Minnesota RSD FAQ
How many record stores are in Minnesota?
Minnesota has 53 active record stores spread across 32 distinct towns, with Minneapolis (11 shops) and St. Paul (7) leading the Twin Cities scene, followed by Duluth and Rochester (3 each), Fergus Falls (2), and a long tail of mostly single-shop towns across the state. Minnesota’s record-retail map runs from the Twin Cities metro core out to Duluth on Lake Superior, down through Rochester to the IA border, and across the Red River Valley to the Fargo-Moorhead twin cities. Crossing state lines, neighboring Wisconsin sits east across the St. Croix (Hudson and River Falls anchor the WI side of the Twin Cities metro), Iowa lies south via I-35 (Mason City and Cedar Falls pull from the Twin Cities), and North Dakota connects west through the Fargo-Moorhead crossing.
What is Minnesota's most iconic record store?
Electric Fetus at 2000 4th Avenue S in Minneapolis has been a Minnesota legend since June 1968, making it a 57-year staple of the state’s record-retail scene. Founded by Dan Foley and Ron Korsh in Cedar-Riverside (sometimes called the “Haight-Ashbury of Minneapolis”), the shop relocated to its current 4th Avenue S location in 1972 and is widely regarded as the pre-eminent indie record store in Minnesota. Electric Fetus famously hosted Prince on one of his last public outings on Record Store Day April 16, 2016, when he bought several albums there just five days before his death – and the shop has anchored the Twin Cities vinyl scene across more than five decades.
What record store has been voted Minnesota's Best 5 years in a row?
Down in the Valley has been voted Minnesota’s Best Record Store for five consecutive years from 2021 through 2025, with two Twin Cities locations: the Golden Valley flagship at 8020 Olson Memorial Highway and a Maple Grove store at 13633 Grove Drive. The shop has run continuously since 1972, a 53-year arc that recently transitioned through a generational handoff when the late founder Steve Hyland’s children Brandon and Taryn Hyland sold the business to longtime GM Scott Farrell and buyer Steven Williams. Down in the Valley remains the largest Twin Cities indie record chain.
What other record stores are in Minneapolis?
Beyond Electric Fetus, Minneapolis hosts ten additional shops including Cheapo Records Minneapolis at 2600 Nicollet Avenue – the flagship of the iconic four-location MN regional chain. Roadrunner Records at 4534 Nicollet Avenue S is a longstanding indie, Extreme Noise Records covers punk and hardcore, and Know Name Records, Lucky Cat Records, Disco Death Records, and Vintage Music Company round out the indie scene. The Record Spot and Wax World share the same building at 405 W 38th Street as a co-located pair, while Flipside THC + CBD Dispensary and Music covers the cannabis-plus-records hybrid corner of the market.
What about St. Paul record stores?
St. Paul carries 7 record stores including Caydence Records & Coffee (a coffee-plus-records hybrid), Cheapo Records St. Paul at 71 Snelling Avenue N, Barely Brothers Records, Agharta Records, Eclipse Records, and Urban Lights Music. FYE at Maplewood Mall (3001 White Bear Avenue N) is the only FYE outlet in Minnesota.
What about Duluth, Rochester, and regional Minnesota cities?
Duluth (3 shops on Lake Superior) carries River City Records & Books, Collector’s Connection Duluth, and Annex Novelty Shop. Rochester (3 shops in southeastern MN) has Rochester Records, plus Hidden World Vinyl Records and Treedome sharing the same address at 309 Broadway Avenue S (Treedome hosts punk and metal shows alongside the Hidden World vinyl selection). The remaining two Cheapo Records locations cover the inner suburbs: Cheapo Blaine at 170 89th Avenue NE and Cheapo Little Canada at 2900 Rice Street.
What about outstate Minnesota record stores?
Outstate Minnesota carries a notable spread of independent shops. Sundown Records serves Bemidji in northern Minnesota, KEBS Records covers Bovey on the Mesabi Iron Range, and Kezar Music Co. anchors Thief River Falls in the far northwest. Hawley Spin Depot sits in Hawley near the Fargo-Moorhead crossing, while Fergus Falls carries Air Raid Antiques & Bombshelter Records plus Lakeshore Vinyl (a basement-and-appointment shop). South of the Twin Cities, Tune Town serves the Mankato college market, Verbena Vinyl covers Northfield (home to Carleton and St. Olaf), and Vyntage Vinyl anchors Red Wing on the Mississippi. Mill City Sound in Hopkins, SolSta Records (originally Solid State Vinyl, relocated to St. Louis Park), and Fly Vintage & Vinyl in Robbinsdale serve the western suburbs.
Do Minnesota record stores participate in Record Store Day?
Yes, Minnesota’s flagship indie shops are full Record Store Day participants. Electric Fetus runs the state’s most-anticipated RSD event (the same Minneapolis store Prince visited on Record Store Day 2016), Down in the Valley hosts events at both Golden Valley and Maple Grove, and Cheapo Records participates across all four MN locations. Other RSD-active Minnesota shops include Roadrunner Records, Extreme Noise Records, Barely Brothers Records in St. Paul, and Caydence Records & Coffee. RSD Saturday falls in mid-April each year with lines often forming well before the standard 8 AM opening.