op

Arnold’s Park: Jam’s

Bettendorf: Co-Op

Cedar Falls: Co-Op, Cloudburst (UNI Union bldg- late ’70s)

Cedar Rapids: Relics, Rock n’ Bach, Record Realm (70s-80s), Krackers (70s-80s), Mellow Mind, Omni, M&M, Rattz, Rockin’ Records

Council Bluffs: Homer’s

Davenport: Happy Jack’s, Curiosity Shop

Des Moines: Archives, Peeple’s, Co-Op, Bombco, East Town Music, Generation Landslide (head shop), Homer’s, Patchwork, Rattz II, Vinyl Fetish (two locations- one was on East Walnut), Music Circuit (two locations- 24th and University, SW 9th just south of Park Ave), Music Factory (Steve Gold- two locations- 24th St and on SW 9th), University Book Store (University Av), The Old Record Shop

Dubuque: Reality Check

Iowa City: BJ’s. Sal’s Music Emporium, Apollo, Co-Op, Real Records (closed TWICE!)

Janesville: Make it So

Marion: Alter Ego

Marshalltown: Co-Op

Mason City: CDGBs, City Sound, Face the Music, Leatherhead (1969-1977)

Ottumwa: Sound Waves

Sioux City: Uncle John, Backstage with Ray, Audio Emporium, Last Stop CD Shop, Slow Motion

Spencer: Rainy Day Music , Merrie Melodies

Spirit Lake: Courier Music (mid-70s), Blue Sky (late-70s)

Storm Lake: Rainy Day Music

Urbandale: CD Shop Waterloo: Signal to Noise (late-70s), Co-Op, 1790 Records

West Des Moines: Slipped Discs

Kansas:

Hays: G-B Records

Hutchinson: Adrians Record Shop

Kansas City: Tough World Lawrence: Junior’s Farm, Alley Cat, Seventh Heaven, The End

Leavenworth: Lackey’s Music Plus

Leawood: J-R Disque, Seventh Heaven

Shawnee: Village (they still do mail-order)

Topeka: Mother Earth, World Records, Uptown Entertainment

Wichita: Yesterday’s Discs, Purple Haze, Antarctica, Poverty Records

Kentucky

Louisville: Ear X-tacy

Manitoba:

Winnipeg (thanx, DJ Vom): Opus 69, The Autumn Stone, Pyramid Records, Records on Wheels, Peppers, Stereo Swap Shop, Mother’s (still open in Moorhead, MN!), Music Explosion, The Wherehouse, We Gotcha It’s the Music, Country Music Center, The Cellar, Impulse Records,

Music City, The Attic, Record Baron

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more Winnipeg stuff

(thx, DJ Vom) kelly’s – several locations mr. sound musiplex – downtown musiplex – madison square a&a records – madison square a&b records (vancouver, british columbia chain) – portage avenue sam the record man (toronto, ontario chain) – various locations sonus musica homemade music (the original Wpg Folk Festival Music Store) FTW records christopher d’s (way down portage ave near unicity) rock revival comic world (w/rock revival stock) – basement location on princess Gambles record department K-Mart record department Clarks record department Zellers record department Woolco record department Simpson Sears record department Eatons record department Hudsons Bay record department Mountain Drugs

Maryland:

Georgetown: Orpheus Takoma Park: Joe’s Record Paradise (they put out Root Boy Slim’s “Xmas at K-Mart” record)

Massachusetts:

Boston- Second Coming Records

Michigan:

Flint: Rocka Rolla

Manchester: Sailors Appliances and Music

Niles: The Record Joint (Bell Plaza- 2 locations)

Saginaw: Rocka Rolla

Shields: Rocka Rolla

Hymie’s hand-written of closed Minneapolis-area stores- Thanks to Laura & Dave @ Hymies.

