The best record stores in Greenville, SC are three independents that each do something different: a 50-year-old flagship, a rare-vinyl specialist with a live-music stage, and a genre-spanning newer shop that works the whole map from punk to country. If you are driving into town with a want list, you can hit all three in a single afternoon and still have time for coffee on Main Street.
This guide covers every independent brick-and-mortar record store in Greenville, with addresses, hours, what each one is known for, and how to plan a day around them. Every shop here is locally owned. Every shop here participates in or supports Record Store Day. And none of them deserve to be skipped, regardless of how fancy the new arrivals table looks.
Horizon Records
Horizon Records
Phone: (864) 235-7922
Hours: Mon-Wed 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Thu-Sat 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Web: horizonrecords.net
Horizon Records is the landmark. Founded in 1975 by Gene Berger, it is the oldest continuously operating record store in Greenville and one of the most respected independents in the Southeast. 50 years in, it has not lost a step. The staff are career record people. The new arrivals wall is curated with the kind of attention you only get from lifers. The used bins are clean, well-labeled, and full of the sort of finds that disappear at larger shops within hours.
What to dig for: deep catalog jazz and Americana, a genuinely well-kept used rock section, and strong RSD stock (Horizon is a long-time official RSD participating store, opening at 8 a.m. on release day). They also sell CDs, DVDs, books, and vintage vinyl, and they run a web calendar of free in-store performances that draws both touring acts and local heroes. If you only have time for one Greenville shop, this is it.
Insider tip
Check Horizon's in-store concert calendar before your visit. Free shows happen often, and the lineup leans eclectic. Jazz trios, indie singer-songwriters, touring acts on off-nights. It is one of the best no-cover live music rooms in the Upstate.
Cabin Floor Records
Cabin Floor Records
Phone: (864) 992-9999
Hours: Tue-Sat 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Mon
Web: facebook.com/cabinfloorrecords
If Horizon is the flagship, Cabin Floor is the crate-digger's shop. Open since 2009 on Rutherford Road, it has carved out a reputation as Greenville's rare and vintage vinyl specialist. The inventory leans older, deeper, and quieter than the downtown shops, which is exactly why collectors end up here. They buy, sell, and trade, and they pay cash for clean used records, music memorabilia, stereo gear, and musical instruments.
The other thing Cabin Floor has that nobody else in Greenville has: a stage. Local musicians regularly play and jam in the shop, turning what could have been a quiet browse into a low-key live show. If the weather is good and the door is open, hang around. You might hear something you would have paid to see.
What to dig for: vintage jazz, soul, and blues pressings, obscure regional releases, used stereo gear, and cassettes. Cabin Floor is the shop where you come in for one thing and leave three hours later with a bag.
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South Carolina Record Store DirectoryPharmacy Records
Pharmacy Records
Phone: (864) 568-8118
Hours: Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-7 p.m., closed Sun
Web: facebook.com/pharmacyrecordsSC
Pharmacy Records is the youngest of the Greenville three, opened in spring 2016, and it brings an attitude that reflects it. The selection spans rock, indie, rap, R&B, metal, punk, country, and jazz, on both vinyl and CD. It is the shop that most rewards collectors who refuse to stay in one lane. You can walk in looking for a new indie pressing and leave with a used thrash metal LP and a '90s rap cassette nobody else in town stocks.
The owner buys gently used LPs and CDs (call ahead for larger collections) and the shop is an annual Record Store Day participant. Pharmacy is small, the browsing is hands-on, and the conversation tends to be good. If Horizon and Cabin Floor are museums, Pharmacy is the record room at a house party. And that is a compliment.
What to dig for: punk, metal, and hardcore 7-inches, independent rap pressings, and genre oddities that the bigger shops do not have time to stock. Cash is appreciated.
Worth the Drive: Nearby Shops
If you have a full day and want to make it a Upstate record store trip, these are within driving range of Greenville:
- BJ Music (Spartanburg, SC). About 35 minutes east of Greenville. A longtime Upstate record store, especially worth the trip on Record Store Day when Spartanburg draws its own crowd.
- Asheville, NC. 60 minutes north, home to multiple independents including Harvest Records and Voltage Records. A real weekend trip if you pair it with the city's food scene.
- Travelers Rest, SC. 20 minutes north on the way to Asheville, worth stopping through for the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and any record pop-ups happening that weekend.
The One-Day Greenville Dig
Here is the most efficient way to hit all three Greenville shops in a single day without burning out:
- 11 a.m. Horizon Records (downtown). Open when everything else opens. Start with the new arrivals wall, then work the used bins. Budget 60-90 minutes.
- 12:30 p.m. Lunch on Main Street. You are 5 minutes from some of the best food in the Upstate.
- 2 p.m. Cabin Floor Records (Rutherford Rd, 4 minutes from downtown). This is the longer browse. Budget 90 minutes, longer if there is live music playing.
- 4 p.m. Pharmacy Records (Shoppers Dr, 7 minutes from Cabin Floor). Punchy, fast, focused. 45-60 minutes.
- 5 p.m. Coffee and reassessment. You have now covered Greenville. Drive home, or stay for dinner.
Tips for Digging Greenville
- Bring cash. Smaller shops sometimes have card minimums or prefer cash for used-record pricing flexibility.
- Bring a tote bag. You will accumulate more than you planned. Horizon has them branded, as does Cabin Floor.
- Check socials the morning of. Especially on a Record Store Day or holiday weekend. Hours shift.
- Don't skip the used bins. All three shops have strong used sections. The "new arrivals" wall is rarely where the deals are.
- Protect your haul. Greenville summers hit 95°F. Do not leave records in a hot car. If you are traveling, bring them inside at every stop. Full vinyl storage guide here.
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