Record Store Day's history over the past couple of 20 years has mirrored the success of vinyl itself: plenty of predictions about its demise and suggestions that its heyday might have passed, and yet it still perseveres and appears as strong as ever.
Despite years of concerns about the way its low-effort exclusive releases and fancy-schmancy variants clog bins, RSD has continued to thrive since 2008 thanks to the many bands who continue to release some pretty awesome stuff to indie stores every April.
This year's edition on April 18 is no exception, as 2026 is sure to attract buyers to indie record shops around the world. This year's best releases include much-needed pressings of sought-after albums, a lore-filled pressing from Canada's latest indie pop stars, and the final album from a late legend. Here are the 10 must-have releases of RSD 2026 — as well as five you can skip.
The Best Releases of Record Store Day 2026
Bat for Lashes
A Fleet of Bats: Early Demos
It's been 20 years since Bat for Lashes released her debut album, 2006's Fur and Gold, and as part of the celebrations, she's throwing it back by unearthing 10 live demos for the era. These songs weren't on the original album, so it provides an alternate history of what Natasha Khan's debut might have been.
Choses Sauvages
Singles 2016-2026
Along with releasing three excellent albums, Montreal post-punks Choses Sauvages have rolled out a string of stand-alone singles over the past decade. Previously only available digitally, they're getting compiled into a six-song vinyl release along with an additional brand new, previously unreleased single.
John Frusciante
To Record Only Water for Ten Days
After spending much of the '90s in the throes of heroin addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante emerged a new man around the turn of the millennium. The band recorded the world-conquering Californication, and he relaunched his solo career with the excellent To Record Only Water for Ten Days. It's long been available on CD, but vinyl has been very difficult (and expensive to come by) — and this new pressing rights that wrong, as well as adding four bonus tracks.
Good Kid
Can We Hang Out Sometime?
Toronto indie popsters Good Kid have built their very own universe of lore — which is why it's so exciting for fans than the RSD edition of their debut album comes with "three surprise lore-based tarot cards, character-based sticker sheets with bespoke accessories, video game-manual inspired liner notes with lore and artwork easter-eggs, and a calendar."
Dallas Good + Richard Reed Parry
Were "The Watchtowers"
Following the tragic death of Sadies singer-guitarist Dallas Good in 2022, Richard Reed Parry continued to work on the music the two had made together, including inviting fans to sing on his final recording. Now, that album is finally getting a release.
Carly Rae Jepsen
"Disco Darling"
CRJ is truly the master of B-sides that are even better than her album tracks. "Disco Darling" didn't even make the Side B collection of Dedicated extras, but it's become a fan favourite after making the rounds online — and now it's finally coming to baby blue 7-inch vinyl.
hemlocke springs
going…going…GONE!
hemlocke springs just released her debut full-length, but before she fully moves on into her new era, she's throwing back to her fantastic 2023 EP going…going…GONE! and its giddy single "girlfriend." A previous vinyl pressing was sold online (and is now very expensive on Discogs), but this marks the first time it's been distributed to indie stores.
When the music industry was booming in the '90s, there was a simple formula for success: make a demo, hand it out, and if it was good, you might get signed to a label and become rich. That was how it worked for Weezer — and 1192 is an expanded version of their pre-Blue Album demo tape, newly remixed after original bassist Matt Sharp found the reel in his archive.
Donovan Woods
Not a Greatest Hits Vol. II
Following his 2023 collection Not a Greatest Hits, Canadian alt-country songwriter Donovan Woods polled his fans about which songs should be included on this career-spanning compilation, and added a duet version of "Portland, Maine" with LeAnn Rimes. He explained in a statement, "So, folks are always asking me about when certain songs will be available on vinyl. The problem is, some of these songs were singles. They were never on an album. I'm not going to make vinyl singles. This ain't 1952, babe. I was hoping that vinyl's popularity would wane and I could wait it out, but that doesn't seem to be happening. So, we had an idea to let fans vote on which songs they'd like on a vinyl release." You asked for it, so here it is (on sea blue vinyl).
neil young and the chrome hearts
As Time Explodes
After Neil Young's Crazy Horse tour came to an abrupt end, guitarist Micah Nelson talked him into returning to the road with a rockin' new band called the chrome hearts. That tour is being documented with a 13-song live album spread across two 140-gram clear LPs.
The Worst Releases of Record Store Day 2026
Arcade Fire
Open Your Heart or Die Trying
This kind of project would normally be cool, since an ambient reimagining of a recent album is exactly the kind of quirky release Record Store Day is made for. The snag, however, is that the album in question is Arcade Fire's Pink Elephant — an album nobody likes, and I'm fairly sure barely anyone has even listened to. In a career filled with No. 1 albums, Pink Elephant failed to even chart on the Billboard 200, and if nobody bought that album, why would we want an ambient reimagining of it?
David Bowie
Excerpts from Outside
David Bowie's 1995 album 1. Outside came out in the heart of the CD era, which explains why it's a hefty 75 minutes. At the time, it was released in an abridged version titled Excerpts from Outside, but the full thing is now easy to find. We simply can't imagine why anyone would need to own that abridged edit in 2026 — but here it is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
KPop Demon Hunters
Soundtrack from the Netflix Film: HUNTR/X Edition / Saja Boys Edition
Alternate colour variants have become a scourge on the vinyl industry, turning the format into a trading card-style "collect 'em all" novelty as a way for artists to game the charts. As of this writing, there are already four variants for KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack available from the label's online store — and Record Store Day adds two more pressings to the pile. ("Golden" slaps, though.)
Anderson .Paak
Malibu 10th anniversary 7-inch box set
Anderson .Paak's 2016 album Malibu is readily available as a 2LP, which is still in print — but this special pressing allows fans to experience the inconvenience of eight 7-inch records. Buyers will curse this impulse purchase every time they get up to flip the record over, which will be frequently.
The Rolling Stones
3-inch singles
Ah the famous warmth of vinyl… Well, forget about all that, because here are six 3-inch records from the Rolling Stones, as well as a tiny little player to play them with. It's admittedly sorta cute, but it's a toy for kids — and what do kids want with boomer music like the Rolling Stones?
