Record Store Day has been an annual tradition dating back to 2007. Originally started to celebrate (and potentially save) endangered independent record stores, it has since become an unofficial holiday for vinyl collectors and music lovers. Think Free Comic Book Day, but for fans of Amy Winehouse or Miles Davis instead of Batman and Spider-Man.
However, unlike Free Comic Book Day, Record Store Day happens twice a year: Once in April, and again in November — the day after Thanksgiving, in fact. You may know it as “Black Friday,” the day retail employees dread and early Christmas shoppers anticipate every autumn, when stores slash prices to clear stock for the coming new year. According to the official Record Store Day website: “Record Store Day and RSD Black Friday are different events” and the latter is an effort to “promote brick-and-mortar indie record stores in the face of a shopping frenzy.” The big difference is that “stores will launch the special releases on RSD Black Friday but may choose to carry them throughout the holiday season.”
What Day Is Record Store Day Black Friday 2023?
Thanksgiving falls (heh) on Thursday, November 23 this year, so naturally, Black Friday is November 24.
As far as what special edition releases are dropping next month, you can check out a list here. To find out if your local record store is participating, you can check here.