The best record stores in Melbourne

This small, unassuming store in Fitzroy opened in 2008 as one of the few second-hand bookstores at the city end of Smith Street. Since then, it’s evolved to include a wide range of used records. Racks stretch from the door to the rear counter; and are helpfully divided into genres such as punk, soul and disco.

Based in Collingwood, Skydiver is a record store that was opened in 2016 by three local DJs. Ever since, the shop has grown to stock a wide-ranging selection of new and secondhand records and tapes traversing house, techno, disco, Italo, synth-pop, new beat, new wave, cosmic, ambient and more. They also stock lots of local, interstate & imported labels and host regular in-store events. Skydiver Records also has a back courtyard which serves up pizza and operates as a wine bar at night. Wine, pizza and records? La dolce vita.

Melbourne’s Chris Crouch has made his mark on the city in more ways than one. He’s the former owner of Fitzroy North’s Tramway Hotel, cult shop Polyester Records and music label Candle Records. These days, he runs Happy Valley Shop: a collection of carefully selected books, vinyl records, art and gifts. You’d be hard-pressed to find some of these products elsewhere, which is always a good thing when it comes to choosing a gift. 

Having worked in record stores since the late ’80s, Rocksteady Record’s proud owner Pat Monaghan is a laidback, thoughtful and knowledgeable muso. The store stocks mostly vinyl (new and second hand) and turntables. Monaghan promises that his black-wax baby will focus on local talent, including bands not signed as well as big distributors and reggae (it is called rocksteady records, after all), funk, soul, rock, jazz, hip hop, indie and new wave. 

 “A real driver for me was that when I was growing up, you could go to the city and do a tour of the CBD’s record stores,” he says. “I wanted to bring back more of a circuit – so now there’ll be Missing Link, Collectors Corner, Wax Museum Records, Off the Hip, Basement Discs and you can finish up at Rocksteady Records”.

It’s easy to miss Round & Round Records if you're walking on Sydney Road. Open seven days a week, the small shop is packed with custom-built wooden racks of new and second-hand vinyl spanning genres of psych, indie, punk, soul, blues, jazz, experimental, jazz, reggae, hip-hop, dance, and much more. 

There’s a selection of CDs here, but vinyl is the main focus. Shoppers can pick up anything from a reissued Nirvana LP to the back catalogue of Alice Cooper, Anthrax or Iron Maiden; but dig hard enough, and you’ll find some indie rock and classic titles by artists like Arcade Fire, Weezer and Arctic Monkeys.

Run by the patron saint of soul, Triple R's Chris Gill, Northside has long been a favourite within local music circles and DJs.  Whether you’re after a straight soul groove or some jazzed-up reggae blues, these guys have their finger on the vinyl pulse of all things funk through to hip-hop.

Stocking over 18,000 records, this Northcote-based store has hundreds of crates full of jazz, funk, hip hop, techno and global sounds from Japanese to Euro grooves. 

One of the more consistent and reliable vinyl sources in town. Over 10,000 records are crammed into the store’s confines, which makes for a cornucopia of genres. We’re talking rock, pop, psych, prog rock, metal, funk, soul, Krautrock… the beat goes on.

Specialising in more traditional forms of rock, Greville Records is the to start if hunting for ultra-limited releases of Kinks and b-sides. Easily Southside's best record store, owner Warwick Brown also stocks an enviable array of books, tour posters and hard-to-come-by paraphernalia.

A Melbourne institution for 17 years, Wax Museum Records has become a pillar of the local community for being at the forefront of music trends from jazz and soul through to hip-hop, beats and club culture. Stocking a wide range of new and lost treasures, expect to find some of Melbourne's most infamous music figures behind the counter.