Insider Newspaper ad–image courtesy of Paul Strickland & Facebook’s group Twin Cities Music Scene ’70’s-’80’s

Clay Cameron (photo courtesy of David Jenkins)

Al Knutson & Clay Cameron- The Good Life, Albert Lea, MN – photo courtesy of Janet Deane

The Good Life, Albert Lea, MN – photo courtesy of Janet Deane

Albert Lea: The Good Life (from David Jenkins: “Clay Cameron owned The Good Life in Albert Lea at the corner of Clark and Broadway in 1972. It was a small subterranean head shop which sold LPs, posters, incense, pipes, papers, etc.”)

Alexandria: Discontent

Apple Valley: Title Wave

Austin: Face the Music, Earl White Music (1980s)

Bemidji: Natural Music

Blaine: 20/20 Sound, Wax Museum

thanx, Ron Clark

Bloomington: Aardvark

Harpo’s (Oxford Center), Third Stone Music (Valley West Shopping Center)

Brainerd: Gallery Gifts

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Brooklyn Center: In Zane Ltd. (they still sell clean pee products)

Brooklyn Park: VIP CDs & Tapes, Title Wave

Burnsville: Northern Lights, Midland

Cambridge: Cambridge CDs & Tapes

Columbia Heights: Fancy Colors

Coon Rapids: Odd Merchants, High Rapids

Cottage Grove: In Concert

Crystal: Title Wave

Detroit Lakes: Sound Shop

Duluth: Young at Heart, Last Place on Earth (still sells cigarettes), Hot Licks, Dull Youth, Eternal, The Cat’s Meow (3 E. Superior St., Steve Hoffman)

Eagan: Summer of Love

Eden Prairie: Tape World, Midland

Edina: Disc & Needle (5006 France Av. S.)

Faribault: Faribo, Tune Town (still open in Mankato)

Fergus Falls: Leyquist Sound Idea

Forest Lake: Toulouse Records, Music Bug

Fridley: Northern Lights, JB Records (Osborne Road), Cheapo (still open in St Paul, Mpls, & Blaine)

Glenwood: Callen’s Radio & TV

Grand Rapids- Crystal Image (owners last name was Ranger)

Hastings: The Ranch, River Flow, Second Thoughts

Hibbing: Alden Music Store

Hopkins: Hitsville, Bud’s Music Center (still sells instruments), Third Stone Music (Main Street), Headquarters, Wax Museum, Hot Licks

Hot Licks Hopkins (photo courtesy Jeanne Anderson)

Le Sueur: Kasperik Records

Mankato: The Lost Chord, Audio Store, Ernie November (still open in So. Dak, Wyoming,and Montana), Retro Ron’s

Maplewood: Third Stone Music (White Bear Ave) , Midland Records (Maplewood Mall), CD Replay (White Bear Ave), GoJohnnyGo (Maplewood Mall)

Thanx, David Nelson, for the jacket & matches photos

Harpos and Hot Licks Boat Party 1978 or 79 (thank you Tom Smith) Hot Lick’s, downtown Minneapolis (thank you Barb Economon & The Old Minneapolis page on Facebook) Music City, downtown Minneapolis (thanks, Barb Economon & The Old Minneapolis page on Facebook)

Northern Lights, downtown Minneapolis, late 1984

Don Leary’s, circa 1955, thanx Minnesota Historical Society and the Old Minneapolis page on Facebook

