Record Store Day 2026 [April] is upcoming and EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE wants to encourage you all to come out and help all your local record shops celebrate the day by purchasing as many wonderful new vinyl releases as possible!

We hope you find something you love to take home with you, whether that be something released exclusively for Record Store Day or something fantastic from what the store nearest you regularly stock.

Yes, every day should be Record Store Day, we agree, so we encourage you to make stopping by your favorite record store AND stopping by this website a regular thing - because we’ll be telling you about awesome things going on at record stores all year long!

And so, as our dear friends at Sony Legacy Recordings have once more kindly sent us a few of their RSD 2026 [April] releases for review, as always, we shall review and highlight them all.

From Bruce Springsteen to Jeff Buckley, and from Pink Floyd to Tony Bennett, Legacy’s offerings this year include rare and previously unreleased materials from legendary artists across its broad catalog slate.

Pink Floyd, Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 (4LP – First Time on Clear Vinyl // Also a 2CD release): Pink Floyd Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 contains 16 live recordings captured by the renowned bootlegger Mike Millard at the band’s legendary Los Angeles Sports Arena concert on April 26th, 1975. The audio has been lovingly restored and remastered by acclaimed producer and musician Steven Wilson.

Side A:
1. Raving And Drooling

Side B:
1. You’ve Got To Be Crazy

Side C:
1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1-5)
2. Have a Cigar

Side D:
1. Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 6-9)

Side E:
1. Speak to Me
2. Breathe (In the Air)
3. On the Run
4. Time

Side F:
1. The Great Gig in the Sky
2. Money
3. Us and Them

Side G:
1. Any Colour You Like
2. Brain Damage
3. Eclipse

Side H:
1. Echoes

This absolutely amazing, flashback of a concert opens with both Raving and Drooling and You’ve Got To Be Crazy, both of which evolve into Sheep and Dogs, which would feature on their 1977’s tenth album, Animals, before the epic Shine On You Crazy Diamond kicks in; both parts separated by Have A Cigar, also from Wish You Were Here, before the whole of The Dark Side Of The Moon is played, followed by an encore of Echoes.

The Dark Side of the Moon had been released in March 1973 and became a cultural event, not merely a hit album. By 1975, the record had transformed Pink Floyd from a major progressive act into an arena institution. Yet the band’s internal mood was more complicated than its commercial profile suggested.

Waters was steering concepts toward alienation and industry critique, Gilmour remained focused on melodic and tonal detail, Wright provided the harmonic atmosphere that made the songs breathe, and Mason anchored the long-form pacing that separated Floyd from harder, more compressed live contemporaries.

The April 26th Los Angeles show sits inside the group’s 1975 North American run, a tour cycle that has become essential to understanding Floyd’s creative bridge years. At this stage, audiences were hearing early frameworks of material that would later be recast on Animals.

The recording has been meticulously restored and remastered by Steven Wilson from tapes that originated from the legendary late bootlegger Mike “Mike the Mic” Millard, whose tapes from concerts across Los Angeles in the 1970s became renowned for their surprisingly clear sound quality.

Jeff Buckley, Live À L’Olympia (2LP - First Time on Vinyl): This live album captures Jeff Buckley and band across two nights in Paris July 6th & 7th during his 1995 European tour in support of the release of his Grace album.

Captured at the legendary Olympia, it found Buckley before a rapturous French crowd performing half of the songs from his beloved debut album (including favorites like “Lover, You Should Have Come Over” and “Hallelujah”) plus covers as varied as the MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams,” a Led Zeppelin parody and songs made famous by Nina Simone and Edith Piaf.

In addition, the album features an additional live performance of Buckley and Alim Qasimov in a competitive Qawwali singing duet from a festival of sacred music also captured that year in France. Originally released in 2001, this marks the album’s first time on vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day.

Side A:
1. Lover, You Should’ve Come Over
2. Dream Brother

Side B:
1. Eternal Life
2. Kick Out the Jams
3. Lilac Wine

Side C:
1. Grace
2. That’s All I Ask
3. Kashmir (Led Zeppelin Parody)
4. Je ne connais pas la fin

Side D:
1. Hallelujah
2. What Will You Say (Live at Classic Festival)

For me personally, this is Jeff’s most playful album by some distance, and I have to think that’s because of the audience. It’s an odd thing to think, because Jeff’s legacy has already been hard-coded into the canon alongside the likes of Nick Drake as people who didn’t experience fame until they were already dead, but there were a couple of countries where he built up a sizeable, adoring cult fanbase during his lifetime; enough to sell out leading venues and win awards - and oddly they were Australia and France. Not two countries I’d think have much else in common, but hey, what do I know.

