Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together fans, artists, and thousands of independent record stores around the world.

[4][5] Record Store Day was founded in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Brian Poehner and Don Van Cleave, and is now celebrated at stores around the world, with hundreds of recording and other artists participating in the day by making special appearances, performances, meet and greets with their fans, the holding of fundraisers for community non-profits, and the issuing of special vinyl and CD releases along with other promotional offerings to mark the occasion.

[citation needed] Record Store Day officially began on April 19, 2008, at Rasputin Music in Mountain View, California, with Metallica launching the event.

Approximately 300 independent record stores in the U.S. participated, and the event gained international traction when English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg helped launch it in the UK.

Key British stores, such as Piccadilly Records in Manchester and Rough Trade in London, joined the inaugural festivities, marking the event’s first significant expansion beyond the U.S.

The second annual Record Store Day took place on April 18, 2009, and was marked by further growth, with 85 special releases and around 500 artist appearances, including Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, and Slayer.

Over 1,000 record stores from countries like Japan, Canada, and Germany participated, with New York City’s Mayor Mike Bloomberg recognizing it as an official citywide event.

[6] With Ozzy Osbourne serving as ambassador, the event saw over 600 artists participating in in-store performances, including the Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, and My Chemical Romance.

Special releases that year included rare items like a limited edition 12" vinyl of New Order’s "Ceremony," and the event saw a notable 182,000-unit sales bump, as reported by Billboard.

This year saw Boards of Canada use Record Store Day to create a viral marketing campaign for their anticipated album Tomorrow’s Harvest, drawing widespread attention to the event.

The event's success continued into 2018, with ambassadors Run The Jewels leading the celebrations, and special releases from Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bruce Springsteen.

Notably, in 2019, Record Store Day featured Pearl Jam as the ambassadors, with exclusive vinyl releases such as MTV Unplugged and limited edition reissues from artists like Gorillaz and John Lennon.

The celebration included special releases and a new "RSD Drops" date in June for delayed items, further cementing the event's growing international appeal.

In 2023, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires took on ambassador roles, and the event saw Taylor Swift’s Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions debuting on vinyl and entering the Billboard 200 Top 10.

[15] Major labels have been accused of hijacking the event, and the policy of shops being obliged to buy on a no-return basis has been criticised, along with many of the limited releases being re-sold online within hours at inflated prices.

This new format was designed to alleviate the pressure on record stores by allowing smaller crowds to gather on different days, thereby ensuring a safer and more manageable experience for both customers and employees.

In 2021, Record Store Day took place over two separate dates, June 12 and July 17, instead of the usual one-day event, again due to ongoing health concerns.