30 essential Detroit area record stores to support to keep the music alive

By Metro Times editorial staff on Thu, Dec 2, 2021 at 12:00 pm

Keep music alive by supporting these local, legendary, and thriving Detroit-area record stores, which keep the inspiration spinning all year long.

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Detroit Record Club

28834 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-565-8683; thedetroitrecordclub.com

Calling all cool kids! The Detroit Record Club is here with its curated, hand-cleaned collection of vinyl. Having opened in 2019, the Detroit Record Club is a go-to spot for new and used records and also offers music-related reading material and some retro hi-fi equipment to upgrade your music-listening experience.

Photo via The Detroit Record Club / Facebook

Image: 30 essential Detroit area record stores to support to keep the music alive

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Village Vinyl

5972 Chicago Rd., Warren; 586-838-4992; facebook.com/villagevinylrecords

The old adage suggesting that size matters doesn't apply to Village Vinyl in Warren. As a heavy-hitter in the metro Detroit record store landscape, Village Vinyl packs a lot into a little spot — and the store's selection of merch is pretty cool, too.

Photo via Village Vinyl/Facebook

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Street Corner Music

26020 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park; 248-967-0777; streetcornermusic.com

From Isaac Hayes to Greta Van Fleet to rare David Bowie promos and Prince picture discs, this humble Oak Park favorite (and neighbor to indie bookstore Book Beat) is suited for vinyl lovers old and new and for anyone looking for that '90s-style record store experience.

Photo via Street Corner Music / Facebook

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Trax 'N Wax

26535 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-218-8188; facebook.com/traxnwaxstore

Formerly a mainstay within the Gibraltar Trade Center in Mount Clemens, Trax 'N Wax moved into this St. Clair Shores spot when Gibraltar shuttered in 2017. Trax 'N Wax has amassed an impressive collection of reasonably priced records for the casual vinyl lover, as well as CDs, DVDs, and games.

Photo via Trax ‘N’ Wax/ Facebook

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Solo Records

30118 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-549-0581; facebook.com/Solo-Records-147339023682

Opened in 1982 by jazz drummer Dan Levitt and his daughter, Solo Records has been serving the metro Detroit community with its extensive collection of vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, reel-to-reel tapes, and 8 tracks, spanning all genres.

Photo via Solo Records/Facebook

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UHF 512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-545-5955; uhfrecords.com Offering new and used LPs, CDs, and DVDs, as well as books, magazines, and vintage turntables and receivers, UHF shares a wall with beloved vintage clothing boutique Lost & Found. Photo via UHF Records/ Facebook

UHF

512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-545-5955; uhfrecords.com

Offering new and used LPs, CDs, and DVDs, as well as books, magazines, and vintage turntables and receivers, UHF shares a wall with beloved vintage clothing boutique Lost & Found.

Photo via UHF Records/ Facebook

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Encore Records

208 N. Fourth Ave, Ann Arbor; 734-662-6776; encorerecordsa2.com

Located on the main drag of Ann Arbor's university district, Encore Records has a floor-to-ceiling selection sure to please professors of rock, students of jazz, and everyone in between.

Photo via Encore Records/ Facebook

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Dearborn Music

22501 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-561-1000; dearbornmusic.net

Dearborn Music has been serving up miles and piles of vinyl (stocking over 50,000 titles across LPs, CDs, and DVDs) since 1956, and has been voted by Metro Times readers as the best record store in Wayne County year after year.

Photo via Dearborn Music / Facebook

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Dearborn Music - Farmington

33025 Grand River Ave., Farmington; 248-516-3898; dearbornmusic.net

Dearborn Music expanded to downtown Farmington, opening its doors in September 2021 inside a former Dress Barn. Like its original Dearborn location, it stocks plenty of LPs and CDs, as well as plenty of band T-shirts, posters, record players, and other memorabilia.

