Music History

Great nostalgia: What it used to be like in record stores

This is what it used to be like shopping for music in actual stores.

Vibe.com goes deep into this lost activity.

“Monday nights used to be unique. The anticipation for Tuesday mornings could barely be contained. Plans were made on how to ensure you could get to the mall and still make it to class on-time. Or, in many cases, how you were going to skip school altogether to sit with your newfound treasure. At one time, Tuesday mornings were the most significant moment each week for the music industry and music fans as new albums hit record store shelves. And unlike modern-day music consumption, decisions would need to be made. You couldn’t purchase every new release at $15 per CD. What album would sustain the listener’s insatiable music hunger until the next payday or allowance?

“In the ‘old days,’ the second day of the week was about more than half-price movies; it was also the day that curious music fans found out who Cam’ron was or what this mysterious white boy from Detroit was all about. If the office water cooler was the place to discuss politics and internal politics, the record store was the high school locker where jocks, hip-hop heads, goths, and others gathered to purchase the music of the day.”

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Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38011 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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