One Hundred Fifty-Two Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 Did stores like Best Buy, Sam goodie, tower records, etc. used to open at midnight on Monday night / Tuesday morning? Was this only for highly anticipated releases? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 Almost never, unless it was a particularly huge release with tons of pre-orders. (Think Halo and select video games.) For music and movies? Nope. Not anywhere over here at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faaip de oiad Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 5 minutes ago, Derek™ said: Almost never, unless it was a particularly huge release with tons of pre-orders. (Think Halo and select video games.) For music and movies? Nope. Not anywhere over here at least. Think early 90s... 11 minutes ago, Tidal Wave said: Did stores like Best Buy, Sam goodie, tower records, etc. used to open at midnight on Monday night / Tuesday morning? Was this only for highly anticipated releases? But yeah... not so much anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawhizz Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 This was more of an indie store thing, at least around me. When I was in college (1998-2002), the indie stores in Iowa City would open at midnight so you could get the new releases, at least for some things. I remember getting Up by R.E.M. at midnight the night it came out and I’m sure I got others that way too. I don’t think the Best Buys/etc. did that, but I wasn’t frequenting those places anyway, so I could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angryalan Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 Used to work for Coconuts/Record Town/FYE back in the early 2000s. Yes, we had midnight releases Monday night into Tuesday, sometimes. I distinctly remember having to sell tons of pre-orders for *NSYNC’s Celebrity in the summer of 2001. Stayed open late that night for people to pick up their CDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shenanigans Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 The little indie shop by me growing up would let you pick up the release as soon as it came in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glass realms Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 Tower Records and Virgin Megastore in Hollywood in the 90s both used to close at midnight regularly. On Monday nights, they would stay open an extra hour to to sell new releases that were set to come out that Tuesday. Those days are obviously long gone now. There aren't even any shops in L.A. that stay open after 8pm. kannibal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nothingnatural Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 (edited) Used to go to midnight sales at Tower. Last one I remember was when Tool/Lateralus came out. Edit- actually Detones s/t I believe was the last midnight sale I remember. Edited April 8, 2022 by nothingnatural kannibal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneThreeOneTwo Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 Kid A at the HMV at Yonge & Dundas downtown, yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes chef Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 I hear people on podcasts talk about it quite often for a lot of highly anticipated grunge/90s alt stuff. Mostly talking about driving around on the way home being disappointed on big followup albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickker Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 57 minutes ago, nothingnatural said: Used to go to midnight sales at Tower. Last one I remember was when Tool/Lateralus came out. Edit- actually Detones s/t I believe was the last midnight sale I remember. Picked up both of those CDs from midnight release sales at independent shops back in the day. Got pulled over on my way home from the Lateralus release for 'weaving in my lane'. (Really I was driving a crappy car through an 'uppity' area at 1AM) Those cops did not believe my story about a new TOOL album. Sobriety checked, breathalized then detained in a patrol car while they searched my car for over an hour before finally letting me on my way. konk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Hundred Fifty-Two Posted April 8, 2022 Author Share Posted April 8, 2022 I never went at midnight to buy anything but I thought I remembered news segments and stuff on TRL and other media about midnight releases with long lines. Just wanted to make sure I was remembering things correctly. Seems like most people have similar thoughts on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaitouG Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 Didn't a record store in GA do a midnight release for the recent REM reissue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhulud Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 It stopped being a trend in the mid-90’s. I can attest to that. I was there. Only albums I stood in line to buy at midnight were Metallica’s Black Album and GN’R’s Use Your Illusion I & II. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiefwahoo Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 I remember my local store doing a few. I think Pearl Jam's Vs. was one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiatorhums Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 The record store I went to in the late 90s/early 00s would stay open until Midnight on Mondays. I'm pretty sure The Fragile release is the only time I took advantage of that. It was a fairly small city and I can't imagine it was worth their while except for big releases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N8TRU Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 This doesn't count but my local Walmart used to sell CDs 2 or 3 days before release date in the early 2010's. It was pretty great and a little funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallowken78 Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 We had a regional chain called cd world that would open at midnight for certain drops in the late 90s/early 00s. I remember going for White Pony and Iowa’s releases. They did a lot of in-stores too. Pretty sure the Deftones were there at midnight for that White Pony release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throwgncpr Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 During 90s yeah, on release days. Aside from a few very special events more recently at my local shops, this kind of died out around 2000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Hundred Fifty-Two Posted April 8, 2022 Author Share Posted April 8, 2022 Of course I see a chicago record store have a midnight listening party for the jack white album last night. It is more of an event based thing with give aways but still similar to what I am talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyEnemy Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 Definitely remember this being a thing, especially at Tower Records, and especially for bigger releases. Your RHCP, Pearl Jams, Green Days, In Utero… I was too young to ever participate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 The midnight opening I remember the most was February 28/29, 2000 for Smashing Pumpkins Machina. It was at Magic Platter in Birmingham, AL. The other one I remember attending was when R.E.M.- Reveal, Weezer's Green, and Tool- Lateralus all released on the same day in May of 2001. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyEnemy Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 41 minutes ago, Alan P said: The midnight opening I remember the most was February 28/29, 2000 for Smashing Pumpkins Machina. It was at Magic Platter in Birmingham, AL. The Tower Records, in San Diego, definitely had a midnight sale for Mellon Collie. Just remembered that one. That was a big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Hundred Fifty-Two Posted June 15, 2023 Author Share Posted June 15, 2023 https://matadorrecords.com/midnightclub/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Hundred Fifty-Two Posted June 15, 2023 Author Share Posted June 15, 2023 https://matadorrecords.com/midnightclub/ time is a flat circle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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