Photo by Lee DeVito

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Third Man Records

441 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-209-5205; thirdmanrecords.com

Third Man Records isn't your typical record store — and that makes sense, because its founder, Jack White, is far from your typical dude. The former White Stripes leader and man of many bands first launched the record label in 2001 to release his own music, and then opened its Cass Corridor storefront and record pressing plant in 2015. While White himself has a hand in many of the records sold here (expect plenty of material from acts like the White Stripes, Raconteurs, Dead Weather, and solo releases — all packaged in the TMR's candy-colored aesthetic), the label has also reissued White-approved oldies from labels like Tamla, Sun, and Chess.

Photo by Kelley O’Neill

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Submerge

3000 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; submerge.com; visitation by appointment only

This destination record spot — housed in an unassuming former UAW hall not far from the Motown Museum — is HQ to the legendary techno collective Underground Resistance. It also houses "Exhibition 3000," the world's only museum dedicated to Detroit techno.

Photo by Lee DeVito

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Blast in the Past

28071 Gratiot Ave., Roseville; 586-775-3289; facebook.com/blastinthepastmichigan

Blast in the Past is more than a record store, it’s a time machine — and you may never want to come back to the present. Not only does this Roseville mainstay sell pop culture collectibles, including toys, posters, and action figures, but they have an impressive selection of reasonably priced cassette tapes, CDs, and, of course, vinyl.

Photo via Blast in the Past/Facebook

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Record Graveyard

2610 Carpenter St., Hamtramck; 313-870-9647; facebook.com/Record-Graveyard-145397352187329

Don't let the name fool you. Hamtramck's Record Graveyard is very much alive, and flush with soul — and plenty of jazz, blues, Motown, and Polka. They also sell records on eBay for people who know exactly what they’re after.

Photo via Record Graveyard/Facebook

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Underground Sounds

120 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-327-9239; ugsounds.com

The folks behind Underground Sounds cater to seekers of fresh, plastic-wrapped vinyl. That's right — new release vinyl and compact discs are their specialty, and are sold below list price.

Photo via Underground Sounds/Facebook

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Detroit Threads

10238 Jos Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-872-1777; facebook.com/Detroit-Threads

You’ll need some cool threads to go with your new music haul, which is why this Hamtramck spot is so damn convenient. Not only do they sell vintage clothing, but they also specialize in techno, house, electronic, and dubstep records. There’s a lot to choose from for rock, soul, and funk fans, too.

Photo via Detroit Threads/Facebook

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Found Sound

234 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-565-8775; foundsoundvinyl.tumblr.com

This spacious record trove is located on the main drag of fabulous Ferndale, boasting an impressive selection of 45s, as well as an extensive music-related book collection.

Photo via Found Sound/Facebook

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Flipside Records

41 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-585-4090; shopflipsiderecords

After it started selling records independently in 1980, Flipside Records got the storefront treatment and quickly expanded to offer T-shirts and other collectibles. Due to downtown development, the store plans to soon relocate to Berkeley, so help them out by taking advantage of their moving sale before their last day in Clawson on Dec. 26, 2021.

Photo via Flipside Records/Facebook

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Melodies & Memories

23013 Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe; 586-774-8480; melodies-memories.business.site

Time is but a construct when entering this family-owned music museum. Since 1988, Melodies & Memories has been known as a vinyl-lover's paradise, with more than 150,000 records in stock. They also made headlines twice in 2018: Once for selling the rarest 45 in the world, a copy of Frank Wilson's 1965 soul song "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" to rock star Jack White, and again for scoring a rare test pressing of Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit "Respect" just before the singer's death — which they later loaned to the Detroit Historical Museum. What we’re saying is, you just never know what you might find here.

Photo by Steve Neavling

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Slick Disc Music

1625 West Rd., Trenton; 734-692-1881; facebook.com/slickdiscmusic

Mom-and-son-owned since 1988, this tiny Downriver spot is stacked with new and used records, as well as a wide array of apparel and accessories.

Photo via Slick Disc Music / Facebook

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