Keep music alive by supporting these local, legendary, and thriving Detroit-area record stores, which keep the inspiration spinning all year long.

Village Vinyl 5972 Chicago Rd., Warren; 586-838-4992; facebook.com/villagevinylrecords The old adage suggesting that size matters doesn’t apply to Village Vinyl in Warren. As a heavy-hitter in the metro Detroit record store landscape, Village Vinyl packs a lot into a little spot — and the store’s selection of merch is pretty cool, too. Photo via Village Vinyl/Facebook
Street Corner Music 26020 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park; 248-967-0777; streetcornermusic.com From Isaac Hayes to Greta Van Fleet to rare David Bowie promos and Prince picture discs, this humble Oak Park favorite (and neighbor to indie bookstore Book Beat) is suited for vinyl lovers old and new and for anyone looking for that ’90s-style record store experience. Photo via Street Corner Music / Facebook
Trax ‘N Wax 26535 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-218-8188; facebook.com/traxnwaxstore Formerly a mainstay within the Gibraltar Trade Center in Mount Clemens, Trax ‘N Wax moved into this St. Clair Shores spot when Gibraltar shuttered in 2017. Trax ‘N Wax has amassed an impressive collection of reasonably priced records for the casual vinyl lover, as well as CDs, DVDs, and games. Photo via Trax ‘N’ Wax/ Facebook
Solo Records 30118 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-549-0581; facebook.com/Solo-Records-147339023682 Opened in 1982 by jazz drummer Dan Levitt and his daughter, Solo Records has been serving the metro Detroit community with its extensive collection of vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, reel-to-reel tapes, and 8 tracks, spanning all genres. Photo via Solo Records/Facebook
UHF 512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-545-5955; uhfrecords.com Offering new and used LPs, CDs, and DVDs, as well as books, magazines, and vintage turntables and receivers, UHF shares a wall with beloved vintage clothing boutique Lost & Found. Photo via UHF Records/ Facebook
Encore Records 208 N. Fourth Ave, Ann Arbor; 734-662-6776; encorerecordsa2.com Located on the main drag of Ann Arbor’s university district, Encore Records has a floor-to-ceiling selection sure to please professors of rock, students of jazz, and everyone in between. Photo via Encore Records/ Facebook Credit: Facebook, Encore Records
Dearborn Music 22501 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-561-1000; dearbornmusic.net Dearborn Music has been serving up miles and piles of vinyl (stocking over 50,000 titles across LPs, CDs, and DVDs) since 1956, and has been voted by Metro Times readers as the best record store in Wayne County year after year. Photo via Dearborn Music / Facebook
Dearborn Music – Farmington 33025 Grand River Ave., Farmington; 248-516-3898; dearbornmusic.net Dearborn Music expanded to downtown Farmington, opening its doors in September 2021 inside a former Dress Barn. Like its original Dearborn location, it stocks plenty of LPs and CDs, as well as plenty of band T-shirts, posters, record players, and other memorabilia. Photo by Lee DeVito
Third Man Records 441 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-209-5205; thirdmanrecords.com Third Man Records isn’t your typical record store — and that makes sense, because its founder, Jack White, is far from your typical dude. The former White Stripes leader and man of many bands first launched the record label in 2001 to release his own music, and then opened its Cass Corridor storefront and record pressing plant in 2015. While White himself has a hand in many of the records sold here (expect plenty of material from acts like the White Stripes, Raconteurs, Dead Weather, and solo releases — all packaged in the TMR’s candy-colored aesthetic), the label has also reissued White-approved oldies from labels like Tamla, Sun, and Chess. Photo by Kelley O’Neill Credit: MT photo.
Submerge 3000 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; submerge.com; visitation by appointment only This destination record spot — housed in an unassuming former UAW hall not far from the Motown Museum — is HQ to the legendary techno collective Underground Resistance. It also houses “Exhibition 3000,” the world’s only museum dedicated to Detroit techno. Photo by Lee DeVito
Blast in the Past 28071 Gratiot Ave., Roseville; 586-775-3289; facebook.com/blastinthepastmichigan Blast in the Past is more than a record store, it’s a time machine — and you may never want to come back to the present. Not only does this Roseville mainstay sell pop culture collectibles, including toys, posters, and action figures, but they have an impressive selection of reasonably priced cassette tapes, CDs, and, of course, vinyl. Photo via Blast in the Past/Facebook
Record Graveyard 2610 Carpenter St., Hamtramck; 313-870-9647; facebook.com/Record-Graveyard-145397352187329 Don’t let the name fool you. Hamtramck’s Record Graveyard is very much alive, and flush with soul — and plenty of jazz, blues, Motown, and Polka. They also sell records on eBay for people who know exactly what they’re after. Photo via Record Graveyard/Facebook
Underground Sounds 120 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-327-9239; ugsounds.com The folks behind Underground Sounds cater to seekers of fresh, plastic-wrapped vinyl. That’s right — new release vinyl and compact discs are their specialty, and are sold below list price. Photo via Underground Sounds/Facebook
Detroit Threads 10238 Jos Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-872-1777; facebook.com/Detroit-Threads You’ll need some cool threads to go with your new music haul, which is why this Hamtramck spot is so damn convenient. Not only do they sell vintage clothing, but they also specialize in techno, house, electronic, and dubstep records. There’s a lot to choose from for rock, soul, and funk fans, too. Photo via Detroit Threads/Facebook
Found Sound 234 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-565-8775; foundsoundvinyl.tumblr.com This spacious record trove is located on the main drag of fabulous Ferndale, boasting an impressive selection of 45s, as well as an extensive music-related book collection. Photo via Found Sound/Facebook