thanx, Ron Clark

Minneapolis: Let it Be (10th and Nicollet, Loring Park, 7th and Hennepin),Oar Folkjokeopus/North Country Music (26th and Lyndale), Treehouse (26th and Lyndale), Northern Lights (7th and Hennepin),Hot Licks (7th and Hennepin), Garage D’or (26th and Nicollet, Lake and Lyndale),Music City (7th and Hennepin),
Wax Museum (Lake and Nicollet, West Bank, 7th & Hennepin downtown),Applause (various uptown locations),Pyramid (1st Ave and 5th St), Optic Nerve (Lake and Lyndale), Aardvark (Central and Lowry), Records on the Nile (35th and Cedar), Uneeda Records (22nd and Lyndale), Groove Monster (Dinkytown), Stone Bleu Ltd. Stone Bleu Too (38th & Grand), Hit City (Central Ave NE), Don Leary’s (St Anthony), Campus Record Shop, Hazen’s (33rd and E Lake St), Record Exchange (7 corners), Disc & Needle (1439 W. Lake St.), Backbeat Discs (25th and Hennepin), Bassment (E. Hennepin and 5th St NE, Lake and Lyndale), Cynesthesia (Karmel Blvd.,617 West Lake Street, 2901 Lyndale Av S), Da Sound Lab (42nd and Minnehaha), Digital City (Broadway- North Side), DJ’s Music Emporium (Grand and Lake St), Elite (Lowry and Central NE), Know Name/Your Store (Dinkytown),Positively 4th St (Dinkytown), Last Stop CD Shop (Dinkytown), New Avenue (Lake St), Nightfall (E Lake and 27th), Sursumcorda (1st Ave and 3rd St- downtown), Universal CDs (38th and Chicago), Wide Angle (45th and Nicollet), CD Station, Hit City (Central Av NE), Rock-it Records (three diff locations), Humble Sounds (50th & Bryant), CD Cellar (by Lake Nokomis), Record Run (Thomas Ave N- originally from Philly), Oblivion Record Shop (Cedar Av. north of Riverside- West Bank), Rising Sun (Harmon Av btwn 8th and 9th dntn), Soul Survivor (Penn and Broadway), Platters (LynLake, Cedar & Riverside- photo thanx David Beckey), Schmitt Music (they still sell instruments), Modern Records (15th and Nicollet), Record Lane (8th and Nicollet), F.U.G. Record Sales (North Lyndale Av.), Mr. Bojangles (37th and Stinson, NorthEast), Record Rarities (Aldrich and Lake St.), Dixieland Record Heaven, Third Stone Music (W. Lake Street), The New England (8th and Marquette), Title Wave (W. Lake St.),Wayne & Ron’s (Lake & 30th), Immaculate Contraptions (Franklin & Lyndale), Mr. Crown’s (38th St.), Spring Records,Sound Inn (Stadium Village and 18th & Nicollet) . . House of Records (Lake and Nicollet), Lyndale Flowers and Records (Lyndale & 36th), Dee’s Record Center, Get Records, Chicago Lake Records, Acme Record Shop, 7 E. 26th Street, Texas Bill Strength Record Shop (202 S. 10th St.), Earth (Lake & Nicollet), Kra-Mar Music (3939 Fremont Av. N), Majestic Music Shop (14 S. 7th St.), Gilbert’s Music & Novelty Shop, 30 S. 7th St., Minnesota Phonograph Co. (612 Nicollet- 1920s!), Disco City (Lake & Portland), Mr. Crown Records (38th & 4th St.), Dead Media (Seward & Longfellow locations), Fifth Element, Country Comforts (34th Av & 54th St)

(Thanx, Kelly Bystrom & Vyntage Vinyl)

thanks Tom Novak

photo of North Country thanx to Wayne Elliot Klayman, that’s him sitting behind the counter

. . .(Thanx Paul Strickland & Facebook: Twin Cities Music Scene ’70’s-’80’s) . .

thx to the Old Minneapolis page on FB

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(thanx, Alan Freed)

(thanx Danny Beck)

(thanks, Drew Miller)

(Thanks to Edward De Gregorie via facebook)

Minnetonka: Cheapo (still open in St Paul, Mpls, & Blaine)

Montevideo: Sounds Extreme

Moorhead: Daveau Music Company (616 Center Ave), Vinyl Connection (Brookdale Mall)

Mound: Netka’s

Navarre: The Hub, Third Stone Music

New Ulm: Meidl Music, Brown & Meidl, Music Exchange, Sound Wave, GoJohnnyGo’s Records Revisited, Schroeder’s, Big Brother.

