Our 10 Favorite Portland Record Stores
Image: Katie Leimbach/Unsplash
In 2021, vinyl sales nearly doubled, and Portland—with its preponderance of music retailers—is well-suited to handle to the resurgence. If you haven’t already, now is the time to cop a record player and spin that vintage family vinyl, or begin a collection of your own. (Maybe you can start by nabbing a few titles from our list of the 50 essential Oregon albums.)
Whatever your needs, whatever your setup, we've run down 10 of our favorite spots in the Rose City to pick up LPs—and, in some cases, a lot more.
Black Water Records
223 NE Russell St / Eliot
The unassuming Black Water Records is beloved among punk and metal fans as the best place in town to shop new, used, or rare punk and heavy metal vinyl. It also carries records from its own Black Water label, plus local, DIY, and obscure bands, offering a home for lesser-known artists that don’t get tons of distribution.
Everyday Music
1931 NE Sandy Blvd (location closing May 7) & 1313 W Burnside St / Kerns & Pearl District
With one location closing this spring (after the Beaverton store shuttered in 2019), but another hanging on, Everyday Music remains a reliable spot for selling and shopping, with fairly priced used vinyl, CDs, and DVDs. When browsing the vinyl section, look for the quality markers; the shop grades its records as “Fine,” “Good,” or “Very Good.” It also offers headphones for listening in-store.
Jackpot Records
3574 SE Hawthorne Blvd / Richmond
Decked out with a yellow facade, red ceiling, skylights, and a neon “RECORDS” sign, this sweet little store resides on Hawthorne next to Cup and Saucer. Decorated with large-scale album artwork, the store stocks lots of new and used vinyl of every genre, including a soundtracks section with LPs like Rosemary’s Baby and pop vocal albums by Barbra Streisand and Tom Jones. While Jackpot has a modest collection of soul and hip-hop, there’s something to be said for the fact that it’s the only place I’ve been able to find Lizzo’s Coconut Oil EP on vinyl, or Stevie Wonder’s Secret Life of Plants soundtrack.
Little Axe Records
4142 NE Sandy Blvd / Hollywood
Selling a modest selection of used vinyl, Little Axe Records stocks mostly rock but also genres like electronic and modern, plus a small selection of soul, jazz and blues. The shop has a resident dog sometimes found alongside the tapes and LPs, and a record player with headphones, so customers can listen to prospective vinyl purchases. Little Axe also offers an African Record Subscription ranging from $20–220 for onetime, six-month, or one-year options.
Mississippi Records
5202 N Albina Ave / Humboldt
This cozy spot focuses on quality over quantity when it comes to new and used vinyl. In addition to a plethora of rock, pop, and punk, the shop also stocks a good amount of soul right near the front door, plus blues and jazz. There’s also a nice selection of hip-hop that places classics like OutKast’s ATLiens and A Tribe Called Quest’s People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm beside newer cuts like Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap. The store displays new arrivals near the register and local albums in their own section in the back. Sometimes the shop dog-sits for a neighboring business, so customers can browse in the company of two sleepy pups who lounge on dueling beds.
Music Millennium
3158 E Burnside St / Kerns
It’s easy to get lost thumbing through the massive labyrinth of vinyl at the 53-year-old Music Millennium. It’s loved for its wide-ranging selection of new and used records—in terms of genre, MM has it all—and discerning discophiles will find local projects (Blossom’s Tease, MAITA’s Best Wishes), alongside classics (Prince’s Sign o’ the Times, a slew of Joni Mitchell), CDs, DVDs, posters, and all manner of memorabilia. The store is also a longtime space for intimate live shows, COVID rules permitting.
My Vinyl Underground
1401 SE Division St / Hosford-Abernethy
The physical location of Portland label/mail-order service Jigsaw Records, My Vinyl Underground lives in the basement of Division comic book shop Books with Pictures. Sourcing music from around the globe, the store sells a mix of new and used vinyl, focusing mainly on local artists, small labels (including its own), and indie pop/rock subgenres including shoegaze, twee, lo-fi, and dream pop, plus some punk and metal. The store also carries a plethora of CDs, and the space occasionally also serves as a show venue.
Speck’s Records & Tapes
8216 N Denver Ave / Kenton
Owned by local DJ Michael Gersten, this Kenton vinyl shop is small but mighty, known for its extra-friendly service. Carrying a nicely curated collection of used vinyl in all genres (including some excellent jazz bins), Speck’s also offers a wide selection of cassette tapes, now-rare VHS tapes, T-shirts, and a bevy of (mostly) vintage audio equipment.
Tomorrow Records
700 SE Hawthorne Blvd / Hosford-Abernethy
This close-in Southeast record shop is a warmly lit little store with high ceilings. Unlike many other stores in town, Tomorrow dedicates a large section exclusively to record players, turntables, stereo receivers, and speakers, so if you need something to play your new vinyl on, you’ll have lots to pick from, ranging in price from $200–900. Tomorrow’s rock-leaning vinyl selection is thoughtfully curated, and the shop treats its records well, wrapping every piece in plastic; you’ll find everything from gospel and Negro spirituals to Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Roberta Flack, Joan Baez, MF DOOM, and a small selection of kids’ music. Don’t forget to check out the slew of bargain bins underneath the jazz section.
Vinyl Resting Place
8332 N Lombard St / St. Johns
Sporting a bright namesake neon sign, this used record store in St. Johns has been in business since 1997. Specializing in blues, jazz, classic rock, and folk, the cleverly named Vinyl Resting Place buys entire collections of vinyl and takes good care of every piece it carries, placing each in a plastic sleeve. The shop notably hosts two annual $1 record sales: one in mid-September to celebrate the shop’s anniversary, and another on the second Saturday in May after the St. Johns Parade.
