EXPLORE RECORD SHOPS IN HAWAII

Hawaii built American music’s most distinctive island sound across decades and four islands. Slack-key guitar masters like Gabby Pahinui and Ledward Kaapana shaped the traditional Hawaiian guitar tradition, the 1970s Hawaiian Renaissance restored chant and falsetto singing as cultural anchors, Israel ‘IZ’ Kamakawiwo’ole’s ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ medley became one of the most-played Hawaiian recordings worldwide, and modern Jawaiian reggae alongside Bruno Mars (born Honolulu 1985) and Jack Johnson (born North Shore Oahu 1975) carry the state’s music forward. Hungry Ear Records has been Hawaii’s oldest record store since 1980, relocated from Kailua to SALT at Our Kaka’ako in Honolulu in 2014. Aloha Got Soul / AGS in Honolulu reached its 100-release milestone in May 2026 as one of the country’s most respected Pacific Islander labels, with a brick-and-mortar store since 2021. On Maui, Request Music in Wailuku has been the island’s only dedicated music store since 1990 with what The Vinyl Factory called the best punk section in Hawaii. The Big Island runs Uila Records in Waimea as a day-shop and night-music-lounge, while Kauai’s Hanalei Strings and Hawaiian Music Store at Princeville Center round out the rest. Take H1 along South King Street in Honolulu, swing the Hana Highway on Maui, and see what the Aloha State has been keeping in the racks.

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BEYOND HAWAII: VINYL JOURNEYS FROM THE ALOHA STATE

As the last track wraps up in the Aloha State, every shop you flipped through today is just one stop on a much wider Pacific Rim soundtrack. The four islands stretch from Kauai’s Na Pali to the Big Island’s volcanoes, and Hawaii’s flight routes connect the islands to Alaska, the Pacific territories, the Mainland, and Asia in every direction.

Alaska Record Stores: Fly north to Alaska, where Anchorage and Fairbanks shops carry native Alaskan music alongside mainland imports, and the HNL-ANC routing keeps the two non-contiguous US states in regular musical exchange.

Guam Record Stores: Cruise west to Guam, where Record Bay runs Hagåtña’s only dedicated vinyl shop inside Good Lookin Out, American Music covers the instrument and pro-audio side from Compadres Mall in Dededo, and Chamorro music traditions stay close through indigenous chants, church choirs, and Pacific reggae.

Northern Mariana Islands Record Stores: Cross west to the Northern Mariana Islands, where Saipan and Tinian have no dedicated record shops but the territory’s Chamorro music tradition and Pacific imports keep collectors connected through online stores and community trading.

American Samoa Record Stores: Drop south to American Samoa, where Tutuila has no dedicated record store either but the territory’s traditional church choir and brass band lineage and contemporary Pacific reggae keep collectors connected through general retailers and online stores.

California Record Stores: Head east to California, where LA’s Amoeba Hollywood is one of the world’s most celebrated record stores, the Bay Area’s Rasputin and Amoeba Berkeley run a parallel dig, and the LAX-HNL route runs as the busiest US leisure flight corridor.

Washington Record Stores: Roll east to Washington, where Seattle’s Easy Street, Sonic Boom, and Silver Platters anchor the Pacific Northwest dig, the SEA-HNL pipeline brings tens of thousands of Hawaii residents through Seattle every year, and Olympia’s K Records lineage carries the indie circuit.

At Record Store Directory, every shoreline is an invitation to keep exploring. Share your finds, connect with fellow collectors, and chase down that next unforgettable album, because the perfect record is always closer than you think.

Happy hunting, and we’ll see you in the next stack!

