Ada, Ohio
Retro: Music & Media
4171 OH-235, Ada, OH 45810
Record shopping in Ohio
Ohio runs four distinct music capitals across the state: Akron produced Devo, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, and the Black Keys; Cleveland built proto-punk with Pere Ubu, the Dead Boys, and Rocket from the Tombs, then later anchored the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995; Cincinnati's King Records pressed James Brown's foundational catalog under Syd Nathan starting in 1943; and Dayton turned into a funk capital with the Ohio Players, Zapp & Roger Troutman, and Guided By Voices. Shake It Records has held Cincinnati's Northside since September 11, 2001 with 25,000-plus vinyl titles and an active label, Used Kids in Columbus hits 40 years in 2026, Magnolia Thunderpussy holds Short North, and Omega Music keeps Dayton's Oregon District alive. Time Traveler Records has anchored Akron for over 40 years, Square Records runs Highland Square, and Quonset Hut in Canton has run hybrid counter-culture since 1975. Cleveland's My Mind's Eye in Lakewood, Plaid Room in Loveland (home of Colemine Records), and Culture Clash in Toledo round out the bigger map. Take 71 from Cleveland through Columbus down to Cincinnati, ride 76 east toward Akron, and see what the Buckeye State has been keeping in the bins.
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BEYOND OHIO: VINYL JOURNEYS FROM THE BUCKEYE STATE
As the platter stops turning in the Buckeye State, every shop you flipped through today is just one chapter in a much bigger Midwestern story. The Ohio River runs south, Lake Erie runs north, and Ohio's five bordering states put the Detroit-to-Pittsburgh-to-Louisville circuit within an easy weekend drive.
Michigan Record Stores: Head north into Michigan, where Detroit's Third Man Records and Cass Corridor shops carry the Motown and proto-punk lineage, Ann Arbor's college-town circuit catches the MC5 and Stooges spillover, and the Upper Peninsula keeps small-town vinyl scenes alive past the bridge.
Pennsylvania Record Stores: Cross east into Pennsylvania, where Philadelphia's Repo Records and Brewerytown Beats anchor the city's soul and indie circuit, Pittsburgh's Jerry's Records houses one of the country's biggest used collections, and the Lehigh Valley's college-town shops catch the Philly spillover.
West Virginia Record Stores: Roll southeast into West Virginia, where Morgantown's college shops stock indie and folk, Charleston's downtown stores carry country, bluegrass, and Appalachian gospel, and the New River Gorge towns keep old-time and front-porch music close to the surface.
Kentucky Record Stores: Drop south into Kentucky, where Louisville's Guestroom Records runs two shops including the new renovated-firehouse Highlands location, the Great Escape's Bardstown Road flagship anchors the long-form dig, and Lexington's Cut Corner Records reopened in 2025 to take the old CD Central space.
Indiana Record Stores: Travel west into Indiana, where Indianapolis's Indy CD & Vinyl runs 300,000-plus used LPs out of 808 Broad Ripple, Luna Music and Square Cat Vinyl anchor the city's indie circuit, and Bloomington's IU college shops carry the Hoosier State's downstate dig.
Tennessee Record Stores: Swing south to Tennessee, where Memphis still spins Sun, Stax, and Three 6 Mafia in roughly equal measure, Nashville's East Side stocks outlaw country alongside Third Man pressings, and the Smokies pull Ohio families south every summer and fall for the long weekends.
At Record Store Directory, every state line is an invitation to keep exploring. Share your finds, connect with fellow collectors, and chase down that next unforgettable album, because the perfect record is always closer than you think.
Happy hunting, and we'll see you in the next stack!
More Ohio coverage from The Stack:
- Record Store Spotlight: Everybody’s Records Cincinna
- Record Store Spotlight: Shake It Records Cincinnati
- The Best Record Stores in Cincinnati: Ohio River Vin
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