The Best Record Shops In Birmingham England

Little do people know that Birmingham technically invented heavy metal and is one of the pioneering cities for genres ranging from reggae to bhangra! For when you want to pick up something new – or one of your favourites that’s missing from your collection – here are the best record shops in Birmingham.

Swordfish Records

Proudly independent and standing strong since 1979, Swordfish is one of the best places to pick up new and old music in Birmingham. Now in a new location on Dalton Street, you could easily spend hours in this place perusing their collection of music and memorabilia which spans across a multitude of genres and decades.

Polar Bear Records

Shop, Store

Situated in the bustling south Birmingham suburb of Kings Heath is Polar Bear Records, an independent, specialist music store that’s just a stone throw from the Hare & Hounds. Though they mostly specialise in CDs, they often stock new vinyl releases and will happily order in at your request.

The Diskery

Shop, Store

One of our personal favourite shops in the country, The Diskery is a real treasure trove. Famous for their customer service (don’t be surprised if you’re offered a cup of tea and a biscuit when you pop in), The Diskery is not only the city’s oldest record shop, but also England’s, and mostly stocks second-hand vinyl across practically every genre you could think of.

Ignite Records

Shop, Store

Rich Perri’s emporium of records a true hidden gem in Birmingham and should be visited by all. This small shop is tucked away inside the infamous Oasis Market, caters for all tastes and is owned by one of the most knowledgable guys in Birmingham’s music scene.

Entertainment World

Shop, Store

From the outside, visitors may be fooled in to thinking this is just a video game shop. Step inside and not only will you find one of the largest collections of retro gaming items, but you’ll also find an impressive selection of pre-loved records.

Emortal Records

Store, Shop

Situated on Bournville Lane in Stirchley, Emortal is one of the newest record shops in the city. Though Emortal primarily caters for house, DNB, techno and old school rave music fans, they’ve now stepped in to the rock / metal world and are stocking classics by the likes of Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Pop in and see what gems you can unearth!

About the author

Richard Franks

Freelance Travel and Music Writer

Proudly born and bred in Birmingham, UK, Richard is passionate about all things travel and music. Having founded the regional online music magazine Counteract in early 2010, Richard has enjoyed a versatile writing career and writes for a number of publications, including The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, Metro and others. If he's not travelling around Europe, you'll often find him supporting his football team, Aston Villa.