Northfield: Fine Groove, Red Pets

Redwood Falls: Sounds Extreme

Richfield: Down in the Valley (66th & Penn), Third Stone Music (The Hub Shopping Center), Anderson’s Hi Fi (The Hub Shopping Center), Southdale Record Store

Thanks, Terry Ahlstrom & Richfield Historical Society

Robbinsdale: Wax Museum, CD Station

Kevin Adams

Rochester: Broadway, Face the Music, New Rhythm, Earwax, Headquarters

Roseville: Title Wave, The Record Store (Larpenteur & Lexington)

St Anthony: Music City (Apache Plaza)

Saint Louis Park: Del’s (Miracle Mile Shopping Center), Music 2 (Knollwood Mall),

Record Lane (Knollwood Plaza), Hot Lick’s (Excelsior Blvd)

Hart’s Records, St Paul.

Saint Paul: Northern Lights (Pascal & University Ave, Hillcrest Shopping Center, Wax Museum (Prior & University Ave), Three Acre Wood (7th Street & Wabasha- John Claig, manager), Three Acre Wood (White Bear Ave), Hot Lick’s (Hillcrest Shopping Center, Phalen Shopping Center), Root Cellar (Snelling & Thomas), Applause (Snelling & Ashland Aves), Pasha Poi (Grand Ave & Snelling), Music 2 (Sun Ray Shopping Center, Phalen Shopping Center, 7th St & Wabasha), The Record Shop/Jugheads owned by Chuck Rath 1971-ish. (Hudson Rd & Earl Street), Music City (Wabasha Av), Happy’s (Selby & Snelling), MacGowan’s (1950s), Burk’s (1950s- 2 locations dntn). Schmitt Music (they still sell instruments in Mpls), Rockheads (5th & Wabasha), Flip Side (White Bear Ave, Cleveland & Randolph), Louise Music (Grand Av. & Grotto), Cannabis (Rice St & Arlington, Forest & Maryland), Aliens (w. 7th St.), Backbeat Discs (Ford Pkwy & Cleveland), Old Laughing Lady (Grand & Snelling), East Side Jams (E 7th St), Eclipse (Grand & Snelling, University & Prior-now open downtown St Paul- 6th & Wabasha), SugerMan’s Gallery (Selby & Victoria), 24-7 CD Store (Arcade Ave), The Store/TCI Outlet (University & Hamline), Sugar Dan’s (Como & Snelling), Iron Moon (Payne and York), Gimbel’s (not the chain store), Lyon & Healy (downtown St Paul- 1940s), Gulck’s Record Shop (221 N Snelling near Marshall), Vinyl Touch (Pacific & Point Douglas), Sensational Records (University Ave & Dale St., Leo Taylor, owner), Eye Moot House (Finn & Grand Av.), Peyer Music Shop (6th & Minnesota), Louise Music Shop (Grand Av.), Kamau Record Shop (Selby & Milton

Thanx to Stacy Halde

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Saint Peter: Tune Town (still open in Mankato)

(thanks, Mark Luebker)

Stillwater: Underwater Music, Harpo’s, Joe Roach Music, George’s Record Shop (Wohlers)

Wayzata: Music Box (1950s)

West Saint Paul: Mike Thomas Appliance (Signal Hills Shopping Center)

White Bear Lake: Evans Music (they still sell instruments), Big Daddy Wags/Wagner Music, Dunphy’s Records, GoJohnnyGo

Willmar: Toons

Winona: Good Vibrations, Face the Music, Down Home, Wings of Music, Primo, 3rd Street Hi Fi, Mr. Groovy’s

Worthington: Elite Audio

Mississippi:

Jackson: BeBop Records

Missouri:

Cape Girardeau: The Record Store

Columbia: Whizz, Now Hear This, Salt of the Earth

Farmington: Coast to Coast Sound

Festus: Main Street

Jackson: Spin City

The Legendary Ron Rooks of The Music Exchange. Photo by Corkey Carrel

Kansas City: Music Exchange, Recycled Sounds, Love Records, Caper’s Corner,Abba Zabba, Good Times, Groove Farm, H&H Record Shop, Listening Room, 180 Degrees, Rock Therapy

