A companion event to the annual celebration of independent record stores in April, Record Store Day’s Black Friday on Nov. 25 signals more special exclusive releases at participating record stores.

From that list of 172 special releases, we’ve compiled this list of highlights for vinyl lovers — and likely those looking for gifts for vinyl lovers — who will be visiting record stores on November 25. Not every release listed below is available at every store on Record Store Black Friday (RSDBF), but this list could create a fun scavenger hunt for crate diggers and vinyl fans.

Incidentally, Record Store Day Black Friday cascades into Small Business Saturday, which a lot of record stores also happen to be. So this list might be a useful guide for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25 and 26.

Alanis Morissette – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

After an eight-year hiatus, Alanis Morissette released Such Pretty Forks in the Road, her ninth studio album, on July 31, 2020. Described as a very moody record, it contains the single “Reasons I Drink,” something a lot of listeners could relate to in the dark, uncertain days of 2020. It’s getting a limited vinyl release for RSDBF.

Alex G – We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Philadelphia musician Alex G just released God Save the Animals, his ninth full-length album, in September. Last year, however, saw the release of the coming-of-age horror film We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (available on HBO Max) and Alex G created the soundtrack. This RSD Black Friday release comes pressed on seafoam green vinyl.

Beck – “It’s All in Your Mind”

Sea Change turns 20 this year (ulp!), and this special edition 3-inch record contains that album’s seventh track. Caveat emptor: this record is made for the RSD3 Mini-Turntable — unveiled a couple Record Store Days back. So if you don’t have that, the addition of a chain could make this a cool pendant for the neck of the Beck fan in your life.

Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever

This double-LP Record Store Day exclusive release of Billie Eilish’s latest album is issued on 100% recycled black vinyl.

Brian Wilson – Long Promised Road

The documentary about Brian Wilson, Long Promised Road, was released almost exactly one year ago. This RSDBF release is the soundtrack to that documentary. It includes a new, collaborative track by Wilson and Jim James (My Morning Jacket).

Chief Keef – 4NEM

Chicago rapper Chief Keef releases his latest album on vinyl for the first time for this RSD exclusive. 

The Cure – Wish (30th Anniversary Edition)

Make sure Transmission host Jake Rudh is free on Friday, November 25! He and those who share his musical tastes will want to snap up this 30th-anniversary edition of the Cure’s 1992 album Wish, which included the big hit, “Friday I’m in Love.” It’s a double-LP picture disc set to boot.

David Bowie – The Next Day Extra EP

Seven tracks of outtakes from David Bowie’s 2013 art-rock album, The Next Day, and it also includes a track featuring James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.

Duran Duran – Live at Hammersmith ‘82

Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Duran Duran are releasing this double vinyl of tracks recorded live across three shows at London’s Hammersmith Odeon in 1982, and it includes live versions of their hits “Rio” and “Hungry Like The Wolf.”

Etta James – Etta Is Betta Than Evvah!

The title may first make you think of Spoon. Here, Etta James leans into funky dance-centric ‘70s tunes on her last studio album for Chicago’s Chess Records. This is its first official U.S. vinyl reissue.

The Flying Burrito Brothers – Live From the Bottom Line NYC 1976

The lineup is short a gram — Parsons, that is — and Chrisses Hillman and Ethridge had left as well, but hey, it’s still the Flying Burrito Brothers recorded live in New York. This recording consists of 12 previously unreleased tracks and seems a good find for the cosmic Americana completist.

Frank Black and the Catholics – One More Road For the Hit

During the Pixies’ hiatus, Frank Black/Black Francis/Charles Thompson issued six albums under the sectarian band name Frank Black and the Catholics. Active from 1998 to 2003, Black’s music from this period was the source of spats with record labels, who considered the music too raw, eventually leading Black to release the music on the New York-based SpinArt label. This RSD exclusive compilation of B-sides and non-album tracks from Frank Black and the Catholics is its first time on vinyl.

Fountains of Wayne – Traffic and Weather

“Collingwood Schlesinger” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue like “Lennon McCartney,” but Fountains of Wayne’s Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger could write indie-pop masterpieces with irresistible music holding up lyrics loaded with mirth and melancholy. Schlesinger was one of the COVID-19 pandemic’s early casualties, making this album reissue all the more poignant. Originally released in 2007, Traffic and Weather was not available on vinyl until this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday.

The Four Tops – Second Album

This album, originally released in 1965 by Motown Records, includes the megahits “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “It’s The Same Old Song.”  

