Record Store Day (RSD) is an annual event celebrating all things vinyl. Since 2007, record collectors all over the world have waited in line for hours (sometimes even overnight) to score albums that will either have a limited release, or will never be printed again.

Typically there are two RSDs per year– one in the spring, and one on Black Friday. However, for safety precautions, the first RSD date of the year was split into two ‘drops’ for 2021.

With RSD Drop I already behind us, we’re fast approaching RSD Drop 2 on Saturday, July 17.

You can view the full list of releases on the RSD website, but if you’re getting lost in the sea of names, no need to worry. We’ve got you covered.

Here are 10 of the best albums you cannot pass up this year:

1.) Bastille — Vs. (Other People’s Heartache, Pt. III)

• Format: 12″ Picture Disc
• Quantity printed: 2000

In between their LP releases, Bastille are known for dropping their own mixtapes by the name Other People’s Heartache. Part III of this series came out in 2014, but it’s finally getting the vinyl treatment this year. The EP features collaborations with HAIM, Lizzo, and others.

2.) Matt Bellamy — Cryosleep

• Format: 12″ Picture Disc
• Quantity printed: 1500

Muse lead singer Matt Bellamy is releasing his first ever physical solo effort on July 16, with an exclusive pressing available on RSD. The album contains 10 songs and will also include a sheet music booklet.

3.) K.Flay — Don’t Judge A Song By Its Cover

• Format: 12″ Vinyl
• Quantity printed: 2000

Alt musician K.Flay is staying true to her album’s name by releasing covers of three 90s classics: Offspring’s “Self Esteem,” Green Day’s “Brain Stew,” and Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff.”

4.) Gorillaz — G Collection

• Format: Box Set
• Quantity printed: 900

If you’re a massive Gorillaz fan but are a vinyl newbie, you’re gonna want to take note of this. The G Collection is a box set filled with six Gorillaz albums (Gorillaz, Demon Days, Plastic Beach, Humanz, The Now Now, and Song Machine). You’ll likely have to fork over a large chunk of change for this release, but it’d be way easier than buying them all separately.

(The Fall was previously released as part of RSD 2019 and will not be included in this set.)

5.) PVRIS — Use Me (Deluxe EP)

• Format: 12″ Vinyl (coke bottle clear)
• Quantity printed: 2725

This deluxe version of PVRIS’ 2020 album Use Me includes five new tracks, two of them being remixes of “Dead Weight” and “Loveless.”

6.) Keane — Dirt EP

• Format: 12″ Vinyl
• Quantity printed: 500

Keane’s Dirt EP includes four previously unreleased tracks, two from 2019’s Cause And Effect sessions.

(Author’s note: I know what you’re thinking. How good can songs be if they couldn’t even make it on the original album? But let me tell you, Keane’s best tracks are their unreleased ones. If you’re lucky enough to find this release, grab it and never let it go.)

7.) Evanescence — The Open Door

• Format: 2 x LP (grey marble)
• Quantity printed: 2500

Go back in time with this 15th annivesary reissue of Evanescence’s second LP, The Open Door. Originally released in 2006, The Open Door features tracks like, “Call Me When You’re Sober,” “Lithium,” and “Sweet Sacrifice.”

8.) Fleet Foxes — “Can I Believe You” / “Wading in Waist-High Water”

• Format: 7″ Vinyl
• Quantity printed: 5000

Indie folk band Fleet Foxes performed a livestream concert in December 2020 and are releasing two of the live recordings on RSD. Front-man Robin Pecknold is joined on these tracks by the Resistance Revival Chorus.

9.) St. Vincent — Piggy/Sad But True

• Format: 7″ Vinyl
• Quantity printed: 3200

St. Vincent will also be releasing a couple of cover songs for RSD– Nine Inch Nails’ “Piggy” (featuring Dave Grohl), and Metallica’s “Sad But True,” which was originally part of The Metallica Blacklist, a compilation of covers celebrating the 30th anniversary of Metallica’s self-titled album.

10.) Ocean’s Eleven — Music From The Motion Picture

• Format: 12″ Vinyl (red and black “roulette wheel”)
• Quantity printed: 1800

Even if you’re not a fan of Ocean’s Eleven (how?), you may still enjoy the film’s score. The album features music from composer David Holmes, plus Percy Faith, Arthur Lyman, and Quincy Jones. It’s a great purchase for lovers of electronic jazz-funk.

(The original soundtrack release included dialogue from the film, though it’s not clear whether or not the vinyl will.)

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Which albums will you be snagging this Record Store Day? Be sure to tag us on Twitter @altechomusic when you post pics of your haul! We can’t wait to see what you end up with.

Best of luck out there.

Featured image courtesy of Music Zone