Kirksville: B&B Record Shop

Marshall: Kiah’s Record Rack

Sedalia: Sound Spectrum

Springfield: Indigo, Spin Again

St Joseph: Heaven and Earth, Toe Jams

Warrensburg: Phoenix

Nebraska:

Kearney: Twisters

Zero Street, Lincoln– Garth & Dan

Lincoln: Zero Street, N-Da-Mixx, Twisters, Spindle

Omaha: Leola’s, Dirt Cheap, Zero Street, Twisters, Pickles, Backstage, Harry O’s, Antiquarium

thanks, photo from Vladimir Rinco

New Brunswick:

Fredrickton: Magic Forest Music Store

New York:

Glens Falls: Knobby’s

New York City: Bleeker Bob’s, Venus Records, Rebel, King Karol (many locations)

North Dakota:

Bismarck: Budget, Music Syndicate

Fargo: Disc and Tape, Vinyl Connection, Prairie Dog, Broadway, Daveau Music Company

Grand Forks: Discontent

Minot: Discontent

Williston: Budget

Oklahoma:

Tulsa: Lee’s

Ontario:

Thunder Bay: St James Stereo

Rhode Island:

Providence: Rhymes

South Dakota:

Aberdeen: Engel Music (they sold records in the late 1960s)

Brookings: Sound Station

Mitchell: Xtreme Trendz (they still sell skateboards)

Rapid City: Sound Bytes, Gnome Grown, Spirit of the Hills

Sioux Falls: Iron Creek (1970s), Odland Music Shop

Spearfish: Big Top

Vermillion: Uncle John Goes to College, Herb’s

Watertown: Sound Station

Texas:

(thanx to Craig Moerer)

Corpus Christi: Ashley’s High Speed Boogie Shop (1971)

Virginia:

Norfolk: Tracks

Virginia Beach: Variety, Mothers Records and Tapes

Wisconsin:

Appleton: Record Exchange, New Frontier

Beloit: Co-Op, Denzil’s Music Emporium

Eau Claire: Trucker’s Union, UMS Records (1973-86)

Grafton: Galaxy of Sound

Pipe Dreams Softball team

Green Bay: Record Exchange, Pipe Dreams, Freedom Records, Galaxy of Sound

Janesville: Co-Op

LaCrosse: One Octave Lower (3rd and King–1972-73), Metamorphosis (2nd and Pearl– 1970-83), The Tree (4th and Main–1974-86), Leitholds (they still sell instruments) (thanx Dan Heilman)

Madison: Sugar Shack, Galaxy of Sound, Rave Up (University Avenue), Wazoo (State Street), Record World (State Street), Discount Records (State Street), Lake Street Station, (Lake Street, then on State Street).

Marshfield: Mitten’s

Rich Menning

Milwaukee: Atomic, Ludwig Von Ear, Mean Mtn. Music, Radio Doctors, Mainstream, Lewis’ North Shore Record Center, Wax Stacks, Farwell Music, 1812 Overture, NMC Discount Records (Farwell Av south of North Avenue- Lew Alcindor’s choice shop), Galaxy of Sound

Racine: It’s a Beautiful Day

Sheboygan: Pipe Dreams, Nickelodeon Records, Strawberry Fields

Spooner: Eddie’s

Superior: B&B Sporting Goods, Nickelsons

Waukesha: Mainstream

Wausau: Sugar Shack, We Be CDs & LPs, Wrights (3rd Street),Bob’s Musical Isle and Hi Fi Center (3rd Street)

Whitewater: Pipe Dreams

Ed. note: Ha! While researching this, I made a few prank phone calls to stores out in the hinterlands, just like I did when I worked for ADA. Man, I miss calling record stores on the phone! I’d ask stupid questions like ‘”Is this the record store? Didja get any snow today? Are you open now?” I’m impressed how many stores are still open out there, I love to see them surviving in 2011.

Here are the ring binders with the contact info of hundreds of record stores that I assembled while working for ADA 1996-2007. Most of the info above was taken from these books, glad I kept them until

now.

John Beggs- still at it- with Todd Adams