Fat Beats 7600 Melrose Ave. Suite J Los Angeles, CA 90046 Photo credit: Fat Beats An icon on Melrose Avenue. They also had a location in NYC. Their first LA store was on Vermont in Los Feliz. Fat Beats is still operating and you can find the

Fat Beats
 7600 Melrose Ave. Suite J
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Photo credit: Fat Beats

An icon on Melrose Avenue. They also had a location in NYC. Their first LA store was on Vermont in Los Feliz. Fat Beats is still operating and you can find them online. All of their retail locations closed in 2010.

Aron Record Shop 7753 1/2 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046 1975 Photo Credit: Ed Ruscha A rare photo of the very first T Aron’s Records location before they moved a block east on Melrose to the larger spot most folks remember from the 8

Aron Record Shop
7753 1/2 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
1975 Photo Credit: Ed Ruscha

A rare photo of the very first T Aron’s Records location before they moved a block east on Melrose to the larger spot most folks remember from the 80s. The cover of Frank Zappa’s “Apostrophe (‘)” can been seen in the window.

This photo comes from Ed Ruscha’s photos of Melrose Avenue collection, recently made available to the public by the Getty.

Rene's All Ears Records 7701 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046 Owners: Siblings Rene Cortes Jr. and Rita Cortes Right behind the record store on Spaulding was Rene’s Body Works and Auto Painting, an auto body shop run by their father, Rene Co

Rene's All Ears Records
 7701 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046
Owners: Siblings Rene Cortes Jr. and Rita Cortes

Right behind the record store on Spaulding was Rene’s Body Works and Auto Painting, an auto body shop run by their father, Rene Cortes.

Beat Non Stop 7262 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles CA 90046 From the archives of SIN Magazine

Beat Non Stop
 7262 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles CA 90046

From the archives of SIN Magazine

D·M·C· Records 7619 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046 Screenshot taken from a 2001 episode of the dating show, Blind Date

D·M·C· Records
 7619 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046

Screenshot taken from a 2001 episode of the dating show, Blind Date

Veronica at Street Sounds 7751 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046 First location on the second floor. Photo credit: DJ R.A.W.

Veronica at Street Sounds
 7751 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046
First location on the second floor.

Photo credit: DJ R.A.W.

Melrose Music 7301 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046 2009 Photo The Melrose Music sign is still there, but it is now a comic book store called Mega City One.

Melrose Music
 7301 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046
2009 Photo

The Melrose Music sign is still there, but it is now a comic book store called Mega City One.

Bleecker Bob's Golden Oldies Record Shop 7555 1/2 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046 Photo credit: David Butow This was their third location that they moved to on Melrose.

Bleecker Bob's Golden Oldies Record Shop
7555 1/2 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Photo credit: David Butow

This was their third location that they moved to on Melrose.

Wax City Records 7427 Melrose Ave Unit B, Los Angeles, CA 90046 2016 Photo Credit: Wax City Records

Wax City Records
 7427 Melrose Ave Unit B, Los Angeles, CA 90046
2016 Photo Credit: Wax City Records

Discoteca Cuatro Hermanos 5237 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90042 2016 Photo Photo Credit: Jessy V. Castillo This photograph was part of the “Public Notice" project, which documented the places impacted by the gentrification push in the m

Discoteca Cuatro Hermanos
5237 N. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
2016 Photo
Photo Credit: Jessy V. Castillo

This photograph was part of the “Public Notice" project, which documented the places impacted by the gentrification push in the mid 2010s in the Los Angeles area. -Dyanne

UponShop 3910 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90029 2004 Photo 35mm Photo Credit: Dyanne Cano UponShop was a record store in Sunset Junction that sold amazing hip hop records. I had my first concert photography show there in 2004. It was run by

UponShop
3910 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
2004 Photo
35mm Photo Credit: Dyanne Cano

UponShop was a record store in Sunset Junction that sold amazing hip hop records. I had my first concert photography show there in 2004. It was run by Azul and Andrew. -Dyanne

The Beat Market 1606 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 2002-2004 Photo Photo Credit: Ryan Randolph I owned a record store in Hollywood from 2002-2004 called The Beat Market…We catered to DJs and had several in-stores featuring Cut Chem

The Beat Market
1606 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
2002-2004 Photo
Photo Credit: Ryan Randolph

I owned a record store in Hollywood from 2002-2004 called The Beat Market…We catered to DJs and had several in-stores featuring Cut Chemist and J.Rocc. -Ryan Randolph

Wombleton 5123 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042 2016 Photo Photo Credit: The Vinyl Guide Podcast on YouTube Wombleton was a gem in Highland Park. I once found an OG press of Dead Can Dance’s Into the Labyrinth there. The decor was dark and m

Wombleton
5123 York Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
2016 Photo
Photo Credit: The Vinyl Guide Podcast on YouTube

Wombleton was a gem in Highland Park. I once found an OG press of Dead Can Dance’s Into the Labyrinth there. The decor was dark and moody, and the proprietors were friendly. -Dyanne

Dolphin’s of Hollywood Records 1065 E. Vernon Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90011 Photo Credit: Dolphin Family courtesy of LAist article. Dated 6/23/2015. Dolphin’s was a fixture of the famed Central Avenue jazz scene. Owner John Dolphin also had a la

Dolphin’s of Hollywood Records
1065 E. Vernon Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90011
Photo Credit: Dolphin Family courtesy of LAist article. Dated 6/23/2015.