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Hawaii RSD FAQ

How many record stores are in Hawaii?
Hawaii has 18 active record stores spread across the state’s four main islands. Oahu carries six shops (five in Honolulu plus one in Aiea), Maui adds five (across Wailuku, Kahului, Kihei, and Pu’unene), the Big Island holds five more (Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Kealakekua, Waimea/Kamuela), and Kauai rounds out the count with two (Hanalei and Princeville). Hawaii’s directory page uses an island-filter dropdown to let visitors narrow by island before browsing shops. The state’s geographic isolation means most collectors supplement on-island shopping with mainland US trips – California (LAX and SFO are the main gateway hubs) being the most-traveled destination – and online ordering. Hawaii shares Pacific-territory context with American Samoa and Guam.
Tell me about Hungry Ear Records.
Hungry Ear Records is Hawaii’s oldest record store, founded in 1980 by three friends (Luke Yamashiro, Dennis Chun, and Reynold Yep). The shop ran in Kailua on Oahu from 1980 to 2014 before relocating to SALT at Our Kaka’ako in Honolulu in August 2014, where it remains today. Hungry Ear stocks Hawaii’s largest selection of new vinyl plus an extensive used-LP wall and a notable specialty in rare Hawaiian albums. At 45 years and counting, it’s the natural first stop for any Hawaii record-store circuit and the destination shop for collectors visiting from the mainland.
What are the best record stores on Oahu?
Oahu’s six shops cluster heavily in Honolulu. Beyond Hungry Ear Records (see above), AGS Honolulu on South King Street is the headquarters of the Aloha Got Soul independent record label (see Q7 below for the AGS deep-dive). Skull-Face Books & Vinyl on Bethel Street is a curated dark/weird/hard-music shop whose owner also operates The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles. Village Books & Music at Ward is a nonprofit bookstore-and-music shop supporting the Friends of the Library of Hawaii, and Barnes & Noble – Ala Moana Center carries the new-release end of the trade. Out in Aiea, BOOKOFF Pearlridge Center stocks vinyl as a secondary line within the Japanese book-and-manga chain.
What are the best record stores on Maui?
Maui’s five shops anchor on Wailuku. Request Music on North Market Street is Maui’s only dedicated music store – 35 years in business since 1990, with new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, comics, and posters, plus a basement vintage records section. The Vinyl Factory once called Request Music’s punk section “the best in Hawaii.” The Maui Friends of the Library nonprofit runs three island locations supporting the public library system: MFL Kahului at Queen Ka’ahumanu Shopping Center, MFL Kihei at the South Maui Center, and MFL Pu’unene in a hard-to-find location off Old Pu’unene Avenue (follow the “BOOKS” signs from Hansen Road).
What are the best record stores on the Big Island?
The Big Island carries five shops across the island. Still Life – Books, Vinyl & Art in Hilo on Keawe Street pairs vinyl with art and books. Vinyl Vybes in Kailua-Kona on Luhia Street covers the Kona-side nightlife area (call ahead for hours). Down in South Kona, Conscious Riddims Records in Kealakekua handles the reggae and Caribbean-music side of the island. Up in the Waimea/Kamuela area, Uila Records at Opelo Plaza pulls a distinctive day-and-night combination – record shop during the day, live music lounge in the evening.
What are the best record stores on Kauai?
Kauai is the smallest of the four main island clusters with two shops, both on the north shore. Hanalei Strings in Hanalei pairs records with stringed-instrument retail near the legendary Hanalei Bay. Hawaiian Music Store inside Princeville Shopping Center carries primarily CDs with a focus on Hawaiian and Pacific Islander music. Kauai visitors looking for deeper crate-digging typically continue to Oahu for the Honolulu cluster.
Tell me about AGS Honolulu and Aloha Got Soul.
AGS Honolulu on South King Street is the headquarters of Aloha Got Soul (AGS), which started as a blog in 2010, became an independent record label in 2015, and opened its brick-and-mortar storefront in 2021. AGS focuses on independent Asian and Pacific Islander artists and reached its 100-release milestone in May 2026 with the compilation “Music For The Airport,” featuring 17 Hawaii-based songs. The shop is a natural pilgrimage stop for any collector engaging with contemporary Hawaiian or broader Asian-Pacific independent music.
Does Hawaii participate in Record Store Day?
Yes, Hawaii’s longest-running indies anchor the annual Record Store Day drop every April. Hungry Ear Records at SALT in Honolulu is Hawaii’s flagship RSD destination given its 45-year tenure and Hawaii’s largest new-vinyl inventory. AGS Honolulu‘s May 2026 AGS-100 release of “Music For The Airport” pairs naturally with RSD-aligned in-store events for the Aloha Got Soul community. Request Music on Maui draws the inter-island RSD crowd as Maui’s only dedicated music store. Check the official Record Store Day store locator each spring for the current Hawaii participant list.