Because Jeff actually enjoyed a certain level of fame in France, there’s a sense here that he was allowed to be himself a bit more in front of a French crowd. Some of his live albums see him really stretching himself to the limits in order to impress an audience he assumes won’t know him or his music, but freed of that burden, this is so much more relaxed and light-hearted.

You can see that most obviously on Kashmir - it’s a lot like the monologues on Live at Sin-E (Legacy Edition) in terms of its throwaway, silly sense of fun, but remember that you have to be a lot braver and feel a lot more comfortable to do that in front of a much bigger audience with a band on stage behind you.

It’s right through the album though, in the way he talks to the audience - crazy, weird, and wonderful are all words thrown around. He doesn’t know why they love him more than any other audience he’s played to, he just knows they do. And it’s not arrogance, either - you can hear their fandom for yourself as they wildly applaud almost every song and sing along with them, and Jeff honestly seems humbled by it.

Judas Priest, Live In Los Angeles ’90 (1LP on Purple Vinyl – First Time on Vinyl): Previously only available on CD as part of the 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music boxset, this transparent purple vinyl edition captures Judas Priest’s performance at the Foundations Forum, Los Angeles on 13th September 1990 on their Painkiller tour.

Side A:
1. Riding on the Wind
2. Grinder
3. Heading Out to the Highway
4. Between the Hammer and the Anvil
5. Bloodstone

Side B:
1. Better by You Better Than Me
2. Leather Rebel
3. The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
4. Hell Bent for Leather
5. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’

In all truth, this is a great live album. Featuring incredible versions of Between the Hammer and the Anvil, Leather Rebel and especially their Fleetwood Mac over of The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown), here, well, they just hit harder.

Even Hell Bent for Leather got turned up a few notches, which I never thought could ever be something that I would hear. Simply put, this is a sensational live album. His voice on the rampant opener Riding on the Wind is one of my all-time favorite versions. It is just spine chillingly, bone crunchingly brutal.

Almost all official live albums have overdubs of some description on them, this one is no exception, but what you get here regardless is a strong, melodically forceful live set that showcases a band, and a lead singer that were enjoying each others musical company at the time. Oh, and as it culminates on the brilliantly uber You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ there is just no downside to this recording, in my humble opinion.

Tony Bennett, MTV Unplugged (2LP – First Time on Vinyl): Tony Bennett’s Grammy-winning MTV Unplugged session to be released on vinyl for the very first time. Originally recorded live in New York City in April 1994, this landmark album showcases Bennett’s timeless interpretations of the Great American Songbook, backed by the impeccable Ralph Sharon Trio. This 2LP set, pressed exclusively for Record Store Day, features 21 unforgettable tracks, including classics like “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, and “Steppin’ Out With My Baby”.

Side A:
1. Old Devil Moon
2. Speak Low
3. It Had To Be You
4. I Love A Piano
5. It Amazes Me
6. The Girl I Love (a/k/a The Man I Love)

Side B:
1. Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)
2. You’re All The World To Me
3. Rags To Riches
4. When Joanna Loved Me
5. The Good Life/I Wanna Be Around
6. I Left My Heart In San Francisco

Side C:
1. Steppin’ Out With My Baby
2. Moonglow (Performed with K.D. Lang)
3. They Can’t Take That Away From Me (Performed with Elvis Costello)
4. A Foggy Day
5. All Of You

Side D:
1. Body And Soul
2. It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing
3. Autumn Leaves/Indian Summer
4. (Just A) Little Street Where Old Friends Meet
5. When Do The Bells Ring For Me

To win the Album of the Year Grammy for an MTV Unplugged two years after Eric Clapton did with his classic unplugged album and then to win the Grammy when acoustic shows were nowhere near even close to being in vogue, well, that surely must indicate something. And it does. Tony Bennett’s comeback in the 1990’s could not have had a better place to solidify.

Second only to Frank Sinatra on the all-time list of standard crooners, Bennett (67 at the time) was found here singing his signatures and favorites accompanied oh-so efficiently by the highly impressive Ralph Sharon trio - of which the pianist Sharon deserves special attention, especially on I Love A Piano or the glorious solo that spines Steppin’ Out With My Baby.

For me, Bennett’s shoes fit best on ballads, like It Amazes Me, It Had To Be You and his signature I Left My Heart In San Francisco. K.D. Lang and Elvis Costello offer guest vocals on two subtle duets, which come across as possible unrehearsed.

Intimacy between Tony and the audience is almost tangible on this record. Tony sings, the audience cheers. Oh, what a night it was. Billie Holiday was right when she predicted a career for the young Italian-American Bennett back in 1950’s.

