What is Record Store Day? History and 2022 release list

Posted by

Boss on Apr 23, 2022 - 10:56AM

Support your local independent record story this April 23 (Picture: Getty)

April 23 may be, but it is not a date that is just for slaying dragons and celebrating England’s.

In 2022, the day is also Record Store Day, which is celebrated across the world.

It is an event many music fans have come to love, evolving more than 260 independent record shops across the UK, and thousands more stores across the world.

But what exactly is Record Store Day, and how is it being celebrated?

What is Record Store Day?

RSD was first conceived back in 2007 (Picture: Getty)

Record Store Day is held on one Saturday in April every year and was first conceived back in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees in the US as a way to celebrate the culture surrounding independently owned record stores.

Its first official events took place on April 19, 2008 in the US, with opening the event at Rasputin Music in Mountain View, California – today there are RSD participating stores on every continent.

Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day.

Festivities also include live performances, meet and greets with artists, parades, DJs spinning records, and vinyl market stalls.

Who is the ambassador for Record Store Day 2022?

Taylor Swift is the first global ambassador for RSD (Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

This year, is the ambassador for Record Store Day and has become the first-ever global RSD ambassador.

In a statement, she said: ‘I’m very proud to be this year’s Ambassador for Record Store Day. The places where we go to browse and explore and discover music new and old have always been sacred to me.

‘Record stores are so important because they help to perpetuate and foster music-loving as a passion. They create settings for live events. They employ people who adore music thoroughly and purely.’

Swift continued: ‘We need to support these small businesses more now than ever to make sure they can stay alive, stay eccentric, and stay individual.’

Record Store Day Release List 2022

Hundreds of records are set for release today for Record Store Day, but fans have been told to expect some manufacturing delays, with some announced records now set to be released on June 18 instead.

ðŸš¨The official list is here!ðŸš¨

Hundreds of releases will be available in more than 260 stores across the UK on 23rd April.

Childish Gambino to , pinkpantheress to our Global Ambassador there’s something for everyone.
— Record Store Day UK (@RSDUK)