The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008, at independent brick-and-mortar outlets – and the annual event still finds ways to surprise and delight.
This year’s edition, set for Saturday (April 18), offers key exclusives from Pink Floyd, Robert Plant, Foreigner, Black Sabbath, the Rolling Stones, Motorhead and the Cars, among others. The day is also set to include a number of LPs that will be available first to early record buyers, including key releases by Yes cofounder Jon Anderson and Cream, the supergroup featuring Eric Clapton at his most fiery.
Pink Floyd’s four-disc 16-song Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 is made up of found material recorded by bootlegger Mike Millard. The audio has been restored and remastered by Steven Wilson. Plant’s four-song Saving Grace: All That Glitters LP continues the former Led Zeppelin frontman’s recent collaborations with Suzi Dian. Only 3,500 will be sold.
What’s On Tap for Record Store Day 2026?
Tony Iommi returns to Black Sabbath’s Seventh Star, the first of his three collaborations alongside former Deep Purple star Glenn Hughes, with an an expanded LP on a 5,400-copy run. Foreigner’s self-explanatory two-disc RSD exclusive 4 Live Tour 1981-82 was recorded during shows in Anaheim, California, Birmingham, England, and Dortmund, Germany. There will only be 2,500 available.
Motorhead’s Lost Tapes, Vol. 7 features material from the late frontman Lemmy Kilmister‘s 50th birthday at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood. It’s a two-disc exclusive on a 3,000-copy run. The Cars perform songs from a four-times platinum smash on the 2LP Heartbeat City Live, with 3,500 available.
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One of the more unusual Record Store Day offerings comes from the Rolling Stones, who are featured in a series of special three-inch vinyl recordings of key songs like “Honky Tonk Women,” “Play With Fire” and “Get Off of My Cloud,” among others. (And yes, there is also a companion mini-turntable release from Crosley.)
READ MORE: UCR’s Continuously Updated List of Scheduled Rock Releases
RSD First releases include Cream’s Wheels of Fire: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland Ballroom, with just 4,500 copies available. One of the tracks has never been issued before. Jon Anderson is also expanding his recent True album. The special two-disc vinyl set will be limited to 1,500 LPs.
Want more? UCR has compiled a list focusing exclusively on the rock-related material that’s set for release during 2026’s Record Store Day. Here’s an in-depth look so you can create your own shopping list:
RSD EXCLUSIVES
A-Ha, Analogue 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (2LP)
Alice Cooper, The Revenge of Alice Cooper: Limited Picture Disc (2LP)
Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi, Seventh Star (LP)
The Blasters, Rare Blasts: Studio Outtakes and Movie Music 1979-1985 (cobalt blue 5LP edition)
Brian Wilson, On Tour 1999-2007; Imagination (LPs)
Bruce Kulick, Transformer (LP)
Bruce Springsteen, Live From Asbury Park 2024 (5LP)
Bryan Adams, Tough Town (LP)
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, Lick My Decals Off, Baby: Deluxe Edition (2LP)
The Cars, Heartbeat City Live (2LP)
Collective Soul, Touch and Go (LP)
Crosby Stills and Nash, The Solo Albums (4LP)
The Cult, Weapon of Choice (LP)
The Cure, Greatest Hits; Acoustic Hits (2LP sets)
The Darkness, One Way Ticket to Birmingham: Live at the NEC (2LP)
David Bowie, Hallo Spaceboy; Excerpts From Outside (LPs)
The Doors, Strange Days 1967: A Work in Progress, Part 2 (LP)
doPE [Doors’ John Densmore and Chuck D], No Country for Old Men
Foreigner, Foreigner 4 Live Tour 1981-82 (2LP)
George Harrison, Dark Horse: Zoetrope Edition (LP); Extra Texture: Zoetrope Edition (LP)
Grateful Dead, Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/11/76 (5LP); On a Back Porch, Vol. 3 (LP)
The Jesus and Mary Chain, Some Candy Talking (12″ vinyl EP)
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Global a Go-Go (2LP)
John Frusciante, To Only Record Water for Ten Days (2LP)
Joni Mitchell, For the Roses (LP)
Judas Priest, Live in Los Angeles ’90 (LP)
Little Feat, Little Feat: Deluxe Edition (2LP)
Mama Cass, Dream a Little Dream: Expanded Edition (LP)
Michael Schenker Group, Best of Live MSG: 1980-1984 (LP)
Misfits, Famous Monsters (LP)
The Modern Lovers, The Modern Lovers (Picture disc LP)
