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Record Store Day breaks records leaving a trail of angry fans on its path

 

Another record store day has come and gone with a bang.

The event, that only happens once a year took place on the 22nd of April across record stores all over the UK and has broken records, yet again, on vinyl sales.

The special edition records, made or re-issued for Record Store Day, can only be sold in store on the day which creates urgency with the fans that set themselves out to find the one-of-a-kind releases bright and early.

On the day, avid music fans could be seen on the streets of London, some with maps of participant stores.

 

In the week ending of the 27th of April vinyl releases sold 213% more compared to the previous week, with 409,000 vinyl albums.

 

Total album sales at indie retailers rose 193 percent (to 649,000), while vinyl album sales at indies grew 484 percent (to 409,000). Both increases are the largest weekly gains for the respective formats in the retail sector in Record Store Day’s 10-year history.

 

The 649,000 albums sold at indie record stores during the week made it the highest non-Christmas season sales week for the retail sector since 2006.

 

However, the big day wasn’t made only of happy memories. Some music lovers were left disappointed and angry. Quite a lot of fans couldn’t manage to buy the one release they had been waiting for, even after running through the whole of London. As it turned out, vinyl albums were being bought in bulk and selling out quickly, only to be put on sale not long after, for double or even triple the price.

 

Pedro Xavier, videographer, was one of the fans affected by this. Even though him and a friend began the day early and even called stores in advance to know if they were caring the releases they wanted, once they got there, the records had sold out. ‘We had to go to four different stores to get Blossoms’ special edition live album but my friend Nick couldn’t find The Doors – Live at the Matrix, the one he really wanted. It’s really upsetting and off-putting to see greedy people doing this on a day that’s supposed to be fun. Vinyl collectors are meant to be a community’.

 

Another fan, Guerino Di Pietrantonio, was more understanding. ‘It’s one of those things, isn’t it? People see a good thing and take advantage of it. You have to take it for what it is and not let it ruin your day. I got three out of the six albums I wanted. I’ll take it as a win’.

 

Nielsen Music reported that This year’s biggest selling one-of-a-kind releases were:

 

1. Grateful Dead – P.N.E. Garden Auditorium…

2. The Doors – Live at the Matrix

3. The Black Angels – Deathsong

4. Jason Isbell and the 400 – Unit Live From Welcome to 1979 (EP)

5. The Cure – Greatest Hits

6. Santana – Woodstock: Saturday August 16, 1969

7. Stevie Nicks – Rarities

8. The Cure – Greatest Hits Acoustic

9. Rush – Cygnus X-1 (EP)

10. Various Artists – Really Rock ‘Em Right: Sun Records…