Gladys Knight and the Pips – self-titled

Before they signed to Motown, Gladys Knight and the Pips were signed to New York’s Maxx Records, under whom they released this 1965 self-titled album. For RSDBF, it will be re-released on heavyweight color vinyl.

Grant-Lee Phillips – Walking in the Green Corn (10th Anniversary Edition)

Well known for fronting ‘90s indie rockers Grant Lee Buffalo and for appearing as the Stars Hollow troubadour on Gilmore Girls, Grant-Lee Phillips also enjoys a long and successful career as a solo singer-songwriter. His 2012 album, Walking in the Green Corn, is Phillips’s introspective exploration of his Indigenous (Muscogee Nation, to be specific) heritage. Walking in the Green Corn is being reissued on turquoise color vinyl and it includes a bonus 45 with two previously unreleased tracks.

Iggy Pop – Après

The appropriately titled follow-up to his 2009 French-language album Préliminaires, Après was originally released in Europe in 2012 but has never before been released in the United States. Those accustomed to Iggy Pop’s punk vocals might be taken aback by his French stylings, but French teacher Marie Drouvin (perhaps generously) commented that “Iggy certainly has an accent, but his pronunciation is on point.” Après is pressed on solid pink vinyl.

Jimi Hendrix – Burning Desire

This double LP, pressed on translucent orange and red vinyl, features Jimi Hendrix riffing and experimenting in the studio with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles. Note to collectors: If this sounds familiar, it’s because it was released on black vinyl for a previous Record Store Day.

Joe Strummer – Live at Music Millennium

A sad anniversary lands on December 22, 2022: the 20th anniversary of the death of Joe Strummer. The Clash frontman, leader of the Mescaleros, and solo artist remains an iconic and influential artist to this day. This is the first-time release of a recording of Strummer’s 1999 in-store performance at Music Millennium — a record store in Portland, Ore., that’s still in operation and you can be absolutely sure will be open and participating in RSDBF.

John Williams - The Cowboys (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [50th Anniversary]

Fifty years ago — five years before Star Wars — composer John Williams developed the score for the John Wayne film The Cowboys. A CD version of this soundtrack was issued in 2018, and it sold out quickly. This double-LP vinyl release, its first ever, is pressed on gold wax.

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers – Jonathan Sings!

Providing a listen to Richman’s music post-“Roadrunner” and pre-The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, this 1983 album is being reissued on peach-swirl vinyl.

Juliana Hatfield/Emma Swift - Lotta Love/Give Me Strength

Neil Young covers for charity? Not a bad approach. Singer-songwriters Juliana Hatfield and Emma Swift take turns covering a track apiece on this 7-inch, 45 RPM single. One dollar from each sale of this record is will go to Casting for Recovery, which enhances the quality of life of women with breast cancer through retreats that combine breast cancer education, peer support, and the therapeutic benefits of fly fishing.

Keith Richards – Main Offender / Winos in London ‘92

Not the only person in this list also known as Keef, the Rolling Stones guitarist’s set is notable because a) the live show only saw limited release previously; and b) it’s not being released on vinyl, but as a double cassette.

Kid ‘n Play – 2 Hype

This reissue of Kid ‘n Play’s 1988 RIAA gold-certified album is pressed on color vinyl and it features the hit songs “Do The Kid ‘n Play Kick Step” and “Rollin With Kid ‘n Play.”

Madonna – “Everybody”

Released October 6, 1982, “Everybody” was Madonna’s debut single. This 12-inch 40th anniversary reissue includes remastered versions of the eponymous track.

Martha and the Vandellas – Dance Party

Another Motown gem in this year’s RSDBF releases, this album, originally released in 1965, also bears the work of Holland-Dozier-Holland — and of course, is anchored by the vocals of the great Martha Reeves. Dance Party will likely get you “Dancing in the Street,” a huge hit that appears on this album. This reissue is packaged in its original (arguably dated) 1965 artwork, but this music is for everyone.

My Morning Jacket – My Morning Jacket Does Xmas Fiasco Style

Twenty-two years ago, My Morning Jacket released this six-track holiday EP, alternately titled “We Wish You A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!” This collection has been released in various formats before, but with people in a Yuletide mood on Black Friday, what the heck?

Old 97s – One More Ride: Old 97s Play Johnny Cash

Rhett Miller and friends cover the Man in Black on this four-track EP.

Olivia Newton-John – Physical

A musician we lost in 2022, Olivia Newton-John's 1981 album Physical is being celebrated on picture-disc vinyl for RSDBF. The title track raised eyebrows and was even banned by some radio stations for being considered too explicit, but it took on a decidedly different, G-rated meaning when it was appropriated by the fitness craze of the early 1980s.