Motorhead, On Parole: Steve Wilson Remix (LP); The Lost Tapes, Vol. 7: Lemmy’s 50th Birthday, Live in West Hollywood 1995 (2LP)
Motley Crue, Live Wire: 45th Anniversary (12″ vinyl EP)
Muse, Muscle Museum; Muse (12″ vinyl EPs)
New York Dolls, One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This (2LP)
Pavement, Perfect Sound Forever (10″ EP)
Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam React/Respond: Dark Matter Tour (7″ vinyl and book)
Peter Gabriel, “Sledgehammer” (12″ single)
Pink Floyd, Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 (4LP clear vinyl)
Pixies, Live in Newport (2LP)
Porcupine Tree, We Lost the Skyline (LP)
The Power Station, Raw Power: Live at the Spectrum, Philadelphia (3LP)
Ramones, Live in San Francisco (2LP)
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Live From Koln 1976 (3LP)
Robert Plant, Saving Grace: All That Glitters (12″ vinyl EP)
Rod Stewart, Alternate Atlantic Crossing (LP)
Rolling Stones, Big Hits: High Tide and Green Grass (Japanese import LP); “Get Off of My Cloud,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Play With Fire,” “Heart of Stone,” “Mother’s Little Helper” and “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” (3″ records)
Skid Row, Live at the Moscow Music Peace Festival (12″ picture disc)
Steely Dan, Alive in America (2LP)
Stray Cats, Rumble in Brixton: Live (2LP)
Stewart Copeland, The Rhythmatist (LP)
Stone Temple Pilots, Live at Rolling Rock 2001 (2LP)
Sugar, File Under Easy Listening: The Singles Collection (3×12″ vinyl)
T. Rex, Songs from ‘Marc’ (LP)
Talking Heads, The CBS/Columbia Demos (2LP)
Todd Rundgren’s Runt, The Necessary Cosmic Frenzy (LP)
13th Floor Elevators, We Are Not Live (LP)
Third Eye Blind, Rarities and First Drafts (LP)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, July 16, 1978: Paradise Theater, Boston, MA (LP)
Ultravox, The Re-Mixes (LP)
Van Halen, Live in New Haven, CT 1986 (2LP)
Violent Femmes, The Blind Leading the Naked (LP)
Ween, Europe ’90 (3LP)
XTC, Live Boots: Live at Emerald City 1981 (2LP)
Yes, Tales From Topographic Tours (3LP)
RSD FIRST
Bruce Springsteen, Live From Asbury Park 2024 (3CD)
Cream, Wheels of Fire: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland Ballroom (3LP)
The dB’s, Cycles Per Second: US Tour 2024 (LP)
Def Leppard, Slang (2LP)
Dinosaur Jr, Live in Hollywood 1991: The Green Mind Tour (LP)
Elton John, Positiva Presents: Elton John – The Remixes (LP)
Jerry Garcia, Reflections: 50th Anniversary (3LP)
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Live at the Ritz NYC 1981 (LP)
John Lennon, Love: Meditation Mixes (3LP)
Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks, True: Deluxe Edition (2LP)
King Crimson, Live – Penn State University: 29 June 1974 (2LP)
Kiss, A Special Kiss Tour Album (12″ vinyl EP)
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris, All the Roadrunning (2LP)
Megadeth, Hidden Treasures (LP)
Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, The Live Album (2LP)
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Archive Vol. 1: 1981-1990 (2LP)
Scott Weiland, Live (LP)
Sonic Youth, Diamond Seas (12″ vinyl)
Sex Pistols, Jubilee: 25th Anniversary Edition (LP)
Thin Lizzy, Live in Cleveland 1976 (2LP)
Various artists, Just Tell Me You Love Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac (2LP)
Various artists, Rock and Roll Doctor: Lowell George Tribute (2LP with Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Eddie Money, others)
Weezer, 1192 (LP)
The Who, A Quick One (2LP)
RSD LIMITED RUN / REGIONAL FOCUS
Billy Squier, Tell the Truth: Deluxe (2LP)
Bob Mould, Body of Song: 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition (2LP)
Bruce Kulick, Transformer (CD)
Bruford, Feels Good to Me (LP)
Camper Van Beethoven, Tusk (2LP)
The Dream Syndicate, Sketches for Medicine Show (LP)
Gong, Flying Teapot (LP)
Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Live in London 1980 (2LP)
Marshall Crenshaw, The Bootleg Sounds of Marshall Crenshaw: 1984-87 (LP)
Paul Weller [The Jam/Style Council], “When Your Garden’s Overgrown / Boy About Town” from Weller at the BBC Vol. 2 (7″ vinyl)
Wire, Read & Burn 03 (LP)
Why These Classic Rock Acts Hate Their Own Records
Over a lengthy career, certain pitfalls also present themselves: Band members leave, songs become one-hit wonders, sounds go out of style. Then you start to hate your own records.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
They Hated Their Own Albums
