Record Shops in Manchester

Johnny James, Managing Editor

With vinyl now officially outselling CDs for the first time since 1986, those glossy black discs, once on the brink of obsolescence, are enjoying an unprecedented second life. So are independent record stores. A whole new wave of music fans now look forward to weekends spent thumbing through records, eyeing cover art in its full glory, and potentially stumbling across rare treasures.

Manchester, it just so happens, has some of the best record stores in the country. From electronic haven Eastern Bloc to eclectic treasure trove Vinyl Exchange to bastion of alternative music, Piccadilly Records, the city is home to some truly special independent retailers. Here are some of our favourites.

Here are our picks

  • 1. Eastern Bloc Records

    Eastern Bloc Records

    Eastern Bloc Records, 5A Stevenson Square, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 1DN - Visit now

    Eastern Bloc Records is one for ‘the true vinyl purist’. A regular haunt for the city’s DJs, they specialise in electronic music, host in-store events, and serve up food and drinks throughout the day and night.

  • 2. Vinyl Exchange

    Vinyl Exchange

    Vinyl Exchange, 18 Oldham Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 1JN - Visit now

    Vinyl Exchange, the north-west’s largest seller and buyer of rare and second-hand records, holds an impressive collection of second-hand gems and new releases on vinyl and CD.

  • 3. Piccadilly Records

    Image of Piccadilly Records on Manchester's Oldham Street
    Ben Williams

    Piccadilly Records, 53 Oldham Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 1JR - Visit now

    Piccadilly Records, the jewel in the crown of Oldham Street, prides itself on friendly, helpful service and stocking an across-the-board variety of genres from indie, disco, funk, jazz, house, Balearic, psych and everything in-between on both vinyl and CD.

  • 4. Vinyl Revival

    Vinyl Revival, 5 Hilton St, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 1LP - Visit now

    Champions of music made in Manchester, Vinyl Revival specialise sounds of the city from the 1950s to the present day.

  • 5. Vinyl Resting Place

    Vinyl Resting Place

    Vinyl Resting Place, 3rd Floor Afflecks Palace, 52 Church Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 1PW

    A dream for crate-diggers with an eclectic taste, Vinyl Resting Place is home to cherry-picked treasures from across the genre spectrum.

  • 6. Kingbee Records

    Kingbee Rercords

    Kingbee Records, 519 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 0UF - Visit now

    Chorlton’s Kingbee Records has been a firm fixture on the maps of Mancunian record collectors since 1987.