[iboyindigo]

Before I start, I want everyone to know I'm a loyal Apple fan and I fully support the iTunes Music Store. But as a former Sam Goody store manager I felt some tribute was owed to the brick and mortar music stores...

To the music store; though your time has passed I will always remember the fond times we spent together. Your sometimes friendly and often knowledgeable staff knew what music I would like before I even knew it existed. The atmosphere in your walls was free spirited and inviting such as the product you sold. I could often find the items I wanted to compliment my music such as a tee or poster. I could spend a lot of time just browsing your collection listening to your in-store music and watching the videos on the monitors over head. I always had a feeling of excitement when visiting you. And even on the brink of your utter demise, when one kid would but the latest and greatest disc and his five friends would comment that they would just copy it from his, you still tried to fight the battle offering the blank discs nessacery, but alas the fight wasn't yours to win this time. And while your successors can offer cheaper music and easy anytime access, as well as glitzy technology and better sounds. They will always be your successors. You are a part of our nations history, the part that allowed for the revolution we see today. We will miss you.

Okay cheezy I know but I do kind of miss walking in to a music store at my local mall there was just a kind of happy feeling about it. I love my iTunes but it does feel somewhat impersonal.

[mindwaves]

spam?

[zro]

I never think of record stores when someone says "music store."

[Chuckit]

How would this be spam?

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I love going into record/music stores. iTunes will never replace them for me; I've never bought anything off iTunes, and I doubt I ever will. There's nothing like that excitement of trying to tear the ridiculously hard packaging off and opening up the cover.

greg

[Nodnarb]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

I love going into record/music stores. iTunes will never replace them for me; I've never bought anything off iTunes, and I doubt I ever will. There's nothing like that excitement of trying to tear the ridiculously hard packaging off and opening up the cover.

greg

I bet you won't have the same attitude in 5/10 years.

[flabasha]

Yeah, they're pretty much done, and with some reason. But I must admit to feeling a little wistful going by the famous Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard in LA, and seeing it boarded up.

I remember as a young kid in the 70's, going into the Tower Records near San Francisco and wondering about those weird-looking metal tobacco pipes under the glass counter.

As great as the iTunes music store is, it will never be able to sell bongs.

[OldManMac]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

How would this be spam?

I think mindwaves may be thinking that this guy is not a former music store manager, but a current one, or someone who's involved in CD/music sales, who's trying to act on peoples' emotions and try to hook people to come in. If one does a quick search, one can see that there are still a fair number of Sam Goody stores in the nation.

[SpaceMonkey]

So mister funk master, pump the Bee Gees,
and all you college students playing Ouija
check the spellin': R-E-F-U-G-E...
-E, get the CD from Sam Goody, hee-hee
You ain't even close with the rhymes that you wrote
Don't be mad 'cause you broke
Let me clear my throat:
uh-huh, uh-huh

[mitchell_pgh]

The iTunes store didn't kill the record store... big box outlets like K-mart, Wal-Mart and Best Buy killed most of them YEARS (as in 10+) ago. Online music is just putting the last nail in the coffin.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by mindwaves 

spam?

spam.

[paul w]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

spam.

But I don't like spam!

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by paul w 

But I don't like spam!

Don't make a fuss, dear. I'll have your spam. I love it. I'm having spam, spam, spam, spam, spam ...

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Weird, HMV is still a really popular music store here in Canada. Best Buy/Future Shop is closing the gap for sure, but their selection and layout is usually far inferior.

And yes, I will feel this way in 10 years. I still collect vinyl records, even though I don't (yet) own a turntable. Taking a CD or record out of its case and pressing play and sitting back to look at the artwork simply can't be duplicated digitally.

greg

[Jawbone54]

I go (or went) to a music store to buy music that I wanted to listen to. I didn't enjoy talking to the employees, who were usually very rude in almost every music store in my area. It wasn't fun hoping that they might have the semi-obscure album in that I've been waiting for someone to get in stock. I didn't like the music they had playing in the store. I could go on...

Bye bye, music stores. And good riddance.

[torsoboy]

I never bought from music stores like sam goody because they are so freaking expensive. They want $20+ bucks for a CD?? No thanks. Same for their movies... for example Cars costs $30 at Sam Goody but only $19 at Wal-Mart. I don't have a problem with them going the way of the dodo bird.

[DigitalEl]

Originally Posted by torsoboy

They want $20+ bucks for a CD?? No thanks. Same for their movies... for example Cars costs $30 at Sam Goody but only $19 at Wal-Mart. I don't have a problem with them going the way of the dodo bird.

I'll pass on Wal-Mart, too, but ditto good riddance to record stores. They were ALWAYS a rip-off. I remember buying CDs for between $17 and $20 when I was a teen. I love that I can get music for 99-cents a track now. Only the songs I want instead of a whole "album" with only two worthy tracks.

Bye bye record stores. Don't let the espresso machines hit you on the way out... Because now there's a Starbucks in your place. If I'm gonna overpay for somethin', it's gonna be a $5 coffee.

[starman]

I miss vinyl.

[SeSawaya]

record stores used to be one of the most popular stores in the mall. I remember Musicland (that turned into Sam Goody) in the 70s as a kid just seeing tons of people in there buying their music. Music was always blasting out of the store too!

ahh, good times.....

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by torsoboy 

I never bought from music stores like sam goody because they are so freaking expensive. They want $20+ bucks for a CD?? No thanks. Same for their movies... for example Cars costs $30 at Sam Goody but only $19 at Wal-Mart. I don't have a problem with them going the way of the dodo bird.

Exactly!

There's no way I'm going to pay the prices they're asking me to. I've gone almost all-digital now, but if I'm going to buy a CD, it's going to be from Wal-Mart or Target. Also, as much as I love having all my music on my iPod, there's still something cool about having the actual CD.

I never liked cassette tapes though. I barely caught records before they were on their way out.

[Dakar²]

Originally Posted by starman 

I miss vinyl.

All I know is for me growing up, CDs were better than records or tapes just because I could listen to any song at anytime. Less fragile too (Though not as indestructible as previously thought).

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

Exactly!

There's no way I'm going to pay the prices they're asking me to. I've gone almost all-digital now, but if I'm going to buy a CD, it's going to be from Wal-Mart or Target. Also, as much as I love having all my music on my iPod, there's still something cool about having the actual CD.

I never liked cassette tapes though. I barely caught records before they were on their way out.

Places like Sam Goody used to be good for a broad deep selection compared to a local record store, but I always used to laugh when I went to a major city and prices were all the way up $5 more than where I live,

Nowadays I mostly use cduniverse, and I've actually found cds under $10.