The best places in Adelaide to buy records
This Saturday, April 18, marks Record Store Day, so we’re revisiting our favourite local spots to pick up vinyl and see how they’re celebrating.
Saturday, April 18, marks Record Store Day with vinyl sellers around the city poised to celebrate with special events.
Pulteney Street stalwart Clarity Records won’t be doing its usual midnight opening this year, but the store will expand into the vacant store next door for extra elbow room, trading from 9am ’til 6pm Saturday.
Nearby, the foyer of Rundle Street’s Palace Nova Cinema will be taken over by local sellers Crackle and Pop Records and Underground Records. The pair promise a “war chest of metal, hardcore, alternative, electro and hip-hop” from 12pm. Then, at 6:30pm join them for a screening of the 80s live concert film Stop Making Sense – documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity.
Further west, vintage marketplace My Dead Grandpa are hosting a two-day vinyl market open 9am ’til 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. The venue is home to vinyl-sellers slinging record store day exclusive prints, and local DJ Mellow Chronics will be playing throughout the day.
Whether you’re going to an event or after a new store to browse all year round, here’s our guide to the best places in Adelaide to buy records all year round.
Big Star Records
160 Magill Road, Norwood 5067
Established in the 80s, Big Star was a big player in the Adelaide music scene with multiple stores across the city. Owned by Jeff Stephens, Exploding White Mice guitarist now playing with punk outfit Cull – The Band, Big Star’s remaining Magill Road store showcases the legacy of Adelaide’s music scene over the decades.
The place radiates cool with gig posters and vinyl covering most surfaces. The range of well-priced vinyl and CDs covers all genres from classic rock to jazz, country to folk, and of course, homegrown talent isn’t left out, with ‘and Adelaide’ lovingly scribbled after the genre name on some divider cards.
Big Star’s legacy is entwined with keeping the record economy alive in Adelaide as former staff went on to establish their own independent record stores that have made this list, such as Mr V Music, Streetlight and Clarity.
Clarity Records
60 Pulteney Street, Adelaide 5000
Any record lover in Adelaide should be aware of Clarity Records. It takes up residency on Pulteney Street in the Block building on Hindmarsh Square which was bought by a developer with plans to build a 35-storey student accommodation tower.
The development was granted planning consent in August 2025, with the tower expected to be built within two years, but there has not been an update yet about when works will start. For now, Clarity is still spinning in the Hindmarsh Square spot.
Walking into Clarity is truly a record lover’s oasis. With choices from Led Zeppelin to Kendrick Lamar, every music lover will have something to find.
Clockwork Culture Records
9 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood 5063
Tucked away behind Jenny’s Bakery is a bespoke record store titled Clockwork Culture Records. As stated in its title, this place appreciates popular culture and highlights this through its choice to stock Pop! Vinyl — the cutely shaped figurines of the best-known famous figures and characters.
Aside from the ceiling-high boxes of dolls, this record store stocks rock favourites like Jimi Hendrix and The Eagles but doesn’t stray away from new releases like Mötley Crüe’s Shout At The Devil (40th Anniversary).
Lenny’s Records
192B Henley Beach Road, Torrensville 5031
This western suburb-based journalist frequently ventures down Henley Beach Road when driving to work. One day, amid peak-hour traffic, CityMag came to a stop. Instead of participating in the usual road rage, CityMag was distracted by a proud ‘Lenny’s Records’ sign prominently lighting up the shop front to our left. We were intrigued.
So when we went on our hunt to find the best places in Adelaide to buy records, we knew it was a sign from the road rage Gods to give Lenny’s Records a go — and it did not disappoint. This store has records and CDs flooding from the tables and stacked in brightly coloured boxes all around the area. We couldn’t go past David Bowie’s Heroes.
Mr V Music
115 Semaphore Road, Semaphore 5019
Mr V Music is run by another Adelaide independent scene veteran, Vic Conrad. The shop on Semaphore Road stocks mainly secondhand records, CDs and cassettes, along with art prints from local artists and musical knick-knacks. Make sure you take a gander at the Beatles poster signed by Sir Paul McCartney himself.
Subscribe for updates
Mr V shares the love locally with projects including the Semaphore Record Fair throughout the year but even if there isn’t an event on, Mr V’s is always worth a look.
Despite his retro reputation, Mr V isn’t too cool for Instagram, and you can keep up with the latest stock and staff picks on their socials. Whether it’s some of our favourite locals like The Empty Threats, The Mark of Cain, or international heavy hitters like Taylor’s Version – Mr V has got you.
ReRun Records and Photography
Renaissance Arcade, 32 & 35/128 Rundle Mall, Adelaide 5000
Rerun Vinyl Records & Photography definitely has the tick of approval from musos, with past shoppers including Anton Newcombe of American psych band the Brian Jonestown Massacre – who came out with purchases from the Reels and Bowie.
Rerun is hidden away in Renaissance Arcade off Rundle Mall and has a big focus on secondhand records. While they are reasonably priced, expect to pay big bucks for rarities and original pressings. Although Rerun specialises in records, they also stock old cameras, equipment and vintage photographs.
This record store has a long-established place in Adelaide’s music scene and claimed its place in postcode 5000 well before collecting vinyl hit the retro mainstream.
Streetlight
Shop 2/15 Vaughan Place, Adelaide 5000
Streetlight has to be one of the best record stores in Adelaide. Located in Vaughan Place, Streetlight is just a stone’s throw away from the Palace Nova and the Exeter. It specialises in vinyl, CDs, books, cinema and pre-loved clothing. Downstairs, while a record plays in the background, you can find everything from classic rock to jazz, classical and hip-hop.
There is also a selection of books, including music-related ones, as well as foreign and arthouse films and an array of posters. Upstairs, you will find a smaller collection of second-hand records and clothing. Streetlight is definitely the place to be for music, film and art lovers.
Transition Records
Room 121/33 Pirie Street, Adelaide 5000
When walking into Transition Records, the white painted walls allow the colourful album covers to shine. The fluorescent blues and yellows from the records brighten the area. But this record store doesn’t want to attract just any kind of music lover. Instead, they stay in their lane and specialise in genres such as techno, house and ambient.
Some of their collection is so obscure that they have even titled a genre as ‘beats/bass/don’t know’. Transition Records is a haven for DJs — the vinyl-using kind.
Wolfies Records
154 Magill Road, Norwood 5067
Wolfie’s opened on Magill Road in 2020 after relocating from Glen Osmond Rd (and Stirling before that). When it comes to record-slinging, Wolfgang ‘Wolfie’ Schiblhut knows his stuff.
Beyond crates of vinyl and the listening stations to put their quality to the test, you’ll find CDs, DVDs, hi-fi equipment and vintage clothing. Wolfie’s may not have the most extensive collection on this list, but it successfully unites music, barista coffee and clothing with vintage vibes: all things we love here at CityMag.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
