Six Melbourne Record Stores That Have Been Lost To Time

For most music-lovers, a trip down to the local record store wasn’t just a rite of passage, but a formative experience that still resonates years down the line.

From flipping through the racks and discovering new favourites or classic gems, to seeing in-store performances, or simply admiring the flyers, stickers, and staff that made up the store’s interior, record stores are a crucial part of the musical culture.

But of course, time marches on and as progress continues, so too do we end up losing some of our favourite haunts. In Melbourne, a city often cited as the music capital of the world, we’re not immune to such a devastating happening.

So we’re talking a walk down musical memory lane by focusing on some of the beloved record stores lost to time.

While it’s worth mentioning bigger names that are no longer with us such as HMV, Brash’s, or the Virgin Megastore, and smaller names like Central Station Records, Delta Music, and Batman Records this is our list of six names we wish would make a comeback on the Melbourne music scene.

Polyester Records

When Polyester Records announced its closure in 2020, patrons of the Brunswick Street store were devastated. An institution since 1981, the store was well-situated for the Fitzroy suburb, located close to venues such as the Punters Club and the Evelyn, and became a rite of passage for music-minded folks visiting Victoria.

Between 2007 and 2014, a second location operated in the CBD, and its closure was followed by the shuttering of the equally-influential and beloved Polyester Books in 2016. Though the iconic awning decorations can still be found on Brunswick Street, they’re little more than a bittersweet reminder of what once was.

Gaslight Records

In the ‘90s, there were few CBD record stores as popular as Gaslight Records. Located on Bourke Street, Gaslight had been operating since the ‘70s but became a staple of the local scene upon its purchase by Jeff Harrison in 1983 and remained so until its closure in 2005.

Famed for its myriad competitions and special events (everyone always mentions their infamous nude day), Gaslight was also renowned for its many instores which saw countless local and international acts perform live inside. Put simply, if you raided any music-lover’s collection in Melbourne, you could probably find an album (or 20) purchased from Gaslight back in the day.

Au Go Go

Originally beginning life as a record label founded by Bruce Milne and Philip Morland, Au Go Go worked with an immense number of famed local and international names, including Magic Dirt, Spiderbait, The Meanies, and more. In 1987 though, they opened up a retail store in Little Collins Street and began selling their wares direct to the consumer.

While they'd move around a few times over their lifetime, Au Go Go was a vital part of the inner-city scene, providing not just their own releases to local fans, but a stellar variety of records that were hard-to-find or simply unavailable elsewhere.

Sadly, Au Go Go shut its doors in 2003, but Milne hasn’t strayed too far from the record world, adding his talent to the beloved Prahran institution Greville Records.

Missing Link Records

Proudly describing itself as "Australia's finest independent record store", Missing Link Records opened its doors in the early '80s following the establishment of its record label just a few years earlier. Housed in Bourke Street, Missing Link worked with and distributed plenty of acts operating in the alternative and post-punk scene, and was a firm favourite amongst those looking for something a bit left-of-centre.

In 2011, Missing Link announced it would be closing its doors, citing a number of reasons for the decision, including “adverse trading conditions”, a “continued decline in hardcopy music sales”, and the “ever present theft of music and digital options”.

The Basement Discs

One of the more recent closures, the long-standing Basement Discs shut its doors for the final time in January 2023, having remained in the downstairs Block Arcade address for almost 30 years. Bolstered by its cosy atmosphere and vast stock options, a trip to the Basement Discs felt like a perfect escape for the enterprising music fan.

Hosting frequent in-store performances and providing plenty of choice for customers, the continued impact of COVID meant that the Basement Discs couldn’t continue any longer. While its owners – Suzanne Bennett and Rod Jacobs – hinted at a potential future brick-and-mortar store, nothing has been announced since and it remains to be seen if a revival may ever occur. (These days you can also find former manager Pat Monaghan running the exceptional Rocksteady Records in the CBD!)

Honourable Mention: Dixons Recycled Records

Alright, first of all, we are aware that Dixons Recycled Records is still going. While its original Blackburn store still continues and its Fitzroy location moved over to Northcote a few years ago, its list of stores has however dwindled over the years.

After all, when you consider that it was only a matter of years ago you could visit their five locations – which also included stores in Prahran, Camberwell, and Dandenong – it’s clear that we need to appreciate what we still have. (Fun fact: did you know their Fitzroy store was almost in Heidelberg?)

Famed for their immense offerings of second hand CDs, records, tapes, books, and more, there’s very little you’ll be unable to find at Dixons, and decades of servicing Victorian music-lovers speak for itself.