This Friday (November 24), thousands of music fans will head to their local record stores bright and early. The biannual Record Store Day event allows listeners to snag rare and previously unreleased recordings from their favorite artists.
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Over 150 new vinyl LPs and 7″ singles, cassettes, and CDs will hit store shelves on Black Friday. These special Record Store Day releases feature familiar names from country, jazz, hip-hop, rock, and beyond.
We’ve sorted through the complete list of deals (which you can view here) to curate our list of essential buys. To narrow our scope, we’ve focused on vinyl pressings that are Record Store Day exclusives, meaning you can only buy them at participating retailers.
From Shotgun Willie to Under the Blacklight, these are American Songwriter’s must-buy Record Store Day Black Friday vinyl exclusives.
1. Court and Spark Demos
The incomparable Joni Mitchell hit the peak of her commercial success with her sixth album, Court and Spark, in 1974. This exclusive vinyl LP features previously unreleased demos from the studio sessions for her acclaimed record captured nearly 50 years ago.
2. Shotgun Willie (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Fifty years after arriving on the country music scene, Willie Nelson‘s trademark record, Shotgun Willie, is back on vinyl. This special anniversary edition of the LP, limited to 5500 copies, includes a disc of unreleased material captured during the album’s creation.
3. GUTS: the secret tracks
Pop star Olivia Rodrigo‘s Record Store Day offering features four tracks individually hidden on special vinyl variants of her latest album. GUTS: the secret tracks is limited to 7500 copies, pressed in purple wax with a butterfly etching on one side.
4. Live In Bakersfield
This live recording of The Doors‘ performance in Bakersfield, California, transports listeners to August 21, 1970. Filled with trippy medleys and classic tracks from the influential rock band Live In Bakersfield, it is a double LP devoted fans will love.
5. Hank Wilson Vol. II
Limited to just 1700 pressings, Leon Russell‘s Hank Wilson Vol. II returns to vinyl for the first time since its initial release in 1984. The second project from Russell’s alter ego, country artist Hank Wilson, includes covers of classic tunes like “I Saw the Light” and “Wabash Cannonball.”
6. Under the Blacklight
In 2007, beloved indie rock band Rilo Kiley released their fourth and final record, Under the Blacklight. A limited reissue of the critically acclaimed project will arrive on Black Friday, pressed on translucent “blacklight” purple wax.
7. Rockology: The Picture Disc Edition
Eric Carr, longtime drummer of legendary rock band KISS, was working on a solo album prior to his death from heart cancer in 1991. Bandmate Bruce Kulick assembled the work Carr left behind and released it as a posthumous album called Rockology. This unique picture disc version of the record was designed and mastered by Eric’s sister, Loretta, and includes an exclusive poster.
8. Live at Grimey’s
Recorded live from Grimey’s record store in Nashville during a September 2014 performance, this 8-song vinyl spotlights the immense talents of Justin Townes Earle. Originally released as a Record Store Day exclusive in 2015, this repressing captures the magic and emotion of the late singer/songwriter’s live sets.
9. Floating
New Orleans’ own Tank and the Bangas offer their first new collection of music since their 2022 record Red Balloon. Their exclusive EP, Floating, features an engaging mix of fresh remixes and live tracks pressed on magenta vinyl.
10. Kiko (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Influential Chicano rock group Los Lobos delivers a special pressing of their hit 1992 record, Kiko. Arriving 30 years after its initial release, the three-disc set includes one LP comprised of never-before-released demos.
Photo by Larissa Hofmann, Courtesy of Chuff Media
