WHAT'S HOT
The 14 Best Record Stores in Minneapolis & St. Paul

Published
2 months agoon
By
Joe Lynch
One of the great music capitals of America, the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN) gave us Prince, The Replacements, Jam & Lewis, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, The Time, Semisonic, The Jayhawks, Atmosphere and more. Not to mention serving as early stomping grounds for Minnesota-born legend Bob Dylan and, more recently, a pre-fame Lizzo as she cut her chops.
Given that history, it’s no shock that the Twin Cities punches above its weight when it comes to record stores. While a lot of beloved spots have closed over the years, it’s a testament to the city’s thriving music culture that quite a few record stores have stayed open for 30-plus years now, still going strong after weathering the sharp decline in physical media consumption in the era of streaming (a trend that has happily begun to reverse). Even as Minnesota-based chain retailers such as Best Buy and Target have scaled back (or in some cases eliminated) their music offerings, these independent record stores are keeping physical music – CDs, vinyl and cassettes — alive in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Whether you’re visiting and looking for a store to browse, a local collector looking for new crate-digging turf or someone just beginning to put together their physical music collection, these stores all come highly recommended. Some of them double as coffee shops, others include performance spaces – all of them are worth a trip (or 10). (On a personal note, it was at two of them – Eclipse and Cheapo – that I began to scoop up vinyl for a collection that’s now in the thousands.)
What follows is a breakdown of each store’s space, selections, prices and general atmosphere. The descriptions are by no means comprehensive of everything each store carries. For each store (listed in alphabetical order), please check out its website and/or socials before visiting to keep up to date on what days/times the store is open, whether they’re doing Record Store Day that year and what special events they may be hosting. Many of them sell titles online, too, and nearly all of them buy as well as sell.
Joe Lynch
Source link

Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, Jack Black Provide Best Moments at 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards

Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Ariana Grande Win Multiple Awards at 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards (Full Winners List)

Dua Lipa Brings Surprise Guest Charli XCX to the Stage for ‘360’ in London

Suga Writes Letter to Fans, Marking End of Mandatory Military Service for BTS

Patrick Walden, Former Babyshambles Guitarist, Dies at 46

Exclusive Interview with Bassi Boss

Crucial Flamez: The Guyanese Flame Lighting Up South Florida’s Reggae-Hip Hop Scene

Exclusive interview with Strictly Sour

From Pain to Purpose: Jerard Rice is Starvin’ for Greatness in the industry

Celebrity HipHop’s Next Up: Exclusive Interview with J Menace

Clipse, Pusha T, No Malice – Ace Trumpets (Official Audio)

Turbo & Gunna – Classy Girl [Official Visualizer]

Ken Carson – Blakk Rokkstar (Audio)

Lil Durk – Vanish Mode (Official Audio)

NLE Choppa – Gang Baby (Official Music Video)
TRENDING


Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, Jack Black Provide Best Moments at 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards
My main takeaway from the 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards is that kids like pretty much the same musical artists as...


Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Ariana Grande Win Multiple Awards at 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards (Full Winners List)
Sabrina Carpenter was the top winner at the 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards, winning three of the show’s signature Orange Blimp...


Dua Lipa Brings Surprise Guest Charli XCX to the Stage for ‘360’ in London
Brat Summer lived on at Wembley Stadium, where Dua Lipa welcomed Charli XCX to the stage for “360” Saturday night...


Suga Writes Letter to Fans, Marking End of Mandatory Military Service for BTS
Suga, rapper and songwriter in the global K-pop sensation BTS, is discharged from South Korea’s mandatory military service as of...


Patrick Walden, Former Babyshambles Guitarist, Dies at 46
Patrick Walden, former guitarist for the British rock band Babyshambles, has died at the age of 46. The band, fronted...