Dolphin’s was a fixture of the famed Central Avenue jazz scene. Owner John Dolphin also had a label of the same name. It was a hub for the Black community for many years, and was part of the famed Central Avenue jazz scene.

Record Store Discos Exitos No. 2 710 S. Alvarado St. Los Angeles, CA 90057 2010s Photo Photo Credit: Crexi This record store was located inside the Westlake Mall, which was also one of the many swapmeets along Alvarado. I grew up blocks awa

Record Store Discos Exitos No. 2
710 S. Alvarado St.
Los Angeles, CA 90057
2010s Photo
Photo Credit: Crexi

This record store was located inside the Westlake Mall, which was also one of the many swapmeets along Alvarado. I grew up blocks away and vividly remember these small businesses along Alvarado in the 1980s. -Dyanne

db cooper’s Wholesale Music Exchange 1725 W. Verdugo Ave. Burbank, CA 91506 March 24, 2006 Photo Photo Credit: Nicholas Gitomer This is when they were closing so you can see everything starting to get boxed up through the windows. -Nicholas

db cooper’s Wholesale Music Exchange
1725 W. Verdugo Ave.
Burbank, CA 91506
March 24, 2006 Photo
Photo Credit: Nicholas Gitomer

This is when they were closing so you can see everything starting to get boxed up through the windows. -Nicholas Gitomer

Record Trader 7321 Reseda Blvd. Reseda, CA 91335 1990 Photo Photo Credit: Former employee Naomi Park

Record Trader
7321 Reseda Blvd.
Reseda, CA 91335
1990 Photo
Photo Credit: Former employee Naomi Park

Vinyl Fetish 7305 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90046 1980s Photo Photo Credit: Patrick Houdek on Flickr I went to this specific location often in the mid-1990s as a teen. They had the best CD imports and 45s (punk and goth), which are stil

Vinyl Fetish
7305 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
1980s Photo
Photo Credit: Patrick Houdek on Flickr

I went to this specific location often in the mid-1990s as a teen. They had the best CD imports and 45s (punk and goth), which are still part of my collection today. -Dyanne

Backside 139 N. San Fernando Blvd. Burbank, CA 91502 Mid-2000s Photo Photo Credit: Kadrian Alvarenga I once went to an in-store performance [at Backside] by the band RUFIO in high school. It got crazy - people were crowdsurfing in-store but

Backside
139 N. San Fernando Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502
Mid-2000s Photo
Photo Credit: Kadrian Alvarenga

I once went to an in-store performance [at Backside] by the band RUFIO in high school. It got crazy - people were crowdsurfing in-store but the ceilings were so low that they were popping the ceiling lights out of the roof. I got to take photos with the band members aftewards. -Kadrian Alvarenga of Latin Gold Records

Another Blue Meanie Records 22520 Ventura Blvd. Woodland Hills, CA 91364 1980s Photo Photo Credit: Former employee Carlos “Cake” Nunez ...I worked at Another Blue Meanie Records in Woodland Hills between 1985 until it closed on October 31, 1

Another Blue Meanie Records
22520 Ventura Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
1980s Photo
Photo Credit: Former employee Carlos “Cake” Nunez

...I worked at Another Blue Meanie Records in Woodland Hills between 1985 until it closed on October 31, 1986. The store was located off of Shoup and Ventura Blvd and was a collectors’ record store. I still have very fond memories of working there and my salary was $3.85 an hour! Still my favorite job of all time! -Carlos “Cake” Nunez

Arcadia Music Shop 21 E. Huntington Dr. Arcadia, CA 91006 1950s Photo Arcadia Music Mart became one of the most popular shops on Huntington. Mel Pratt, original owner, always played Christmas music over loud speakers for the holiday shoppers

Arcadia Music Shop
21 E. Huntington Dr.
Arcadia, CA 91006
1950s Photo

Arcadia Music Mart became one of the most popular shops on Huntington. Mel Pratt, original owner, always played Christmas music over loud speakers for the holiday shoppers on Huntington Dr[ive]. -Jack McCaskill, 'Where Ranch and City Meet'”