And finally, as promised, here are the remaining titles that were not sent for review, but will all still be getting released this coming April RSD 2026:

Bruce Springsteen, Live From Asbury Park 2024 (5LP // 3CD)

Available for the first time on vinyl, hear Bruce Springsteen’s electrifying homecoming performance in Asbury Park at the 2024 Sea.Hear.Now festival. Spanning over three hours of powerhouse performances in front of 35,000 people, this 5LP set features Springsteen at his dynamic best, backed by the legendary E Street Band. Spanning Springsteen’s iconic catalog, this record includes hits such as “Thunder Road” and “Dancing in the Dark,” plus songs that Springsteen wrote just down the road from this stage, including “Blinded By The Light” and “Growin’ Up.”

Hear Bruce Springsteen’s electrifying homecoming performance in Asbury Park at the 2024Sea.Hear.Now festival. Spanning over three hours of powerhouse performances in front of 35,000 people, this 3CD set features Springsteen at his dynamic best, backed by the legendary E Street Band. Spanning Springsteen’s iconic catalog, this record includes hits such as “Thunder Road” and “Dancing in the Dark,” plus songs that Springsteen wrote just down the road from this stage, including “Blinded By The Light” and “Growin’ Up.”

Polo G, Hall of Fame (1LP)

First time on vinyl – RSD Exclusive: Limited-edition “Gilded Smoke” pressing of Polo G’s Hall of Fame, featuring chart-topping hit “RAPSTAR” and collaborations with Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Lil Durk, Rod Wave and more.

The Walker Brothers, Nite Flights (1LP)

A first ever colour pressing for the sixth and final studio album by the Walker Brothers, initially released in July 1978, which has been cut to lacquer from the original ¼ inch master tapes. The last of their three albums issued on GTO Records, unlike its predecessors it was made up entirely of original songs and, though it was largely ignored by the public upon release, it has long since been reappraised as something of a lost classic.

Indeed, the four tracks written by Scott Walker on side one are now widely regarded as some of his finest compositions, foreshadowing his re-emergence as an avant-garde artist in the mid-80s and influencing the work of Japan, Radiohead, Pulp and others.

The experimental, string-laden single ‘The Electrician’ is particularly noteworthy; a remarkable piece that Midge Ure has claimed was the inspiration for the Ultravox smash ‘Vienna’. And while Davie Bowie’s Heroes (1977) was brought to the studio by Scott as a creative reference, Bowie was equally taken by Nite Flights, listening to it while creating The Lodger (1979) and covering the title track in 1993 for his Black Tie White Noise album.

30 years after its release, UNCUT scribe Chris Roberts called Nite Flights, “one of the most important works of its time”, praising the synergy of the trio’s individual styles. Though they worked independently, the album has a coherence that belies the fact it even the band members described it as more like three miniature solo efforts than a true group album.

Tommy Keene, Songs From The Film – The 1984 Reflection Sessions (1LP)

Fresh off the media and college radio success of his debut EP Places That Are Gone in 1984, Tommy Keene took his band back into the studio for his follow-up full-length album. Funded by North Carolina independent label Dolphin Records, Keene enlisted emerging production stars T-Bone Burnett and Don Dixon to record the tracks at Reflection Sound Studios in Charlotte – recently the home of R.E.M. for their Murmur and Reckoning sessions.

The resulting completed album is presented here for the first time in its intended mixes and sequencing. Geffen Records picked up Tommy’s contract (and this album) in 1985, and subsequently shelved these versions and re-recorded the whole project with Geoff Emerick producing. Released in 1986, that was the only version of Songs From The Film available – until now. So, forty years later and for the first time on vinyl, a hidden power pop classic makes its debut on Record Store Day 2026.

Various, Metal Machine Music: Power to Consume, Vol. 2 (2LP)

Dive into the second chapter of uncompromising sonic exploration with Metal Machine Music: Power to Consume, Vol. 2, a Record Store Day 2026 exclusive inspired by Lou Reed’s groundbreaking 1975 noise opus. This curated compilation assembles a formidable lineup of avant-garde artists pushing the boundaries of distortion, feedback, and raw electronic texture.Featuring contributions from Emil Beaulieau, Lydia Lunch, Moonbeam Terror, Eros, Blixa Bargeld, Pod Blutz, Martin Rev, Merzbow, and Masonna.

Although this may be the final edition (or is it?) of the Metal Machine Music: Power to Consume series, these artists and their accompanying auditory hallucinations are a proclamation that noise, industrial and experimental sounds, as well as the spirit of Lou Reed, continue to build upon themselves and are infinite.

This time around, the purveyors of maximalist sounds are even more diverse featuring: Merzbow, Masonna, Pod Blotz, Lydia Lunch, Blixa Bargeld, EROS, Martin Rev, Moonbeam Terror…and Emil Beaulieau (of RRRecords). Dive in ears first and play this loud!

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