You can tell a lot about a city by its record stores. Like independent bookshops and craft breweries, they function as safe spaces to connect with the community, get a pulse on cultural happenings and gather with friends.The best shops have a distinct flavor and relaxed feel. They invite you to discover the familiar and unknown, and get lost for hours in music. Steered by fanatics who possess specific expertise, the most rewarding brick-and-mortar stores give you the unexpected thrill that occurs when you chance upon a record you’ve sought for years. No online experience comes close.Though Chicago has long been home to some of the country’s finer record emporiums, the past several years witnessed a mini-boom of destinations for music lovers who want to enjoy more than a soulless stream or algorithm-triggered TikTok clip. Today’s landscape greatly differs from that of a decade ago, let alone the pre-digital era when outlets such as Hegewisch Records & Tapes, Dr. Wax, Rose Records and 2nd Hand Tunes operated multiple locations alongside beloved outposts such as Wax Trax! Records and the Quaker Goes Deaf.Another change? The notion of the snobby record-store clerk — the pretentious know-it-all embodied by Jack Black in the film “High Fidelity” — now appears quaint. By and large, affable and non-judgmental staff is the rule rather than the exception.They’ll keep busy on April 12, when the annual Record Store Day event draws thousands of enthusiasts with exclusive releases and collectible versions. Check out what the fuss is about — anticipate lines, and plenty of lively conversation — or, pick another date to explore shops that play a significant role in helping make Chicago the country’s best overall music city.With no disrespect to suburban shops (which warrant a separate article) or city-based locations not included here, the following stores are a cut above and offer something for even the most discerning listener.
1808 S. Allport St.; 606records.com
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Reckless Records
Founded in 1984 in London and established locally in 1989, Reckless remains the granddaddy of all-purpose Chicago record stores. The sprawling Lakeview and Wicker Park locations double as altars to recorded music. Featuring mainstream and esoteric titles, common and rare pressings, its bins, cases and shelves brim with new and used vinyl LPs, CDs and box sets covering every style. A huge assortment of DVDs, tapes, books, magazines and games — and a constant supply of traded-in records — ensures you’ll never run out of things to browse. 929 W. Belmont Ave., 1379 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 26 E. Madison St.; reckless.comDusty Groove
Started as an online-only hobby in April 1996 and at its present headquarters since 2000, Dusty Groove has built an international reputation as a paradise for deep-dive soul, funk, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, soundtracks and global music. Renowned for purchasing collections from individuals and institutions around the country, it serves as a primary subject in the “Dusty Groove: The Sound of Transition” documentary (2019). The brick-walled shop’s clean interior, spacious compartments and meticulous organization make perusing LPs and CDs a breeze. 1120 N. Ashland Ave.; dustygroove.comTorn Light Records
Nearing its one-year anniversary in Bucktown after relocating from Cincinnati, where it thrived for more than a decade, Torn Light specializes in unique experimental, jazz, soul and post-punk from fringe artists and small labels — including its own in-house imprint. Its bright, calm space contains thick, wood bins stuffed with vinyl, CDs, 7-inches and tapes. The latter is another focus; Torn Light carries limited underground releases from around the world. Head here to find the unusual and what you never knew you wanted. You won’t be disappointed. 1855 N. Milwaukee Ave.; tornlightrecords.comGramaphone Records
Dating to 1969, Gramaphone cemented its identity in the early 1980s when it began concentrating on electronic music. Ever since, the Lakeview mainstay has been a first and last stop for house, techno, hip-hop, disco, trance, footwork and more. Catering to DJs, enthusiasts and clubgoers with an informed array of domestic and import releases, the store — differentiated with black-and-white checkerboard flooring and enough 7-, 10- and 12-inch LPs and CDs to keep anyone dancing for several lifetimes — is a bonafide institution. 2843 N. Clark St.; gramaphonerecords.comTone Deaf Records
Despite opening nine just months before the pandemic, Tone Deaf beat the odds and blossomed into a locus for underground and “weird” music. The Portage Park shop touts a healthy roster of punk, psychedelic, garage, metal and industrial vinyl. Its cassette label spotlights ambient and drone from Chicago acts. In-store performances, clever decor, reasonably priced used LPs, indie-press books, 45s, CDs, bargain bins and a comfortable couch — plus, a spot steps from comic book and graphic novel stores — epitomize what a neighborhood record store should be. 4356 N. Milwaukee Ave.; tonedeafrecs.comBucket O’ Blood Books and Records
It’s nearly impossible to miss Bucket O’ Blood. A throwback to when record shops called attention to their street-facing spaces, its storefront — a vibrant mural created by local artist Mac Blackout — screams with eyeballs and planets. Inside is just as cool. In Avondale since 2015, Bucket O’ Blood stokes curiosities with a well-curated array of metal, hard rock and hardcore vinyl — plus, smart choices in other genres. But that’s half the fun. The store’s authoritative collection of horror, sci-fi and fantasy books rivals that of any in Chicagoland. 3182 N. Elston Ave.; bucketoblood.com606 Records
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this fall in Pilsen, 606 Records prides itself as a community-oriented store. Its collaborations involve its across-the-way neighbor Thalia Hall, Estereo and the Charis Listening Bar. Focused on selling albums most listeners won’t recognize upon initial sight from small international and local labels, as well as ambient, jazz and electronic releases from artists yet to break, 606 Records also issues LPs on its own imprint. The store’s minimalist aesthetic, turntables and “deal digs” provide good excuses to linger.1808 S. Allport St.; 606records.com
