Black music record stores weren’t always just places to buy records. These spaces have become a lifeline for the community, a cultural hub where people gather, share stories, and connect over a shared passion for music.
From the early days of the Windrush generation to the present day, these stores have been an important part of the black cultural experience. For many, they were crucial in shaping not only their musical tastes but also their sense of identity and belonging.
I am involved in a new research project, ‘The Record Store and Black Music: A UK History’. The project aims to shine a spotlight on this heritage by documenting and preserving for posterity the untold stories of black record shops across the UK. Through oral history, film, and photography, we capture the vibrant world that flourished within these stores.
A trailer for an upcoming documentary created as part of the project.
Claude Hendrickson, founder of the Chapeltown Youth Association in Leeds, said: “Without music, I don’t know how I would have survived in Britain, especially as a black Caribbean man.” His words emphasized how these spaces are deeply connected to community survival and cultural resistance.
For many Black people, these stores transcended their commercial nature and offered a sense of belonging, a space to learn about new artists, hear the latest sounds, and hit it off. “The first community I had in music was a record shop,” said British DJ and presenter Trevor Nelson. He recalled how important his early interactions with the music community were in forging the connections that would shape his career.
2Funky Record Store in Leicester. 2 funky arts
What made these stores even more unique was their ability to foster networks of collaboration. Record stores didn’t just sell music. They were trying to make it too. Artists, DJs, promoters, radio stations, and music journalists used these spaces as meeting points to exchange ideas, feedback, and receive inspiration.
As British radio legend and reggae enthusiast David Rodigan explains: “The very act of going to a record store was an act of gathering like-minded people together.”
original taste maker
Before the era of streaming, record stores were an essential part of how music moved and evolved. Long before an algorithm suggests a new track, the person behind the counter is the original tastemaker, knows their music and their community, and can help shape what they hear next. It was a person.
Peckings Studio Record Shop in London. Please give credit to David Corio. David Corio/2 Funky Arts
In this way, record stores not only reflected musical trends, but also contributed to their creation. For example, shops selling soul, R&B, reggae, jungle, drum and bass, UK garage, dub, hip-hop, and other black music genres played an important role in shaping the British music charts. They guided the tastes of customers and thus of the nation.
At a time when mainstream radio and major record labels often ignored black music, these stores provided an important alternative. These were the places where artists started their careers and where word of mouth helped them build their careers.
In doing so, these stores became the hub of a cottage industry that supported independent artists and labels, allowing Black people to thrive in an industry that wasn’t always welcoming or accessible.
Our projects not only celebrate the past, but also question what these spaces mean in today’s world. Although record stores aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, their impact on the cultural landscape is still undeniable. By documenting these stories, we ensure that the contribution of black music stores is not forgotten, but rather remains an integral part of Britain’s cultural heritage.
As we continue to explore and record their history, we are reminded of their enormous contribution not only to the music industry but to British cultural life itself.
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