Question Mark and the Mysterians – Cavestomp! Presents: Are You for Real?

Michigan garage rockers Question Mark and the Mysterians reunited in 1997 and went back into the studio to re-record their big hit “96 Tears” as well as some Spanish-language tracks, covers, and other material. This album, never before released on vinyl, is pressed on what’s described as “Psychedelic Splatter Purple.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Return of the Dream Canteen

Another entry of relatively new music, this RSDBF release of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ latest album comes as a double-LP set on neon pink vinyl.

Ringo Starr – five releases

Like RZA (see next entry), Ringo Starr is putting out more than one vinyl release for RSDBF. In Ringo’s case, he’s dropping three: Live At The Greek Theater 2019; Old Wave (two versions, including one on — you’re reading this correctly — CD); and Ringo The 4th (two versions: one on translucent orange vinyl, the other on translucent blue). For Ringo completists, one can hear the clarion call to collect them all.

RZA – Digi Snacks / In Digital Potions

Not one, but two vinyl releases from RZA for RSDBF. The emphasis on “digital” in both the Bobby Digital alias and in the release titles is a bit contrary given these analog (vinyl) formats, but that only seems to up the cool factor on these hip-hop releases.

Smash Mouth – Fush Yu Mang

California doofuses of party rock Smash Mouth are releasing their 1997 debut album on neon green vinyl for RSDBF. The tracklist includes their massive hit, “Walkin’ on the Sun.”

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – Going to a Go-Go

Here’s another solid-gold RSDBF exclusive release. This album, first released in 1965, is a Motown classic. It’s the first album to credit Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and it contains four of their huge hits: “Ooo Baby Baby,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Going to A Go-Go,” and “My Girl Has Gone.” As much as people love anniversaries divisible by 5 or 10, this reissue — the first in 40 years — comes out in honor of the 62nd anniversary of Motown Records, a celebration that may have been delayed due to the pandemic.

Snoop Dogg – Coolaid

Whereas Snoop is more likely to be associated with Corona beer in the beverages category these days, his 2016 album Coolaid is being released as a double LP on lime-green vinyl … which seems like a flavor of Kool-Aid.

Soul Coughing – Lust in Phaze

Mike Doughty’s 1990s band Soul Coughing released three studio albums — and on them, a whole bunch of great music. (You can read all about the band in Doughty’s excellent 2012 memoir, The Book of Drugs.) Rhino Records released a best-of compilation, Lust in Phaze, in 2002. Twenty years on, it’s a double LP vinyl release for RSDBF.

The Supremes – Where Did Our Love Go?

A fantastic entry in this year’s special releases, this 1964 album by the Supremes catapulted the Motown Sound around the world, and it contains three — three! — No. 1 hits: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love” and “Come See About Me.” The songs were written and produced by the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland team. The Library of Congress selected Where Did Our Love Go? for inclusion in the National Recording Registry, so its place in any collector’s home is bona fide. Snap it up if you can.

Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything

Producer Todd Rundgren released this album 50 years ago. Not only did Rundgren play all the instruments and vocals on the album, it contains some of his best-known music and is considered a landmark album of the 1970s. 

Townes Van Zandt – At My Window (35th Anniversary Edition)

The press notes say this album features “a collection of melancholy songs about love and heartbreak.” That’s no surprise for Townes Van Zandt fans, who know all too well the late singer-songwriter’s life was filled with melancholy and heartbreak. (As a youngster, Van Zandt moved around a lot with his family, but he attended and graduated from a boarding school in Minnesota, so there’s even a bit of a local connection.) At My Window is the only album Van Zandt released in the 1980s. This special RSD edition is pressed on sky-blue vinyl.

The Weeknd – Dawn FM

Another release of new music (see also: Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers) The Weeknd’s 2022 album Dawn FM features contributions from Tyler, the Creator; Lil Wayne; Quincy Jones, Oneohtrix Point Never; and the Weeknd’s fellow Canadian, Jim Carrey. The double LP release for RSDBF features alternative cover art, enhancing its collectible appeal.

Wille Nelson – Live at Budokan

A lot of people associate Budokan with the recording location of Cheap Trick’s iconic live album, recorded in 1978. Six years later, Willie Nelson visited the iconic venue in Tokyo. It was part of a five-city tour of Japan — Nelson’s first time touring in that country — and its recording results in this previously unreleased double-LP set comprising 27 tracks.

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This feature is part of The Current’s 89 Days of Fall series, helping you enjoy the best of the season with weekly guides to events, entertainment, and recreation in the Twin Cities.

External Link

Record Store Day - official site