2000s and 2010s Record Store Day officially began on April 19, 2008, at
Rasputin Music in Mountain View, California, with
Metallica launching the event. The first celebration featured around 10 special releases from artists like
Death Cab for Cutie,
R.E.M., and
Vampire Weekend. Approximately 300 independent record stores in the U.S. participated, with English singer-songwriter
Billy Bragg helping to launch it in the UK. Key British stores, such as Piccadilly Records in Manchester and Rough Trade in London, joined the inaugural festivities, marking the event's first significant expansion beyond the U.S. The second annual Record Store Day took place on April 18, 2009, and was marked by further growth, with 85 special releases and around 500 artist appearances, including
Tom Waits,
Bob Dylan, and
Slayer. Over 1,000 record stores from countries like Japan, Canada, and Germany participated, with New York City's Mayor
Mike Bloomberg recognizing it as an official citywide event. In the 2010 Record Store Day, 1,400 independent record stores participated, and the event saw a 41% increase in sales from the previous year.
The Smashing Pumpkins and other artists performed in-store, and Joshua Homme of
Queens of the Stone Age served as the ambassador. This year also introduced Black Friday Record Store Day, launched in November 2010. Record Store Day continued to grow in 2011, becoming the world's largest music event. With
Ozzy Osbourne serving as ambassador, the event saw over 600 artists participating in in-store performances, including the
Beastie Boys,
Foo Fighters, and
My Chemical Romance. Special releases that year included rare items like a limited-edition 12" vinyl of
New Order's "Ceremony", and the event saw a notable 182,000-unit sales bump, as reported by
Billboard. In 2012, Record Store Day celebrated its fifth anniversary with
Iggy Pop as the ambassador. The event featured over 400 special releases and saw the launch of the UK's Official Record Store Chart, further highlighting the significance of independent record shops. The event's growth continued in 2013, with Jack White, known for his work with
The White Stripes, as the ambassador. The electronic duo
Boards of Canada placed
six limited records in stores on Record Store Day, in promotion of their 2013 album ''
Tomorrow's Harvest''. The event continued to expand in 2014, with
Chuck D of
Public Enemy serving as ambassador. Notable releases included exclusive tracks from
Soundgarden and
Joan Jett. In 2015,
Dave Grohl became the ambassador, with releases from bands like The White Stripes and
Twenty One Pilots coming out. Metallica, who had helped launch the event, returned as its ambassador in 2016. The event included exclusive releases from artists such as
David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and
Johnny Cash. The year was also marked by
Prince making one of his last public appearances at
Electric Fetus in Minneapolis during Record Store Day, purchasing CDs just days before his death. In 2017, the event celebrated its 10th anniversary with
St. Vincent as the first female ambassador. The releases in 2017 included a rare classical title, a Soviet-era recording of
Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 2, and live recordings from artists like
Brandy Clark. In 2018,
Run The Jewels served as ambassador, and special releases from Prince,
Ella Fitzgerald, and
Bruce Springsteen came out. In 2019, Record Store Day featured
Pearl Jam as the ambassadors, with exclusive vinyl releases such as
MTV Unplugged and limited-edition reissues from
Gorillaz and
John Lennon.
2020s In 2020, Record Store Day faced significant challenges due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the event to be postponed. The event was rescheduled and spread across three dates (August 29, September 26, and October 24), known as "Drops", in addition to the traditional Black Friday event. Record Store Day returned to its in-person format in 2021, although it was spread across two dates: June 12 and July 17.
Fred Armisen served as the ambassador for the year, and a 'Black Friday' edition took place in November. In 2022, the event celebrated its 15th anniversary with
Taylor Swift as the first-ever global ambassador. The celebration included special releases and a new "RSD Drops" date in June for delayed items. In 2023,
Jason Isbell and
Amanda Shires took on ambassador roles, and the event saw Taylor Swift's
Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions debuting on vinyl and entering the Billboard 200 Top 10. In 2024,
Paramore and
Kate Bush served as ambassadors. This year resulted in the highest weekly vinyl sales in 30 years. Record Store Day 2025 took place on April 12, with
Post Malone as the U.S. ambassador and
Sam Fender representing the UK. Record Store Day 2026 took place on April 18, with
Bruno Mars as the U.S. ambassador and
Olivia Dean representing the UK. ==Impact and criticism==