Everyday we select for you three record stores from around the world. Our growing online community makes this possible. In this list you will find the best record stores in Toronto submitted by our friends.
Explore it and tell us if you think there is any record store missing. Let us know in the comments.
“We’re one of Toronto’s leading and best known independent record stores. We stock new releases from independent bands and artists from Canada, the U.S., England, and around the world. We’re committed (actually, obsessed would be more accurate) with stocking as much of this on vinyl as is possible.
Genre-wise, we’re down with almost everything: the hip, the hop, the punk, the jazz, the hardcore, the reggae, the electronic, the indie, the un-indie. No classical or nu-country, however.”
Martin Koppel opened his first shop on Queen Street East in 1976 and has been selling records in Toronto ever since! That first shop has now grown to three locations across Toronto, and one in Oshawa.
32,000+ vinyl titles.
Sonic Boom is Canada’s largest independent record store. They sell Vinyl Records, CD’s, DVD/Blu-ray, Books, T-shirts, Turntables and Vinyl accessories.
Play De Record opened in 1990 and has outlasted all other DJ-oriented record shops. A one stop shop for Music lovers and DJs coming to Toronto.
“Toronto record shop since 2012. Vinyl record store in the Dundas West/Portugal village area specializing in quality used, rare, and newly released vinyl. Grasshopper Records houses a large selection of Noise, Reggae, Dub, Krautrock, Soul, Hip Hop, Classic Rock, Psychedelic, No Wave, New Wave as well as local Toronto artists + more. A small selection of local artist made items, music + art books as well as DVDs and concert posters can also be found…”
“June Records is a vinyl music boutique that soft opened in Toronto late June of 2012. We carry new and used vinyl records that range from popular favourites to the avant-garde, rare and unusual. We carry audio electronics such as turntables, amplifiers, speakers, headphones, preamps, etc.”
– Cosmos Records
Cosmos has two locations: East Toronto (photo) and West. The first one is more focused on Soul, Rare Grooves, Vintage Rock, Hip-Hop, and Disco. While the west location is more focused on Vintage Jazz, Latin, Brazilian, Phych, and Cuban Lps.
Invisible City is a record label, shop and DJ Soundsystem. Gary Abugan started the record label in 2012 and online store. In late 2016, transitioned the webstore into a physical shop.
The Tiny Record Shop is one of the best new record shops in Toronto. According to Toronto Life, Best of Toronto issue (2016). This store is focused mostly on classic rock and pop albums.
Sheldon Draper, Owner has interests ranging from the soothing voices of Timi Yuro and Tony Bennett from the Early Sixties British Invasion Rock Groups, i.e. Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Kinks, Sorrows, Pretty Things, Them (featuring Van Morrison), Strangeloves, etc. to the Hard Experimental Rock of the Mid Sixties to Mid Seventies Rock Groups, such as Ford’s Theatre, Travel Agency, Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, (that whole San Francisco psychedelic scene of the Haight-Ashbury district. Also included in this impressive lineup of artists, is Johnny Winters most innovative work, “Progressive Blues Experiment”, one of Sheldon’s favorites even to date. He also followed Toronto local rock groups with great interest, i.e. Ugly Ducklings, Stitch In Tyme, The Paupers, The Band, McKenna Mendelson Mainline and other local Toronto bands. He was and still is also a great fan of R & B music such as the likes of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and James Brown, etc. Sheldon has been buying records for his own pleasure since the early sixties which was his inspiration for starting this very eclectic music store.
No list for Toronto Vinyl is complete without Shortstack Records (Queen Street West and John Street). The owner Cal MacLean is a true vinyl aficionado who has helped me track down several of my most sought after LPs for very fair prices.