Flipside Records 41 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-585-4090; shopflipsiderecords After it started selling records independently in 1980, Flipside Records got the storefront treatment and quickly expanded to offer T-shirts and other collectibles. Due to downtown development, the store plans to soon relocate to Berkeley, so help them out by taking advantage of their moving sale before their last day in Clawson on Dec. 26, 2021. Photo via Flipside Records/Facebook
Melodies & Memories 23013 Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe; 586-774-8480; melodies-memories.business.site Time is but a construct when entering this family-owned music museum. Since 1988, Melodies & Memories has been known as a vinyl-lover’s paradise, with more than 150,000 records in stock. They also made headlines twice in 2018: Once for selling the rarest 45 in the world, a copy of Frank Wilson’s 1965 soul song “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” to rock star Jack White, and again for scoring a rare test pressing of Aretha Franklin’s 1967 hit “Respect” just before the singer’s death — which they later loaned to the Detroit Historical Museum. What we’re saying is, you just never know what you might find here. Photo by Steve Neavling Credit: Steve Neavling
Slick Disc Music 1625 West Rd., Trenton; 734-692-1881; facebook.com/slickdiscmusic Mom-and-son-owned since 1988, this tiny Downriver spot is stacked with new and used records, as well as a wide array of apparel and accessories. Photo via Slick Disc Music / Facebook
Detroit Record Club 28834 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-565-8683; thedetroitrecordclub.com Calling all cool kids! The Detroit Record Club is here with its curated, hand-cleaned collection of vinyl. Having opened in 2019, the Detroit Record Club is a go-to spot for new and used records and also offers music-related reading material and some retro hi-fi equipment to upgrade your music-listening experience. Photo via The Detroit Record Club / Facebook
Weirdsville Records 61 Macomb Pl., Mount Clemens; 586-468-2665; weirdsvillerecords.com There’s nothing weird about this Mount Clemens record shop, though it might be weird if you didn’t find something while perusing its collection of nearly 20,000 records spanning garage, surf, rock, punk, new wave, country, classical, lounge, indie, and more. They also sell some music equipment and effects pedals, tiki wares, vintage toys, rock and horror shirts, and a bunch of other stuff that may or may not be weird. Oh, and they might just be the only metro Detroit shop to have their own radio station. Photo via Weirdsville Records /Facebook
Ripe Records 15212 Charlevoix St., Grosse Pointe Park; 313-469-7479; riperecordsdetroit.com Husband-and-wife-owned and -operated Ripe Records was established in 2018 and has already amassed a following thanks to its curated selection of new vinyl and collection of players, stereos, and receivers. Photo via Ripe Records Detroit / Instagram
Wazoo Records 336 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-8686; wazoorecords.blogspot.com This tiny and tidy Ann Arbor spot has been doing its thing since 1974, serving the community with its eclectic selection of sublime to ridiculous — and ridiculously rare — records, tapes, CDs, and more. Don’t want to leave the house? Wazoo Records’ collection can be shopped online. Photo via Google Maps/by owner
Stormy Records 313-581-9322; stormyrecords.com This longstanding shop recently closed its Dearborn storefront, but music fans can still shop their extensive listings online. Photo via Stormy Records / Facebook
Wax Bar 44 E Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-879-0276; waxbarypsi.com Not only does this record lounge serve up used and new LPs and 45s, but also craft cocktails, beer, and wine. Photo via WaxBar / Facebook
Technical Equipment Supply 306B N. River St., Ypsilanti; technicalequipmentsupply.com A music and gear store owned and operated by DJ and music producer Todd Osborn, with a focus on techno, electro, and hip-hop. The store is also home to its own label, which has released music from acts like Apex Twin and Madlib. Photo via Technical Equipment Supply / Facebook
Hello Records 4165 Fort St., Lincoln Park; 313-300-5654; hellorecordsdetroit.com This small yet eclectic Corktown record shop relocated to a much larger Downriver space during the pandemic, allowing the store to expand into CDs, DVDs, posters, and other memorabilia. Photo via Hello Records / Instagram
Peoples Records 1464 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-399-2981; peoplesdetroit.com This vinyl-only shop located inside the Trinosophes art space largely sells used records, with an emphasis on jazz, R&B, and gospel, though they do stock some new Detroit techno and house. Photo via Peoples Records / Facebook
Paramita Sound 1515 Broadway St., Detroit; paramitasound.com This small record store started in a house storefront in Detroit’s West Village neighborhood, making a name for itself with its Beat Profile parties that could draw huge crowds. It later relocated to 1515 Broadway downtown, where it’s now a record store and wine bar. It closed during the pandemic, but recently announced its return. Photo via Social Club Detroit / Instagram
Flames Favorites Record Store 51 W. Hancock St., Detroit; 313-283-3422; facebook.com/flamesfavs The small record store, which focuses on vinyl, CDs, and cassette tapes, is located in “The Market in the ARC” building near the Wayne State University campus. The store has a mission to to provide employment for Detroiters with disabilities and raise diversity awareness through projects like D.A.M.P. (Diversity Awareness through Music and Poetry). Photo via Flames Favorites Record Store / Facebook
Spot Lite 2905 Beaufait St., Detroit; spotlitedetroit.com Soon after opening in 2021, this performance and arts space run by the 1xRun print house has become a favorite hangout, drawing inclusive crowds. In addition to a bar, it also has a small record store, largely sourced from the owners Roula David and Jesse Cory’s trips through the midwest. Photo by Lizz Wilkinson Credit: Lizz Wilkinson

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