Signage is displayed at a closing Tower Records store October 9, 2006 in Schaumburg, Illinois. 46-year-old Tower Records is closing its stores, costing approximately over 3,000 jobs and most of its assets are being liquidated.; Credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images
The advent of digital and streaming music means that audiophiles now have access to hundreds of millions of songs and albums for a nominal monthly fee.
While this is great news for music consumers, it has spelled the death of the traditional record store. Once considered an agora where musical minds meet, meld, and share their favorite tunes, record stores are scarce today.
In many cases, the ones that are still open still thrive off of a dedicated clientele who have also retained the love of shopping for music at a brick-and-mortar store. Here in Los Angeles, residents are fortunate to have places like Amoeba Music, which have helped maintain the records shop culture that was once an iconic part of the city’s music scene.
What are your memories of looking for music in record shops? Was there a different type of connection made with the music you buy in a record store versus simply adding a song or album to a Spotify or Apple Music playlist? Do you still shop for music at record shops? What are the best record shops in L.A.?
Guest:
Russ Solomon, founder of Tower Records