Piccadilly Records

When it comes to music in Manchester this place is the absolute business. Piccadilly Records is the coolest square footage of retail space in the Northern Quarter (and possibly the world).

It’s also the place to join the queue when it comes to Record Store Day exclusives. They’ll be opening at 8am on Saturday 20 April so set your alarm clock.

Whether you’re hunting down a classic album or trying to get your hands on the latest new release, this is the place to come. Not only does it sell a huge collection of music on vinyl and CD, as well as paraphernalia like record storage boxes and stylus cleaners, but it also curates the best albums of every year in its famous December rundown.

If you’ve found your love of music overtaken by, well, life, and you couldn’t name a song released after 1996, then this could be your way back to musical epiphany. It is always absolutely spot on with recommendations – just work your way through the list for audio pleasure.

There’s always something going on with live music for album launches, Record Store Day, Album Day and other important calendar events. You’ll find under-the-radar indie songstrels and even cult artists popping in for Q&As and a few tunes.