WIth the rumored abandonment of CDs by the music industry, and after the closure of 60 of its stores at the start of 2011, it looks like the writing is on the wall for the British music retail giant HMV. The chain, the largest of its kind in the UK and which launched al the way back in 1921, announced on Monday that it will be selling off its Ritz chain of live venues, and Simon Fox, CEO of the company, has admitted that the 2011 Christmas season is make or break time for the brand.

The passing of HMV would truly be the end of an era, so what better time to take a look back at its glory days? In particular these photos from the retailer’s flagship store in London’s Oxford Street, taken in the 50s, 60s and 70s, and handily collected and posted in two different entries on the excellent Voices of East Anglia blog. The first of these entries was posted over the summer, and did the rounds back then, but the second entry is even better still.

I have mixed feelings about HMV - too many hours spent searching for music they would never stock and I would find more easily at an independent shop, versus occasionally finding incredible bargains on “unwanted” releases lurking in the discount bins (and sometimes a good pop album on sale for less than any other shop.)  But looking at these photos, and the clothes, hairstyles, design and records, the viewer is reminded not just that this is an era long gong, but that it was also a golden age of physical music retailing, the like of which we will never see again.

I don’t think records or record shops are ever going to go away - downsized for sure, but not extinct. However it’s unlikely we will see this much flash (and cash) invested in the humble vinyl emporium ever again:
 

 

 

 

 
See more fantastic pictures of HMV at Voices of East Anglia - part one and part two.

Well, here in New York all the big record stores are gone. Although I miss them a bit, they were never very good: No one working in the big chain stores actually orders the music…it was all done by faceless suits back in the corporate offices. So the inventory was totally hit-or-miss, and based on computerized record sales.

In contrast, there are lots of little CD joints that are doing just fine, and the people working in there own the place and cater to very specific styles.

Wow. Beautiful. I shoplifted the bulk of my CD collection from this shop when I lived in London in the early nineties. By then it was just long rack after rack of CD’s across an open floor with none of this design or thoughtfulness. The vinyl was gone too of course. Ironic that vinyl is back in the ascendent, to some degree, looks likely to outlive the CD.

@ Ben, yeah, the major appeal of these photos to me is how space age and funky the shop looks, as opposed to how grey and plastic they look now.

@ Em I think the second hand music shop will always be with us, and the smaller first hand independent shop. In fact, in a few years ALL CD shops will be second hand! Still, I will kinda miss those big huge temples to pop culture like flagship HMV/Virgin/Tower stores. Not that I bought much there, I just like browsing and hanging out.

What’s going on at the “Personal Recording” desk?

Furniture companies that started building record players into furniture cabinets surely did not anticipate such a popularity and demand for vinyl records & teen idols and such.. gee, we better open some record stores quick!

slight homage

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Analog recording sale are at 1% of music sales in the US.  Analog is not likely to exceed CD sales anytime this decade.  There will remain, at least, indie CD productions.  I will NOT go back to buying LP’s - ever.  You want 12 inch records, go buy old Laserdisks.